Clink78 hostel is one of the many, many London hostels that have popped up in recent years across the city of London. So why this one, why should Clink78 be the one place you choose to lay your head down after a day of sipping tea with royalty? Well, quite simply, it’s pretty darn cool.
This is not a run of the mill youth hostel we’re dealing with here, Clink78 is in what was once a magistrates courthouse – that means criminals were sentenced in the building you’re going to sleep in. Still today, much of the building is heritage listed, and for good reason, this is after all the place where Charles Dickens once worked.
So that’s the history of the place, what about today?
Clink78 is rather a big hostel, boasting 630 beds divided up into a selection of private rooms alongside the dormitories which range from 4 to 16 bed rooms. Each single bed in the dorm rooms is encompassed in a partial wall, providing a decent amount privacy from your sleeping neighbors, and keeping the light from your personal reading light shining just for you.
Plus, they’ve got the whole prison vibe thing going on, with big prison cell-esque doors.
In addition to all of the hostel basics you’d expect like free WiFi, free sheets, a communal kitchen, and a TV lounge, Clink78 has a few fun unique features which up its curb appeal.
Firstly, an on premise bar. The bar, The Clash, is named after the punk band who were sentenced in the building, back when that was its purpose. They were arrested, of all things, for accidentally shooting three racing pigeons whom they had mistaken to be simply some other “rats of the sky”. There’s also a pool table in the basement bar, and around that bar you’ll get to share cheap drinks (for London!) with people from all over the world. Another bonus? If you play some live music in the bar you can earn yourself a free nights stay!
Once you’ve found a new international group to hang with you can head over to the second unique feature of the hostel, the tour desk where the super friendly and helpful staff at Clink78 can hook you up with discounts on a variety of tickets in London for everything from events to tours.
The only thing we don’t love are their outdated and oftentimes unclean shower and bathroom facilities. For such a popular hostel one would except that these areas would receive a little bit more love and attention.
So, that’s what you’ll find inside the doors at Clink78, but what about on the other side?
Clink78 is centrally located in London, just a stone’s throw from Kings Cross St. Pancreas, this type of location means no dragging your bags across the city when you come or go. Plus, it means when you’ve had your share of The Clash you can stumble your way down the road to a myriad of options for further drinking, eating, and merriment.
You’ve got loads of options when choosing a place to stay, especially in a big grand city like London. And one might say, a bed is a bed. But is it? Isn’t that bed elevated to a different level of cool when the essence of Charles Dickens is floating through the air?
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