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About
3.5
#61 of 204 hostels in London
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Generator London was the very first Generator and you’ll find it in the area of Russell Square in the heart of the West End. It’s the ideal spot to enjoy London from, everything you need to see is minutes away by tube. You’ll never run out of things to do in the UK’s capital. You just have to decide where to start and we can help you with that. When you have seen and done it all for the day head back to Generator and unwind. It’s a destination in its own right and a great place to socialise and reflect on your experiences of the day. Head to the bar and chill out areas to get yourself a well deserved drink or two. It’s lively, friendly and un-missable. We’ve also got great beds for sleepy heads and of course you’ll be enjoying London life in the most authentic surroundings. Choose from a great selection of rooms, from Dorms, to Quads, to Private rooms with innovative mod cons. Fast and free Wi-Fi is all yours too. To get the most out of your stay visit the travel shop and our city experts will help you devise an itinerary that will take you to all the hidden treasures this dynamic city has to offer. You’ll have to stay longer to fit it all in but you’ll not need convincing of that. We’ll see you there soon.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Residential Neighbourhood
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
37 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SE England
Generator London
4,343 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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Generator London's central location is a hit among many travelers for its convenience to London's attractions and transport, yet the surrounding noise, especially from the bar, is a concern for some. While the hotel buzzes with a vibrant and lively atmosphere, this can sometimes lead to an overwhelming and loud environment. Rooms are often criticized for size, ventilation, and cleanliness problems.
The inconsistent service and additional charges for basic amenities leave guests questioning the value. Moreover, cleanliness earns mixed reviews, with some areas well-maintained and others not.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Cramped
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Noise level
Noisy
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
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This budget friendly, funky hostel reminded me of the student union at your university days together with all the practicalities of a good nights sleep. Helpful staff, buzzing at breakfast with the hot and cold buffet. Lots to do with the pool table, football table whilst around the hustle of the bar. Head up the funk floors to your rooms to find your bunks with sink, make your bed and nestle in for a good night sleep. I believe some rooms have en-suite or you can use the shared facilities which was clean to refresh for another day sightseeing whilst starting off in a great location at ‘The Generator’.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2022
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Team, Guest Services / Front Office at Generator London
Responded Aug 8, 2022
Hi, thank you for your time in leaving us such a fantastic review. We are so delighted that you loved your stay with us so much and found us to be a funky place to stay. Just the vibe we are going for. We are thrilled with how much you enjoyed interactions with our staff, our amazing breakfast and entertainment facilities. We would love to have you back with us any time in future. Look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you and take care. Aqib
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I stayed 4 nights at Generator London and I quite enjoy my stay there. However, I expect that they can put more emphasis on the cleaning Next time regarding my room was very dirty. They only cleaned one time but the cleaning was very poor, they even didnt remove the stains from the floor had (it was sticky) and they were even there on my first night. The lockers were you store your luggage were full of dust as well. As it is a very big hostel, they need to put more attention in cleaning more times because the ladies shared bathroom was not that clean neither. The drain on the showers were full of hair. Also, I would say that the staff was ok but they could have been more friendly and nicer, something one expects when stays at a hostel instead of a hotel. Anyway the hostel is ok, with very convenient and accesible location, close to the main train station and full of restaurants and bar surrounding the building.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lenny Hughes, General Manager at Generator London
Responded Sep 24, 2020
Hi there, Thank you for sharing your comments with us. It is great to see that you enjoyed your time here but I am sorry that the cleanness did not meet your expectations. Our housekeeping team does work hard to make sure everything is looking it's best, I will however pass this on to them to make sure it will improve in the future. If cleanliness is ever an issue, please don't hesitate to tell the staff as we will do our best to assist in situations like this. Glad you’re as happy with our location as we are – we always make sure that we’re in the right place at the right time. We wish you safe travels and hope to see you again. Kind regards, Generator Team
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Pros: Excellent location and very clean and guest service was acceptable.
Cons: If you take the 12 bed mixed dorm it may be on the basement floor right underneath the dance floor! Check before booking. If you don’t mind heavy music, vibration and people dancing above your head at 1am it’s the dorm for you. Otherwise, try another option. Showers and toilets with rooms are kept very clean, but I noticed a few of the female showers on the basement floor had either malfunctioning or non-existent locks. Bunk beds could do with privacy curtains and individual lights so others aren’t kept awake or woken up by the main lights being switched on and off.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2022
Value
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Location
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Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Team, Guest Services / Front Office at Generator London
Responded May 17, 2022
Hi Jenny, thank you for your review and feedback ,it is appreciated. We are pleased you enjoyed our location and cleanliness as well as our customer service. We are sorry about the issues you came across during your stay, we will look into your feedback and try to make the necessary improvements to be better in future. Thank you
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Despite global challenge doing a great job, staff friendly, smiley, security around, rooms are comfy, clean and respectable.safety in place. Great location, bathroom is super adequate .stayed at most of their other locations same good experience, tolerant unless you breach a rule, doing their best to accommodate people's needs in lockdown you just have to ask
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2020
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Cleanliness
Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lenny Hughes, General Manager at Generator London
Responded Nov 11, 2020
Hi Maria, Thank you so much for your kind review! We appreciate your feedback and are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay. It's really nice to see our hard work is noticed and appreciated. I have proudly shared your comments with the team. We wish you safe travels and can't wait to see you hanging back here next time! Kind regards, Generator Team
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I stayed here several times over the past few years, it is my go to location when visiting london for short trips. The location is really good and close to multiple tube lines (including the night tube), and the price is great. As a female solo traveller I have stayed in both the bigger and smaller dorms, both are small but fine. You get your own locker (bring your own lock) and each bunk has a lamp and a charging thing. Staff is simple but kind, I accidentally booked a room in a mixed dorm and they were nice enough to relocate me to a female dorm without extra charge. The bathrooms are fine, there are multiple bathrooms on each floor, you can walk around and see which one you like the best/is the cleanest/is the most quiet. It's not extremely clean, but that's what you get when you use busy bathrooms during the weekend. The age of people staying here varies from 16-30 I would say and everyone is really open and friendly, very easy to make friends or just small talk if you have a question. They also have lockers to store your luggage before/after checking in, you have to pay for this service but it is very easy as you can come and go when you please :)
I would recommend everyone to stay here, Price is A+, Location A++, Safety A+ and overall just a great experience over and over again!
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Date of stay: April 2021
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Smaller dorms generally have nicer bathrooms
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Team, Guest Services / Front Office at Generator London
Responded Mar 15, 2022
Hi maartjeh123, Its great to hear from you! Thanks for your wonderful feedback. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us and were able to revisit us after the past couple of years. Hope to see you again soon! Generator London
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Beds don’t have curtains and there are only usb chargers in the beds, so plan ahead if you have a newer phone with a usb-c cord. Bathrooms are designed poorly and cause functional issues. No shelves in the showers. No cubbies. I had to go through 5 fire safe doors to reach a bathroom, if I was lucky enough for it to be open when I needed it (they were closed for long stretches of every day with a sign up for cleaning). Towels aren’t included which isn’t surprising for a hostel, but it’s always disappointing to be charged for a tiny, scratchy towel. Staff was wonderful, from the bartender to the reception. Breakfast selection is not good, but it is convenient. I spoke to people that have stayed here since the hostel offered long term discounts during the beginning of the pandemic and they say management is notoriously cheap and they frequently have to complain to get the heat turned on in the room. I likely won’t stay here again. The Generator brand is owned by a large investment company now and it is very evident that they are pushing for profits and not focusing on the experience or enjoyment of their guests. Good location if you see a good price, just be aware of the issues that come along with this location and this company.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2022
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Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Team, Guest Services / Front Office at Generator London
Responded Mar 3, 2022
Hi CalebHutch27, Thanks for your feedback, in our dorms the beds feature a USB but we also have plugs in the rooms. Unfortunately the fire doors are there for safety so we will not be removing these but if there is a guest who would like to be located closer to the bathrooms they are welcome to send this request with their reservation. We are disappointed by your 'cheap' comments, heating is automatic in all rooms, we find that most guests are out enjoying London during the day but the heating automatically switches on from 4pm. Kind regards, Generator London
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I stayed many years ago in this Hostel, I had a good memory so I decided to give it another try. Filthy. Under the bad was probably not cleaned in months : not only dust, but food, empty pockets of cigarettes, papers and more. Noone ever bothered to check there in months, I did. Not to mention the toilet on the 5th floor : no shower so I had to go to another floor and that very same bathroom was full of rubbish, not only dirty, but also dangerous for everybody health. No signs of warning or anything. Overall dirty toilets, being cleaned every once and then. But the worst thing was putting sign inside the room stating that was not allowed to bring food inside, "dont be a crummy". In a Hostel ??? What should be a place for people on budget, where kitchen should be available to make some food. Out of curiosity i once went to check what was the food on offer, fish and chips and burgers for more than 10 quids. No thank you.
There are way better hostels in London : Abercorn House in Hammersmith, just to mention one.
SHAME GENERATOR !!!
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Date of stay: March 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Genlon, Public Relations Manager at Generator London
Responded Mar 24, 2020
Hi Francesco Thank you for taking the time to send us your comments on your stay with us. If cleanliness is an issue, please let the staff know as we will do our best to assist you in such situations. It is certainly not the level of service we want to offer our customers here at Generator. Your comments have been shared with the team to learn and assess what we can do to prevent this from happening in the future. Generator London
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I just needed a Place to sleep for 5h, so i dindt saw that much. But I think if I was on my twenties that was a very nice place to be, 10min away from transports and with a bar inside the building.
I was sleeping on 6th floor, so no noise from the bar there. even thou it was a wednesday, lots of movement thou, kids do party all night :P
About the service... average, I wasnt told were was the bathroom or how the wifi works. (but it was straight forward (althou I thing I gave my email to someone i rather not to). You can pay some expensive values to rent locks/towels etc so come prepared.
but overal the location and atmosphere was very good
Also 2USB ports and light on every bed! (no curtains thou :( )
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Team, Guest Services / Front Office at Generator London
Responded May 14, 2022
We are glad to hear that you liked the location and atmosphere! We are very sorry to hear that the service wasn't what you were after. Your comments have been shared with the team to learn and prevent this from happening in the future.
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Had a stay here from 3.12.2022-07.12.2022 for a party of 3 friends. Having experienced Generator Stockholm before I thought it would be cool to stay all three together. The stay was disappointing : we were not guaranteed from the first night a room with 3 beds together ( though I have booked for 3 people via their website )and second night the heater broke and we were offered only a blanket until the next morning. Asked for any complimentary services to compensate and I was bluntly denied ( show a little compassion on the front desk side if you know that the building has signs of wear and tear ). The room was damp and cold most of the day. The heater is supposed to work only at specific hours. The 5th floor were the room was located had the men showers out of order and all the doors and carpets were in a pretty bad shape (see photos).
The only good things were : the low price we paid per night, the quality of the beds ( Generator style beds ) and the location of the building.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Call in advance for group bookings
Check the floor you're staying in
Don't expect too much in...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Team, Guest Services / Front Office at Generator London
Responded Dec 26, 2022
Hello Popescu, Thank you for taking the time to feedback on your stay with us. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us as it helps us improve our standards everyday. Your comments have been shared with the team to learn and assess what we can do to prevent this from happening in the future. Our heating is on a timer, as most of our guests are out during the day it is not on, however our reception is available 24hours a day, we have portable heaters we can place in the rooms if required or can also provide extra blankets as you mention. We hope you still enjoyed your time in London and hope to welcome you back in the future to leave a better impression on you. Lucas
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check in was easy, the room was fairly clean, the food was good, showers were warm and beds were comfyish.
The room itself was basic, but the washable mattresses were thick, so thats a win from a comfort perspective. I should mention how hot the room was and the windows obviously don't open too far, so with it being in a built up area, there's very little air flow, and no air con.
The ablutions are a good size and clean (just wear your flip flops) and the water is warm. My only gripe would be that there isn't really anywhere to hang your stuff. Note that there is no return deposit on the towels, it's a flat charge.
The vending machines on the floor were great for bottles of water when the room was hot.
The bar downstairs has nice pizzas and the shuffle board is reasonable to hire and they are accommodating of the kids too, which was great.
It is rather noisy, but we expected that with this kind of accommodation and for the price we really cannot complain. The location was great, both Kings Cross and Russel Square are walkable, so literally the whole of London is accessible from here.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:take your toiletries/clothes in a bag so you can hang them
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from the generator, Other at Generator London
Responded Aug 26, 2023
Thank you for your review, sarah! Really nice to see that you liked the Generator London atmosphere. We are proud of the vibes, and we love seeing our guests enjoying it! Generator London izabella
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Hi there,
Underaged guests can only stay in a private room, and they need to bring an authorization form from their parents which you can find on our website under the terms and conditions. They will also need a photocopy of their parent's passport which they have signed previously.
Kind regards,
Generator Team
There are more places to choose from in the London area.
PRICE RANGE
C$88 - C$221 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
generator hostel london hotel london
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandLondonBloomsbury / Euston / Kings Cross /St Pancras
NUMBER OF ROOMS
215
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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