YHA London Central Hostel
4-star hostel · Fitzrovia, London
Long Weekend score
Good1 serious report in 298 reviews: something stolen
Guests rate nearly every hotel highly: half the hotels in London are rated 8.2 out of 10 or more. So our score shows how a hotel compares with the rest, not how luxurious it is.
- Rated higher than 46% of London hotels
- 83% of guest comments are praise
- 85% of guest photos show no damage
How this score is made
- Rated higher than 46% of London hotels. Compared with 5,640 hotels in London. Counts for 50% of the score.
- 83% of guest comments are praise. 538 praise, 114 complain. Counts for 30% of the score.
- 85% of guest photos show no damage. 51 of 60 photos. Counts for 20% of the score.
- Serious reports are never counted in. They are flagged beside the score, because one matters even when everything else is good.
- From $66 a nightdorm beds for two, before tax
- 5 min walkto Great Portland Street station
- 298 guest reviewsfrom the last 2 years
- 60 guest photostheirs, not the hotel's
At a glance
For
- A station within walking distanceGreat Portland Street is 411 m away
- Location176 praise · 1 complain
- Staff149 praise · 21 complain
- Cleanliness112 praise · 19 complain
- Value42 praise · 4 complain
Against
- Guest photos show wear and dirt9 of the 60 photos guests took, and 0 of the hotel's 40
- Quiet at night23 complain · 22 praise
- Heating and air conditioning41 of 298 guests
- Room size20 complain · 5 praise
- Problems in the bathroom25 of 298 guests
What guests reported
What guests say
298 reviews from the last 2 years. Most praised: location (176 guests). Weakest: room size, where 20 of the 25 who mention it complain.
Location1761Strength
Very good location, good breakfast, not noise, easy walk trip for anywhere, market, restaurant, train station, bus, walking is convenience.
Google, September 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Excellent location (walking distance to Oxford Street)
Google, December 2025, rated 4/5 by this guest
It’s not the best and it’s not the worst and it’s somewhat centrally located in SoHo, but I have to do a lot of walking before I can get anywhere.
Google, September 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
Value424Strength
This place is no less than a hotel for the price of a hostel.
Booking network, March 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Great value for the price, it will be my go to place for the next London visit.
Booking network, September 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
High price for a room with bunk beds during this period, unacceptable comfort.
Google, December 2025, rated 2/5 by this guest
Staff14921Strength
Great location and service!
Google, July 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Cassio and the team were super friendly and always happy to help — made me feel really welcome.
Google, January 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
This is a good place to stay for the price except one of their staff the boy with the glasses very rude is aggressive hostile in certain instances.
Google, November 2025, rated 4/5 by this guest
Cleanliness11219Strength
Great price for nice clean rooms with comfy beds.
Booking network, April 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
The place is clean and the kitchen is very practical.
Booking network, March 2026, rated 9/10 by this guest
Unpleasant odor in the room; the carpet needs to be removed as it is completely unhygienic.
Google, November 2025, rated 3/5 by this guest
Beds1610Mostly good
Incredible location, clean and fairly comfortable rooms and beds.
Booking network, January 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
cheap and close to everything i needed the beds are so comfortable too
Booking network, June 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Very uncomfortable mattress.
Booking network, September 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Room condition54Split
The hostel in places is a little tired and could do with some repairs but it was clean.We had a 4 bunk room and this was small for 4 people and it was very very hot!
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
It crimps when the bed moves on an old-fashioned bunk bed.
Tripadvisor, October 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
The facilities are excellent, the staff are friendly and helpful, and the bathrooms are very clean and look newly renovated.
Google, June 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Quiet at night2223Split
Noisy ventilation system through the night, but it was necessary.
Booking network, April 2026, rated 9/10 by this guest
Bed was very noisy, charging port on my bed didn’t work and no curtains for privacy on bunks.
Booking network, April 2026, rated 7/10 by this guest
I could clearly hear other guests talking in the corridor and the shared bathroom door just down the corridor opening and closing in the night
Google, December 2025, rated 4/5 by this guest
Breakfast1112Split
This one offers a mediocre continental breakfast, leaving one still hungry, especially for protein.
Google, February 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
No bacon or sausage baps for brekkie.
Booking network, March 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Superbly located youth hostel with friendly staff and simple but decent rooms; mattresses are very basic and breakfast is very rudimentary.
Google, April 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Room size520Weak spot
Good location, but a downside was an odor in the room, and the shower wasn't very comfortable with limited space for clothes.
Google, April 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
The rooms are small, just the bare essentials for sleeping.
Google, December 2025, rated 4/5 by this guest
Lack of place to put my stuff in the room
Booking network, September 2026, rated 9/10 by this guest
Too few mentions to judge: food and views.
Who stays, and their score out of 10
From every review of the last two years that gives a score and says who travelled, including those with no words.
All 1,783 Google ratings
Problems guests raised
Raised most: heating and air conditioning, in 41 of 298 reviews.
Heating and air conditioning41 of 2981 in 7 reviews
Very hot rooms in the summer.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 5/10 by this guest
It was one of the worst experiences I’ve had in a hostel one the room I was first it had no air conditioning and I wasn’
Booking network, September 2026, rated 5/10 by this guest
Problems in the bathroom25 of 2981 in 12 reviews
Shower was inconsistent as the water kept alternating between hot and cold.
Booking network, May 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Flushplate for toilet broken.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 4/10 by this guest
Something broken in the room20 of 2981 in 15 reviews
The lock of the restroom was not working, but it didn’t affect me much.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Reading lights were not working
Booking network, March 2026, rated 5/10 by this guest
Complaints the hotel left unresolved16 of 2981 in 19 reviews
We reported it, nothing was done, and now customer service is mobilized.
Google, March 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
I reported the faulty window twice but nothing was done
Booking network, June 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
The lift12 of 2981 in 25 reviews
I’d also recommend repairing the lifts as soon as possible.
Tripadvisor, September 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
• The elevator can be unreliable, so patience is sometimes required.
Google, February 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Unexpected charges and refunds10 of 2981 in 30 reviews
You don’t get any towels (have to pay 4£ to rent one), breakfast is £9 and sad, wifi was very weak for me.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 7/10 by this guest
On booking, was charged £15 for requesting a lower bunk before coming.
Booking network, April 2026, rated 7/10 by this guest
Serious reports
1 in 298 reviews, most common first. Shown beside the score, never averaged into it.
Something stolen1 of 298 reviews
The following day, it was stolen.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 2/10 by this guest
These are guests' own accounts from their reviews. We have not verified them, and the hotel may dispute them. A report is counted only when the guest says it happened at the hotel and holds the hotel responsible.
Photos, checked
9 of the 60 guest photos we checked show damage or dirt (15%).
Guest photos showing damage or dirt9 of 6015%
Of 60 guest photos, 9 show damage or dirt: building work in 3, stains in 2, peeling paint or cracks in 2 and rust or limescale in 1, and some photos show more than one. Of the hotel's own 40, 0 do.
What it advertises, against the photos
Guests’ photos confirm: restaurant (2), bar (1).
The hotel says it has no swimming pool, spa, gym or hot tub.
Price, place and rooms
Price
Dorm beds for two start at $66 a night, from 299 dates checked in the coming year.
Prices on booking sites, the day we checked
What each seller advertised on the one day we checked.
- Booking.com$93
- hostelworld.com$93
- travelmyth.co.uk$277
- Trip.com$278
- expedia.co.uk$278
- Super.com$278
- tripadvisor.co.uk$278
- Hotels.com$278
Lowest advertised nightly rate for two adults; taxes and local fees are not included. Shown in US dollars.
Nearby
Great Portland Street station is 411 m away by road, about 5 minutes on foot. There are 6 bars or clubs within 200 metres.
- Nearest shop: Tesco Express2 min walk129 m by road
- Nearest main road: Portland Place180 m
- Nearest station: Great Portland Street5 min walk411 m by road
- The British Museum22 min walk1.6 km by road
- Buckingham Palace2.8 km
- Big Ben2.9 km
- Tower Bridge5.9 km
The lines are 5, 10 and 15 minutes on foot.
Distances follow the streets, not straight lines.
Rooms
10 room types, from 11 to 12 m².
- Standard Single Room11 m²Sleeps 1
- Standard Twin Room11 m²Sleeps 2
- Double Private Room Shared Bathroom12 m²Sleeps 2Bathtub
- Bunk Bed in Male Dormitory Room12 m²Sleeps 1
- Quadruple Room12 m²Sleeps 44 Bunk bed
- 6 Bed Private Room Ensuite12 m²Sleeps 6
The other 4 room types
- 6 Bed Private Room Shared Bathroom12 m²Sleeps 6Bathtub
- Bunk Bed in Female Dormitory Room12 m²Sleeps 1
- 2 Bed Private Room Shared Bathroom12 m²Sleeps 2Bathtub
- 4 Bed Private Room Shared Bathroom12 m²Sleeps 4Bathtub
From the hotel's own room descriptions, checked against each room's photos.
How it compares
How it ranks
Guests who booked rate it 8.2 out of 10. 46% of the 5,640 hotels in London are rated lower, and a typical one is rated 8.2.
Every review site, out of 100
22 Google reviewers ticked "Quiet", yet 23 guests complain about noise.
If room size matters to you
Here, 20 of the 25 guests who mention room size complain. These nearby hotels do better on it.
More hotels in London
The nearest first, with our score for each.
How we know
298 reviews counted · 100 photos checked · updated 10 October 2026
- We collected this hotel's 894 most recent reviews from Google, Tripadvisor and the Booking network. 298 of them describe a stay in the last 2 years and are the ones counted here; the rest were 108 older, 139 in other languages and 349 with a score but no words.
- The hotel replied to 200 of its 200 newest Google reviews.
- 4 in every 100 reviews thank a staff member by name.
- 3 reviews mention a free upgrade, a cake or a gift.
- We looked at 100 photos: the first 40 of the hotel's own and the 60 newest from guests.
- Every number on this page is counted, not estimated. Anything in quotation marks is a guest's own words.