The Walrus Bar & Hostel — Restaurant in London

I stayed here but booked a private room.

It actually wasn't that bad for my first hostel. However, it was very cold. Even with the windows closed so I'd bring warmer pajamas if you're gonna stay here.

If you book a private room, be aware that you still have to share a bathroom. I didn't realise this until I got there. There was a bathroom on my floor but people from other floors would keep coming upstairs to go in it which was a little annoying especially when I wanted to shower before I checked out but the bathroom was pretty much full until 10am which is the check out time.

With noise levels, the trains didn't really bother me as I'm a fairly deep sleeper, but if you're not, they are incredibly loud, and it goes from as early as 5 until 12 am, so beware

My actual issue with noise levels was the people outside my door who were talking until about 1am, so once the trains stopped, there were people being noisy next, even if you're in a private room

For comfort the beds are beds, not the comfiest in the world but it is a hostel and you get what you pay for I suppose but I wouldn't spend the extra 80 for a more expensive room as nothing really changes you just have the privacy of your own room.

Location wise I booked it to see Oedipus at the old vic, it is pretty much smack bang in the middle of everything so that's a plus, to get to the old vic it took me about 5 minutes and you literally walk in a straight line you can't get lost

I wouldn't stay here for longer than one night as it is 80 a night and you can find cheaper. However, I booked here as it was close to everything I came to London for, the old vic, trains, the attractions, etc

Also, be aware that depending on what room you get, you have to walk up loads of flights of stairs, I was in the jubilee, which is on the 4th floor. I didn't mind the stairs as I had a tiny bag and I'm athletic. But if you can't handle stairs or you have heavy luggage, be aware that there are loads of stairs

It is definitely a good option for people who aren't as bothered about sharing bathrooms and noise, but if you're a bit iffy with it, I'd just book an...

I traveled with my own family (spouse and girls age 22 & 17) and my best friend’s girls ages 14,16, 20- 8 people total. We spent 4 nights total. We never stayed in a hostel before so we had nothing to compare it to. ||Adults here age 50. Ummm, I wish there was a lift to our room on the 4 floor…We survived, actually I guess it’s good for us…. I’m on vacation.||Used to community kitchen. Room to seat six at a single table. Most all things to prep a meal. Grocery near by. That all worked out.||Room: bunk beds…Comfortable enough, rooms were clean in all regards for a very old building. Bedding clean- enough said.||Showers & toilet rooms. Over all impeccably clean given the age. Quirky & each was different. I noticed showering on floor 2 was very different than showering on floor 4. On floor 4 the water would occasionally taper off to, well, off. After about 60 seconds it came back. I also had the water run cold & then come back up to hot on the 4th floor. I found the 2nd floor shower next to the stairs to be the best because of the window sill.||Bar. Dirty, to the point of not wanting to spend time there, staff very friendly & helpful. Locals friendly. Neighborhood- seemed sketch on the surface but quickly realized it’s safe, in fact mostly commercial.||Located 15 minute walk to the Eye and River front. The hostels site says 5 minutes, it’s not, it’s 15, unless you are 20 years old and speed walk everywhere. ||* YOU NEED TO KNOW** the train. It’s abutting the building. It’s LOUD. It runs till 1 am and starts again at 5am. The staff says midnight to 6:30 am, it’s not, it stops from 1am to 5am. Otherwise you are at a hard 35°turn and the wheels squeal like a pig at slaughter- it’s brutal, not gonna sugar coat it. Our solution: noise canceling headphones and earbuds. Most of us found the earbuds we brought good enough. The 20yo used the complimentary ear plugs and said they worked great. ||That’s it. My rating is 3k Tara because of not knowing how bad the train is until after we checked in...

Pros: Staff was super friendly and helpful. They offer to print out online tickets etc for free. You can also get a power adaptor for British sockets with a refundable deposit of 5 pounds. Lockers are available in the room and there is a storage facility for valuables to which only the staff has access. WiFi was working good and speed was nice. Breakfast was ok. For me it was acceptable and sufficient (specially for the price one is paying here). Location is great. One can walk to many central areas and sightseeing places saving time and money. There are also many tube stations and bus stops within walking distance. Waterloo station also offers trains to other cities. There is a small kitchen where you can have free tea and coffee or cook your own meal in the evening. they have a fridge and microwave there. The bed is already made for you. This is not the case in all hostels I have been to. Overall, I can recommend this place. there were only a few minor issues which I have mentioned but my experience was positive nonetheless.

Cons: Breakfast was basic and timings were 8-10am. For me 8am is a little late as I want to start off early and many times I skipped breakfast there and got something from outside because of this. They only have instant coffee. Building doesnt seem to have been renovated recently but still it was clean. Toilets etc are small. The area is loud. So you should get earplugs if you have trouble sleeping. the trains pass directly next to the building and you can often hear sirens. Besides, there is a bar on the ground floor which can be loud on the weekends. Also, because of the large number of beds in the room, there are people coming and going frequently which can...