We profile—and recommend—several hostels in this guide, although only those hostels that offer accommodation in double and/or triple rooms in addition to the more standard multi-bed rooms. In many cities, we bypass hostels altogether in favor of only listing budget-friendly hotels, but in London, where high hotel rates are unavoidable, we’ve taken a different approach.
One general mark of quality when it comes to youth hostels is YHA certification. YHA stands for Youth Hostel Association. YHA hostels generally set the standard for acceptable hostel accommodations.
To see hostels that we recommend, check out our London accommodations sorted by price. Hostels are listed at the top. Also, check out the London hostel listings on EuropeanHostels.com.
Another good option is university dorms, some of which are open to the general population during the summertime and over the December holidays.
King’s College London has four residence halls for tourist inhabitation during the summer. The London School of Economics turns eight dorms and residence halls over to temporary visitors during the summer and in December. University College London has seven halls that it opens up to tourists during the summer.
Do a quick Internet search and you'll find several websites offering London flat rental listings. Britain Express offers a long list of short-term apartment rental companies, with links to studios and apartments.
London being London, many of these short-term rentals are quite pricey, though in our overview we found apartments for as little as £125 per person per week.
Don’t forget old reliable Craigslist, which lists a wide range apartment rentals in London (and elsewhere of course.)
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