Since I was traveling alone in London and the bed and breakfast are ridiculously expensive, I decided to stay in hostel instead.
When it comes to hostel, I always book with Hostelworld because it has a wide range of hostels. I can put in filters which makes the search so much easier.
Since I am traveling alone, I searched for hostels with female-only dormitories, to reduce the risk of sexual harassment and sleepless nights from people’s snoring. Free WiFi is an absolute necessity as I am a travel blogger. I need luggage storage as because I will be arriving in the early morning but check-in is at 2.30pm.
After putting in all the filters in Hostelworld, I chose Clink78 for its proximity to St Pancras International and King’s Cross Railway Station. Clink78 has a 8.1 rating on Hostelworld which is pretty impressive. Many travellers have commented on the cleanliness of the rooms and the warm hospitality of the staff.
The building where Clink78 is located used to be a courthouse, so staying at Clink78 is as good as living in a piece of London’s history. The exterior retains the charm of the stately courthouse, with two iconic red telephone booth just outside its door for photographs. You can rent the bicycles at the side of the building, just look out for black-and-red bicycles.
The interior of Clink78 is decorated to be funky and lively. The reception desk is curved and bright red, the stained glass in the centre of the roof allows sunlight to stream in. You can rent towels and buy travel necessities (such as lock, toiletries and portable power bank) from the 24-hours reception desk. There are vending machines and ATM machine opposite the reception desk.
If you arrive before 2.30pm, you can store your luggage in the Luggage Room which is located in the basement, besides the ClashBar.
The Laundry Room is located in the basement. 1 load of washing costs £4.50 (includes detergent which will be automatically dispensed into the machine). 50 minutes of dryer costs £1.50.
Living at Clink78 is never boring. ClashBar opens 6pm 2am daily, there are different activities for different day of the week. There is free walking tour daily (register with reception) and you can buy Fast Track Advanced Entry Tickets to all the attractions in London (check with reception).
The dormitory I was assigned to is located at the back of the reception area, on the second floor. The room can only be accessed with the room card. The walls leading to the dormitories and inside the dormitory are all painted pink colour (pink for girls). The double-decker beds are on the right side of the room while the lockers are to the left. Each locker is big enough to fit in a cabin-size luggage. There is a set of linens on each bed. You will have to put on your own linens which is the only thing I don’t like about Clink78. Each bed is equipped with a power socket and an overhead reading light and 2 USB ports.
The toilet and bathroom are in two separate rooms a few steps from the dormitory. Both the toilets and bathrooms are very clean and well-maintained.
All-you-can-eat breakfast held in the kitchen from 7am – 10am and it costs £2 per person (pay at cafeteria on the day). The breakfast includes toasted bread with butter and jam, hot drinks (coffee, tea and mil0), cereal with milk, fruit salad and yogurt. You can cook meals in the Self-Catering Kitchen from 1.30pm – 2am.
All in all, I think Clink78 is a great hostel to stay at. The price is reasonable, location is central yet serene, the staff are friendly and help, the place is clean. Best of all, you are staying in a former courthouse which literally means you are living in history. How cool is that!
Clink78
Address: 78 King’s Cross Road, London, WC1X 9QG
Website: https://www.clinkhostels.com/london/clink78/
Hostelworld: https://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Clink78/London/21954”