A good decision: cosy, friendly, peaceful, functional and on a budget.
My stay at Amhurst was particularly good. I was travelling alone, and I needed a place to stay on a budget, so after comparing many places, Amhurst seemed the nicest on an affordable price.
The first thing that worried me was that it seemed to be far from the public transport, but as I discovered later, this is only partly true: the closest subway station is a short walk from the hotel, I made it carrying a big suitcase and big backpack, and it was not confortable, but not impossible, just 15 min walk or so. On the other hand, as one of the members of the staff showed me even without asking just afterwards I arrived, there are plenty of buses you can pick up from a crossroads down the road to go to the city centre; they take the same time as the subway to get there (20min approx.), they are cheaper, and just 5min from the hotel.
Second point: when looking for the hotel, you'll find it under the name of Amhurst Lodge, so don't get confused ;)
The hotel itself is quite nice, and it has all the elements that somebody travelling under a budget would require:
Let's start with the kitchen: it's the perfect element if you want to cook with independence and not to lose your money in restaurants; I really appreciated its existence, and it really makes a difference from other hotels. The kitchen consists of: cooker, oven, sink, kettle, and they have cutlery, plates and pots, cupboards, etc... Then every guest has a small fridge in the room.
The room itself is ok, clean enough, with clean and warm sheets, a little fridge, kettle and teas, TV, wardrobe, radiator, locker... Mine had a window/door that I could open and just pop out in the garden, what was extremely nice, especially considering that you can have that in the crowded London.
In my case, I shared the bathroom and toilet, but I know that some rooms in other area have en-suite bathroom. Anyway, it was not such a big deal: they were clean, used by few people, upstairs but close to the room; they have a really cool shower, and they lend towels as well.
Other shared areas are the dining room, a really big and warm space with clean tables and information on touristic locations and events, where you can take your just prepared meal, straight away from the kitchen; or if the weather is nice, maybe you can sit outside in the garden, where you'll soon meet Tom, the cat (if he doesn't find you before, that's for sure :3).
Other remarkable elements that made my trip better are, on one hand, the kindness of the staff: really helpful, funny and kind, they really make you feel like this is your home; and on the other hand, the friendly environment created by all the other guests: I know this is circumstantial, but most of the guests I happened to meet were nice British people around 40 or 50 years old, and a few quiet young foreigners, what is nice if you're looking for a place to rest at night and where you can feel almost home. Another interesting feature is that they give you an access code and you can take your key away, so you can access the building at any time, not depending on finding the staff awake.
Summarizing:
Amhurst is good for: people wanting a quiet and cosy place, people not caring if their accommodation is not located under the London Bridge, people on a budget, people who want independence during their stay.
Amhurst is not for: people allergic to cats, people used to 5 start hotels, people looking for a busy and noisy youth hostel. read more