Journeys Elephants & Castle

The 'Guest house' is unprofessionally run by one person. On arrival, we couldn't get into the place as there is no reception. After ringing the bell for some time, we called the number on our reservation print-out. After some time, we managed to get the code to enter the Guest House. This brings up the first secureity concern of many.

The room itself was satisfactory, what I'd expect from a double room of a guest house at this price. Unfortunately, however, the bathroom and kitchen area is shared between 3 rooms. This is stated in the amenities list, so is not really a poor point.

The amenities list does however outright lie about other things.

- There is no complimentary breakfast. Stale corn flakes are supplied and you need to buy your own milk. (There was no tea or toilet roll supplied either, so it'd be wise to take your own stuff or get them from the supermarket just down the road).

- There is no balcony, clock radio or wake up call availability. No complimentary newspaper and no hair-dryer or television.

One thing that is true however, there is Wi-Fi access, although this is charged at £5 extra.

The rooms are close together and have thin walls, we were fortunate enough to have quiet neighbours.

The bathroom is a death trap, no slip mats and one of the light fittings dripped water on the final day from the floor above.

Cash in hand is requested for any outstanding balance of your stay, which seems a bit dodgy to me. The manager didn't arrive on time to collect the cash on the first day, but was prompt enough on the second. This was the first time we had seen her, she seemed pleasant enough, but that couldn't make up for her previous absence.

We had to tidy our own room and made our own bed each night. Even at this low price, I expected fresh sheets every day.

Such a negative review, so why 2 stars? It's down to price really. It's one of the cheapest guest houses available in the area and is in a handy location just by a London Underground station. The kitchen area may well be a plus for others who are working on a budget as you can cook your own food in there rather than dine out twice a day.

I wouldn't recommend this place, partly because the very mis-leading amenities section really got my goat. I could just about handle everything mentioned apart from the dangerous bathroom and a plastic bag over the smoke detector, (which I duely removed!).

For those of you who are used to hostel environments and know what to expect, it might well be a good shout, (be sure to take a print-out of your reservation to contact the manager on your arrival).

Anyone looking for a nice weekend away, may be better advised to spend a bit more and stay at an established hotel.

this hostel is great. i stayed in a 8 bed female dorm, a room with big windows (unfortunately we couldn't open them), brand new beds, and a fan in the middle of the room. showers were spottly clean but two of three were out of order so we had to wait a long time to have a shower. toilets incredibly clean at all times, i had a very good impression of this hostel! on the ground floor there's a pub where you can purchase drinks or play billiards. it's just 5 minutes away from kennington underground stop, in 5 minutes you're in the center of the city. i'll definitely be there again, i just paid 20£ per night!