For a backpacker or a traveller on a budget, a hotel is not usually the most viable option when looking for a place to stay at night. The rates alone can clean you out, room service costs an arm and a leg, and what you pay for a good night's sleep is roughly the same price as your meal budget for two weeks.
This is why you have hostels – a combination of a hotel's comfortable feel and the affordable prices of a regular inn or motel. Hostels offer budget-friendly accommodations where you can rent a bed – usually a double-decker or a bunk bed – and share a bathroom, kitchen and lounge with others. The biggest difference between a hostel and a regular budget-but-five-star lodging inn? All you pay for in a hostel is the bed you sleep in and maybe a bit extra for the bathroom and kitchen upkeep. In a lodging inn, you pay for the privacy and convenience of a private room and maybe a free breakfast/dinner.
Budget lodging inns are still more affordable than hotels, but for those who want to get the best bang for their buck and don't want to spend for unnecessary frills, a hostel is the way to go.
Today, hostels are the more popular choice of travellers in many places, specifically London. There are several choices when it comes to dorm rooms in London, and a majority of them are both lavish and affordable. Many of the choices provide clean facilities and comfortable sleeping areas that are sure to make your stay there as comfortable as possible.
Located in convenient areas of the city, these London dormitory accommodations allow tourists to go sightseeing without traveling a great distance. When traveling to and around London, it is advantageous to get to the metro station as easily and as quickly as possible. Ergo, a lot of tourists and backpackers stay at hostels near the station. For trip-trotters not so concerned with distance and time, and wouldn't mind a more premium, lavish stay, there are dorm rooms in London located near beautiful parks and entertainment centers.
These hostel accommodations are bit pricier than other hostels, but they still border on the more affordable side – especially when you compare them to the wallet-hurting-prices of a grand hotel.
The common misconception of a London dormitory accommodation is that you don't get any privacy, especially since you share a room with people you may or may not know. This isn't always the case. When sharing a dorm room, you lose some privacy, that's true. However, it comes with a unique social opportunity to make new friends and socialize with your roommates-for-the-night. However, if you're really not up to socializing, don't worry; many hostels now offer a private room at a slightly more expensive price than the regular room rates. These private rooms offer a single bed and bathroom.
Overall, a hostel is still the most optimal choice for accommodations in London for a budget backpacker who wishes to experience new things. You pay the most basic price for the comfort of the most basic necessities, and you'll still have enough money left over to spend on what really counts – memories and mementos.
Martin Wynn
