7 COOLEST Party Hostels in London

Who wouldn’t love London? International cuisine, top sights – and some of the best drinking culture in the world. Honestly, there’s a zillion pubs here to get your pint on, some trendy bars, awesome live music venues and some great nightclubs.

And when you’re in town, a stay at a party hostel is just going to increase those party vibes and make your stay in the British capital one to remember (or not – depending on how much you drink). But finding the best party hostels in town can be tricky… London’s not exactly famed for its hostels.

That’s where we come in. We’ve come up with a list of the best party hostels in London so you can easily find the place that’s best for you – simple!

Without further ado, let’s get started!

At a Glance: The best party hostels in London

#1 – St Christopher’s Shepherd’s Bush – Best Overall Party Hostel in London 
#2 – Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage – Best Cheap Party Hostel in London  
#3 – Astor Hyde Park – Best Luxury Party Hostel in London 
#4 – St James Backpackers – Best Chill Party Hostel in London 
#5 – The Walrus Hostel – Best Party Hostel in Central London 
#6 – Clink78 – Best Party Hostel with Club Access in London  
#7 – Hostel One Camden – Best Party Hostel for Solo Travellers in London  

Best Overall Party Hostel in London

Why St Christopher’s Shepherd’s Bush is one of the coolest party hostels in London

  • Cheapest Bed? $16 a night for a bunk in a 9 bed dorm (shared bathroom)
  • Want some space? $85 for a twin private room with a shared bathroom

St Christopher’s Shepherd’s Bush is, hands down, the best party hostel in London. One of the best things about it is its funky bar, where you can party the night away until the early hours. 

Happy hours, awesome atmosphere, great staff and a great location for seeing a live show or two – we rate it highly!

Pros of St Christopher's Shepherd's Bush

  • Amazing on site bar - well, it's a pub, which is awesome
  • Top drinks deals (hello, happy hour!)
  • Cheap full English buffet breakfast every morning
  • Amazing location
  • Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere
  • Outdoor beer garden / terrace

Cons of St Christopher's Shepherd's Bush

  • No pub crawls
  • No events to speak of
  • Breakfast isn't free
  • Local people in the bar (not always a bad thing)
  • Dorm rooms are quite small
  • No communal kitchen

Should you book at St Christopher's Shepherd's Bush?

Yes. Yes, you should. If you’re a music fan, and you want to see a show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire or hit some of the amazing bars and pubs nearby, this place would be absolutely perfect! This top London hostel also has some great drinks deals, so you can get merry before you hit the town.

Best Cheap Party Hostel in London

Why Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage is one of the coolest party hostels in London

  • Cheapest Bed? $20 a night for a bunk in a 28 bed mixed dorm (shared bathroom)
  • Want some space? $96 for a standard twin private room with a shared bathroom

Set in a historic building from 1882, this London backpackers hostel is AWESOME. It’s in an amazing spot in London (Swiss Cottage, pretty posh). 

It’s the kind of sleek place that has the beds made up for you. That means more time in the on-site bar, of course (very important).

Pros of Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage

  • Cool historic bar
  • Drinks deals going on
  • Fun karaoke nights (if you like singing)
  • Discount tickets to events
  • Live music nights
  • Easy night bus connections
  • Award-winning!
  • New Year's Eve Party, etc.
  • No curfew

Cons of Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage

  • No free breakfast on offer
  • No bar crawl going on
  • Dorm is HUGE (too big, maybe)
  • Big, old house; it creaks
  • Bar only open till 11:30pm
  • Atmosphere can be lacking (weekends are better)

Should you book at Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage?

Want to save money whilst you’re staying in London? Then allow us to introduce you to Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage: easily the best cheap party hostel in London. You can be in Oxford Circus in 15 minutes, or be looking at Buckingham Palace in just 10 minutes. This place is also award-winning.

Best Luxury Party Hostel in London

Why Astor Hyde Park is one of the coolest party hostels in London

  • Cheapest Bed? $30 for a night in a 4 bed mixed dorm (en suite bathroom)
  • Want some space? $113 for a twin private room with your very own bathroom

For your slice of high-end hostel living in the British capital, look no further than Astor Hyde Park. 

This place is like staying in some stately home, seriously! Right next to the Royal Albert Hall, Astor Hyde Park has got to be the best luxury party hostel in London. There’s tons of nightlife on the doorstep, for a start!

Pros of Astor Hyde Park

  • CHEAP breakfast!
  • Amazing events (live music is immense here)
  • Staff get everyone involved
  • Fun bar
  • Drinks deals
  • Football
  • 24 hour reception / no curfew
  • Also award-winning!

Cons of Astor Hyde Par

  • Close to museums... but not nightlife
  • Can be quiet on weekdays
  • Not that many events happening
  • No pub or bar crawls
  • 18 to 40 year olds only
  • Quite a walk to the nearest Tube station

Should you book at Astor Hyde Park?

If you like your hostel to come finished with a touch of the finer things in life, you could do A LOT worse than this place! Even though it feels pretty luxe, there’s still a good social atmosphere here. That’s down to the events and the friendly staff who make you feel instantly at home.

Best Chill Party hostel in London

Why St James Backpackers is one of the coolest party hostels in London

  • Cheapest Bed? $30 a night for a bunk in an 8 bed mixed dorm
  • Want some space? $124 for a 3 bed private room with a shared bathroom

St James Backpackers is a top London hostel that’s GREAT fun… without being too mental. It’s got a nice laid-back outdoor garden where you can sit and drink under strings of fairy lights (best in summer, obviously). 

It’s a great option for anyone who wants a chill party hostel in London, basically.

Pros of St James Backpackers

  • Free breakfast!
  • Free dinner!
  • Fun events put on
  • Friendly staff
  • Small, intimate hostel with a 'family' feel (chill!)
  • Communal kitchen
  • Outdoor garden and terrace for summer drinks
  • Bring Your Own Booze

Cons of St James Backpackers

  • Cat and dog? Maybe also a pro (depends if you like 'em)
  • No pub crawl
  • No drinks deals
  • No bar
  • Might TOO chill sometimes
  • Not the cleanest of places (we know it's party, but honestly?)
  • Limited spaces for free dinners

Should you book at St James Backpackers?

Absolutely. You won’t find club nights going on here, or bar crawls, but there are fun nights like karaoke and Twister to get everyone mingling and chatting. Location-wise, it’s in Earl’s Court so you can hop on a night bus if you do feel like a mad night out. A great option.

Best Party Hostel in Central London

Why The Walrus Hostel is one of the coolest party hostels in London

  • Cheapest Bed? $30 a night for a bunk in a 22 bed mixed dorm (shared bathroom)
  • Want some space? No option for a private room (4 bed female only dorm for $37 a night, however)

You want central? You got it. This hostel is set in an old-school Victorian pub (with all the atmosphere to boot) and has a great location right near to Waterloo Station. 

It’s an easy walk to the Southbank, you can be in Soho in a matter of minutes, or exploring Oxford Circus.

Pros of The Walrus Hostel

  • Free breakfast
  • On site bar / pub
  • Well priced drinks (for London, anyway)
  • Good atmosphere
  • Locals downstairs makes for even more atmosphere
  • Attracts a good bunch of other travellers
  • Easy access to top nightlife in the city

Cons of The Walrus Hostel

  • No drinks deals
  • (or free drinks!)
  • Dorms are pretty big
  • The noise from the bar travels too easily to the dorm rooms
  • No events...
  • No communal spaces (the common room IS the pub!)
  • Not a lot of bathrooms / showers

Should you book at The Walrus Hostel?

Yeah! It’s got a great mix of people that stay here, a great bar – since it IS set in an old pub – and a friendly vibe. That location though – it’s easily the best hostel in central London. For nightlife, you’ll be able to get pretty easily to some great places to drink and dance the night away.

#6 - Clink78

Best Party Hostel with Club Access in London

Why Clink78 is one of the coolest party hostels in London

  • Cheapest Bed? $20 a night for a 12 bed mixed dorm
  • Want some space? $68 for a twin private room with a shared bathroom

This is our top pick for the best party hostel with club access in London because, well, it kind of HAS its own club! Clink78 has an awesome basement bar that hosts live music and DJs a lot of the time and what’s more, it’s actually open till 2am. 

Any other hostel can only dream of having a bar this good!

Pros of Clink78

  • AMAZING bar (it's called The Clash Bar)
  • Bar is open till 2am
  • Self catering kitchen also open till 2am!
  • DJ nights
  • Karaoke
  • Bar crawls
  • Discount tickets to clubs
  • Free walking tours
  • Live music
  • Solo travellers' meet-up
  • No curfew (obviously)
  • Another hostel (Clink261) can use the bar; more people = more fun

Cons of Clink78

  • Big groups stay here a lot, so not always great for solo travellers
  • Can be expensive
  • Pretty much like a "classic" hostel (not the cleanest)
  • No free breakfast
  • No free drinks

Should you book at Clink78?

Definitely! It’s not just about the bar (though, like we said, it IS amazing). There’s also history here: this 200 year old former courthouse was where Charles Dickens used to work! And The Clash were fined here in 1978. You can even stay in a former prison cell. All that dusty history aside, it’s an awesome place to let the good times roll.

Best Party Hostel for Solo Travellers in London

Why Hostel One Camden is one of the coolest party hostels in London

  • Cheapest Bed? $23 a night for a bunk in a 12 bed mixed dorm
  • Want some space? No private rooms (but it’s $32 a night for a 4 bed mixed dorm)

Hostel One Camden is a super fun and friendly place with a close-knit atmosphere. It’s set in a pub with no locals in it: this place is just for the hostel. 

The people who run it do their best to get everyone together, so expect awesome activities, poppin’ atmosphere, and then a comfy bed to crash on when you need to.

Pros of Hostel One Camden

  • Two for one drinks deals
  • On site bar that's open late
  • Amazingly friendly staff (make you feel at home right away)
  • Right next to Camden Market
  • Loads of other bars and live music venues in the area
  • Cool quirky decor
  • Places to hang out

Cons of Hostel One Camden

  • You have to ring a doorbell if you want to come in late
  • Not easy to get to top attractions from here (Camden is far from stuff)
  • Beds can be squeaky (annoying)
  • No free drinks or shots or anything like that
  • No events
  • Might be TOO sociable for some people (not enough party)

Should you book at Hostel One Camden?

If you’re travelling in London by yourself and you want a lively place to stay, Hostel One Camden should be where you stay. This is the best party hostel for solo travellers in London. It’s honestly got an atmosphere that’s not crazy party-every-night vibes, but more cosy hostel let’s-have-an-awesome-time feels. We’re into it!

Conclusion

There you have it – those were London’s best party hostels. There are so many amazing places to stay, some with a lot of history (it IS London after all) but most of them with their very own bars and pubs on site. A stay in London’s hostels is a total win for party people.

We reckon you’re going to find a place that’s right for you. We found some great places, from luxury places with wood panelled walls, all the way to hostels with basement bars where the party never seems to stop!

But if you’re having trouble choosing, we would say just make life easy for yourself and go for St Christopher’s Shepherd’s Bush. This is our number one choice for the best party hostel in London and a total no-brainer.

All you’ve got to do now is prepare yourself for fun!

Looking for more great Digital Nomad content?

***Disclaimer*** Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you use our links, Nomads Nation will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for the love and support!

Written by Alex Hatton

Alex is a full time Digital Nomad and the Founder of the world's greatest Scuba Diving site - DivingSquad.com! Connect with Alex Hatton -