Lots of attentive, competent, friendly staff. Adjacent restaurant when a convenient meal desired…read more Walk to premium restaurants. We uber or walk everywhere but underground options nearby. Room out of architectural digest. Small gym enabled yoga stretching, dumbbells, and aerobics. Nothing cookie cutter about the hari.

The Pros: * Great Belgravia location near sites,…read moretransportation, restaurants, grocery. * Very Helpful Staff * Cool 2nd Floor bar / Lounge area * Reasonably priced vs other 5 star options * Quiet, comfortable, well appointed rooms Cons: * Restaurant was deserted and service and food were very bad... 1 hour to get entree... bizarre tasting shrimp pasta... * Only 1 small elevator in operation during half of stay... * Staff attempted food delivery at 1:00am - we did not order and all they had was a room number with no name on the order ... wtf?

Perfectly fine for what it is - you get exactly what you pay for…read more This is an ultra-tiny but super-convenient place in the Kensington/Chelsea area. The prices are cheap and the location is convenient, but the trade-off is size - the rooms are reminiscent of Japanese hotels (that is, small and efficient). All the same, it has all the necessary amenities (comfy beds, great bathrooms, workspaces, fast Internet, the works) and it's ~5 minutes from an Underground station. For that, it's worth every penny.

When I travel back to London...I will stay right here...it's nestled in the posh borough of…read moreKensington/Chelsea...down the street from the British history museum and a ton of restaurants --and a wonderful grocery store ...all walking distance. They have a simple European type breakfast (hot /cold cereals, boiled eggs, cold cuts, yogurt) its even around the corner from Freddie Mercury's house! Modern rooms, full beds and cute attached bathroom.

Loved my stay here on a recent trip to London. I had a five night stay and I felt comfortable and…read morewell rested thanks to my stay. The hotel is near several key underground stations so it was easy to get to and to get to other locations. Getting here from Heathrow was quite easy. Had drinks on the 14th floor one night and breakfast on the 1st one morning, and both were enjoyable. I'm an effort to be more green you need to request to have your room cleaned. I didn't end up asking for it but was able to get more tea and coffee when I ran out. I would highly recommend this hotel to all my friends

Loved this as our first stay in London! The vibes were great. Bathroom was stunning. Toilet albeit…read moredeep and difficult to flush (US here haha) Albie was a lovely touch for traveling all day and being downstairs. Must request cleaning, which we never used. The bed was amazing. Cute little breakfast bag feature that they give you pastries and fruit for £5 a person. The only complaint is the lighting in the room is pretty orange.

I had a fantastic stay here. Pretty close to city center. It only took one bus ride or one transfer…read moreto get to Trafalgar Square, or Picadelly Circus. Just one quick stop from Victoria Station! Location was fantastic. Staff were superb. Super friendly and very accommodation with every request or question I had. Free printing for your tickets! Which was extremely convenient and hassle free. Hearing is controlled in your room! Huge plus! I was never cold (visited in December). 1 pound donation for breakfast which was excellent. Cleanliness was alright. My linens had a few stains in them (prob stains they couldn't shout out from the wash) and the restroom floors looked and smelled a bit. But for the price I made due. Just make sure you bring flip flops!

Budget-friendly, convenient location, safe--all the things you need in a hostel…read more Stayed in a 6 bunk female room for a night and definitely would book again for a short stay. It's a lovely way to meet fellow travelers. You can purchase or rent anything from towels to laundry detergent. Free luggage storage on the day of check-in, but I think you'd have to pay for storing after check-out at 1000. The Astor Victoria team is fluent in at least Spanish and English. 3 stars for perfectly meeting expectations (:

Tiny room. We came with 2 regular size suitcases since we are staying in Europe 2 months. The only…read moreplace to put them is on a small desk. Also, we have a room in the basement with a " window " that looks out to another wall. To top it all off there is no elevator and the stairs are very narrow and steep. The phone is out of service. Kindly, the man gave us a second floor room, which is third floor American without an elevator. This room is designed better for our luggage, and they will bring our bags up for us. Because we are older, the stairs are difficult. I don't recommend this hotel for anyone staying more than one night.

This hotel was the highlight of me trip to London. My room was clean and ready for me when I showed…read moreup. The front desk staff was exceptionally friendly and professional. The bed was extremely comfortable and the shower was to die for. I would like to get a shower head like that in my own home. It's very near some good restaurants and easy access to the Tube/underground. I would gladly stay at this hotel again. The breakfast is served in a small separate building and it's fantastic.

Loved my stay here and would highly recommend again!…read more Of the hostels and hotels that I have stayed in London, I would certainly consider this to be one of the best for those on a budget in terms of quality, value, and comfort. I booked our stay on Hostelworld for a great deal and was glad that they had check-in as early as 2:00pm with luggage storage should you happen to arrive earlier than when the room is prepared. Check out is, however, an hour earlier than most at 10:00 am so just be wary of that. Getting to the hostel is fairly simple and the closest metro stop will definitely be Elephant & Castle but you can also try off at Kensington depending on where you're coming from. It is about a 5 minute walk from the metro stop so if you have a bit of luggage with you just be prepared to walk under a few bridges and through a bit of the city. Now anyone looking to get the full experience of backpacking in Europe will tell you to book a room with other travelers in a shared suite but I DO NOT recommend that whatsoever. In all of my experiences traveling, you will always be able to meet people in the common area and lobby but there is nothing quite like having your own privacy so definitely book a private room. My boyfriend and I opted for the twin-size bunk bed room with an en-suite bathroom and were fortunate enough to have a room at the end of the hallway and in the corner for lots of privacy. This ran us at $96 on a Saturday night which is still cheaper than most places, so the value is definitely there! Despite how old the city is, Safestay seems to be modern and updated so it doesn't look dilapidated like most of your budget hostels, which I definitely appreciate. The front desk is also super friendly which is always nice and there are a lot of tour recommendations you can ask them for as well. There are a few things you can rent like towels, chargers, etc. if you need it but WiFi is included both in the common area and in your own room. Overall, this is definitely a great contender for those looking for a great night's sleep. Just keep in mind that it is a little off the beaten path so if you want something more centrally located then this may not be the place for you. (16/100 -- 2019)

12/16/2018: Augh~I'm washing and drying my clothes my last day at Safestay: £3.50 for washing and…read more£1.50 for drying . . . Using the washer, dryer, iron, ironing board: ESSENTIAL necessities. It took about two hours completing my laundry task. I go to my ensuite . . . Strange~The sink inside the ensuite toilet began festering, bubbling gunk-YUCK! I went downstairs to the Concierge alerting the plumbing issue . . . A couple hours later, Safestay's Maintenance Personnel unclogs the sink and cleans both toilet and shower ensuites. Recapitulating: I checked in on December 3, 2018, slept off and on in a zombie state two days in a row . . . Jet lag really tweaked my circadian rhythm into an overdrive, survival mode . . . IT'S MANDATORY TAKING A PIC OF THE ELEPHANT & CASTLE'S STATUE, i.e., LANDMARK or you'll find yourself at London Road & the Newington Causeway's Elephant & Castle's Tube Station which IS 1/2-mile away from Walworth Road heading towards Safestay, and my gratuitous bumbling around London leaving vital information how to get around riding the Red Double-Decker Buses from Safestay to all points throughout. Please read my review of London FYI. Regarding Safestay's conveniently reliable transportation, the Buses are to the right and left of the Safestay's location which is far more convenient THAN RIDING the Tube: I find it an egregious hassle paying for one Tube station then, paying AGAIN tranferring to another station . . . Hop on and hop off the bus, traveling directly to your destination without being subjected climbing a PLETHORA of staircases, i.e., Elephant & Castle's PLETHORA OF STAIRCASES with NO escalators or "lifts" via attempting arriving at a Tube's platform exiting the station! TIP: Leaving Heathrow Airport-ride the Heathrow Express Train to Paddington-buy R/T ticket=Less expensive, Find the Bus # 205-Paddington heading towards Primrose Street, hop on the BUS # 35 heading towards Clapham Junction, get off Bus #35 at Larcom Street, cross street, Safestay is directly to your right of the traffic crosswalk. Returning to Heathrow Airport, hop on the Bus #35 to SHORDITCH transfer to the Bus #205 to Paddington via Primrose Street: BUY YOUR MEALS ACROSS THE STREET AT SPITALFIELDS MARKET-Get coffee and buy two meals, get off Bus at Paddington, go to Heathrow Express Train to Heathrow Airport. Safestay amenities: Reserve the ensuite four-beds-it's worth EVERY penny spent; sadly, there's no kitchen, no refrigerator, no kitchen sink, no stove usage-period=Disappointing but, definitely not a deal breaker. Room was relatively quiet with the exception of the occasional Emergency Vehicles blaring and roommates slinking into their bunks. Dining area/bar: EXPENSIVE, i.e., egregiously charging £1.50 for a can of soda while at Aobaba charges £.90; breakfast costs £5.00 filling up on possibly a hard-boiled egg and bland starches: Better go to Amore Cafe down the street, i.e., substantially serving a FAR more satisfying, filling breakfast for £5.80 includes, freshly-made, cafe mocha coffee! General Manager, Jose Huet is a very cool Dude, indeed . . . Provide Jose suggestions improving Safestay . . . Suggestion to Jose Huet: I know you need a seller's permit selling more than what's available at the Concierge . . . Still, it would be nice if, at least, have inside via Safestay's Concierge Foyer Lobby area where people may use a hot water kettle: Where Safestay would supply 24-hours of hot coffee, tea, cup of Ramen Noodles, chips, candy, snacks, and fruit selling at competitive price-points to the comparable businesses selling the same products around Walworth Road and especially, when the dining/bar area closes for the night. Furthermore and since, there are no kitchen/no refrigerator access, and especially, people are not allowed eating inside the dining area with food purchased outside of Safestay and can't eat inside the ensuite rooms are considerably, incorrigibly, disappointing rules: Where are people supposed to eat their meals or leftover meals? Overall, the room where I stayed with the ensuites toilet & shower are cleaned daily, garbage bins emptied, ensuite bed linens are changed as soon as the person checks out, floors are swept, mopped, and vacuumed; however, no towels, laundry detergent, and toiletries are supplied. Despite the fact, I folded over three dozen Safestay's purple towels left in the dryers, I wonder why there are no Safestay towels located in the ensuite four-bed rentals for usage? Regardless, IMHO, Safestay's property is number one for room reservations + low costs, transportation, cleanliness, Safestay's Staff are awesomely congenial, and location, location, location, i.e., close to awesome restaurants, Barclays Bank, beauty salons, nail salons, tailors, dry cleaners, grocery stores, etc.!

Fantastic location and reasonably priced. Right on Lambeth tube to you anywhere, including…read moreHeathrow in an hour. Rooms were clean, a bit noisy from our room as on the train track side, but the window closed was not too bad. We got there early and were comped early check-in, which was very nice. We stayed here the entire time and did not have any issues. The water temp was a bit like warm but not a real issue. There is also a quality gym that would meet most folks' needs. Overall, it is a very comfortable and clean place to stay. The rooms were safe, and use your passcards to get up the elevator. Be prepared to wait a bit for them when its busier, but again not really a bit issue. We did not have the vreakfast option, but it smelled good. Keep in mind that if you go to Pret, you are spending over 8 GBP for 2 America os and one croissant. Kudos! -Zuk

I live in Paris and we visit London regularly as in on an average of once a month for 3 or 4 days…read more We always stay at either the Marlin or the Park Plaza in Southbank. This weekend we were supposed to be in London from my son to take the SAT on Saturday morning. Just before we were going to leave for our train, we found out that there was a bomb scare at Gare du Nord. Someone had left an unexploded Ww2 bomb on the track. So they closed the station until Saturday afternoon. The flights to London were completely sold out almost immediately. This was something that we could not have foreseen or prevented. When we called the Marlin to try to cancel, the woman on the phone had an attitude from the first sentence spoken. I was polite, I explained the situation and then she started with "policy blah blah blah". '. Then she told me to just call Booking.com. I called them and they tried to liase with the Marlin. They send us an email that said. "Good afternoon, We understand this is not the answer you are looking for, and we're sorry to disappoint. We will be able to send the invoice for this booking either after the booking has been cancelled, or if it remains active and runs as a No Show. If you wish to receive the invoice today, we advise that you cancel this through your booking provider. If this remains active and runs as a No Show, we will be able to provide this tomorrow. Furthermore, please provide an email address for us to email this to, and any additional information (company address, etc.) you wish to add to the booking." So, basically this reads "you won't like it but so what". Does the Marlin have a right to do this? Yes, they can be draconian about their policies. Is it smart? No. This has been very stressful and when the trains are more accommodating than you, it's not a good sign. You really learn what an organization is like during these sort of stress moments. We have been loyal customers for a long time. What l've learned here is that this hotel is NOT one that I will stay at again, if this is how they respond to this sort of stressful situation for a customer. So be warned, if this is the way they behave with customers who have issues out of their control, then you can expect that the same attitude will prevail in other situations where you may need a little extra help or some flexibility. This is turning a good and loyal customer into someone who will speak poorly of you and your brand.

This was our first trip to London, and I'm so happy we spent it at Astons Apartments!…read more First, the location is great. A few blocks from the Gloucester Street tube station (we walked it with our luggage, but YMMV) but off the main drag in a quiet residential part of the neighborhood, a little removed from all the big trendy hotels. There's a Waitrose grocery in the tube station, a great continental coffee shop, a used book store, a Pret A Manger, a Burger King, a chemist shop, a handful of pubs, really, everything you need two to four blocks away. Instead of a single building, Astons is a series of townhouses, and your apartment has an address as well as a room number. I love it because I like to feel more like a temporary local than a tourist. Then there's the price. We opted for the studio. Be warned, it is *tiny*. The bed and the table take up almost the entire room. BUT, it has a fantastic built in mini-kitchen closet sort of arrangement, with a fridge, a cooktop, a microwave and an electric kettle. We made meals in our room when we were hungry at weird times or just too whipped to think about where we could go. And all of that for about $100 a night. Hard to beat in London! We're the kind of travelers who want a clean, safe place to lay our head and stash our stuff because we want to be out and about seeing and doing. We're not looking for luxury, and that's not where we want to spend our money. Astons also offers one- and two-bedroom arrangements, but for the two of us, the studio was a perfect fit. Desk staff was friendly, particularly in the evenings when they gave us great pub recommendations. If you're looking for great value in a great location, you can't go wrong with Astons.

I stayed at Aston while on a recent trip to London- on a recommendation from a friend. The location…read moreis great, the room was clean and private, and it was very quiet- which usually can be the most challenging aspect of staying at a hotel/b&b. The rooms are located in apartment buildings so it feels homier than just being crammed into a big building full of rooms. I would recommend a double as I heard that the singles are TINY. There is no breakfast included, and I wish they had their Internet available at all times instead of just in the evening...but otherwise it's a great place to stay at reasonable rates for London!