See all properties

Saint James Backpackers

2.0 star property
Travelers fuel up with a hearty breakfast before exploring London, with friendly staff creating a welcoming home base for urban adventures

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for Saint James Backpackers

Exterior - Saint James Backpackers (London)
Interior entrance - Saint James Backpackers (London)
Shared fridge, microwave - Saint James Backpackers (London)
Living area - Saint James Backpackers (London)
Front of property - Saint James Backpackers (London)
Saint James Backpackers, near Buckingham Palace in central London, offers a lively retreat for explorers. Enjoy free self-serve breakfast on the garden patio, a gym, in-room WiFi, luggage storage, and 24/7 staff assistance. Perfect after visiting Big Ben and London Dungeon.

Reviews

7.8 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Free WiFi
  • Gym
  • Housekeeping
  • 24/7 front desk

Room options

About the neighborhood

Located in London City Centre, a neighborhood in London, Saint James Backpackers is near a metro station. London Dungeon and O2 Arena are cultural highlights, and some of the area's notable landmarks include Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. Don't miss out on a visit to Sky Garden. Visit our London travel guide
View more Hostels in London
Map
21 Longridge Road, London, England, SW5 9SB

What's nearby

  • Natural History Museum in London
    Cromwell Road
    1 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Kensington High Street showing heritage architecture and street scenes
    Kensington High Street
    8 min walk - 0.5 miles
  • Holland Park showing a pond and a park
    Holland Park
    8 min walk - 0.5 miles
  • Kensington Gardens showing a statue or sculpture, heritage elements and heritage architecture
    Kensington Gardens
    14 min walk - 0.8 miles
  • Bupa Cromwell Hospital
    3 min walk - 0.2 miles

Getting around

  • Earl's Court Station
    7 min walk
  • West Brompton Station
    12 min walk
  • London City Airport (LCY)
    70 min drive

Restaurants

  • Earls Court Tavern
    2 min walk
  • Paul
    5 min walk
  • Pret a Manger
    5 min walk
  • McDonald's
    4 min walk
  • Caffè Nero
    4 min walk

About this property

Saint James Backpackers

Hostel near Buckingham Palace
Located close to Big Ben and London Dungeon, Saint James Backpackers provides free self-serve breakfast, a terrace, and a garden. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi, and guests can find other amenities such as a playground and a gym.
You'll also enjoy the following perks during your stay:
  • A TV in the lobby, luggage storage, and a 24-hour front desk
  • Coffee/tea in the lobby, outdoor furniture, and barbecue grills
  • A banquet hall
  • Guest reviews say great things about the helpful staff
Room features
All guestrooms at Saint James Backpackers have amenities such as free WiFi.

Similar properties

Bar (on property)
Ibis budget London Heathrow Central
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
  • Air conditioning
  • Breakfast available
8.0 out of 10, Very Good, 3,147 reviews
Ibis budget London Heathrow Central
Compare similar properties

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • No onsite parking available

Food and drink

  • Free self-serve breakfast available daily 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM
  • Coffee and tea in common areas

Things to do

  • Gym
  • Playground
  • TV in common areas

Family friendly

  • Playground

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Shared microwave
  • Shared refrigerator

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Outdoors

  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Picnic area
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only

More

  • Banquet hall
  • Designated smoking areas

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Hair dryer (on request)

More

  • Iron/ironing board on request

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10 AM

Special check-in instructions

Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
Guests should be aware that 1 cat and 1 dog reside at this property
This property enforces quiet hours from 11:00 AM to 7:00 AM
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Each guest is required to present a valid government-issued photo ID card at check-in, such as a passport or driver's license.

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Deposit: GBP 20 per person, per stay

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

  • Towels fee: GBP 5 per stay (or guests may bring their own)

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts only chip-and-PIN credit cards for onsite payments
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Some facilities may have restricted access; guests can contact the property for details using the contact information on the booking confirmation
Alcohol is not served at this property

Property is also known as

Saint James Backpackers Hostel London
Saint James Backpackers Hostel
Saint James Backpackers London
Saint James Backpackers London England
Saint James Backpackers London
Saint James Backpackers Hostel/Backpacker accommodation
Saint James Backpackers Hostel/Backpacker accommodation London

Frequently asked questions

Is Saint James Backpackers pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking?

This property doesn't offer parking.

What time is check-in at Saint James Backpackers?

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight. After-hours check-in is not available.

What time is check-out at Saint James Backpackers?

Check-out is at 10 AM.

Where is Saint James Backpackers located?

Located in London City Centre, this hostel is 2.8 mi (4.6 km) from Buckingham Palace and within 6 mi (10 km) of Big Ben and London Dungeon. University of London and St. Paul's Cathedral are also within 6 mi (10 km). Earl's Court Station is 7 minutes by foot and West Kensington Underground Station is 10 minutes.

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Reviews

Saint James Backpackers Reviews

7.8

Good

7.4

Cleanliness

8.4

Location

8.0

Staff & service

7.4

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 87 out of 235 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 76 out of 235 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 37 out of 235 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 14 out of 235 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 21 out of 235 reviews

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Bedros

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Friendly staff at desk and housekeeping. Nice room with storage, and good bathrooms. Just what I needed for an affordable stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Katrina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
very accommodating staff, friendly guests, good services, would recommend!
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025
Verified

6/10 Okay

Øyvind

Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Lot's of staff who are in and out. Mostly voluntery pepole who needs a new chance in life or come from a different country, most of the staff and voluntery staff are great, someone i wondring why they voluntery there... because they get free accomondation and free food.. Very good breakfast and free dinner if you are early to sign you up. Bathroom it's very dirty and overflows with water. Many times att WC urin is everywhere.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2025
Verified

6/10 Okay

patrick

Liked: Staff & service
Nice staff and reasonable facilities, slept quite well
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Rawle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved the free cooked breakfast, TV room area, and outside chill out area.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Rawle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent service and facilities.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2024
Verified

8/10 Good

Margherita

Disliked: Cleanliness
Good for the position - Museums, Hyde Park, High Street Kensington - all within walking distance. In addition to breakfast, the first 30 to sign up on a list can claim free dinner. Not really impressed by some of the staff, and although the place can be busy with some guests not being particularly attentive to cleanliness themselves, the place could be way cleaner.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sean

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful people, and the option of a free meal in the evening (subject to numbers signing up) was completely unexpected!! Courtyard area is beautiful. Visited in the middle of a heatwave so wasn't really able to take advantage of a lot of the facilities because I felt so tired! But the sound of people playing table tennis below as I cooled down inside made me smile :-)
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Aideen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff was helpful and a lot of the costumers were friendly. The location was very close to the tube station and had several bus routes that pass really close
Stayed 8 nights in Nov 2024
Verified

8/10 Good

Nibal

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Saint James Hostel

Saint James hostel is a welcoming place to stay. It gives you the feel of a family home, with its very friendly and helpful staff who connect with guests. The hostel offers free breakfast and free dinner. They organise events and games to entertain. They even have a happiness manager! Tosh does a great job whether he is cooking dinner, making popcorn or organising a game for the guests. I recommend trying it if visiting London.
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This was a good stay, convenient and handy. The feel with a double room is a little like a b&b, with helpful staff and very simple rooms. The main negative is a very noisy pipe running in the room which seemed to be linked to people having showers, although the nose finishes at midnight. The communal areas are nice, and it served a tofu and potato curry for free evening meals (you have to get on the list so maybe email in about this as it fills up fast. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Going by out stay the private rooms are at the top, so accessibility could be an issue (steep stairs) ... Overall, I would definitely come again, it has a nice vibe and for the price and location, it's really good.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Huilian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
They don't have an elevator, but the staff helped me with my luggage, so I can't complain. They offer free dinner (on my stay it was vegan beans, salad, and rice) and free breakfast (eggs cooked for you upon request). They have a dedicated bathroom for women which is great. The only mess was that the key they gave me at checkin didn't correspond to my bed number. The locker was stuck under the bed. When I came back from theatre in the evening, someone else put her stuff on my bed. I had to go check with the reception and they pointed me to another unused bed. All the changes caused a longer check-out time.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jeremy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not often stayed in a hostel with so many amenities and extras, like the free breakfast, evening meals and drinks. Didn’t have the best nights sleep but this was due to the people in the room, which the hostel can’t do anything about!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024
Verified

6/10 Okay

Garry

Liked: Amenities
Friendly, helpful staff. Good hot free breakfasts and dinners. Didn’t like the fact that reception allowed homeless people with just a plastic bag of clothes book in at 2am in the morning. Two nights in a row the whole room was woken up by drunk residents. One was aggressive, the other was just inconsiderate. Otherwise, a great place to stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

6/10 Okay

Patrick

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Friendly staff and perfect more thsn perfect Spaghetti Bolognese. The rest wasn't good. Loud everywhere and the doors very loud until ithe night and morning. I slept maximum 3 hours each night. Wash bassins only extreme hot water. Shower area to small. The "Power" in the bathrooms for shaving doesn' t work. No electricy. You have to buy an adapter for UK but that is not useable in the bathroom.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024
Verified

6/10 Okay

Tom

Liked: Cleanliness
Cheap room, good location. Only one small fridge and pretty strict rules meant I had in-date food thrown out twice. Kitchen is also closed at meal times for staff to make food for guests. And when it opens back up is at the discretion of staff on the day, they dont follow the set times. Bathrooms often flooded, and missing toilet paper. Rooms dont have fans which is an issue in the summer. Lock boxes under the bed are too small for bags. Staff were ok. Polite and attentive, but not particularly friendly (to me anyway).
Stayed 10 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a family owned and run hostel that has been generationally passed down. It is affordable, well run, you always have hot water, and the staff are very welcoming and helpful and keep the bathrooms clean (which is quite a task!). In addition, there are lockers under the beds where you can store your stuff (just bring a lock), the breakfast is good and predictable and there is an optional dinner you can sign up for every evening. There is a football match on nearly every evening to boot (in season of course)! It is only a 5 min walk from the tube (Stamford Bridge is only 2 stops away!) and restaurants abound. A couple of things you won't know from booking here: there is a 10 pound refundable deposit for the room key (bring cash), bring a towel (but a small travel towel on Amazon) and soap/shampoo with you (or buy it at the grocery store when you arrive), and they have deals on weekly rates of you book with them directly and you don't start your stay on the weekend. Overall, I'd go back in a heartbeat. Next time you travel to London, don't stay at a hotel, support a local family that is doing good work in the city. Stay at St James Backpackers!
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2024
Verified

8/10 Good

Morgan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
people at hostel very social. some people were weird, but that's everywhere. the female dorm was clean and the fellow stayers were extremely supportive. free breakfast was like reheated heinz beans, hotdog wieners boiled, eggs, pancakes, toast, cereal. 7pm dinner was free if you signed up early enough. there is a female only bathroom n shower. everything was clean. no mold. no laundry though. close to main attractions. wifi hit or miss lowkey. staff was sweet. very active and social at night. the age range was from 20s to 30s, but there were many older stayers as well. There is a cat, the cat was cute. make sure you have shower shoes. ask for the bottom bunk. clean plates and there is a fridge.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024
Verified

8/10 Good

Hannah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Overall, this was good value for the price and the hostel is in a great location - close to the tube and there is a grocery store and multiple restaurants down the street. My one complaint was that when I took a shower, the drain was clogged and I was immediately standing in 4 inches of dirty water. Future guests should note the following: - The all-female dorm is two floors above the all-female bathroom. All other bathrooms are any gender. - There are no privacy curtains on the bunks - Dorms do not have quiet/curtesy hours posted - The kitchen is small and closed when the staff are cooking dinner. Dinner is limited to the first 30 people who sign up each morning. So if you have plans to make your own dinner, you can’t use the kitchen during normal dinner hours - Guests are not allowed to store cooked food in the fridge, so you can’t keep leftovers - The communal area is pretty small for the number of guests that can fit into the hostel. The hostel was not at full capacity when I was there but I often couldn’t find a place to sit and eat. Although in the summer, there are many seats to sit out in the garden - Each bunk is assigned a lock box for your items that rolls under the bed. I liked this system and the boxes are fairly large. - My bunk did not have a bedside light or shelf
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2024
Verified

6/10 Okay

Gary

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Breakfast included

Basic, toilets were passable however not in large enough numbers on each floor. Breakfast was most welcome as were beds being made on arrival.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024
Verified

8/10 Good

Renee

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I love this hostel it is one of the best in London. I love the staff and the Melo inviting environment. Great price good free food close to convenient shops.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Verified

4/10 Poor

nasir

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Room have beg bugs I can't stay upstairs staff give me room on 3 floor
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2026
Verified

8/10 Good

Antony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good place to stay
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Karl

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Good
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2025
Verified

4/10 Poor

Waiping

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness
I booked for 2 nights and stayed only the first night because of bedbugs on my bed and I was bitten so badly. Hope they do some deep clean for the rooms
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025