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Hands down one of London’s nicest hostels, YHA Earl’s Court is a bright and shiny YHA outpost fully renovated in 2007. The smart reception area sets the tone well, with its red walls, metal-and-wood counters, and miniature café; these details are a firm reminder that all hostels are not equal. In addition to the lobby, there’s an attractive front lounge, a big and bold room with a television and oodles of places to sit and socialize.
There are a few private/double rooms here, and they’re nifty. We saw a lovely family-sized room opening out onto the back garden. It features green walls, a sturdy pyramid-style bunk bed, a corner sink, and private facilities. For a few minutes, we forgot that we were in a hostel.
Then there’s that back garden. We wish we’d visited on a sunny day, as it looked like a great, expansive place to chill out.
Of course, YHA Earl’s Court is a hostel, and you’ll encounter all the standard hostel charges, for towels, toiletries, and padlocks for the ubiquitous lockers. Internet access (both a station and Wi-Fi) is available throughout, although, like the above amenities, they are not free of charge.
There are plenty of families staying here in addition to the standard student/backpacker pairing. The hostel does not take groups, however, so there’s little danger of encountering that swarmed-by-a-pack social nightmare dynamic that afflicts so many hostels.
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