Dover Castle Hostel (London)

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While in London I stayed at Dover Castle Hostel. It was the first one I found and I was able to buy a bed on a walk-in; and they offer good weekly rates…so I stayed. After three weeks in town – I didn’t plan on sticking around that long! – I really wanted to move to another place but was unsuccessful. Couchsurfing is a bust (good luck trying to secure a host in London!); Hostel 369 et al. (there are three of them) is simply a money-maker run by people who couldn’t care less about running a comfortable hostel – and who don’t even answer their own phone line – and St Christopher’s Inn is way too corporate and accepts only guests with bank cards. I’ve already written about them here.

one of the first hostels where I’ve not found a place within to read and write…and very, very stingy lighting

Dover Castle is a nice enough hostel with free wi-fi, comfortable beds, clean facilities, hot showers. The staff is friendly and helpful. Its operation is organized and professional and the building is a mere block away from the Borough tube station (walking across the street in direction of the backside of the nearby church). A lot of French people work here (but they are friendlier than the French people you might encounter in France); and there are even two black men on staff! On the ground floor is a real pub, meaning it’s open to the public, and guests receive one free welcome soft drink.

A big minus to Dover Castle is its tiny Commons Area which also serves as the kitchen. Rather than use a room for T.V. and lounging separate from cooking and eating the hostel prefers to squeeze in as many beds as possible thereby making more money. 

The television is never loud enough to hear but this perhaps owes more to the group of Italian and Spanish guests who insist on having the television on regardless of watching it and downright prefer to shout over it rather than turn down the volume or simply off. Go figure. Dover Castle is one of the first hostels where I’ve not found a place within to read and write…there are no study or dining tables (only two coffee tables) and very, very stingy lighting. The sister hostel, The Cricketer, is one tube station away and is even worse. 

Dover Castle has good weekly rates

For long-term lodgings - it also has good weekly rates - The Cricketer serves the most basic purposes – bed and linen, hot water, lockable doors – of having a cheap place to live while working or looking for work in the City which is good; but the long-term lodgers seem… shall we say, unhappy and unmotivated. I find its atmosphere depressing. Cold and depressing. Who wants to be around that?

Cheers!