Take at a look at the listing of hostels and university accommodation in Kensington and Chelsea below to book yourself in to some cheap accommodation in the area!

Price Range Key
(correct as of 2021)
£ = up to £50 per person per night
££ = up to £100 pppn
£££ = up to £150 pppn
££££ = up to £200 pppn
£££££ = over £250 pppn

Youth Hostels

There aren’t all that many hostels situated in Kensington & Chelsea so your choices are somewhat limited. Hopefully, those listed below will be suitable for you! Depending on how many of you are travelling together, however, don’t forget to check out our listing of hotels in Kensington and hotels in Chelsea – you’ll find some even have quad rooms and can be very reasonable indeed.

Astor Hyde Park Hostel
191 Queensgate, SW7 5EU
Underground: Gloucester Road/South Kensington
Price Range: £

Located just south of Kensington Gardens (or Hyde Park…hence the name), this hostel has a number of different private or shared rooms which are all modern and clean. You can take advantage of the all-you-eat breakfast (sounds amazing!) or also prepare your own meals in the kitchen. There’s also a lounge area and laundry facilities.

Barmy Badger Backpackers
17 Longridge Road, SW5 9SB
Underground: Earl’s Court
Price Range: £

Private rooms and beds in dormitories available, they offer a buffet-style breakfast and there’s also a lounge and a garden.

Earl’s Court YHA
38 Bolton Gardens, SW5 0AQ
Underground: Earl’s Court
Price Range: £

Located in a Victorian House with dormitory style accommodation of 4-10 beds per room with shared bathrooms, as well as private and family rooms. There’s a self-catering kitchen and social spaces which have all been recently refurbished. There is also a garden where barbecues are organised in the summer.

Safestay London Kensington Holland Park
Holland Walk, W8 7QU
Underground: High Street Kensington or Holland Park
Price Range: £

Formerly a YHA hostel, this is probably one of the grandest hostels in London – part of it used to be a Jacobean mansion (!). This hostel also has a wonderful location, located actually inside one of the best parks in London, Holland Park. There are beds in mixed and female-only dormitories as well as private rooms with either private or shared bathrooms. Breakfast is on offer and there’s also a private garden and laundry facilities are available. Very popular with school groups from the continent, book early to secure accommodation.

Saint James Backpackers
21 Longridge Road, SW5 9SB
Underground: Earl’s Court
Price Range: £

A family-run hostel, there’s the usual offer of private rooms or beds in dormitories. Here, they also offer a free breakfast and a free dinner! A big draw is also the large garden at the back for relaxing in when the weather’s nice.

University Accommodation

“University accommodation? I don’t (want to) go to unversity when in London!”, you might exclaim! Fear not, you don’t have to do any studying – for a number of London’s universities rent out their rooms to travellers in the summer (i.e. when the regular students aren’t there!). There’s only one university situated in Kensington & Chelsea – Imperial College – and it rents out rooms in a number of its residences.

Imperial College of Science and Technology
Underground: South Kensington or Gloucester Road
Price Range: £-££

First class position near the major South Kensington museums, both short term and long term stays (over 2 weeks) available – so, perfect if you require a cheaper option for a longer term stay in the Kensington & Chelsea area. Sports centre facilities (pool, squash courts, fitness centres) are on site at some of the halls.

7 Comments on “Hostels & University Accommodation”

  1. Hello…..I am planning on visiting London next month.. and j am wondering what will be the CHEAPEST way to get to Kensington Rd and Queensgate from Gatwick Airport… I will be staying for a few days….About me: Male solo traveler… I don’t mind walking… in fact.. I love to walk… Please let me know.. Thanks in advance for all the info you can Give me.. 😉

    Luigi

  2. Well, you won’t be able to walk from Gatwick! Cheapest way is probably getting an Easybus (www.easybus.co.uk) from Gatwick to Earls Court/West Brompton. The price depends what day you’re travelling and how far in advance you can book – it can cost as little as £2 one-way.

    After the Easybus drops you off, you could indeed walk to the Queensgate area. It would probably take about 20-25 minutes. (Or take a bus if you change your mind about walking!)

  3. Hello,
    My sister is going to attend the English National Ballet Summer Course and she´s looking for accomodation in Chelsea or Kensington.
    We need help because we don´t know the area that well and we need to find something for july.

    thanks a lot,
    Araceli

  4. Hi Araceli, how long does your sister need the accommodation for? Is the whole of July, or would it be less than that?

  5. I wll be attending a full time course in September 2012 in South Kensington and is need for a cheap accomodation, even if it means it being 30 minutes away max. It’d be great if you could help me out.

    Thank you,

    Jade.

    1. Hi Jade, would the place where you’re doing your course have any tips for accommodation? That might be the best idea, as finding somewhere (cheap!) to stay for only one month might be a little hard. If not, try looking on somewhere like GumTree (http://www.gumtree.com/) in their accommodation. HTH

  6. Hello, I will be attending 5 weeks course in Kensington and Chelsea college. I like to find a cheap place to stay for 5 weeks. It would be better if the place is near the college so I can save on transportation too. Appreciate if can get any help here

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