Every night is a party at Wake Up! London, the capital’s newest (and wackiest) budget accommodation, or should we say hostel — which has dorm rooms starting at £11 a night and en suite doubles from £40. And the night I stayed was no exception, although its theme was a little unusual: Black and White Party: Michael is Innocent! Dress in Black, White or as Michael Jackson himself!
Nobody did, but that didn’t matter. What did matter, was that the drinks were cheap (£2 for a Castlemaine XXXX beer) and my fellow guests (mainly Antipodean backpackers) were enjoying themselves.
I booked on the internet, paying £16 for a dorm room; all that was available. But I upgraded on arrival, paying an extra £29 to get a double room of my own; the prospect of a night in a dorm with backpackers coming and going (possibly dressed as Michael Jackson) had been a factor. The room was small, with a chipped blue headboard, grubby lime green walls, ill-fitting heavy Victorian-style curtains, a tiny faux- velvet chair and a pokey bathroom with dripping taps.
Given that Travelodge, the simple-but-clean budget hotel chain, is now offering rooms at some British properties from £26 a night, I couldn’t help but think that my £45 outlay seemed a bit steep.
But on the plus side, Wake Up! London is a lot of fun. Along with the Hiccup! bar, there is a bright Hook Up! internet room, a Watch Up! television lounge (with a 42in TV), and Cook Up!, a kitchen with fridge, microwaves and cookers for guests to use: I saw a haggard-looking guest eating a bowl full of microwaved baked beans in the morning.
Otherwise breakfast is a plastic container with a roll, small orange juice, yoghurt and a Nutri-Grain bar, handed out by a woman with an Eastern European accent who sits by a trestle table by the entrance to the kitchen. I had to pay £2.50 for a breakfast voucher, as internet bookings are room only.
Bottom line: Tom Chesshyre paid £45 for an en suite double.
Need to know: Wake Up! London (020-7262 4471, www.wakeuplondon.co.uk), 1 Queen’s Gardens, London W2.
Sampling the fare: Bring your own beans.
Access all areas: Wheelchair friendly rooms, but bar and kitchen can be reached only via stairs.
Room: 3 out of 10.
Food: 5 out of 10.
Service: 7 out of 10.
Value: 9 out of 10 (for the cheapest rates).
Wake Up! London, W2
The capital’s newest budget accommodation is cheeky and wacky, finds Tom Chesshyre