London: Cherry Court or Wombat's Hostel?

Can't speak of Wombat's, but we did stay at Cherry Court last time we were there (2016). Location is very good if being close to rail or bus is important as Victoria Station is just a block away. There is a good pub around the corner (St. George's). And the price is unbeatable. But the rooms are small. Even by British standards, which I'm totally used to, the rooms are small. The "double" bed was barely wider than a single, and pushed up against the wall so both have to climb in from the one side. And, unlike most British hotels, it does not serve hot breaksfast, just an apple, banana, juice box and granola bar.

It was fine for us, I didn't hate it at all. But I would have rather spent not too many pounds extra to get a bigger room, better bed and breakfast. For the second leg of our trip last summer, we stayed at the Celtic Hotel in Bloomsbury, which was much better for the price. Consider looking that place up.

Thank you, Darrenblois. I am looking up Celtic House this minute. It's lovely! Did you find the bathroom accommodations down the hall to be a detriment, or did you have a shower and toilet in your room? This would not bother me, but I want to take my companions comfort into account. This is most certainly a much lovelier spot than the Cherry Court.

I have stayed at the Cherry Court Hotel many times when in London proper. The owners, the Patels, are lovely and friendly people. The rooms are clean, if small. All mattresses I've slept on have been wonderful. Much transportation is right around the corner, but we generally walked to our morning sites. The breakfast actually consists of snacks that can be munched on throughout the day.

Jan, I usually go with bathrooms down the hall, as its cheaper. It has never been the slightest problem. In fact, over something like a dozen trips to Europe, I don't think I've ever even seen the people I am supposedly sharing a toilet and shower with. There are usually only about 2-4 suites per bathroom, and it is very common in Europe so people know how the system works and respect that they are sharing. And each suite does have its own wash basin for basic washing and shaving, etc.

I would recommend bringing flip flops to walk on.

The Celtic is my favourite budget hotel (< 100 GBP). I also love the Bloomsbury neighbourhood. Russell Square tube station is just around the block, and the Friend at Hand pub is adjacent to the hotel. British Museum and Soho are all short walks away, and even the City is only about a 20-30 minute walk. Lots of good ethnic restaurants on Southampton Row and of course in Soho. Enjoy!

Thank you, everyone. Emma, I've not had luck with the Travel Lodge so far, as all that I've looked at are booked. Wray, thank you for your assurances about Cherry Court. It is quite possible that will be where we end up because I'd like to be in more of a neighborhood than the area where Wombat's is located, although it is a really great hostel and the people have been fun to work with. Darrenblois, I absolutely love everything about the Celtic Hotel and will seriously consider if the price is right for me this trip. The bottom line will be cost this time around, only because I sold my husband on letting me make this last minute and unexpected trip because I thought the plane fare was under $500. Alas, I was on the UK site and didn't realize it was figured in British pounds. Now, I'm trying to ensure I can do this as frugally as I claimed I could. :) I am personally challenging myself to keep to my plan because, well, gotta save some face with the spousal unit. :)

Have a look at Premier Inn. They have hotels allover London, including Victoria, Covent Garden, Westminster, Leicester Square. Just bear in mind that as it’s a British chain, costs are in Pounds!

It sounds as if you be arriving over the Easter holiday which in the UK is a 4 day weekend so a popular time for a quick trip up to the Capital...and schools are on break until the 13th April all of which make finding reasonable accommodation more difficult.

Greetings, Everyone! Thanks to darrenblois we ended up at the Celtic Hotel, which we enjoyed very much. It is in the Bloomsbury district and a stone's throw from the British Museum. Tube stops were also close by. We all agreed we would happily stay there again. Breakfast was great and the staff was friendly and helpful. The Friend at Hand pub was just around the corner and was delightful. We went there twice.

So glad to hear. We'll always stay at the Celtic now.

We enjoyed the Friend at Hand too. We sat on some free chairs across from a lovely older (70's) Scottish couple on their once-a-year trip to London to see shows, had great conversation and laughter.