Meininger City Hotel London

Upon arrival, we checked our bags down in the basement. There is a locked cage in which you can temporarily leave your luggage as you await a room to be checked and cleaned. Although the check-in time was 11:00, we wouldn't get in the room until 3:00 pm. Located in South Kensington, the location is ideal as it is a block from the Museum of National History, 1km from Harrods, and 3km from Buckingham Palace. So we took a stroll and came back around 4 pm to rest up (jet lag was a beast). While we napped, someone tried to break in through the sliding glass window. The intruder noticed me, swore, and retreated. I locked the window. When I asked the receptionist for a master lock (naturally I wanted to lock any valuables in the supplied lockers), she said they didn’t have any, and she offered a safety deposit box. Don’t get me wrong, I know hostels aren’t going to be the safest means of accommodation by a long shot, but I was at least expecting secure lockers.

The beds were cheap, the facilities were clean, and the hostel was well located; but their security was lacking. This would be a nice place for backpackers, but if you have any luggage or valuables you don’t want anyone snooping through, consider spending a little more to stay elsewhere.