NX London Hostel

BED BUGS!!! The management of this hostel is awful, I feel sorry for the staff which was always friendly and helpful, but they had limitations. The place is very dirty, I saw mice twice and I suspect the bedding isn’t properly washed or even changed from guest to guest. I booked a 4-bed room, thinking it would be better since there’s less people, but it was completely the opposite. There were bedbugs from eggs to mature ones all over the room, only myself and another guest were staying in there, so the receptionist was very nice to put us in a private room. The problem is that when we woke up the next day, the night receptionist mixed up our clothes in black bags, some stuff was missing and some other was in the hallway outside the laundry room, where anyone could access it. We doubted that he had washed everything at 60oC (which is the protocol to kill bedbugs), so we asked to wash our clothes again, but one more time the person in charge didn’t wash at the proper temperature and their tumble dryer wasn’t working, they were using a wash & dry machine, so our clothes were damp. We sent an email to the management asking if we could proper wash & dry our clothes in an external laundry service and if they could cover the costs, and they responded very defensive saying we were lying about the hostel having bedbugs, said that anyway bedbugs weren’t considered as a health issue since they don’t spread diseases and threaten to charge us a fine if we took pictures of the place and made public “false” complaints, they have a strange non-refund policy regardless the reason of request and also about taking photos/videos of the hostel. In resume, they know the problem they are facing, but instead of dealing with that professionally, they simply ignore it and are rude to people that express their dissatisfaction. It’s a shame because the hostel is well located, the staff is nice and the breakfast is great for the price, there would be a lot of potential if the management cared about their guests and business.

BED BUGS!!! The management of this hostel is awful, I feel sorry for the staff which was always friendly and helpful, but they had limitations. The place is very dirty, I saw mice twice and I suspect the bedding isn’t properly washed or even changed from guest to guest. I booked a 4-bed room, thinking it would be better since there’s less people, but it was completely the opposite. There were bedbugs from eggs to mature ones all over the room, only myself and another guest were staying in there, so the receptionist was very nice to put us in a private room. The problem is that when we woke up the next day, the night receptionist mixed up our clothes in black bags, some stuff was missing and some other was in the hallway outside the laundry room, where anyone could access it. We doubted that he had washed everything at 60oC (which is the protocol to kill bedbugs), so we asked to wash our clothes again, but one more time the person in charge didn’t wash at the proper temperature and their tumble dryer wasn’t working, they were using a wash & dry machine, so our clothes were damp. We sent an email to the management asking if we could proper wash & dry our clothes in an external laundry service and if they could cover the costs, and they responded very defensive saying we were lying about the hostel having bedbugs, said that anyway bedbugs weren’t considered as a health issue since they don’t spread diseases and threaten to charge us a fine if we took pictures of the place and made public “false” complaints, they have a strange non-refund policy regardless the reason of request and also about taking photos/videos of the hostel. In resume, they know the problem they are facing, but instead of dealing with that professionally, they simply ignore it and are rude to people that express their dissatisfaction. It’s a shame because the hostel is well located, the staff is nice and the breakfast is great for the price, there would be a lot of potential if the management cared about their guests and business.

I have been here twice, once 2-3 years ago for 3 months, and I'm here now and have been for 2 months. And will come again in the new year, and in future years. The place has improved a lot in those years I was gone, and I'm sure will continue to. The people who work at NX are extremely nice, and have a positive culture, and always helpful. The 2 cleaners are amazing at their job, and believe me that is needed sometimes, some people are so careless leaving disgusting messes for everyone (in kitchen, and bathroom), but it goes away the next day. The hostel is comprised of long terms stayees, medium terms (like me), and short terms. the place is quirky, it has breakfast, the price reflects the fact that the place is still being developed, and I see the vision, I look forward to coming back in future years to see what more changes. I've not broken any rules so I've never been in those experiences that a lot of negative reviewers experience. But if the simple rules are followed, like not being drunk, or unruly, or eating food in the rooms etc.. then expect a positive experience, I really do not have anything negative to say. NX has seasonal discounts, and goldsmiths student discounts (10%), I am a student of goldsmiths. By the way the place is kinda perfect for goldsmith students, I've stayed in 2 different Goldsmith dorms, Loring, and Surrey House, NX is right across the street to the Library, much easier for me personally. I think NX should brand more for Goldsmiths students slowly over time, as a long term project, maybe developing some student rooms slowly, and perhaps in time a student culture can develop which may attract new business opportunities that students bring to the table. And when NX is in final stage of completion, it could also bring proposal to Goldsmith, who have an issue with housing students, and only guarantee first year student housing, and also money issues (the uni that is), , I'm sure they will consider it on condition that NX is on par with regulatory standards, which are not strict (believe me). Due to my circumstance, I'm guaranteed housing with Goldsmith throughout my whole education, I still see NX as good as any student dorm I've been too, except of course it's a hostel and not a private room, and the lack of students, being the only relevant differences. anyway It is what it is, and it's a nice place. edit: cos i read some other reviews: and there was a bed bug experience 2-3 years ago, I personally didn't get any, but the room was cleared for room de-bugging, and that was that, if I had bed bugs, I'd be grossed out too, but the sheets are cleaned, you can see them being cleaned after changing cos the room where they are cleaned is usually open when the cleaning ladies clean them. You can request new sheets, as I have, but not for bed bugs, just cos I've had them for a month and they needed changing. And the music is loud at night on most days, but that's cos it's next to a small concert venue, there's a warning on the website about it. the staff is not rude, and if they were I suspect they were very busy, and you took it as rude, or/and you were just being rude yourself. there's 2 to 3 bathrooms on each floor, so when someone says there's not enough bathrooms, it's not like a room will suddenly appear magically , and a new bathroom comes into existence, yes sometimes it's annoying, but if you check each floor there's usually a bathroom free, in fact always in my experience, there's literally like 8 or 10 bathrooms across the whole building. And the bathrooms can end up gross cos there's gross people amongst all people, it is gone the next day, the cleaning ladies do their job well. and I like the bathrooms, they feel like a bathroom in a home, and not a urinal at a bar. I've been to other hostels years back, many, in London, and the bathrooms in NX are actually better, there's more space, there's a toilet, and a shower in the majority, it's homely, and I genuinely appreciate that about the place.