Horrible hostile and they have CCTV camera inside the shower areas. I booked the place for two weeks and they kicked me out and banned me from the property. I am in remission from cancer and the property has zero accommodations for people with any form of disability. The staff is extremely racist and homophobic. It isn't not a safe space for anyone within the LGBTQ community , young travelers or if you have disabilities. I told the front desk I was in remission from cancer and have anemia. The employee proceeded to put me on the third floor that did not have any lift access. He also put me in the one bed that had a broken window. The property is also very dirty and they do not clean the beds properly. They just spray it with disinfectant and call it a day. While I was on the property I was sexually assaulted and cornered in the kitchen. The front desk witnessed me get bullied by extremely older men and made fun of me for not wanting to entertain them. I'm 19 and a 60 year old man kept threatening me and telling me to suck his ... while I was sleeping. He proceeded to open my curtain when I was sleeping and yell at me calling me an N word and homophobic slurs. When I turned the lights on in the room and woke up the rest of the room the front desk told me that they would kick me out if I complained again. The man followed me around the property for three days and everyone I complained the property laughed and made jokes. After I complained the to the front desk they gave me the option to leave and be refunded but refused to kick out the man who had SA'd me. I didn't ask for special treatment, just for them to treat me with respect. I had multiple things stolen from my room , including my credit card , brand new Apple charger and skincare products and makeup from Sephora. When I complained to the front desk the guy working from Nashville told me to "keep that Sh** private. Making me the problem. When I tried to take my charger back from the creepy old man who stole it he got physical with me and I grabbed his headphones and threw them out a window. Because of this they accused me of "stealing" and kicked me off the property. They refused to believe me and said there was no CCTV footage. I threw the man's headphones out of the bathroom window. They all of the sudden were able to get the CCTV footage of me throwing the headphones out of the shower windows but they weren't able to provide CCTV footage of the men in the little kitchen or common areas. It seems like they're just watching people while they shower which is insane. As for the property. The kitchen is not existent and people are constantly brushing up against each other. Old men are everywhere and use the kitchen as an opportunity to grab you and blame it on the tight space. The entire staff is just extremely rude and I would not recommend this place to young , travelers especially women because it is extremely unsafe and the staff do not do anything when you report it. They just care about their 5 star reviews and will try to silence you if you complain about the property. The staff would also proceed to cough anytime I walked by , after I complained that it isn't safe for someone at the front desk to be working if they were ill as it could make other people in the hostel sick. The staff also threw out all my food and said I had not labeled it properly. But they had given everyone else a note saying that if they did not label their food properly it would be thrown out the following day. It is clear that they just didn't want me on their property and from the start wanted to find any reason to kick me out. The Generator London and Click261 are much better options in London. I've used hostel world for years now and this is the only property that I have had issue with. The location of this hostel is also not great. It's super far and the two I had previously mentioned are much closer to central London, cheaper and have better facilities and staff. Definitely do not recommend. read more

I stayed here for two nights last month. The lodge is a short uphill walk (maybe 2 minutes) from the Swiss Cottage tube station, but the surrounding area is not very exciting. My group stayed in a ten bed female room. The room was in the basement floor, which meant very little air circulation. The weather in London during our stay was rather cool, but because of the lack of air circulation, our room was incredibly stuffy and it smelled like gym socks. Also, the wifi didn't reach our room and the common room was often full, so when I had to check my email I sometimes had to sit on a stairway. The showers were clean, but again, no air circulation and I saw mold on the ceiling. The toilet stalls were the smallest I've ever had to use; To get out of the stall, your legs WILL rub against the toilet bowl. The bathrooms are communal for the floor, so we had to share the bathroom with a bunch of guys. Also, I dont think they clean the bathrooms every morning because I saw the same bits of gunk over twelve hours later. The things I did enjoy about this hostel were the free breakfasts (toast, cereal, coffee and juice) and the friendly staff. I liked the large lockers under the bed and the hostel felt very safe. Each bunk had privacy curtains, a reading lamp, and an outlet. Overall, I would consider staying here again, but I wouldn't be excited about it. read more

Palmers Lodge is almost too good to be called a hostel. I stayed here a few nights after having stayed in one of the worst hostels ever (dirty, no hot water, bathrooms smell like pee and vomit, staff who border on belligerent when they can be tracked down, finding out that the all-female room you booked doesn't actually exist, etc), and Palmers was SUCH a breath of fresh air. It's located a short walk away from the Swiss Cottage Tube station, which isn't smack in the middle of London, but it's close enough that you can get there in no time, with the added bonus of being quiet and peaceful. The hostel itself is a renovated mansion, with stunning woodwork and grand staircases and the whole bit. The beds are wooden bunks with storage bins built in, and are actually relatively comfortable. The bathrooms were clean, the staff were friendlier than most hostel staff I've encountered, and the common areas were neat and comfortable. With your stay you get a complimentary breakfast, served in the galley in the basement. It's run-of-the-mill cereal, toast, fruit, and juice from a machine, but the galley is clean and spacious. Plus, there's a mini-pub in the next room, which serves panini and other light dinner food with a selection of drinks for reasonable prices. Palmers is a bit more expensive than other hostels in London, but it's definitely worth it to have a clean place to sleep, eat, and bathe. I would definitely consider staying again if my travels take me back to London. read more

Palmers Lodge - Hostels Near Me - London, XGL

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I will start off by mentioning that the hostel describes itself as a "boutique" hostel. I'm not sure what the hell this is supposed to mean but I was definitely thinking of something other than what I was confronted with when I arrived. I will admit that the hostel was very clean and the beds were comfortable but it was very noisy and I think the oldest person there was maybe 21. I enjoy staying in hostels and don't normally find the late night thing too annoying but it was all throughout the place and super loud with each room blasting a different loud crappy pop song. As a result of the lack of privacy and lack of security for belongings I moved to a hotel after my first night there. I won't tell you that it is a shitty hostel and you should avoid it but be aware of the realities of unisex bathrooms and that it is more like a frat house than a hostel. read more

I stayed at the Palmers Lodge 3 years ago for about 5 days while I was visiting London on a trip to Europe. I had an absolutely fantastic experience here! The rooms are nice and clean, the house itself is beautiful. There is a rec room with board games, couches, a TV and some computers with free internet that is great to hang out and relax in after a day of sight seeing. They also have a quaint little bar in the basement that offers drinks that are much cheaper than you'll find in the city and very tasty panini sandwiches. In the morning, they offer a free breakfast, which is a great start to your day. The other facilities (bathrooms, etc.) were also clean and maintained. I met a lot of cool people here around my age (I was 20 at the time) from all over, and there's really just a friendly feeling about the place. The staff is equally as friendly and helpful. The location is top notch, as it's in a really nice area but also very close to all the sights of London (maybe 15-20 minutes by tube), and you can get a discounted all day Tube pass there, which is very useful. Overall, I very highly recommend this place if you're looking for a hostel and are between around 18-30. Great deal for what you get, perfect location, clean, and nice staff. If I ever get the pleasure of going back to London and need a hostel to say in, this will undoubtedly be it! read more

My friend and I were backpacking through Europe and stayed at this hostel 3 years ago. We both had a great experience here. the rooms are nice and clean. stayed at the same room for two night and one night at a shared room with bunch of other ppl with three stories bunk beds which was fun. There is separate room with board games, couches, TV computers with free internet but we didn't use much since we were always out. Very close to all the attractive sites and the subway. they have great breakfast too which is included with the package! I will def go here again. the staff is absolutely great. they even have blow dryer, straightener and curler at the front desk which we got for free =D read more

Highlights: Architecture, amazing. Privacy curtains on the beds with reading lights. Clean showers and common areas Awesome pub where I meant many great new friends. Would absolutely recommend if you want to save a buck, and stay somewhere with history in a great neighborhood. read more

Top of the line hostel - complete with impeccable rooms, courteous staff, clean bathrooms and showers, wardrobes in the room, under-the-bed lockers for each patron, inexpensive on-site pub in the basement, free internet ( both WiFi as well as hostel-supplied desktops ) and complementary breakfast in the downstairs eating area. I've stayed here on multiple occasions, once for 12 nights straight in a 4-male room where I saw, awake in the room, only 3 other people total during my entire stay there ( was almost like having a HUGE private room without having to pay for one ). Not a party house like some other hostels I've seen, and stayed at, this place is close to family, for me, as well as being near multiple bus and tube lines ( closest station is Swiss Cottage but also near Belsize Park ), around the corner from the coach stop which gets you to Luton Airport and offers a variety of room sizes which would fit all budgets. Oh, and did I mention that it's located in a beautiful, recently renovated Victorian mansion? read more

My friend and I stayed here for 5 days earlier this month. I loved the hostel itself. There is a lot of architectural character on the exterior combined with a warm and cozy interior. We stayed in one of the large dorms; there were 26 beds to a room. Privacy wasn't an issue thanks for the curtains around each bunk. Each bed had a reading light so it was a cozy little burrow to look forward to crawling into each night. The shower facilities are OK; there are two restroom areas on the first floor. Due to the guest:shower ratio, there is a long wait in the morning to shower. Don't wait in the lines. Wander around the hostel and find another bathroom. We found that most people used the bigger bathroom on the first floor. The other bathrooms were nearly empty. The WiFi is okay; it wasn't good enough to support a Skype call with my boyfriend for more than a minute or two. My main complaint here has to do with the noise level in the dorms. Yes, I know that I stayed in a 26-bed dorm. But the hostel does not promote a respectful, quiet culture in the dorms. There were only minor, not-worth-mentioning noise incidents the first couple nights. On the third night, the world's loudest snorer was sleeping above me. He and his friends came tramping in, completely drunk, and woke up everyone in my corner. He then crawled into the bunk above me and snored for the next ten hours. It was so intense that the entire bunk vibrated. I know this wasn't the hostel's fault. I would have forgiven it if the next night hadn't happened. Around midnight, a whole herd of belligerently drunk patrons checked into the hostel and took over the bunks surrounding me. One girl kept tipping over and almost falling into my bunk. A few of the girls were wearing heels and running around the dorm area, laughing and talking at a high volume. They left, but not without leaving on every single reading lamp in their bunks, illuminating the entire downstairs area. An hour later, they returned in full, drunken force. They were falling all over with no respect for other guests. They carried on conversations at full volume. Finally, a ton of people crowded into the bunks surrounding me. There were way more people than bunks. In order to enter the hostel, they would have had to go past the front desk. Their volume was so intense that I could hear them coming outside down the hallway. Yet the employees at the front desk did nothing to protect the other guests in the hostel. They had to be fully aware of the noise and the amount of people squeezing into only a couple bunks, but they did nothing to stop it. And for that, i knock off two stars. read more

I wasn't really excited (that's putting it mildly) to be staying in a hostel for 3 nights, but we didn't realize when we booked our trip to Europe, that we'd be staying in London during the Olympics. That meant everything was about triple the price. Rooms with one double bed elsewhere were going for $300/night, so we knew we had to take the hostel route. I'd never been in one and heard mixed reviews, but told myself that it'd be a bucket-list item and that I needed to buck up and pretend that I was on the Amazing Race. That being said, the $75 a night was still VERY stiff for sleeping in a top bunk in a room with 7 other women (my brother was on the men's floor below). Upon arriving at Palmer's Lodge, I was impressed by the outside (it looks like an old mansion) and equally impressed with the inside (the main floor has a huge sitting room to watch sports/movies and multiple computers for free internet) The staff (for the most part) was friendly. 1 out of 4 wasn't as pleasant as the others, but he could be ignored. The basement has a hotel bar and continuously played the Olympics, which I loved, since we couldn't afford to actually attend. The beers and food were better priced than at the local bars/restaurants down the street. I was given a top bunk, with a ladder that was incredibly narrow - so I had a hard time climbing in and out of bed. I am average size, but the bed was clearly made for a child. The washing machine and dryer were expensive; 4 euros a load & 4 euros to dry for 20 minutes (which only got your clothes from wet to damp, and not dry). The hostel was a few miles from the city center so it was expensive to get around, even if you were taking the city bus (about 2 euro each way). One hostel (hostile) staff member kept trying to talk us into buying day passes for the subway, but their hurried instructions on how to even find it were too confusing. The co-ed shower rooms only had 2 sinks (to every 6 showers). Although the showers were private, they only had a small area to hang your towel and dry clothes to change into (unless you wanted to dry off and dress in front of the opposite sex in the common area). The water turned off automatically about every 60 seconds, which I guess is all a part of being green. It'd just be nice to be trusted, as an adult, to turn the water off when you are actually done. It wasn't the worst experience in my life, and I'm glad to say I did it...but I won't be doing it again. read more

I just left the hostel today. I have stayed in hostels all over the world. 90 percent off the staff here is rude. I accidentally booked two beds for the hostel online. The woman charged me for both beds the first night because she said they were almost completely booked. That is very different from being completely booked. I could deal with that if she had been even slightly apologetic. The location is okay tube wise but the neighborhood is horrible. No charm or redeeming qualities. No restaurants or bars convenient unless you like fast food. Most hostelers were unfriendly, probably because the staff is. My second stay here had friendlier people. I left some things in a locker while I traveled for a week so it was too much of a hassle to switch to a different hostel. I had great hostels for the separate cities I visited. Staff offered no assistance in trip planning and the one time I asked a question the woman told me to look it up online. They don't even act like they enjoy being around people. It is all about the money. They were not nice when I requested a bottom bunk due to a disability and were somewhat rude about it. I had to pay a few pounds more for each night for booking the nights in person even though I had that lower rate from before my side trips. I was not alone in being unimpressed or dissatisfied with this hostel. Everyone there at some point wondered how the place had such good reviews. The breakfast is very good and the woman who runs it polite. It is moderately clean in the bathrooms. The bed linen us fine. Not really enough toilets or showers in the non ensuite rooms. I would not stay here again or recommend anyone do so. It may be relatively cheap but not worth it. read more

Pros: - Everyone I worked with at the front desk was super sweet. They helped us choose nighttime activities as well as plan a trip to Edinburgh with tips on saving money. - There is definitely a wow factor when you first see the building. The inside has really cool vibes as well. - The beds were more comfortable than I expected and the privacy curtains around my bunk were a treat. - There is a luggage storage room and they gladly held our bags when we arrived too early for check in. Cons: - I was kicked out of the bathroom by a rude cleaning lady who couldn't speak English well enough to tell me where I was supposed to go otherwise. After I left, my husband came out of the toilet and tried to wash his hands, but she was also rude to him and told him to leave so she could clean. Luckily another traveler pointed me to a downstairs bathroom but unfortunately the lighting was horrible for finishing my makeup. - Location isn't stellar as far as food goes. We were trying to find something quick to eat as we had to be somewhere, but our only choices were American fast food places. - The food wouldn't have been an issue if the restaurant was open. It was closed (because it was Easter, which I understand, but I would have budgeted my time differently if I would have known this upon check in.) read more

I stayed at Palmer's Lodge twice. Both stays were great. The staff is helpful; I arrived before check-in but they have a place to store luggage so I left my bags and headed out to explore unencumbered. The breakfast is good if mostly carbs and the pub is fun and friendly. I really recommend this hostel to anyone going to London. The price was right and the place was very nice and is very close to the tube. The free-use computers were handy and a lifesaver. read more

This hostel is more like a 3.5 but I'm rounding up to 4 since it was a positive experience overall. I stayed for three nights in a dorm that had 28 beds; that's far more beds than any other hostel dorm I've stayed in but it was still fairly quiet. THE GOOD: Each bed had a privacy curtain, a locker underneath the bunk, a reading light, and a set of electrical outlets (on the bottom bunk the power strip is along the top, unfortunately the way my adapter is set up I couldn't actually fit it in and had to use another outlet outside the bed). Dorms are accessed with keycards and they offer free luggage storage. The shared showers come with private changing areas, although some of them may be missing hooks to hang your belongings. Getting hot water wasn't an issue. The hostel isn't the most centrally located but it's close enough by tube. It's in Travelcard Zone 2 near Swiss Cottage station (Jubilee line); Finchley Road station (Jubilee and Metropolitan lines) is also fairly close. The neighborhood is safe and quiet so you shouldn't woken up by loud drunks late at night. THE NOT SO GOOD: The wifi connection was poor; I would get disconnected about once every 20 minutes. The hostel lacks a full kitchen that guests can access; it has an eating area where they serve free breakfast and sell food in the evening. However, this area is closed off to guests in the late morning/early afternoon and during the late night hours, particularly annoying since it's the only place in the hostel that I knew of that had free drinking water (my fairly small water bottle couldn't fit in the super-small bathroom sinks). read more

Friendly staff, great set-up, close to Swiss Cottage and Finchley Road tube stations, just a few minutes away from Camden by bus. The bar and restaurant they have are quite nice and with good prices but you might want to try the restaurants down on Finchley Road. They advertise the London walks and they offer a 2£ discount for bus sightseeing tours. I had to ask them to change my sheets because I found them to be dirty and they did it right away, I think it was an isolated incident though.. read more

I stayed at Palmers Lodge a total of three nights (a Thursday, Sunday + Monday) in November of 2010. The main selling point for this hostel is its location. It's within a couple blocks to two underground stations (great if you've got luggage!) and very close to a bus stop with a direct path to Stansted. From this location, you can walk to Abbey Road, Freud's house and Camden Market. Another positive of this hostel is their free wi-fi and if you don't have a computer, they have 6 or so desktops available for use. This came in handy a few times during my stay for looking up directions and such. Lastly, I really liked how there were lockers located under the beds that were actually big enough to store a backpack (bring your own lock or rent one!). The lockers were much bigger than provided by other hostels. It was nice not worrying if my stuff was safe while I was out wandering London. Oh and speaking of the beds, there were lights and curtains for each bed, so you didn't have to be blind as a bat at night and you could have a bit of privacy. So after all of these positives, why am I only giving three stars? I found the staff to be rather rude throughout the duration of my stay. With the exception of one staff person who went above and beyond and took the time to help a friend and I find our next hostel, the staff seemed bothered if you asked a question. One morning, I stood by the desk for probably ten minutes before the employees stopped chatting and acknowledged me. On my second stay in the hostel (Sunday/Monday) night, I arrived late at night to find someone sleeping in my bed and somehow the staff made me feel like it was my fault for the error. The last straw was when one of the staff forgot to give my friend her change and then accused my friend of lying when she asked for the money owed. Overall, I would recommend this hostel as a decently clean place to sleep in a great location, but don't expect the staff to make you feel welcome. read more

Stayed for 2 nights, I really only was here to sleep but it was still a wonderful place. the staff is super friendly, the bed is really comfortable. the surrounding area is very nice and peaceful, close to Swiss cottage or the finchley tube line. bathrooms are clean - I would definitely come back if I was going to be in London again! read more

For the budget solo traveler!! Works best for me!! I enjoyed my stay here..5 stars to the chill staff and the chill environment..the hostel is awesome!! Has its own restaurant/bar/lounge/wifi/free coffee and tea/vending machines/ laundry facilities..the neighborhood was quiet and safe..I walked during the night alone (traveled to London alone for the first time) and felt safe..the location is within walking distance to the nearest London Underground train..also 5-10 min walk to many local restaurants, subway, KFC, McDonald's, liquor store, dry cleaning and other markets..the room I stayed in was on the bottom lower level floor near the bar, I wasn't really disturbed with the music as some reviewers noted..the room I was in had about 12 beds, it was right next to the shared showers..the showers were kept clean even though it's shared by males/females..laundry too was right next to it..u can purchase soap at the front desk and they can give you change..bed itself was ok, as a solo traveler, I'm mostly out and about and I just go to the hostel to get my zzz and shower..my only gripe is the wall socket..I was on the top bunk so I didn't have access to a wall socket and I couldn't charge my phone while in bed..also when taking a shower best to do it around 6am while everybody is asleep, it tends to get busy during the morning and it forms a line..there's only 2 sinks, 3 showers, and 3 toilets on the bottom lower level where I was staying..lobby can also get busy during the waking hours and late at night..what I do is after I get ready in the morning ,I spend about 2 hours chilling in the lobby with coffee or tea to charge my phone, and my portable chargers..there's abundance of charging sockets for your electronics, it's finding a place to sit that can be a trouble when it's busy..the food at the bar was good, I had the fish n chips..I only ate there and drank there once most of the time I dine outside..the population of the guests are mixed, college grads, a few family with small kids, and some seniors..during my stay there was only one incident while in the room where two females were fighting over the light and noise....overall it was a nice experience! read more

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Cute place to stay! Very warm with perfect privacy in the enclosed bunks. Breakfast was bland but it was free! The bar was convenient and their food selection was decent (good for one or two nights but not the whole stay). The location was convenient for transportation and I would definitely stay there again! read more

Visiting from the US, randomly decided on taking the Eurostar from Paris to London for a day by myself & needed a place to stay. This place is AWESOME, its huge, inexpensive and clean. Staff is friendly, theres a BAR downstairs, Wii in the common room and lots of computer workstations if you need to use the internet (British keyboards are different than American ones... entertained myself trying to use some symbols & getting something completely different, haha). Stayed in the cheapest one ( the dorm) and got a top bunk which I wasnt too thrilled about, but it was surrounded by a curtain, had its own little lamp and shelf-thing for my phone, underbed storage with lock and clean sheets. Didn't need the shower so I dont know how that was, but the bathrooms were pretty clean from what I could tell. Only drawback -- I got kinda lost trying to find it from the Swiss Cottage station ( It was dark & I was being a stupid American with only vague directions I scribbled down..). I thought it was super close to the station but it's an uphill walk, maybe 7 minutes ? Neighborhood is quiet so I had trouble finding someone to tell me which way to go but if you have a map to look at you'll be fine. read more

The pros: clean, 24 hour reception, and wifi. now the bad. only ONE bathroom/shower area for each floor. the "storage lockers" for your luggage is actually a little drawer that only very small bags can fit in. I had 6 days booked, and on the morning of the second day was woken by housekeeping telling me to get out of my room, and that I wasn't supposed to be there. I insisted I was there for 4 more days and they just said "go ask reception." when I went down to reception to figure out what was going on, I got "oh yeah, a group of people booked a whole room a long time ago so you've got to check out and check back in at 2 pm to a different room, sorry!" what??? would've been nice to know this when I checked in guys!! luckily I was able to move my stuff over immediately instead of waiting til 2 pm, but when I got back upstairs to move my stuff, housekeeping had taken it upon themselves to remove ALL my things and dump them in a pile on the floor by the door. my phone charger was broken by them apparently yanking it out of the wall. completely unacceptable. will never stay here again. read more

Very good arrangement of rooms (beds etc.). Palmers Lodge is a luxury hostels. it is one of my favourite lodge in London. all the rooms are big or well furnitured. Its architecture is also very beautiful & having a nice surroundings or located in a very beautiful place of the city. read more

Palmer's is a hostel paradise. The old mansion and interior details, along with plentiful amenities such as the huge living room, bar, laundry, computers, etc. give you plenty to do while in house. It is bustling, with plenty of shared dorm rooms and beds stacked high. The front desk staff is very friendly and there are tons of travelling young people around to socialize with. It is tough to get sleep in the common rooms, as expected when there are 16+ people sharing a room. Also, you'll want to keep your things locked up tight because there are tons of people running around. The shared bathrooms are alright. They kind of have a temporary or port-a-potty feel but they get the job done. The bed linens are clean and the place seems well maintained. Location is alright, very close to buses and the Swiss Cottage underground stop - which will bring you to the rest of the city. The immediate area leaves some things to be desired - but there are a few restaurants, some drugstores and a couple of grocery outlets close by. read more

This is where I will stay from now on whenever I am looking for hostels in London. Such an awesome place! Out of 7 nights in London, my travel buddy and I lived in 3 hostels and one hotel total. Palmer's Lodge is by far the best experience. It's a beautiful, charming place in a lovely neighborhood, with easy access to the tube stations. The price is lower than YHA in central London when we stayed there, and even though YHA claims to be a 4-star hostel, I would choose Palmers over YHA anytime. The lounge area is lively, and the free wifi is awesome. The check in staff were so friendly, and not too cool for school. The only thing is that the soap dispenser in the bathroom stalls are right above the tiny sink, so it's hard to wash your face without splashing water everywhere. But they clean it daily (or more than once daily?) so I never felt the icky hostel shower grossness. Definitely my top hostel choice in London! read more

Once again 5 star hostel. Clean rooms and nice facilities. Definitely a good hostel to stay in London

I stayed here for one month last year and a few weeks this year. And I will keep going back if I get a chance. The building is beautiful and clean, staff are all very nice. The location is excellent; just 1-2 minute walk to the tube station. I really can't think anything negative about this hostel. (Otherwise I wouldn't stay for a month at a time!) read more