London Bridge 161 Borough High Street, London Bridge, London, United Kingdom | (888) 273-7116
Near the London Bridge tube station, Borough Market, and South Bank
Fun, lively
atmosphere with regular activities and walking tours
Dorms and private rooms have individual lights and sockets, and lockers
Coed and
women-only dorms available in separate parts of the hostel
Two lively
bars with food and drinks, and discounts for guests
Large lounge area with TVs, foosball, ping-pong, fridge and microwave
Pleasant
rooftop terrace with views of "the Shard" skyscraper
Free continental
breakfast
Free
laundry and ironing facilities
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Street-facing
and lower-floor rooms can get noisy
Inadequate number of showers for the number of beds
Guests have complained about smelly showers
Only private
rooms and women-only dorms get free towels
No ensuite bathrooms, not even in private rooms
No full
kitchen facilities or air-conditioning
Fee to use common-room lockers
Located a two-minute walk from Borough Market, the lively St. Christopher’s Village London Bridge is a budget hostel offering 140 beds split between coed and women-only dormitory rooms with shared bathrooms and private double rooms with shared facilities. Known for its "chill" amenities, the hostel includes a rooftop terrace, two bars, a restaurant, a cinema, a comedy club, and a lounge with TVs, foosball, and ping-pong, plus a fridge and microwave, though no full kitchen. Nice dorm touches include individual
sockets and light switches, linens, and lockers. Be aware that there's no air-conditioning, and rooms can get noisy. A continental breakfast is available at no extra charge, along with Wi-Fi and laundry service. Travelers might want to also check out the Generator Hostel, which offers a chicer vibe at comparable rates, and has better public transportation links.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Typical hostel setup with lively vibe and a pleasant rooftop terrace
A fun vibe
runs throughout St. Christopher’s Village, which proudly flaunts its
British identity -- starting with the full-size red telephone box in the lobby.
Floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of light at the entrance, and maps and
world clocks line the walls. It’s the usual hostel setup, but St. Christopher's feels bright and
clean, and separate hallways lead to coed and women-only dorm rooms. The spacious
common room lounge has blown-up photographs of London's sights along its walls, and vintage-style
raw-wood benches. Belushi’s Bar and Restaurant has flat-screen
TVs on deep-red walls, and attractive baby-blue paneling on the front of the
bar. An enclosed outdoor patio faces the street, while the basement Dugout Bar has a
sports theme, which looks a bit dated. The roof terrace deck is a nice spot
-- the wood gives it a seaside vibe -- offering good views of "the Shard," a 95-story skyscraper that's part of the London Bridge Quarter development project.
Location
Short walk to the tube, near Borough Market and "the Shard"
Located on a busy
main road, St. Christopher’s Village has a lively location -- it's about a
three-minute walk to London Bridge subway (tube) and mainline train station.
The hostel is surrounded by shops and cafes, and there’s a supermarket across the street. Borough Market, hugely popular with foodies, is a
four-minute walk from the hostel, and leads to the South Bank riverside walkway, which stretches to Westminster and beyond. "The Shard," the 95-story glass skyscraper, is a seven-minute walk away, while the Tate Modern art gallery is a 13-minute walk or four-minute
drive from the hostel. St. Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, and Big Ben are all less than a
10-minute drive away, or slightly longer by public transportation. Buckingham Palace
is an 11-minute drive or a 21-minute tube ride away, and Hyde Park is 14 minutes
away by car or 16 minutes by public transportation. The closest airport is London
City, a 22-minute drive or a 28-minute ride on public transportation; Heathrow
Airport is a 38-minute drive away or 53 minutes on public transportation, while
Gatwick Airport is almost an hour's drive or a 40-minute trip by public
transportation.
Rooms
Dorm rooms with individual lights and sockets, plus private rooms with shared bathrooms
Most rooms at St. Christopher’s Village are pretty standard dorm affairs, and come with between
four and 22 beds, which include clean linens. Coed and
women-only dorms are in separate parts of the hostel, and all rooms have key-card access. Private rooms with double beds or bunks are available,
too, but these share bathrooms. All rooms have hardwood floors, and many have traditional sash windows with heavy dark-green
curtains. London-themed prints and posters brighten up plain white walls, while
some rooms have attractive brickwork accent walls painted a striking red. There are
heaters and coat hooks, and some rooms have skylight ceilings, full-length
mirrors, and small tables and chairs. But there’s no air-conditioning, so some rooms get
hot and stuffy, even in winter. Individual light switches and power sockets (U.K., international
and USB) are a nice touch, as are the lockable bag cages (bring your own padlock) beneath the bunk beds, and the miniature toiletries that come with private rooms. All rooms have free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are generally clean, with fixed
hot-water showerheads, non-slip mats, and adjoining toilets. But guests have complained that bathrooms can be smelly, and the number of showers is inadequate for the
number of dorms. Street-facing rooms can be noisy, and so too can those on lower
floors, closer to the bars.
Features
Large lounge area and two bars and a restaurant; freebies include laundry facilities, continental breakfast, and Wi-Fi
For a
straightforward hostel, St. Christopher’s Village has several outstanding features. The large common lounge offers leather-couch seating, along with flat-screen TVs, a guitar, ping-pong and foosball tables, and a small
selection of books to borrow. There are plenty of power sockets, coin-operated
luggage lockers, and a microwave and fridge, but the hostel doesn’t have a full
kitchen for guests' use. Free self-service laundry and ironing facilities are
nice conveniences, and they stay open late. Guests can purchase basic toiletries, and padlocks, in
the lobby. A continental breakfast is included in all room rates, and guests
also get discounts at the two lively on-site bars, which serve simple
meals throughout the day and stay open until the wee hours of the morning. A small cinema and comedy club space round out the features. Free, reliable Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.
