2012/05/08

Nice hotel. Near to London by train

2012/04/26

Overall our stay was fine. The bathrooms were clean and the staff was helpful... Our main complaints were that the beds are AWFUL and it can be a bit noisy at night with strange people around... But for the price it was just fine.

2012/02/29

Brilliant venue and close to good transport links, good food outlets and handy for Goldsmiths!! Important to also share that the staff are all first class and so friendly. many thanx

2012/02/21

Thanks for a good and cheap accommodation! Visitors should not expect too much, but for backpackers and a short trip to London it is good. Only the breakfast was a shame and I hope they change that.

2012/02/20

It was a little bit noisy (pub downstairs) but it's a good hostel for low-budget travelers who don't need luxury.

2012/01/31

+ Cheap hostel, around the corner of a station so you're in the centre of London in no time, nice staff. - The bathrooms were predominantly unhygienic and the beds were truly worthless.

2012/01/10

The Internet connection ( the wireless) was not going. If they can improve it.

2011/12/24

In researching New Cross Inn, I read a lot of inconsistent reviews, so I'll try to be a bit more detailed, in the categories that mattered the most to me: Sleep ---------- I didn't sleep well at all, but it will depend on how sensitive you are to noise, what floor you're on, and how sensitive you are to an uncomfort...
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In researching New Cross Inn, I read a lot of inconsistent reviews, so I'll try to be a bit more detailed, in the categories that mattered the most to me: Sleep ---------- I didn't sleep well at all, but it will depend on how sensitive you are to noise, what floor you're on, and how sensitive you are to an uncomfortable bed. For myself, I stayed for only 2 nights with a friend in a 2-person room on the 2nd floor (ground floor being zero, not one). On the 2nd night, the pub on the ground floor was blasting really loud music, as many reviews mentioned. Had we been on the 1st floor (a.k.a. directly above pub), it would not only have been impossible to sleep, but absolutely ridiculous. When I popped down to the 1st-floor common room that night, the floor was _strongly_ shaking from the bass notes, and the sound was loud enough that you'd have to speak up to be heard. However, in our 2nd-floor room, the situation wasn't as ridiculous, though it was not great. On the 3rd floor, it might have been ok. Although we had no idea what floor we were on until checking in. The music varied in volume, and stopped around 1 or 2am. So if you're going to stay up/out late anyway, this isn't a problem. As for the room and beds themselves, my friend and I had a room with a sink and mirror, nice windows, and a bunk-bed. From the bottom bunk, I was a little concerned that some of the metal bars supporting the top bunk had noticeably sagged downward. But the bad part was simply that the matress felt like not much more than a bunch of springs with some fabric stretched over them, the entire matress felt a bit lop-sided, and the pillow was really thin. I had terrible sleep the first night, and whenever one of us shifted positions, it would disturb the other one because the whole bed would shake and squeak. The second night was a bit better - maybe I was just more tired. I used the provided cover as additional mattress, since I brought my own covers on this trip. Bathroom --------------- Some reviews complained a lot about this, said it was disgusting, etc. I definitely wouldn't say that I was concerned about getting disease or anything (although bringing some flip-flops to wear in the shower is a great idea). But it wasn't a comfortable experience either. The bathroom is shared for the whole floor (normal). It kind of smells at times, but not terrible. It's cramped, humid, and the floor is always wet. When you try to shower, you realise why - the shower stall has basically just enough room to stand up in, so you can barely dry yourself off without stepping out and getting the floor wet. But some would say, who really cares? It gets the job done for sure. Security ----------- I never felt unsafe, but the poster on our room's door specifically told us not to leave cash in our room. Since this was my first time at a hostel, I don't know if this is par for the course or not, but it was kind of disappointing. I mean, if I can't leave cash then I don't want to leave anything else valuable either, right? Am I going to take my passport everywhere and risk losing it? Am I going to lug around my laptop everywhere I go? It seemed to partially defeat the purpose of paying for somewhere to stay if I have to worry about leaving stuff there. I did leave my passport (along with most of my stuff) there a couple of times and nothing bad happened. The room door does have a lock, of course, and we were told nobody but staff have access. If you're sharing with strangers, it would be a different story. I noticed there were some lockers in the hallway, but I think they cost extra to use. Bonuses -------------- Having a free bite to eat in the morning was nice. Every day from 8-9:30am there is free toast (white bread only) with jam or marmalade, corn flakes, tea and coffee. It's available in the common room, which has a TV, sink to wash your dishes, electric kettle, toasters, and even a decent book collection. I guess it would also be a good place to meet people, although I'm no good at breaking the ice, mostly just sat around. :) They also had free wifi, but I had to go to the 1st-floor common room to be in range (didn't work from our 2nd-floor room). I can't say much else: staff seemed nice but we never really had to ask them for anything other than check in and check out. I'm not sure what to say about the neigbourhood because we're just visiting another friend who lives in London, and we mostly spent time in other neighbourhoods and just came back to NXI to sleep. About value for money though, I guess it was OK, but I'm now typing this review from a really nice apartment that I and two friends were lucky enough to sublet from a friend of a friend for the rest of our stay in London. We agreed on 180 pounds per week each. If you work this out per night, it's almost exactly what two of us paid, each, for NXI (25 pounds per night). And on weekends, NXI is more expensive, although the 6- or 8-bed rooms are cheaper. We were lucky to get this sublet through a personal connection, but we saw other sublets online for not too much more. Bottom line: if you aren't particular about where you crash for the night, or if you're experienced with hostels and can make your own judgement, NXI could do you all right. But with some luck, you can do a lot better for the same cost. And if you haven't hosteled before, be aware it's not just a more affordable hotel, it's quite a different experience.
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2011/12/11

Nice stay for a good price.

2011/11/21

It was really nice to me, and i had a great time, but i´d like to recomend that all guests should clean their own mess (cups, plates and everything they use in the kitchen).

2011/11/11

Staff were very helpful and very friendly. Communal areas were very clean and beds were probably the comfiest I've ever slept in in a hostel.

2011/10/05

If you want to spend some nights (and days too) in Babylon, that's the place! People from all over the world, a melting pot of languages and lots of crazy and great folks to meet. Be prepared to make a little bit of "workout" if you have big luggages to bring upstairs! But don't be afraid, if they're too heavy you...
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If you want to spend some nights (and days too) in Babylon, that's the place! People from all over the world, a melting pot of languages and lots of crazy and great folks to meet. Be prepared to make a little bit of "workout" if you have big luggages to bring upstairs! But don't be afraid, if they're too heavy you'll always find someone helping you. Great hostel, gotta try it!
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2011/09/05

My second visit to the New Cross Inn which definatly says something for them and i'll no doubt be returning again soon when I next visit London. Friendly staff, very secure and clean, happy vibes and lovely people to have a chat with whilst cookin ya pasta!!! :)

2011/09/02

Basic but great value for money with very friendly staff!

2011/09/02

My mattress on the first night was terrible, but one of the two staff members the following morning was very helpful, allowing me to change rooms. The rooms were relatively clean although the bathroom wasn't great -- partly due to a clogged drain though, so not the fault of the staff. The common room was comfortable and co...
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My mattress on the first night was terrible, but one of the two staff members the following morning was very helpful, allowing me to change rooms. The rooms were relatively clean although the bathroom wasn't great -- partly due to a clogged drain though, so not the fault of the staff. The common room was comfortable and convenient. One major downside to the hostel, however, was the nightclub next door -- particularly disruptive when party-goers spill into the streets at 5 in the morning, so make sure to close your windows!
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