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Smart Camden Hostel
55-57 Bayham Street, London NW1 0AA
Tube Camden Town, Mornington Crescent Train Camden Road Bus 24, 27, 29, 88, 134, 168, 214, 253
Tel (020) 7229 0000
Website www.smartbackpackers.com
BUG Review
The Smart Camden Hostel is a good option for travellers visiting Camden Town markets. It is a clean hostel but facilities are limited to the usual kitchen and TV lounge.
Price
Dorm bed £9.99-19.99
Price includes breakfast
Prices are in British pounds and are inclusive of all taxes.
Credit Cards
MasterCard,Visa
Reception Open
24 hours
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Last Update:
November
30, 2008
Travellers' reviews for Smart Camden Hostel
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Displaying Reviews:
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A very reliable hostel in a very interesting neighborhood, November 17, 2006
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Reviewer: jasonfromdallas from Buffalo, NY
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Pros:
Location and helpful staff
Cons:
mattress on most beds is a bit thin
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jasonfromdallas
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I stayed at this hostel for a week while looking for temporary work in London. This hostel is in Camden Town, which has a lot of pubs around, and Camden Market on Sundays is a great place to find cheap or interesting clothes or travel supplies. It is close to the tube station, and the area in general is cheaper, friendlier and less touristy than places like Soho - even though its only minutes a way from Leceister Square, Oxford Street, etc... by tube. The staff are friendly and available 24 hours. They can help you find a supermarket, find a job, or with directions.The beds are all bunkbeds and the matresses are a little thin, but I didn't have a problem with them.The showers are divided into cubicles, and in the men's shower on the ground floor there is a kind of common changing area. You might briefly have to change clothes in front of someone, if they happen to want to shower at the same time as you. But you shower separately and the button - timed water system is fine for me. Its not the most private arrangement, but unless you are very modest it shouldn't bother you.Like in many hostels, the only problem I had is that sometimes your co-backpackers want to party or have loud conversations when you just want to sleep. Sometiems doors are slammed and people don't respect other's desires to sleep. So, if you want a place where you're free to be noisy all night, you can do it here, but in general most nights people are quiet and asleep by 12 or 1. Its not a party hostel, but some partying goes on when the guests want to. Sometimes a group will come through and party until 4 - but that could happen at any hostel.Its a good price, a good location, and pretty standard hostel arrangements. This is a great hostel to get a feel for what its like for average Londoners in a normal neighborhood. I'll stay here again because the neighborhood is perfect - close to everything but you're not inundated with tourist crowds and prices.
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0 of
1 people found this review helpful
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Can't get worse, July 19, 2005
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Reviewer:
Sarah
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Pros:
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Imported Review
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Awful. Staff as if they were doing us a big favour. They were really really bad. People were beating up each other near the hostel on the street so the metro was closed for hours. Not enough showers. Far too dirty. No words for it. Too bad!!!
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a good neighborhood and nice staff, June 11, 2004
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Reviewer:
jasoncward
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Pros:
n/a
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n/a
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Imported Review
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I stayed at this hostel for a week while looking for temporary work in London. This hostel is in Camden Town, which has a lot of pubs around, and Camden Market on Sundays is a great place to find cheap or interesting clothes or travel supplies. It is close to the tube station, and the area in general is cheaper, friendlier and less touristy than places like Soho - even though its only minutes a way from Leceister Square, Oxford Street, etc... by tube. The staff are friendly and available 24 hours. They can help you find a supermarket, find a job, or with directions.The beds are all bunkbeds and the matresses are a little thin, but I didn't have a problem with them.The showers are divided into cubicles, and in the men's shower on the ground floor there is a kind of common changing area. You might briefly have to change clothes in front of someone, if they happen to want to shower at the same time as you. But you shower separately and the button - timed water system is fine for me. Its not the most private arrangement, but unless you are very modest it shouldn't bother you.Like in many hostels, the only problem I had is that sometimes your co-backpackers want to party or have loud conversations when you just want to sleep. Sometiems doors are slammed and people don't respect other's desires to sleep. So, if you want a place where you're free to be noisy all night, you can do it here, but in general most nights people are quiet and asleep by 12 or 1. Its not a party hostel, but some partying goes on when the guests want to. Sometimes a group will come through and party until 4 - but that could happen at any hostel.Its a good price, a good location, and pretty standard hostel arrangements. This is a great hostel to get a feel for what its like for average Londoners in a normal neighborhood. I'll stay here again because the neighborhood is perfect - close to everything but you're not inundated with tourist crowds and prices.
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5 of
5 people found this review helpful
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Not bad, May 18, 2003
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Anonymous
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This hostel is fair. Watch the steep steps up to reception if you have a suitcase. The reception staff are friendly and there is almost always someone working. In the reception area there is the internet and a pay pohone which is much cheaper than the ones on the street. Sheets and a blanket is provided on arrival.The main complaints guests have is with the respect the the bathrooms. They are for the most part communal and you will have no privacy whatsoever. There are timers on the hot water (no cold water tap) and the spray is BAD. Forget washing your hair in the time you are here. Breakfast could be better, and the common room does not encourage socialisation.The rooms are small. The floors are mopped daily. Locker use costs extra. Good points include proximity to Tube & Camden High Street, no curfew and room security as there is now swipe card access only. I didn't notice a smell about the place like other people have mentioned. However, please be wary of some of the advertisments of the hostel i.e. pictures and prices; and also look out for dodgy people around the area.
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3 of
3 people found this review helpful
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Thank You Camden Inn I LOVE this place, May 12, 2003
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Well what can I say. Camden Inn is the best hostel in the world.Beautiful staff and beautiful guests. I particulary miss wonderful Edward who is to style what David Beckham is to football. The love of my life beautiful Angelika who i miss deeply.Let us not forget Hamid who is a very special person. Hi to evryone i met there and thanks to all the staff for their help. xxxxxxxxxxxx
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3 of
19 people found this review helpful
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one word: stay away, March 17, 2003
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Reviewer:
andrea lutti
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Pros:
n/a
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Imported Review
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i've been in this hostel last february with my friends. first it smells horrible and staff was so unfriendly. one day at 2.00a.m when we were sleeping a member of the staff enter in our room without knocking(there is no lock sistem in rooms). the day after we ask if it was normal ant they say taht it was. and other problem is that it isn't good located and it's in a marginal zone. one advantage: camden market.
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1 of
2 people found this review helpful
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This place sucked rancid dead donkey balls, March 11, 2003
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Anonymous
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I was literally gaging every time I entered the stairwell. Its smelt like a male public toilet mixed with baby shit. The rooms were tiny and dirty as a rotting orange with too many bunks per square inch. We had nowhere for our bags except shitty lockers that also stunk and are a pound a night and the matresses are covered in vinyl so everytime you move it makes a sound like plastic sheets. The staff are sleazy and mean, the breakfast sucks and the bathrooms and toilet facilities would be turned down by a hobo. All in all the place sucked rancid balls of a dead donkey. Kevin the scottsman was cool though.
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3 of
6 people found this review helpful
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Nice clean happening place in london, March 6, 2003
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This is the best hostel i have ever been to.The staff are friendly and helpful and are always there to help.Edward the manager makes the stay very enjoyable and Angelika the cleaner keeps the hostel to 5 star standard.If you are in London it is the must place to stay.
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1 of
7 people found this review helpful
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Cheap and cheerful, September 20, 2002
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Anonymous
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I've stayed here twice now and each time its been satisfactory, but no better than that. Still, its very cheap and very conveniently located, between Camden Town and Mornington Crescent subway stations and there's a whole load of buses going from right outside. The staff are quite friendly on the whole. Security seems to be good (although there were some stories from other hostel dwellers about personal possessions going missing). I expected lots of drunk Australians but found none, however, no-one warned me about the noisy Spaniards, and on the one occasion it seemed as if half of Spain was in residence ! Overall the place is very noisy, with people banging doors all hours of the night and if you're looking for a restful sleep, forget it or use ear plugs. I was in a 4-man room, no, forget that, a "4-person" room, as the rooms are mixed. Fortunately it was all guys in the room on the first occasion, and mostly guys on the second, but its pot luck. Next time I'll go to a place that has single sex rooms. I suspect the larger dorms are worse on the whole, although cheaper. The rooms are fairly small and cramped, especially if all 4 of you are moving around at the same time !Facilities: linen and pillow provided for a £10 deposit, returnable so long as you check out before 10am on the appropriate day. Lockers for hire at £1 per day. Baggage storage for £3 per bag per day. No towels, provide your own. One toilet on each floor, 3 showers on the ground floor for the guys, didn't check out the girls' facilities :) Not a lot of hot water after about 8:30 am, so get up early ! "Breakfast" is provided, help yourself to cornflakes and make your own toast. Sensible people buy their own coffee and breakfast stuff and they've got cupboards in the small kitchen, bit busy in the morning when everyone is clamouring to get in there, as they throw you out fairly unceremoniously at 9am on the dot.2 internet terminals, £1 an hour, although if you don't use it all up at once its good for 24 hours. There's a cheaper place round the corner for half that price. Satellite TV in the kitchen. Small common room, the only place one can smoke in the hostel, apart from the garden outside, plus a pool table. The dope-smoking fraternity tended to gather here late in the evenings so its pretty easy to get passively stoned. Having said all of that ... I met some pretty cool people and generally had a good time there.
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34 of
35 people found this review helpful
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