Safestay London Elephant & Castle
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Fast facts
Check in from | 15:00 |
|---|---|
Check out by | 10:00 |
Breakfast | Breakfast available. |
Pets | Pets are not allowed. |
Children | Children are welcome at this hotel. |
Amenities
Wi-Fi
Air conditioning
Front desk 24 hour
Non-smoking
Laundry
Bar
More about Safestay London Elephant & Castle
Safestay London Elephant & Castle
Located in the former Labour Party headquarters, Safestay London Elephant & Castle is a 5-minute walk from Elephant & Castle train station and shopping centre. Free Wi-Fi is provided in the entire area. A laundry room is also available to guests.
Ratings and reviews
Cleanliness4.0
Location4.0
Service4.0
Rooms4.0
Value4.0
Sleep quality4.0
Traveller reviews
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Mentioned by travellers
Solo traveller
Comment: 23 Jun 2024
Absolutely brilliant place it was fantastic really cool safe stay I’m going to come back again thank you so much
Solo traveller
Comment: 15 Nov 2024
Stayed in: Nov 2024
Avoid at all costs
I booked Safestay Elephant and Castle on the premise that website listed there was a restaurant/bar involved with the hostel, a happy hour for drinks, some type of "rock night" activity, maybe a pub food menu, and a heated patio, but in my experience none of that was the case. There was zero social activity to speak of and the hostel staff didn't really bother organizing anything anyway, so no "rock night" ever took place and I checked out 10 days later without ever even knowing when happy hour was or what the deals were.
As far as I can tell the restaurant bar doesn't actually fully operate. They have liquor and draught beer, but only served shots and like the 3 beers on the board. And the only meal they did serve (outside of the continental breakfast which was just fine) was ABYSMAL. They advertised a Margherita pizza and half-pint/soda deal but the soda was a small 150mL can which isn't really equivalent to a half-pint size of beer, and the pizza was NOT a Margherita; it was some American-style cheese pizza, probably from frozen, that had the full consistency of cardboard but with only half the taste. When my order came, I spoke with the staff and told them that was not what I expected based on the menu and that I would never have placed the order if I knew ahead of time what I was actually getting. They shrugged at me and walked away. How very accommodating.
As above, the staff is uncommunicative and unfriendly. Some other Safestays will make you feel like part of the community and they will do their best to find a solution to any issues. Some other Safestays will tell you at check-in: what time breakfast is, what sort of attractions are around, what time is checkout, when housekeeping comes and if you need to be out of the room for it; this place just kind of expects you to figure it out.
Again, the hostel has no social atmosphere to speak of not just since the bar it's partnered with is ostensibly no longer operational, but worse than that: it is usually full of transients who are not staying in the hostel and often causing a disturbance, but whom the staff are reluctant to approach. It makes for a very uncomfortable stay. I've never known a hostel to just let people walk in off the street but I guess anything goes in London.
The room's amenities are mediocre but acceptable for the price. You pay for what you get. However, the rest of the issues paint an awful picture of a place that is in serious need of new management. I have previously been to other Safestay Hostels in Italy, in Portugal, and in Greece - but London I will not ever be coming back to.
As far as I can tell the restaurant bar doesn't actually fully operate. They have liquor and draught beer, but only served shots and like the 3 beers on the board. And the only meal they did serve (outside of the continental breakfast which was just fine) was ABYSMAL. They advertised a Margherita pizza and half-pint/soda deal but the soda was a small 150mL can which isn't really equivalent to a half-pint size of beer, and the pizza was NOT a Margherita; it was some American-style cheese pizza, probably from frozen, that had the full consistency of cardboard but with only half the taste. When my order came, I spoke with the staff and told them that was not what I expected based on the menu and that I would never have placed the order if I knew ahead of time what I was actually getting. They shrugged at me and walked away. How very accommodating.
As above, the staff is uncommunicative and unfriendly. Some other Safestays will make you feel like part of the community and they will do their best to find a solution to any issues. Some other Safestays will tell you at check-in: what time breakfast is, what sort of attractions are around, what time is checkout, when housekeeping comes and if you need to be out of the room for it; this place just kind of expects you to figure it out.
Again, the hostel has no social atmosphere to speak of not just since the bar it's partnered with is ostensibly no longer operational, but worse than that: it is usually full of transients who are not staying in the hostel and often causing a disturbance, but whom the staff are reluctant to approach. It makes for a very uncomfortable stay. I've never known a hostel to just let people walk in off the street but I guess anything goes in London.
The room's amenities are mediocre but acceptable for the price. You pay for what you get. However, the rest of the issues paint an awful picture of a place that is in serious need of new management. I have previously been to other Safestay Hostels in Italy, in Portugal, and in Greece - but London I will not ever be coming back to.
Hotel response
Comment: 16 November
Dear Nexappositus,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re really sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations. We understand how disappointing it can be when advertised amenities and activities aren’t available, and we’ll be reviewing your comments with the team to ensure better communication and improvements in service moving forward.
We also apologize for the lack of staff engagement and the issues with the restaurant and atmosphere. We’ll work on creating a more welcoming and social environment for our guests.
We appreciate your insights and hope you’ll reconsider staying with us again in the future.
Best regards,
David
Reception Team
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re really sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations. We understand how disappointing it can be when advertised amenities and activities aren’t available, and we’ll be reviewing your comments with the team to ensure better communication and improvements in service moving forward.
We also apologize for the lack of staff engagement and the issues with the restaurant and atmosphere. We’ll work on creating a more welcoming and social environment for our guests.
We appreciate your insights and hope you’ll reconsider staying with us again in the future.
Best regards,
David
Reception Team
Comment: 16 Feb 2025
Stayed in: Feb 2025
Good price for a stay in London. Short walk from the underground and bus stops close by.
Rooms were clean and check in was easy.
Rooms were clean and check in was easy.
Solo traveller
Comment: 15 Feb 2025
DIRTY & DID NOT FEEL SAFE & MANAGEMENT DID NOT CARE - DO NOT STAY HERE
**DIRTY & DID NOT FEEL SAFE & MANAGEMENT DID NOT CARE - DO NOT STAY HERE**
Unfortunately, there was a disturbance in our room at 3am - one of the other guests on drugs/having a psychotic episode and was screaming/shouting and physically threatening other roommates. Obviously the hostel cannot control who books to stay, but they do control how to respond. I went to reception and they did not seem to care - but offered a room swap when I asked for it. When I advised that there was a vulnerable woman in the room who was crying as a result and was herself very upset, they didn’t do anything (the security guard was in no way interested and continued playing games on his phone). There was a threatening and potentially dangerous man in the room AND THEY DID NOTHING. Furthermore, when I went to my new room, someone had already been using my bed, so I had to go down and change rooms for a second time. When I got to my third room, the bed was available, but the duvet and pillows (not the sheets - the actual duvet & pillow) were not fresh - they were very smelly. The whole experience was very unsettling and I did not feel safe at all - and I have stayed in many youth hostels before.
On top of this, the rooms were ridiculously hot even with the windows open, and the bathrooms in particular were very dirty.
I did give SafeStay time to respond to my complaint privately before making this review as I emailed on Wednesday, but I did not receive a reply.
The hostel was far from a safe-stay, and I would not recommend them
Unfortunately, there was a disturbance in our room at 3am - one of the other guests on drugs/having a psychotic episode and was screaming/shouting and physically threatening other roommates. Obviously the hostel cannot control who books to stay, but they do control how to respond. I went to reception and they did not seem to care - but offered a room swap when I asked for it. When I advised that there was a vulnerable woman in the room who was crying as a result and was herself very upset, they didn’t do anything (the security guard was in no way interested and continued playing games on his phone). There was a threatening and potentially dangerous man in the room AND THEY DID NOTHING. Furthermore, when I went to my new room, someone had already been using my bed, so I had to go down and change rooms for a second time. When I got to my third room, the bed was available, but the duvet and pillows (not the sheets - the actual duvet & pillow) were not fresh - they were very smelly. The whole experience was very unsettling and I did not feel safe at all - and I have stayed in many youth hostels before.
On top of this, the rooms were ridiculously hot even with the windows open, and the bathrooms in particular were very dirty.
I did give SafeStay time to respond to my complaint privately before making this review as I emailed on Wednesday, but I did not receive a reply.
The hostel was far from a safe-stay, and I would not recommend them
Hotel response
Comment: 16 February
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear about the distressing experience you had during your stay, and we sincerely apologize for the discomfort and concern caused.
Regarding the incident in your room, we want to assure you that the lady involved was moved to a room where she felt safer, and we made sure she was taken care of appropriately. While we understand that our response may not have seemed sufficient at the time, please know that the matter was handled, and we are sorry if it came across as though our staff didn’t care – that was never our intention. We are reviewing our procedures to ensure such situations are addressed with the attention they deserve moving forward.
As for the cleanliness of your room, our housekeeping team cleans daily to maintain a high standard of cleanliness, and we will follow up with them to ensure this is consistently upheld. We apologize if this was not reflected during your stay.
Regarding the room temperature, we've received feedback from many of our guests requesting warmer rooms. However, we understand that it may have been too warm for your comfort, and we will review the heating system to ensure a more balanced temperature in the future.
Please accept our sincerest apology for not responding to your inquiry via email, however we have escalated the matter to management and this does take a while as we are busy.
Kind Regards,
Mariam
Reception Team
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear about the distressing experience you had during your stay, and we sincerely apologize for the discomfort and concern caused.
Regarding the incident in your room, we want to assure you that the lady involved was moved to a room where she felt safer, and we made sure she was taken care of appropriately. While we understand that our response may not have seemed sufficient at the time, please know that the matter was handled, and we are sorry if it came across as though our staff didn’t care – that was never our intention. We are reviewing our procedures to ensure such situations are addressed with the attention they deserve moving forward.
As for the cleanliness of your room, our housekeeping team cleans daily to maintain a high standard of cleanliness, and we will follow up with them to ensure this is consistently upheld. We apologize if this was not reflected during your stay.
Regarding the room temperature, we've received feedback from many of our guests requesting warmer rooms. However, we understand that it may have been too warm for your comfort, and we will review the heating system to ensure a more balanced temperature in the future.
Please accept our sincerest apology for not responding to your inquiry via email, however we have escalated the matter to management and this does take a while as we are busy.
Kind Regards,
Mariam
Reception Team
Solo traveller
Comment: 2 Feb 2025
I had a truly fantastic stay at this elephant and castle hostel! The experience was made extra special thanks to Ali and Nahayan, who were really nice to me. They provided great local tips, ensured that every need was met, and genuinely cared about making my stay memorable.
The hostel itself is clean, well-maintained, and ideally located for exploring all that London has to offer. With such attentive service and a welcoming atmosphere, I highly recommend this hostel to anyone visiting the city
The hostel itself is clean, well-maintained, and ideally located for exploring all that London has to offer. With such attentive service and a welcoming atmosphere, I highly recommend this hostel to anyone visiting the city
Very good location
144-152 Walworth Road, London Borough of Southwark, London, SE17 1JL, United Kingdom|2.05 km from The London Eye
10 things to dowithin 1.98 km
2.06 km
2.25 km
2.18 km
Transportationwithin 1.84 km
0.44 km
0.62 km
1.59 km
Airportwithin 24.72 km
10.23 km
24.72 km
Check in and check out
Check in from:
15:00
Check out before:
10:00
Good to know
Children are welcome at this hotel.
Pets are not allowed.
Breakfast available.
Breakfast price
SAR 30 (≈GBP 6.0)/person
Breakfast options
Continental breakfast.
Breakfast menu
Buffet.
Guests are required to show a photo identification and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply. This Hostel operates a 14-day maximum stay policy within a 90-day period. Passport or driver’s licence is required for check-in. Student cards are not accepted. The guest making the booking must be over 18. Under 18s can stay in a private room with a parent or guardian but cannot be accommodated in shared dormitories. Bookings of 10 or more people are subject to different policies and additional supplements may apply. Beds in the same dormitory room cannot be guaranteed. Please note there is no guest kitchen facility to cook. No outside alcohol is allowed at all.
The hotel accepts the following payment methods:
Safestay London Elephant & Castle: FAQs
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