6 best budget sleeps in London
Welcome to London’s cheap sleeps! The UK capital can be an expensive place to visit but did you know you can stay there for a little as no pounds per person per night! That’s right, it’s possible to stay in central London for free.
Skyscanner goes in search of London’s cheapest hotels, hostels and other places to lay your head. From pod hotels to London campsites – we reveal the best budget accommodation in London.
1. easyHotel
Where: London Victoria, Paddington, South Kensington, Heathrow and Earls Court
Price: from £25pn
Just like their sister airline, easyHotel operates the ‘no frills’ model offering a basic room from about £25 per room, per night. Now, basic is the word; the very cheapest rooms have just a bed, a pair of coat hooks, and a prefabricated shower, basin and toilet module. There’s no furniture, almost no floor space, and no window.
The double bed is big enough for two, and at 6’2’’, our Skyscanner man did fit (just!) but if there were two of you, you’d be hard-pushed to have your suitcase on the floor and still be able to open the door.
However, the rooms are functional, clean and comfortable and do offer great value in several central locations in London (and elsewhere in Europe).
Watch our video review of easyHotel Victoria below:
2. CouchSurfing
Where: throughout London (and the world)
Price: Free
You can’t get cheaper than free and CouchSurfing offers the opportunity to stay with a Londoner for nothing. However, you can’t just log on to the website and expect to be flooded with offers of hospitality; CS is a community built on trust, and you’ll need to spend time to create a profile, and court those couches you wish to surf.
Many might not be comfortable staying on a sofa or spare room of someone they’ve never met in real life, but CS has spawned an entire underground community spreading the cult of kindness, and is an excellent way to meet real locals, and get to the essence of what travel is all about.
3. Yotel
Where: London Gatwick, London Heathrow
Price: from £42.50 pp for 4 hours
If you’re flying in or out of London and have an early or late flight, then Yotel offers great value airport accommodation. The cool, pod-style cabins are a cheap(ish) and quirky option for travellers and a haven of calm. Inspired by Japanese capsule hotels, Yotel offers very compact, but stylishly designed refuge from the busy airport environment. Rooms can be rented for a night or for four-hour periods, making it perfect for a quick shower, nap or getting online and getting some work done whilst waiting for a flight.
Watch our video review of Yotel below:
4. Camp in My Garden
Where: throughout London
Price: from £10 pppn
Inspired by the flood of patriots wanting to visit London for the Queen’s Jubilee, CampInMyGarden promises to be a big hit with those seeking cheap accommodation in London for the 2012 Olympics. The idea is that you pitch your tent in someone’s back garden for a small fee. Camping is not for everyone, but where else could you stay in central London for £10? Some hosts even provide the tent and sleeping gear, so why not give urban camping a try?
5. Pod Dorm – Piccadilly Backpackers
Where: Piccadilly Circus
Price: from £20pppn
Claiming to be ‘London’s most central hostel’, Piccadilly Backpackers are certainly in the midst of the city, being just a couple of minutes from Piccadilly Circus. Inhabited by hoards of foreign students, this is one big hostel hive with a whopping 700 beds available. There are regular dorm-style rooms on offer, but what we like are the Pod Dorms.
They are not quite as cool as their Japanese equivalent, (beds are separated by plywood partitions, rather than individual plastic-moulded pods, and there’s no built-in TVs, or screens to seal you off from the rest of the room), but they still offer greater privacy than a standard dorm room – and for as little as £20 per person – the price is right.
6. AirBnB
Where: throughout London (and the world)
Price: from £28pppn
If you like the idea of CouchSurfing, but want to go a level up in luxury, then AirB&B is well worth considering. The site allows locals to rent out a spare room or flat which is ideal if you’re after a guide and want to experience London like a local – and again, you’ll get much more for your money than would in a boring, lifeless hotel chain.
Read more: 6 Hotel-killing websites
