Phoenix Hostel

We chose to spend our money seeing London instead of on expensive accommodation and stayed here for two nights. The room was clean, and we liked the bar and how nice the staff were. We were in the female dorm, with a large shower next door where we could leave our clothes without getting them wet. Paddington station is just around the corner if you need a train.

I felt unsafe and ignored, and the way the hostel handled my complaints left me feeling unfairly treated. I'm 50, vulnerable, and disabled. I told staff at The Phoenix Hostel Paddington several times, and asked not to be put with two men who had harassed and bullied me two nights earlier. They put me back in the same room and bunk-bed area with them. Before, they'd kept me awake until about 2am, then woke me at 5am with a loud Islamic Azan phone alert. They wouldn't stop it, turned on the lights, made excessive noise, laughed at me, and said it was funny. Later they harassed me again until around 4:30am and hit me in the face with a trainer. I called the police because staff wouldn't deal with it. Rather than move me somewhere safe or protect me, the hostel removed me at about 5am, kept the people I'd complained about, and banned me. My only “crime” was calling for help. I felt the police sided with the people who attacked me. They laughed at me and my vulnerability, and treated me as if I were the attacker instead of the victim.

If you're a woman, especially travelling solo, I'd avoid this place. It felt seedy, with lots of strange men hanging around. The hostel was dirty too: filthy carpets, no soap in the bathrooms, bathrooms that weren't clean, and a bad smell throughout. I left after one night because I couldn't bear it. I'd have preferred to stay zero nights, but there were no trains available. The one plus is being near London's attractions, but it wasn't worth it. Spend a bit more somewhere else. The low price came with a hefty cost to my sanity.

For £10 a night in central London, the price and location were excellent, though I can't say I was satisfied overall. Ben at reception was great at building rapport and helping guests. The room and the pillow and sheets smelled a bit bad. The toilet and shower areas were surprisingly clean, but the cleaning staff were rude. All the rooms are reached by stairs. There were some shady people around at night, so stay alert. It was decent if you can overlook a few things.