Clink 261 Hostel in London

First time staying in a hostel, and probably my last. The 6-bed dorm was tiny and smelled awful... Two Argentinians were chatting non-stop in Spanish... The bathroom was also very dirty... The only upside was its proximity to King's Cross Station.

Staff attitude was surprisingly unfriendly.
I arrived carrying several heavy bags for a one-night stay before catching an early-morning train. Already exhausted, I had to lift everything over three small but frustratingly inaccessible steps. By the time I dragged the bags inside, I was sweating and needed a moment to catch my breath.

Instead of offering even basic empathy, the male staff member immediately questioned whether I was “on *****” because I looked tired and stressed. His first response was not concern, but suspicion—he demanded that I move my bags away from the entrance before letting me rest. When I tried to start the check-in process and said only “check in,” he refused to communicate further and told me to “come back when you’re clear-headed.” Only after he “allowed” me to speak again did he inform me that storing luggage costs £4 per item, not “£4 per day” as stated on Trip.com.

Noise level was terrible.

My room faced the street with the window fully open; traffic noise was constant and loud all night (Thursday). Combined with a roommate’s heavy snoring, it was nearly impossible to sleep. I ended up lying awake just using my phone until morning.

I understand this is a budget hostel, and I booked it purely to save money for my early train. But if you’re traveling with luggage and need proper rest before a morning departure, I’d strongly recommend choosing somewhere else.