London Bloomsbury

Astors Museum Hostel, 27 Montague St. (020 7580 5360; www.astorhostels.com) This is a true backpackers' hostel, quiet but centrally located. The incredibly friendly staff live on-site and are always ready with a pub-crawl, a good song on the reception speakers, a discount on local sights, and themed parties once a week. Astors is welcoming, comfortable, and exciting all at once. The rooms are spacious and clean, the kitchen is open for guest use, and everything is cleaned at least once a day. Russell Square. Go down Guildford toward Russell Sq., turn left onto the square and follow it around until you reach Montague St. Turn left onto Montague St. Continental breakfast included. Bring a padlock for the locker under the bed or borrow one with a £3 deposit and a £2 rental. Luggage storage free. Laundry £2.50 to wash, £0.50 dry. Wi-Fi throughout building, 40min. free upon arrival, £5 per day, £8 per week. Recommend that you book 2 weeks in advance and 3 weeks in advance for weekends. No ensuite rooms. 4-bed, 6-bed, 8-bed, 10-bed, and 12-bed dorms range £15-25, but prices vary. Doubles/twins ££70 for 2 people per night, but price subject to change. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet.

Generator Hostel, 37 Tavistock Pl. (020 7388 7666; www.generatorhostels.com Upon waking in the Generator Hostel after a night of revelry, you may wonder if you forgot to leave the club. The likely answer is that you never went to a club but stayed in to partake in one of the hostel's nightly parties which occasionally feature DJs. Equipped with a bar open late and a 24hr. reception that plays 24hr. of music, the Generator is generating some very good times. The cafeteria-like common spaces and the fact that the staff doesn't live on-site prevents it from feeling homey, but the neon blue lights and steel panels make it look like a hell of a party. Plus, the money you save here will make your evenings just better. Russell Sq. Go down Colonnade away from Russell Sq. and turn left onto Grenville St.; follow it onto Hunter St. and turn left onto Tavistock Pl. Bring your own padlock. Laundry £2 wash, £0.50 per 10min. in dryers. Free Wi-Fi. No private baths. 4-6 bed dorms £20-25; 8-12 bed dorms £17.50-22.50. Singles £55-60; doubles £25-30; triples £17.50-25; quads £17.50-20. Call ahead as prices change. Bar open 6pm-2am. Happy hour 6-9pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.

Clink 261, 265 Gray's Inn Rd. (020 7833 9400; www.ashleehouse.co.uk) If you dream of a hostel where every night is movie night (and the film is picked by majority vote and watched from comfortable pleather chairs), where cube chairs fill the entry, and where sleek, retro plastic coverings blanket every surface, then you have dreamed of quirky Clink 261. Centrally located in Bloomsbury, Clink 261 has style, relative grace, and clean and simple rooms that are well-suited to hostelgoers unwilling to commit to grungier options. King's Cross/St. Pancras. Turn left onto Euston Rd. and follow it as it curves right into Gray's Inn Rd. Continental breakfast included. Lockers free, but bring your own padlock. Luggage storage and linens included. The hostel is cleaned and fresh sheets are distributed daily. Laundry £2 wash, 50p per 20min. in the dryer. Wi-Fi £1 per 30min., £2 per hr., £5 per day. Rooms available in 18-bed, 10-bed, 8-bed, 6-bed, 4-bed and private. Shared bath. Dorms £18-25; private rooms £50-60. Call ahead for current prices. Breakfast M-F 7:30-9:30am, Sa-Su 8-10am. Free walking tour daily 10:10am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet.

YHA St. Pancras, 79-81 Euston Rd. (020 7388 9998; www.yha.org.uk) The large YHA is home to guests of all ages, making it feel more like a hotel than a hostel. YHA is clean, efficient, and very modern in its design. Decked out with a few classy lounges filled with books such as Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union, YHA is a bit more institutional than the average hostel but also a bit cleaner. King's Cross/St. Pancras. Turn right onto Euston Rd. The Meal Deal (breakfast basket and a hot snack) £5. Laundry £4.50. Wi-Fi access from lounges £5 per 24hr., £9 per week. 80% of rooms have ensuite bath. Only 1 room is wheelchair-accessible, so call ahead if you need to use it. Doubles £45-72; quads £79-127; quints £99-159; 6-person rooms £116-191. Breakfast 7:30-10:00am. Bar open 24hr., alcohol served until 1am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet.

Thanet Hotel, 8 Bedford Pl. (020 7636 2869; www.thanethotel.co.uk) The charm of this hotel lies in its proximity to the beautiful Russell Square Gardens. Rooms are clean and the hotel is quiet. Guests on the lower floors have views through windows that stretch to the ceilings, which in this hotel are quite high. Enjoy breakfast in the pleasant breakfast room decorated with blue and teal curtains and fresh flowers on every table. In short, Thanet is a family-run, budget hotel whose accommodations hardly feel budget. Russell Sq. Turn onto Guilford going toward Russell Sq. Turn left onto Russell Sq. and follow it around until you reach Bedford Pl. Wi-Fi is not guaranteed in all rooms, but it is free. Singles £82; doubles £110; triples £135; quads £150. Breakfast M-Sa 7:45-9:15am, Su 8:30-9:30am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet.

The George 58-60 Cartwright Gardens (020 7387 8777; www.georgehotel.com) The rooms at the George are a bit old, but they're quite spacious and well furnished. In a secluded part of busy Bloomsbury, the George is a quiet and cozy hotel that'll keep you rested without keeping you away from the action. All 40 rooms have digital TV and tea and coffee machines. Also, there's a fish tank. Russell Sq. Go down Colonnade away from Russell Sq. and turn left onto Grenville St.; follow it onto Hunter St. and turn left onto Cartwright Gdns. Full English breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi. Singles £55, with bath £75; doubles £68/89; triples £79/99; quads with bath £89. Discounts for stays longer than 5 nights. Breakfast M-F 7:30-9am, Sa-Su 8-9:30am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet.

The Wardonia Hotel, 46-54 Argyle St. (020 7837 3944; www.wardoniahotel.com) Located close to King's Cross, the Wardonia offers Spartan accommodations for correspondingly low prices. Don't come here if you're looking for community or "luxury" amenities like breakfast. King's Cross/St. Pancras. Cross Euston Rd. and go down Belgrove St. with your back to King's Cross. Turn right onto Argyle St. Luggage room. Ensuite bath. TV in room. Singles £45; doubles £60-65; triples £80. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access.