Saint James Backpackers in Witham

Owner was mean. He shouts at his mum. Staff were amazing though.

I want to thank everyone who works in the hostelSeparately, I want to express my gratitude to Vanessa, Ricardo, Magdalena, they are really responsible and very pleasant people)and of course plump Tyson))I promise to look more often)

Great experience, really friendly staff, great to meet lots of new people from all over the World and a really cool place overall. Would recommend and would use again!

Great stay, really helpful staff and fantastic location

It feels just like home because it is family-run and they serve delicious food.

There was a bad bedbug outbreak last week of august I heard from 1 of the other visitors who left after I did. the guest were mostly very nice. The bathrooms need lots of work, the showers are so small you have to stand in the shower to close the door. toilets and showers need to be in separate rooms showers should be boys or girls only with curtains there no way to lock your stuff and they only had instant coffee place desperately needs some AC room were 40c even window fans would have made a huge differences general laziness and lack of care by staff keeps it from being a very nice place to stay

Great reception and staffExcelent locaciónI ll be back soon

This hostel is in an excellent location, near Earls Court station & the staff are very helpful. The included dinner & hot breakfasts are an enormous plus. As is the female only bathroom. Although there is not quite enough fridge space, the kitchen is very good, with 2 cooktops & sinks, and an oven.Like most hostels, the bathrooms could be checked more often, but the biggest problem for me is that room lockers cant be locked. You can leave valuables with the front desk, but their safety isnt guaranteed there either and it is regularly unmanned. So digital nomads with expensive equipment may want to look elsewhere.

The best hostel I’ve ever been. Free breakfast and dinner. Nice people. Recommend.

I was really surprised by seeing the cleanliness of the hostel.they have a common room with tv.A mini library and gaming area.A lounge outside with really good vibe.I recomend this place for budget stay in London.

Hello, i stayed here for 1 night and found it to be clean, quiet, near to restaurants, bus and train station. Value for money

Great staff, very helpful. You also get free dîner here. Good option if you are on a budget.

Stay was perfect, very friendly atmosphere, lot of ppl to talk. Really liked the stay!

Very good hostel and dorm beds free breakfast location 5 minutes from Earls court metro station

Do not book until you read this review. The place is poor even for an hostel. The receptionist was new and clueless on most things. The rooms are so small. The toilets and baths could be better and lastly althrough they advert that it includes free wifi...I could even connect any of my 3 devices to the internet as it just didnt accept the password. The receptionist had a poor excuse and suggested I had to come downstairs to the common room to use the wifi. There was staff who kept swearing around guests which seemed so unhospitable. I am counting my hours spent here. Terrible is an understatement. I wish I opted for options better.

The staff is very friendly, the place is very nice and clean. The staff also organize many event to chill and stay all togheter, so i have to say that I found everything very good

Awesome hostel! Great location and really cool vibe, they even throw in a free dinner AND breakfast!!

Amazing place to stay in central London at an affordable price and in a great location, at just two streets from Earls Court tube station. The popularity of the place allows guests not only to experience London, but to get to know people from all over the world. The personnel is super kind and friendly, always trying to make you feel at home!

Friendly and helpful staff and comfy beds. Definitely suitable for groups of friends on holiday. Very nice garden and ground floor facilities

DO NOT STAY HERE. Date of stay July 19 2022.It was so incredibly hot in the room my skin broke out on a heat rash. There was no escape from the heat and I couldn’t stay one more night I had booked. The internet does not work in the rooms. There are safes but NO KEYS, I had to buy my own lock. There was water all over the floor in the bathrooms. People were screaming and smoking outside until 3am. I did not sleep AT ALL and it ruined my only day in London the next day. I begged them for a refund so I could stay somewhere else, but they refused. The staff and owners couldn’t care less if you are uncomfortable or unhappy. They care about money and that’s it. Do yourself a favor and never stay here.I ended up leaving and booked somewhere else, even tho I didn’t get my money back. It was that bad.

St James is a super place to stay,the location is perfect and the staff were really nice and kind,they always went out of their way to help you and to make you feel at home,its a great place to meet people and relax,I think its one of the best hostels in London overall

The staff is nice but it is terribly dirty and broken. I spent 2 nights without light in my room and the staff didn’t do much to fix it..

Full of lies and smells. No WiFi (just time to time, no promised dinner, just kind of to beg leftovers how some called it.

i loved the free extras and add ons like wifi and netflix. the staff were very polite to me even if i was wearing headphones and didn’t say anything. i felt like everyone went out of their way to help me when i needed it. i also appreciated the outside area. great stay.

In many ways, the life of a traveler is difficult. We risk precious yet fleeting energy and our trust in optimism to immerse ourselves in different worlds, drastically different from our own. Leaving behind a safe haven we call home, we search for new communities and places of interest to satisfy our curious minds, potentially experiencing loss, disappointment, or even a sense of boredom. We are attracted to attractions and monuments, yes, but if there’s one thing that attracts one to travel, it’s that sense of cultural exchange. Naturally, our souls crave excitement in seeing wonders, but is it not a wonder to witness an intermingling of cultural values? For every explorer throughout history has been destined to come across a people not of his own but of the world’s creation.In this regard, Saint James backpackers is a ruler of such ideals. It is by no means the ritz of London, but its lack of glamour is substituted by its fostering of a creative atmosphere of intellectual discourse and friendship. Enter its doors and you will see fireworks of radiating energy bursting forth in fractals of excitement, cheers of laughter sparkling down in the common room as players on the Xbox partake in a FIFA football game and as young individuals sashay down into the back courtyard to experience the wonderful soirées reminiscing one of the jazz age. More than this, however, was the great haven of cosmopolitanism springing forth here. Here you can travel the world for free, skipping queues of time to visit various places just by a simple conversation with an individual sitting a mere seat away from you. How truly marvelous it is, how the worlds of a millennium past would have been awed by such possibilities…But to tell of such tales without the mentioning the most wonderful staff members would be taking away the gold gilding from the dome of les invalides. The environment here is indebted to the works of Magdalena, Lasse, Luca, Ricky, and so much more. It is because of these individuals that such marvels are whipped into creation.It is, however, with the greatest disappointment that I must admit one short fault. Indeed the staff here were but of a people so finely educated and brought up that nothing could be rebuked of them, and to think that someone might be taking advantage of the labor of such fine individuals is but a grave misdemeanor. I have the displeasure to say that it was clear that whoever managed the staff was not being quite the enlightened leader as he or she may have wanted to be. Stress and fear of removal was clearly present in all the members of staff, and it is with my deepest hope that issues may be resolved. We may all think we have it well off, but to assume so would be of a level of error even greater than the events I have spent quality time discussing.I am greatly thankful and indebted to the people here, it is with pleasure that I present this institution with the finest degree of rating possible, and I hope others may experience the same communities I have thus presented. May Saint James Backpackers thrive with vivacious ness, blooming wonders of communal intercourse.Fin.

I really like this hostel and all the other things they had for you to try out while you were there! They really made it easy to meet and interact with other fellow travelers but I will say I wish they had a few more outlets in the room that were more accessible to the top bunks! If you happen to see this review before your stay there just pack an extension cord with you and that will solve your problem! Or maybe they have extension cords that you could ask for or rent? If they dont this could be a good little opportunity for them to add it! I would suggest bringing your own towel as the towel they give you is so incredibly thin but I guess it gets the job done.

Convenient location with a great staff. I felt like being with my friends hanging out. They make you feel very comfortable. Amazing pancakes for brekkie, recipe from Neil!!! And Luca in special was very funny and friendly.

June 11th 2022I lost all of my valuables including my camera, money in cash and credit cards during the stay at this place. This was my first journey to England and the situation made me to a devastated state.The rooms are not secure. At least they should have given a proper locker to keep the valuables safe - which was not there.Staff was not supportive to deal with my situation as i expected. And when i asked for a refund ( i was planning to stay for 7 days and i wanted to checkout on day 1 for security reasons , they were hesitant to give me the full refund and ended up giving me a half refund.Never recommend this place to anyone . It looks cheap, but you will end up loosing all of your valuable belongings.

The youthfulness of this place is a negative. When the public rooms are only closed from 3 AM ....

Excellent hostel situated close to Earls Court tube station. (Piccadilly line.Very good value for money too. The staff are friendly and accommodating.Good facilities including a kitchen, TV room and community garden. The price includes Breakfast & Evening Meal. There is a wondetrful cosmopolitan feel to the place.I would stay there again.

Great affordable place for students, backpackers and people who want to stay close to the central London and commute easily to the other parts of London.Friendly and attractive hostel. Nice staff. Breakfast and dinner included.You can use the kitchen and kettle whenever you want, Decent TV room and outside gym available.Parts of it are quite posh and close to Kensington on one side and Fulham Hammersmith on the other. Good transport links there as well.

Friendly staff and relativaly good location. Expensive for the room you have. If you are tall, the shower will be a challenge. Internet is spotty at best but does the job for netflix. I used my personal data for video calls otherwise it wouldnt work. The backyard is a great place to eat your meals or have a drink. Free supper made by staff is a nice gesture.

Very dirty toilets .staff drink alcohol on shift .staff assaulted me and kicked me out the hostel .threatened to be homeless .the owner attacked me . It feels very dangerous in england because of this .I hope good people have a better experience next time . Also had my property stolen by hostel but that was replaced .I was fully refunded after being assaulted by the staff and mainly the owner and the staff that was drunk last night . So I give this 1 star because of the safety and living conditions are abused and dirty .no respect for people that travel .also no safety .very sad but I am far away and safe now .I hope people can read this because this happens all the time at this place .very scary to experience .now I know london can be very dangerous .but better places to be than this .

I spent a great time there, the staff is friendly and the atmosphere is amazing. If you come to St James, you wont regret! One of my best hostel experiences 🙂

Horrible experience. I was volunteering here but honestly I couldn’t handle this place for more than one day. In the “interview” they are telling one thing, and once you accept, the reality is other. Two days (16 hours- not paidto be trained to how to clean and no break at all. The receptionist (son or grandson of the owneris treating you as a slave so he doesn’t really care about you at all.Spent one night there “volunteering”, and the next day I left. There is not human who need to accept that.

A DRUNK MAN BROKE INTO OUR FEMALE DORM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! My friend got a panic attack in response.. Absolutely do NOT recommend this hostel!!!!!!It is full of older homeless people staying there long-term, most of which abuse alcohol!The staff is only made of teenagers who try to do their best but no one is gonna save this place..After this incident the owner Mr. STEPHEN SIE didnt care enough to even show up in person or get on the phone. After all complaints we checked out 1 day earlier and ONLY got confirmation of refunding this one night that we even havent stayed there!!!! (My refund still hasnt arrived....)The drunk guy who broke into our room still was at the hostel 1 day after the incident, even though the staff said he will be prohibited from the hostel forever..!!!We are really speechless..Also the deposit of 50 Euro still hasnt been refunded to my friends account 5 days later.THIS PLACE DOESNT FOLLOW ANY COVID-19 RULES and is COMPLETELY UNHYGIENIC!!The bathrooms are filthy and super small, the kitchen is filthy and old..Also, the rooms are super small, there are no personal shelves, the locker wasnt working, there is no place to put your suitcases to, no personal lamp, no curtains on beds... Simply catastrophe.DO NOT BOOK THIS HOSTEL!

A DRUNK BROKE INTO OUR FEMALE DORM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! My friend got a panic attack in response.. Absolutely do NOT recommend this hostel!!!!!!It is full of older homeless people staying there long-term, most of which abuse alcohol!The staff is only made of teenagers who try to do their best but no one is gonna save this place..After this incident the owner Mr. STEPHEN SIE didnt care enough to even show up in person or get on the phone. After all complaints we checked out 1 day earlier and ONLY got confirmation of refunding this one night that we even havent stayed there!!!! (My refund still hasnt arrived....)The drunk guy who broke into our room still was at the hostel 1 day after the incident, even though the staff said he will be prohibited from the hostel forever..!!!We are really speechless..Also the deposit of 50 Euro still hasnt been refunded to my friends account 5 days later.THIS PLACE DOESNT FOLLOW ANY COVID-19 RULES and is COMPLETELY UNHYGIENIC!!The bathrooms are filthy and super small, the kitchen is filthy and old..Also, the rooms are super small, there are no personal shelves, the locker wasnt working, there is no place to put your suitcases to, no personal lamp, no curtains on beds... Simply catastrophe.DO NOT BOOK THIS HOSTEL!

Not the dirt. Neither all the problems with infra structure, drugs and health hazard. For me the icing on the cake was being strangled and verbally assaulted while the staff did nothing and tried to rub under the carpet. Even this they didnt do it properly as the guy on the front desk admitted that the intoxicated guest verbally and physically assaulted me but in official communications tried to ivt all on me.

Friendly and attractive hostel. Nice staff. Breakfast and dinner included.I had sausages chips and beans in a small portion. Breakfast was tea, coffee, cereals and eggs with toast.You need to leave a £20 deposit 🙄 for the keys. No towels provided, but for £5 you get a towel with £2.50 back when you return it. You can use the kitchen and kettle.TV room and outside gym available.The downside is people living there and the dorms stuffed FULL of suitcases and floordrobe chaos. See my pics. No lighting at bunk beds. Sockets are next to the dorm door. The shower floors are always flooded.

These are some of the terms and conditions for staying here:::::::::::::::::::In the event that I catch or transmit COVID I will not hold Saint James Backpackers, its owners, staff, guests or other stakeholders responsible in any way, shape or form.I recognise that shared dorm rooms are unsuitable places to self-isolate in the event I have or suspect I have COVID. If I have a temperature higher than 37.7C, develop a cough or sense a loss of taste or smell or I test positive for COVID I promise to inform a Receptionist and leave the hostel immediately unless I am staying or can pay to upgrade to a private en suite room. In which case, I agree to remain isolated in my private room for 10 full days from the date symptoms started/tested positive (whichever is the earlier). I consent to my temperature being taken by the staff at any time during my stay here. Should I refuse I agree to leave the hostel immediately.I accept and assume full responsibility for any and all injuries, damages (both economic and non-economic), and losses of any type, which may occur to me or my guests, and I hereby fully and forever release and discharge SJB from any and all claims, demands, damages, rights of action, or causes of action, present or future, whether the same be known or unknown, anticipated, or unanticipated, resulting from or arising out the use of said equipment and facilities.I expressly agree to indemnify and hold SJB harmless against any and all claims, demands, damages, rights of action, or causes of action, of any person or entity, that may arise from injuries or damages sustained by me or my guests.I agree to be solely responsible for the safety and wellbeing of my guests and myself.I understand and agree that my use of the facilities and equipment is only to be undertaken on my own personal time, and that my use of the facilities and equipment is not within the course or the scope of my employment.I HAVE READ THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND VOLUNTARILY EXECUTED THIS DOCUMENT WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE OF ITS CONTENT.

I had an excellent stay at Saint James! I checked in with the two lovely ladies at reception Abby and Paula. They were very kind and made me feel welcomed. Really good atmosphere and I will definitely be coming back!

The staff are friendly Paulo,Dan,Teresa and hector.it is a nice place to stay there is always something good happening at the hostel you can use the gym in the back garden and a cooked breakfast and dinner everyday.

I took a private room with a bathroom included. Its passable for 1 person but its too small for 2 people. Like if you open your suitcase theres no space in the room. The food is very simplistic but good (both veg and non-veg options available). Pretty close to the subway (earls courtand a local Sainsbury. So you can eat cup ramen or cook something up in the kitchen. Note: due to covid we werent allowed to use the kitchen personally ( you have to live for more than 10 days but the staff were helpful and made it for us. The backyard is nice for a wee smoke.

Refused to isolate staff until they proved they had a positive test. Dont require mask wearing of staff or long term guests. Even after three long term guests tested positive. Continued to receive guests and let symptomatic people work and leave the hostel up until all staff that had been tested came back with a positive test. Correct procedures and isolation of potentially infected people are to protect other people. Your hostel will open up quicker Stephen if the covid rates go down. They dont go down if your staff and long term guests are running around infecting people until they actually get their positive test results back.

This hostel is absolutely superb, the staff are friendly and helpful. The facilities are cleaned daily, rooms are spacious and contain large lockers, outdoor gym, free wireless internet in the lounge with some computers also connected to the internet, with a large screen TV (which was popular most evenings). The breakfast is pretty good and so is the evening meal, both included in the booking price. I would recommend this hostel to anybody who wants to stay in London for a long or short term.

Amazing atmosphere, very nice and helpful staff. Great lounge area with extremely comfy sofas. Also they have spacious garden with a small gym! So everything you need 😁 You just feel like home from the moment you enter the hostel 😊

I had a very unpleasant experience at this hostel, and I would not recommend it to anyone. I booked a private room with an ensuite bathroom at St. James Backpackers. The room was not clean. There was hair all over the shower (on the floor and on the wallsand hair on the bathroom floor. The bedroom floor also felt dusty and uncleaned. The trashcan had not been taken out, so it had the last person’s trash in it (Q-tips, sanitary napkins, gum, etc). The bed was made, but when I inspected it closer, there was also hair all over the sheets. When I first checked in, I only saw the trashcan issue, which was fixed by the staff when I told them. When I returned later to my room around 10:30pm, I noticed the other issues. I brought it to the attention of the front desk staff, who didn’t seem to have any authority. They brought over someone else, who told me there was nothing they could do about it at this time, and he was sorry. That guy then went back to playing his guitar in a common room and the two guys behind the desk just went back to…sitting there. I didn’t really understand why these issued couldn’t be resolved then, or why I couldn’t have gotten at timeline of when they would be fixed. So, I really had no choice but to go back up to my room and spend the night there.I was pretty upset by morning because I had just slept in dirty sheets and didn’t want to use a dirty shower. I made the decision to leave since the front desk said they couldn’t help me the night before. I had hoped to get a refund for the two nights I did not stay given that the condition of the room was unacceptable. I talked with the assistant manager (did not get his name), who was *very* rude to me. I was refused a refund and made to feel like this situation was somehow my fault. I asked to speak with someone higher than him, and was told that the owner/manager (named Stephenwould feel the same way, and refused to tell me when he would be available to speak with. The assistant manager also chuckled when I said I would write a bad review (seems to me that they don’t care, or they’ve heard that sentence many times before?). I’ve read other reviews, and seen similar issues to mine. The responses from the staff say they will work to improve, but really the vibe is that they don’t care. I was given a card for the manager Stephen, but the email address provided is just the general email box. At this point, it seems the best I can do is just warn other people about this place. Don’t waste your money at this unclean and rude establishment…I truly felt like I was taken advantage of as an international solo traveler who did not have the time or the resources to obtain an equitable result from this bad experience.

You get the value of what you pay for. If you only need a budget bed to sleep in this is an okay place. They also provide dinner you just have to make sure you signed up on the reception and free breakfast, I wasnt able to try any of those two so I wont be able to say whats it like. Theyve got a nice communal area, huge dining room and living room. A back porch to hangout and mingle with other people.

Absolutely my worst hostel experience til now. Kitchen was awful and very dirty, bathrooms were always dirty, even after cleaning. Very noisy at night, even after midnight. Not to mention the very noisy beds. I couldnt sleep at all. So if youre a trouble sleeper, I do not recommend staying here.Admin staff in the other hand were quite nice and helpful.

It has a very warm family friendly to click to be here, with great efforts by the staff team to host all guests. Nice ideas like offering play evenings or the limited free dining are great and make the stay affordless. The rooms are good sized, the kitchen can become quite full at peak times but everything you need is here and the overall package makes it a great stay for a really good price!