The Walrus Hostel

The Walrus Hostel gives off a cozy first impression, thanks to its 1930s brick exterior lined with picnic tables and its downstairs pub that doubles as the front desk. The latter is a classic English pub, full of weathered wood, mismatched seats like stools with rivets and velvety armchairs, and low antique lighting. A large Union Jack dominating one wall is almost a requirement. But apart from this cheery welcome, most of the rest of the building is starting to fall into decay. There’s visible grime, scuffs, tears, and wear in the stairways, and the kitchen features dated appliances and worn cabinets. Other drawbacks include no elevator and limited reception hours. Most guests are young budget travelers attracted by the convenient location and cheap room rates. 

The Walrus is located on the South Bank of the River Thames, near restaurants, shops, and hospitals, it’s also a seven-minute walk to the Waterloo tube station. Westminster Bridge is a five-minute walk away, while the London Eye takes nine minutes to reach on foot. Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Palace of Westminster are all less than 15 minutes away on foot. It’s a 26-minute walk to Buckingham Palace. It takes just over an hour by tube to reach London Heathrow, or around 50 minutes on the pricier Heathrow Express (via Paddington).

All the rooms at this property are dorms, with up to 22 bunk beds in some rooms. Most are mixed gender, though there is a single four-bed dorm for women. Throughout units are basic and stark, with white walls, silver metal bunk beds, and wooden floors, plus plenty of signs of wear and tear. Some rooms might have maps, antique lamps, or chairs, but that’s about as far as the decorative elements go. Dorms lack air-conditioning and fans, but do have lockers, towels, bed linens, and ear plugs are provided for free. Shared bathrooms have visible grime and wear and have showers and toilets, but no toiletries or hairdryers. Take note that with the bar on the lower floor and the hostel’s proximity to a train station, rooms can get noisy at nights and in the early morning hours. 

At the top of the list of the Walrus Hostel’s amenities is its cozy traditional English pub that serves a variety of beers and cocktails and has superb happy hours throughout the week. The hostel also has a free continental breakfast of tea, fruit, toast, jams, and orange juice offered each morning. The communal kitchen features a stove, an oven, a microwave, and a refrigerator for guests to store their own food, but take note that the appliances are dated and worn. Other perks include a book exchange, luggage storage, ticket printing, and loaner locks and electrical adaptors. Free Wi-Fi is available, though some past guests have reported unreliable service.