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When it comes to travelling as a family we always look for somewhere that can meet as many of our needs as possible. This really depends on the trip that we’re taking and what we plan on doing. It could be that we need somewhere just to get our heads down at night or maybe we need somewhere a little bit more special for an occasion.
Although we seem to have been to London quite a bit recently, each trip is really different. On our most recent trip we wanted to base ourselves in central London so that we had the flexibility to explore and get everywhere we needed to be easily. With great transport links, Kings Cross was a good choice of area to stay in on our most recent trip and in a perfect location is YHA London St Pancras.
Our last stay with YHA was at YHA Sheringham last year while there was still quite a lot of restrictions and our experience was very different to that of our stay at YHA Cambridge. Now a year later, I was interested to see how a stay with YHA in the capital compared.
Checking in
At the moment check in at YHA London St Pancras is at 5pm. I’ll be honest, this wasn’t the most ideal time for us as a family as we got to London at lunchtime and wanted to head off and explore. Something that hadn’t been available at our last stay with YHA was luggage storage due to Covid but I was so happy to see that this was available now at YHA London St Pancras. This meant that we could drop our suitcase off early and enjoy our afternoon before heading back to check in properly later in the day.
Something to be aware of is that any guests over the age of 16 must show a valid form of ID in order to check in. Accepted forms of ID include a current passport (mandatory for non-UK residents), services ID, driving licence or student identity card. It would be worthwhile to check out the full T&Cs for a full list of accepted ID.
Double bed en-suite
Our room was a private en-suite room which had a double bed with a single bunk on the top and was the perfect size for the three of us. For larger families, YHA have rooms available for up to 6 people which is amazing. Although not available at the moment, YHA are looking for safer ways to open their dorms again.
Rooms at YHA London St Pancras are fairly basic and there aren’t any luxuries that you would find in a hotel room. However, this is reflected in the price and when dorm rooms are available, this makes travelling super affordable if you’re alone or just need somewhere to crash for the night. We all slept pretty well over our two night stay and even though we were near a main road we couldn’t hear any noise with the window shut.
Our room had a small stool, a mirror and four coat hooks on the wall which is where we hung some of our clothes. There was no official clothes storage in the room but the hooks, along with a large windowsill/ ledge, we managed to get everything out of our suitcase so it was all easier to get to.
Bathroom
Having our own bathroom made life a lot easier for us. Our bathroom was located just next to the entrance door and consisted of toilet area with sink and mirror and then a shower separated by a wall. There was four hooks again for towels etc. and YHA provided a squeegee so that we could make sure the floor didn’t stay soaking after a shower.
YHA London St Pancras facilities
In the reception area YHA London St Pancras had a bar serving both hot and cold drinks. Although we made our own plans for breakfast we would have been able to eat here choosing from a range of breakfast baps and smaller items such as pan au chocolates. It was great that there was an option for breakfast as some people want to eat before heading out for the day.
Downstairs too there is also quite a large area filled with benches and tables which was a great area to sit and eat or have a drink etc. There is no communal kitchen at YHA London St Pancras however, you are able to get pizzas here or you’re more than welcome to bring in your own food or have a delivery. This is something we were told when checking in and it meant we would have felt at ease eating in this area had we brought food back with us.
Upstairs there is a lounge area with television. There are a few different tables with benches dotted around the room and a sign on the door advising there to only be four family groups in the room at any one time. While we didn’t use the room during our stay this would have been great for either me or John had we wanted somewhere to sit and work or read after Erin had gone to sleep.
Something that I personally loved was the lifts. I know that might sound a bit strange but I have good reason. On each lift door there was cool facts about London and ideas for days out. If you’re maybe stuck for something to do or you need a bit of inspiration then this is really cool. It did make me want to go to each floor though to see what each door said!
Location
We really couldn’t have asked for a better location. As we exited King’s Cross station we had only a 2 minute walk down the road to find YHA London St Pancras. It was so great to not have to walk miles with a suitcase or get really lost trying to follow a map around streets that we didn’t know.
As YHA London St Pancras is across the road from a main station you obviously have great links in and out of London but there’s also links to the Eurostar if you’re going further afield. The tube is right on the doorstop practically and this means being able to get anywhere in London really easily.
We actually used buses a lot this time during our trip to London as there was a lot of different routes only a couple of minutes away from YHA London St Pancras. Sometimes we had a bit of time to kill before we had to be somewhere and it was nice to not rush around on the tube and for Erin to be able to have a look around London without us paying for an open top bus tour.
Being right near King’s Cross also meant that we had lots of different options when it came to meal times. You’re covered by sit down restaurants and quick takeaways and there is really something for everyone. John nipped out each morning to get us a breakfast while we were getting ready and this worked out really well for us. We were also able to eat somewhere before heading back for the evening without having to drag Erin too far away when she was tired.
Our verdict…
We’ve stayed in quite a few London hotels over the years and in many different areas. I don’t think we have ever stayed anywhere quite as central and with as amazing transport links as with YHA London St Pancras. Staying here made our trip to London so much easier compared to other trips and we have no stress or issues whatsoever. We wouldn’t hesitate to stay at YHA London St Pancras again, especially as it’s such a good option for families.
Interested in a stay with YHA? Book direct for the best prices and availability.
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