Smart Hyde Park Inn Hostel

Smart Hyde Park Inn Hostel opened in 1999 as part of the small Smart Hostels chain. This hostel is set in a cute white building adorned with iron railings and potted plants. Inside, the lobby is colorful, with a pink and white-striped front desk and a small lounge area with Crayola-colored seat cushions on gray chairs and recessed blue fluorescent lighting. However, the remaining public spaces have the atmosphere of a student housing building: little decoration, tiled or concrete floors, and plain, worn tables and chairs. Young budget travelers make up the hotel's main guests, and though it isn’t a particularly “party-type” of hostel, it can still get noisy when late night revelers come in. Overall, it’s a simple, but basic property; however, with reports of smells from bathrooms and cleanliness issues in rooms and public spaces, it might not be ideal for all. 

Smart Hyde Park Inn Hostel has a decent location in London, close to dining options, shopping, and public transportation and a three-minute walk from Hyde Park. West End attractions such as Trafalgar Square and Oxford Circus are all within a 15- to 25-minute tube ride away. The Bayswater tube station is only a two-minute walk away, while a bus stop can be reached in one minute from the property. It’s a 10-minute walk to Kensington Palace. Portobello Market is a 22-minute walk away. It takes 45 minutes by car to reach Heathrow International Airport or about the same amount of time on the Paddington Express train. 

The hostel offers both private rooms for one to three guests and dorm rooms with bunk beds, the largest of which can sleep up to 20 people. All have gray carpeted floors, white walls, and metal blue or white bunk beds with white or blue linens. Bunk beds try to provide some semblance of privacy with curtains, though with reports of cramped and crowded rooms, this may be difficult. Storage lockers are located beneath the bunk beds, but their use incurs a fee. Rooms lack air-conditioning and enough electrical outlets for each guest, and only some have en-suite bathrooms. Shared bathrooms provide multiple toilets and showers for travelers, but no hairdryers or toiletries are provided. Guests have reported cleanliness issues and problems with showers such as a lack in hot water, low water pressure, and lights turning off mid-shower. 

Unlike other hostels, Smart Hyde Park Inn Hostel doesn’t have a game room, on-site bar, or even free events or tours. However, there is a communal kitchen with a microwave, a stove top, a fridge, a sink, and some utensils, though it's not kept in the cleanest of conditions. In the mornings, a free basic breakfast of toast, cereal, and juices is offered and there's a vending machine for snacks. There's also an ATM on-site, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Lockers and luggage storage cost an additional fee.