Bloomsbury, United States
Value bed and breakfast hotel in Central London
Incredible price for a prime location a five-minute walk from The British Museum
Clean and comfortable rooms with electric kettles and flat-screen TVs
Free breakfast (buffet and full English breakfast)
Beautiful back garden with outdoor seating area
Small lounge area with TV and DVD library
Free Wi-Fi
Some rooms have shared bathrooms
Rooms can get street noise
No AC or in-room mini-fridge
Rooms are sparsely decorated
No elevator
The Jesmond Hotel is a 15-room, lower-middle-range bed-and-breakfast in Central London that stands out for two reasons -- it’s family owned and operated (since 1979), and it’s a really good price for the prime location. Situated in a Georgian townhouse in the Bloomsbury area, the Jesmond is a five-minute walk from the British Museum and the nearest tube station. With the great price comes simplicity -- rooms are basic with little in the way of decor (though the building maintains some beautiful period features), and six of the fifteen rooms have shared bathrooms. Still, guests find the hotel clean and comfortable. It also has a beautiful backyard garden, a rarity for a central London hotel, and serves a full English breakfast. Rooms have no air-conditioning, and guests say between street noise and thin walls, it’s a good idea to bring earplugs. The nearby Generator Hostel London offers even cheaper rooms, but they’re much less private.
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Scene
A value, family-owned hotel in a Georgian townhouse
The family-owned and operated Jesmond Hotel is situated among a row of attached Georgian townhouses with a dark brick facade, cream-colored trim, a black wrought-iron gate, and a checkered entrance. Inside, the hotel maintains period charm with molded details, tall ceilings, and vintage gold frames on the wall. Decor is limited, though, and the lobby, which sits in the entryway, is largely functional. Neutral cream-colored walls meet a basic hotel carpet, and the area includes a seat, a public phone, brochures, and London maps posted on the walls. The first landing features a small armchair and table with books. Part bed-and-breakfast, part budget hotel, this location is ideal for tourist who want a home base from which to explore London. The property is sometimes also used by family members of patients staying at the nearby University College Hospital.
Location
Prime location in Central London, four-minute walk to the tube, five-minute walk to British Museum
Situated on main road among other hotels and across from the University of London in Central London’s cultural and literary Bloomsbury area, the Jesmond is in walking distance to restaurants, shops, attractions, and plenty of public transportation. The British Museum is a five minute walk from the hotel, and Oxford Street is 15 minutes away on foot. The nearest London Underground (tube) station is a four minute walk, with plenty more stations nearby, so guests can get to most London sights in a half hour or less.- Four-minute walk to Goodge Street tube station
Rooms
Clean, basic rooms with coffee service, television, and free Wi-Fi
Rooms at the Jesmond Hotel fit from one to five people, and nine of the rooms have their own en-suite bathroom, while the other six have a private sink and shared showers/toilets. Rooms are simple, sparse, and small, but also incredibly well-priced for such a central city location. The rooms are designed for practicality, and guests find them comfortable and clean to use as a home base from which to explore London. White walls, patterned wall-to-wall carpet, neutral beige curtains and bedspreads, and light wood furniture make up the minimal look. Some rooms have a painting on the wall, while others have a period molded or marble fireplace. En-suite bathrooms are small but modern and clean, fully tiled in neutral colors with wet-room style showers, mirrors, sinks, and toilets. Bathrooms come with towels, hand soap, and in-shower soap dispensers. Amenities include tea- and coffee-making facilities, a flat-screen TV, an alarm clock, a hairdryer, and free Wi-Fi. Maid service comes daily. There is no AC and no in-room mini-fridges. Light sleepers should bring earplugs -- rooms facing the street can get street noise (back rooms are quieter) and the walls between rooms are thin.
Features
Generous free breakfast and beautiful back garden
Guests enjoy the hotel’s ample free breakfast, which is served in a basic but tastefully decorated room that doubles as a lounge. The room has lightwood floors, tub chairs, and cafe tables. Seating is positioned around a wall-mounted TV with a DVD player and its own small library of DVDs, and the room also contains a computer for guest use (no printer, though). For breakfast, guests can choose from fresh fruit, cereal, tea, and coffee from the buffet and can also get a cooked, full English breakfast with bacon, sausage, baked beans, and eggs. The hotel also has its own garden -- a rarity among Central London hotels. This small but beautiful courtyard area behind the hotel features a well-cultivated garden with flowers and trees, a few small walkways, and a sitting area. Laundry service is available for an extra charge. Guests should note that the building does not have an elevator.
