YHA St. Pancras

Despite being a youth hostel, the YHA St. Pancras Hostel is an altogether sleeker operation than many of its B&B neighbors. Conveniently located next to London's King’s Cross station, this member of the YHA chain (London’s branch of Hosteling International) is slowly undergoing refurbishment (the first and sixth floors have been completely renovated), and it feels much more like a trendy budget hotel than a typical backpacker's hideout.

Quick read

Pros: Reliable and convenient. Spacious rooms. Great location. Good value.

Cons: Expensive Wi-Fi. No guest kitchen. Street-facing rooms can be noisy.

Rooms

In addition to dorms, the YHA St. Pancras offers two-, four-, five- and six-bed private rooms, with or without private bathrooms. Décor is simple: cream-colored walls with dark blue carpets. All rooms have bunk beds, some with wooden frames and some with metal ones. Duvets come in blue or lime green.

All rooms have air conditioning and luggage lockers (bring your own lock) but no other amenities. Many are quite spacious. We loved the rooms with huge windows looking out to Euston Road, but do note that these can get noisy (psst... light sleepers: request a room at the back).

Rooms

Both private and shared bathrooms are compact and very basic, yet notably clean and decorated with plain white tiles.

Hostel

Undoubtedly, the hostel’s real draw is its wealth of cool communal areas. Both the spacious lobby/bar area and the upstairs TV lounge at the YHA St. Pancras boast floor-to-ceiling windows, chic red walls and plump, inviting sofas. When we visited, chilled-out jazz music wafted through the bar, adding to the relaxed vibe.

The YHA St. Pancras is especially good for families with young children, as there is lift access on every floor. Laundry services are also available, and a range of affordable food options can be found at the bar.

Breakfast is available for an additional fee. There is an Internet station in the lobby and Wi-Fi available throughout. Note that both cost an additional (if exorbitant) fee, and that Wi-Fi is slower on the higher floors (Internet addicts should request ahead for a lower-floor room).

Location

The YHA St. Pancras is perfectly situated for those wishing to access King’s Cross station and the British Library. From here, you can even hit the shops in central London by foot.