Best experience ever. I stayed here for two nights different nights during travels in Europe. I have to say hands down the best hostel I have ever stayed in. Really great pricing, clean, comfortable, great atmosphere and amazing receptionist staff. Checking in was a piece of cake. They made it seem less and effortless. I plan on staying in their Paris and Rome location when I'm back in the spring. I would tell anyone who is traveling in a budget or just wanting to meet people in their travels to stay here or any of their other locations. I made some amazing new friends here, had some great drinks at the bar they have and the food is killer, I will definitely be coming back to stay here when I'm next in London read more

Must preface this by saying this was my first and only time in my life that i have ever stayed at a hostel. I will start with the Pros as it's not nice to be completely negative -location -staff was accommodating to the issues I expressed -ideal for the single/young/does not mind LOUD music and paper thin walls, traveler on a budget Now onto reality... Do not let their trendy hip website fool you. This place is just downright filthy. Perhaps for a hostel it is the Ritz Carlton, I do not know as I do not have experience with hostels, but when you get back from a day out around 10:30PM only to be greeted by drug dealers near the entrance, one's impression should be negatively impacted. Regardless of the dealers, the Generator rooms are filled with dust bunnies (seriously my nose was filled with dirt clogged snots in the morning, sorry if TMI). I am concerned with what I was breathing in. My room had a smell the entire time, that required windows to stay open, always. I had an issue with my first room location as it was sandwiched within high schoolers who were very loud, rude, and not willing to quiet down. As a staff chaperone for a college trip, I tried to speak with their teacher who did not seem to care. The staff at Generator were more than willing to help me out. They gave me a key to a new room, and when I went to check it out, turns out it was occupied! YIKES! They gave me the key to another room, and I woke up 2 women. At that point, I realized how easy it is to get into a room and steal possessions/ or get attacked at night. I never felt safe at night in the Generator. Again, the people working there are kind, and I am sure this is a great place for the single traveler but I could never recommend the place and will be letting my University officials know that this is not the kind of accommodation for a group of college students. read more

From the outside, Generator looks about as sketchy as it is possible for a hostel to look. The entrance is indicated by blue neon lights and is down a small alleyway, making it seem a little dangerous. The hostel itself is a little pricey, with single rooms coming in at 50 pounds, despite the fact that cheaper hotels in the area come in at less than this. Dorm beds are more reasonable at 20 pounds a night, which is reasonable in this area. However, I would try and book in advance and check into International Student House instead, as I don't know if I could handle this place for more than a couple of nights. read more

Nice place to stay in central London if you're on a budget. I had a private room with three friends and shared bathroom. Everything was clean and it's a very short walk to Russell Square tube station. Very young crowd. Not advisable for families. read more

Unless you're like 15 and drunk and a scumbag, you probably shouldn't stay here. It was super gross, super dirty, and not very comfortable. The bar is the sorta place where creepy dudes go to creep on girls. I'm not super high maintenance when it comes to accommadations. This was the only hostel on my Euro trip that I did not like. In fact, I hated it. read more

I stayed here with 5 others late December. We booked a month out. Arrived to the hostel an hour or so later than indicated in the reservation and our room wasn't ready. The staff was mildly friendly while trying to accommodate. They ended up putting our group in a larger room which was great! (Thank you) only issue was the room was in the basement. We had to walk through multiple doors and staff areas to get to the accommodations. Only other issue was our window wouldn't shut, which late December was a concern. We were able to get it as closed as we could but it still wasn't completely closed. The security seemed decent and the crowd was good. Area seemed safe and walkable to a decent amount of bars and restaurants. The staff at the help desk was helpful when booking tourist attractions. Highly recommend if you stay there to book activities at the discounted price. read more

This is probably the worst place to sleep. Especially if you are taking you family along. There are no bathrooms in the rooms they are too cheap for that so there is one dedicated bathroom for showering, shaving, using the toliet, etc. The rooms are so small that the door won't even open fully. . . you know HOW A DOOR SHOULD OPEN. There is no ac in the rooms so it is just an awful night with cheap bed sheets and heating pain. No one should book a room here not. If you do I am sorry. read more

Great Hostel, lovely staff, clean rooms and bathrooms. Social areas downstairs are great and the food is lush. Easy and simple access to train stations and only one stop away from Kings Cross, stayed 3 times in the past and plan to stay again later this year! read more

Generator London - Just had to add a picture i took of the names of the floors in the Generator :') - Hostels Near Me - London, XGL

Our entire room was robbed as we slept. We stayed in a 4 person room and one person was able to check in with a fake Romanian ID (you need to up your security!) and rob us all. I locked all my belongings with a padlock, with the key underneath my pillow and I still managed to lose $350 pounds and my diamond engagement ring along with all my other jewelry. Another girl lost 700 euros and another guy lost his camera. When I filed the police report they told me they hear so many stories like this out of this particular Generator Hostel. COME AT YOUR OWN RISK!! read more

This place was really cool. I was only there for one night but they had pool competitions in the bar to win 10 free drinks and everyone staying there gets a token for one free drink. It's really close to the tube, you get to meet loads of different people and we even got our room upgraded to a private one for an extra pound. Price is excellent. The upgraded, private 6 person room cost £16 each. read more

First ever hostel I stayed at during my first London trip. It's decent, clean, free brekkie, bathrooms are ok, and no hot water. I thought it was a-ok. I would stay here again if I was traveling alone and on a budget :) read more

12/07/2019 -The rooms were fresh, I liked the lounge area although I have to say that the women's bathroom was terrible on the 3rd floor. Super hot, couldn't stay in there without sweating my ass off. Other than that nice staff. read more

The Generator London is definitely a fun hostel to stay at, mostly because you get a free drink upon arrival and the hostel bar, which is open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., has dancing, music, drinks and special events like Karaoke. It's a great place to meet other travelers from around the world. I met a lot of Aussies during my stay. The rooms are dormitory style with bunk beds and a sink. The bathrooms are not attached to the bedrooms but rather community bathrooms. Maybe this is just me being an American, but I like privacy in the bathroom. While walking into the hostel's community bathroom my first morning there and seeing a very naked German woman with her underage daughter was not exactly shocking, I still would have prefered to have not seen that. Breakfast is included. Unfortunately, breakfast is not the greatest. I ate cereal mostly, but I think there may have been some scrambled eggs and whatever breakfast meat English people eat. I think the key to getting a good breakfast here is getting to breakfast early. The hostel staff was very friendly, helpful and offered some great advice about places to eat and the city's attractions. As for the location, the hostel is in Bloomsbury, which is supposedly a short walk from the British Museum. Not heading there? Don't worry, the hostel is also just a few blocks from the nearst Tube station. There are a couple grocery stores nearby, and there is a Subway (the sub shop, not the underground) a few blocks walk away. The hostel also had Internet, which is always nice when backpacking. Bed linens are provided, but towels are not. Overall, I'd highly recommend the Generator. I just took stars away because while it's nice that breakfast is offered, it wasn't all that and a bag of chips. Also, I'm not a fan of community bathrooms, and many hostels do offer bathrooms in the dorms/bedrooms. As far as hostels in London go though, this is the one to stay at, especially if you are hoping to meet other travelers. read more

If you're looking for luxury comfort and culture then don't go to generator, if how ever your looking for a hedonistic time of your life then head there. With up to 800 party mad people staying there at any one time whether alone or with a group you will never get bored as there's always some thing to do. Every thing London has to offer right on your doorstep, whether its tourist attraction, clubbing or shopping I t has its own bar and chill out lounge as well as a canteen. With beds starting at £9 a night in the 12 bed dorms, £12 in a 4 and £25 for a single it's a cheap and easy way to see London. read more

Cheap and decent... its certainly not worst place I have ever stayed at... but not the best but its a decent place to crash out at when the adventure is more important then where you are stay. read more

It was my first time traveling to London and for a hostel it exceeded my expectations. Very clean, reasonably priced and very comfortable. Met some cool people and the staff was great! i highly recommend this Hostel and I will be back! read more

This place is definitely for younger people. The breakfast was large but ok tasting. the internet was down while I was there for 2 of the 3 days. I bought a 2 day London pass and they forgot to load the second day so when I got to the other side of the city I had to come all the way back to reload my pass. The free drink coupons at the bar only work for a couple hours of the day(usually you're out doing something). I couldn't taste any alcohol in my drink from the bar. There was no ventelation in my room heated up so we woke up sweaty. I was in a 12 women luxury room. The beds were comfy and there were vanities and mirrors and a sofa. They clam to be a party hostel but I dont think many of the people there were very social. read more

Location is decent, rooms are clean and bathrooms are plentiful. Only drawback was the lack of sockets in the room. Expect to be sitting in the common area charging your phone. read more

This was my second time staying at a generator hostel. My first being Barcelona, that hostel was beautiful, CLEAN, and full of kind helpful staff. So I was very excited to stay at a generator again in London! Sadly was I mistaken. This hostel is the worst I have ever staid at, it is seriously unclean, they wouldn't even give us clean sheets for our beds after we pointed out that they were stained, the staff is just rude to the guests overall. Don't even think about misplacing your key because they will not be willing to help you in the slightest. And do not even get me started on the bathrooms. I would give them less then one star if I could. The Generator is seriously disappointing, do not stay here. read more

This outfit has 800 beds in London's largest party hostel. Centrally located in Russell square they have events every night and also an extensive range of facilities for travellers. There is free breakfast,bedlinen,towels and lockers in all the dorms.With this there is an affordable restaurant,free movies and 24 hour lounges. read more

Good location - walking distance to two tube stations and easy to get to on the tube from Gatwick. In a safe area with security guards at night posted outside that checked your room cards. No curfew. The Generator was fairly lively - they have a bar, a common area with a lounge, reading area and computer stations that are often filled with fellow travelers. Each morning breakfast is provided in the cafeteria area - regular cereals, coffee, teas, juice and toasts with condiments. There's also a snack shop that is open after hours. Washrooms are very clean and spacious. A minus about the Generator is that the rooms were very small and were squeezed with bunk beds (though they were comfortable with down comforters). There was not a lot of space to maneuver about (lockers provided for suitcases, but bring your own keys/locks) though okay if you don't intend to spend much time in your room. When booking a room note that you could be put in a basement room, on the plus side, the size is bigger, but it does feel a bit isolated. read more

I arrived at the check-in time of 2pm, and was pretty horrified to see that my bedding had not been changed from the previous guest. When I went to reception to request fresh bedding, I was given what can only be described as an interrogation. When did I check-in? How long was I staying? When was I checking out? All I wanted was clean sheets, I really did not think that it would be such a big deal (maybe it's just me, but I don't particularly like sharing my bedding with strangers). And that was just the beginning. One of the reasons I chose the Generator London was because it seemed to offer fairly good amenities. How wrong I was. A communal bathroom was something I was expecting; what I was not expecting was how few there were. There was one bathroom per floor, and in our particular one we had just five showers to service all the girls on our floor. And these showers were pathetic. The website describes them as "private", but they are nothing more than a thin curtain covering a cramped shower. You've got nowhere to put your belongings other than a single hook outside of the shower. I was pretty horrified one night to come out of the shower to find that my jeans had been stolen off the hook while I was in there, and when I went to reception to report this, I was greeted by the most uncaring, unsympathetic response I have ever received from any hotel or hostel. Quite simply, she did not care at all. She acted as though it were my fault I was hanging my clothes on the hook outside the shower (although she never suggested where else I was supposed to put them?). All I wanted was to let her know there was a thief running around the hostel, but I should have saved my breath. I have never been so excited to check out of accommodation in all my life. In fact, my time at the Generator London was so unpleasant that I ended up crashing on friends' floors and couches a couple of nights just to get a break from it. I stayed in an eight-bed dorm, and every bed was filled most nights. Despite this, our room only had four mirrors, four power-points and one table that was covered (and I mean covered) in rubbish left behind from previous guests. You can probably imagine the carnage in the morning as eight girls struggled to get ready for the day in front of four mirrors. And you can't exactly go to the floor's one bathroom, because that's always full too. The Generator London is constantly noisy, constantly cold and constantly inhospitable and unwelcoming. When I did finally check-out and head to the airport, I realised that I had left a personal item in my room. I sent an email to the Generator London as I was boarding my flight, asking if they could please check under the bed and under the mattress for the item I left behind (it was a charm bracelet, I had kept it on the headboard and I can only assume it fell behind the bed as I slept because I didn't see it there in the morning). I understand fully that it is my fault that I left my bracelet behind, it's pretty inevitable for me to leave something behind when I am rushing to make a flight, what I can't understand is the response (or lack thereof) that I got from the Generator London. I got NO REPLY to my email whatsoever, not even to say that the bracelet hadn't been found. Once I had landed back in Australia, I called the Generator to see if anything had shown up. I was put through to the Travel Shop, and the lady working there assured me my email would be printed, taken to reception, and investigated. A couple of days pass, and I hear nothing from the Generator. I knew it was a low shot that it would be found, but I at least thought I'd get a reply to say as much. So I gave them a call back. I asked reception if they could please check under the bed for me, and in response I was HUNG UP on SEVEN TIMES. Seven! I've never had a hotel or hostel hang up on me before, and the Generator London certainly made up for it. On my eighth phone call I ended up in the Travel Shop again, and the lady there assured me she'd look for the bracelet personally. She was the only employee I got any semblance of care or help from, and honestly she deserves a raise for that simple fact. I was willing to pay a reward for the bracelet (it's irreplaceable) and of course pay for return postage, and the staff at the Generator London made it clear they did not care at all about me or my custom. read more

I was not too happy with the Generator. I came to London for a week in March 2008 on a spring break trip with my university and the Generator served as our accommodations for the week. We were told they would provide towels for us in addition to bed linens, but alas we were not provided with towels, so a good number of my friends and I were in a pinch and needed towels, so we had to buy them from the little "convenience store" on the ground floor but for what I paid, it was the crappiest towel ever. At least I could put up with it for a week. The showers were AWFUL--it was either too hot or too cold and I think I may have burnt myself on the pipes! Our accommodations came with breakfast every morning which included pretty much just cereal and toast. Not what I would call even a decent breakfast but the carbs were enough to get me through most, if not all, of the activity-packed days I had in London. The good news is that they're conveniently located a few blocks away from the Russell Square tube station. read more

well, they did have a bar and trivia night. staff was a little loopy. but overall, it was pretty effin rad. hostel beds & breakfast pretty standard. read more

READ THIS!!! I stayed at the generator for 3 nights and had a pleasant experience until I came back to visit some friends. I was walking alone at 10:30 pm so I decided to put headphones in. I accidentally walked into the wrong entrance and one of the workers chased me down because I hadn't heard him yell at me and he grabbed my arm so aggressively and yanked me away from the door and started yelling at me. I told him he can't grab women like that especially from behind and he defended his actions with I shouldn't be listening to music. I have never been treated like this in my entire life. To put it simply, I'm a 5'1" 100 lb female girl who is absolutely harmless and this man had the audacity to treat me like I was a criminal. When I got inside I was shaking and crying so much because I have never experienced such abuse. I have never written a review but if I can prevent another young girl being grabbed like that for entering the wrong entrance, I will gladly write a review about my experience. read more

Don't stay here!!!! It is the worst. The staff is rude & it seems as though none of them speak English. The rooms look like shelters. They cram about 16 people into rooms that are as small as closets. They have no working ventilation. It is hotter than h*** in the rooms. Literally slept with minimal clothing and felt like I was burning. The food is mediocre. The entire floor has to share 2 bathrooms; one for women and one for men. Only 2 showers in each bathroom on a floor full of people!!! Just do yourself a favor and do not stay here. read more

The rooms (for four persons) were so small, you nearly couldnt turn around. Six of ten toilets were always dirty and the hostel wasnt so cheap. Breakfast was ridicolous. read more

One of my favorite hostels I stayed at throughout Europe, wasnt too expensive and got a good nights sleep and had a blast at night with all my roomies. read more

After reading the reviews on yelp, I was very hesitant. Honestly the place was fine. It's basically like living in a large dorm room. They do keep up on the cleaning - at least twice a day. I always saw cleaning people coming down the halls to clean the bathrooms,etc. The thing is that this place is big, so yes if a toilet is clogged,etc it's not going to be IMMEDIATELY cleaned up, but it will be in a short time. There was a sink in the bunk rooms, which was OK, but a bit weird... still have to use the hall bathrooms to brush your teeth if you're roommates are sleeping. Also, if you come home later than your roommates, you might want to have your PJ's out so you don't have to turn on a light to find your stuff. The staff was nice, and the people I met were nice. The bar was nice but it's more of a hangout, not a party scene - which was the reason I booked this hostel because I was traveling alone and wanted to meet people to hang out with. The location and price was good, I would splurge for a private if you can, they're much more comfortable. read more

Can't hate on the Generator. It's in a back alley near Russell Square and Euston tube stops and a no-nonsense security detail accosts you to make sure you're staying there. I felt totally VIP. The reception staff, who welcomed me in after midnight, is delightful and waived my 5 GBP late fee. The place was immaculate and the bed was serviceable. Yeah, it's tiny, but at 31 pounds per night in downtown London, I think we have to be reasonable in our expectations. My ONLY complaint is the creep in Bunk 1 who terrorized the rest of us, but that became a bonding experience for Alt. Japanese Dude, Chavvy Eastern European of Indeterminate Origin, and me. Man, did we have some laughs when she stomped off into the atmosphere (loudly, banging things, at 6 a.m.), finally ending her reign of terror. She probably won't be there when you go, though. read more

wouldn't recommend this palce to anyonethe bed are horrible, the cleaners went through ou belongings and the place stinkson the upside it is cheap, so you get what you pay for.. read more

This place was cheap and decent. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable as well. My friend and I shared a narrow room with four strangers, three of whom were travelling together. No issues--everyone was kind and respectful. The hostel was very colorful and had plenty of young people running around. I am not yet thirty but I felt older. read more

The Generator is where you meet so many other travellers from around the world , mainly young , outgoing backpackers looking to have a great time in another city. The Generator is one of the best hostels ive stayed in so far, brekkie is eat as much as you like and FREE , just continental so toast,tea,coffee and cereal , but when its free you can't complain. The bar is like a night club it amazing !!! Thats when i met loads of new friends and they are life time friends after the experiences we had for so many months , gotta try The Generator !!! read more

I am giving this place 2 stars ONLY because the bar tenders were awesome and the security was pretty top notch. BUT EVERYTHING ELSE WAS TERRIBLE. The staff in the cafe were extremely rude, the hostel is overcrowded and makes it impossible to do anything in the morning downstairs. During my stay the hostel ran out of water and coffee. The breakfast in the mornings is an absolute joke-an old hamburger bun and a few slices of cheese and deli meat. The bathrooms are TRAGIC. None of the doors lock on the showers and there is a serious drainage issue. They're supposedly "cleaned" every day but I sincerely doubt that. The layout of the hostel is strange with the female bathroom on the other side of the hallway so you would literally have to walk naked from your shower past the stairs and elevators to you room. Speaking of ROOMS WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN. I was in a 4 person female room that was about as big as my dining room table. Absolutely no space to do anything-you can't even breathe because there is NO AIR FLOW. There are two sets of fire doors in the hallway that prevent any sort of air from entering the rooms so you get the satisfaction of waking up in a pool of your own sweat. Save your money and find a place with actual food and reliable air. ALSO the water on the sinks in our room CONVENIENTLY DIDN'T WORK. How the generator generates money is beyond me. read more

cant really expect much from a renovated prison barrack. slept in a room with 5 other bunk beds. showered with my slippers still on. was high all night because i took in the fresh paint from the walls they had just done. would rate this hostel higher because of the club downstairs that attracted backpakers from other hostels, but i also got lung cancer from being inside the club without smoking a cigarette read more

This place is pretty average without a serious concerted effort to be above average, despite all they offer. With a bar, a restaurant, a cinema, and a travel shop all inside, you'd think you landed a pretty dope spot. Really, this place takes hostel culture and corporatizes it, which to no fault of their own brings out the absolute worst guests. If you're looking for a place you can come alone and meet people and have a good time, keep going. Coming with a few friends and don't want to shell out the cash for a hotel room? This is a great place for you. The beds are relatively comfortable and the place is acceptably clean. The showers and bathrooms seem freshly refurbished and I feel like I've walked in on cleaning staff more than not. If there was one thing that truly bothered me, it was the nickel and diming for just about everything you may need, but didn't have room to pack. There's no towel or padlock rentals, just purchases for about £5 each. Checkout is an hour earlier than I would've liked (10AM) and if you need a place to store your bags while you await your flight or travel arrangements, get ready to shell out more cash. So while you come for the cheap room, staying becomes increasingly more expensive. I guess you have to pay for upkeep somehow, but it really doesn't feel authentically "hostel". read more