It’s a strange sensation when you leave a place you’ve only stayed barely a few days and feel kinda as if you’re leaving home.
Maddie. Happy Bunny and Bartender Extraordinaire at Palmers Lodge, Swiss Cottage. Bring your dancing shoes with you when you meet her.
That kind of place where everyone seems to be dead friendly and you just slip into the swing of things like a duck to water.
Staying at Palmers Lodge Boutique Hostel was exactly like that- home away from home.
Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage: Home away from Home
It’s rare to find that quality when travelling –it’s a kind of luxury for me.
The staff really look after you well-From Maddie and Andrea-cheerful bartenders of the Swiss Cottage and Hillspring Lodge Bar respectively to Jaime , Carmen and Fran at reception- warm, friendly people who I clicked with instantly ……
People who are just travellers like you and me and always armed with great tips.
Double Room. Ensuite. Palmers Lodge, Swiss Cottage. Price ranges from £70-£100 per night
Besides being very accommodating, both the hostels offer a great level of comfort.
Bunk Bed in a 4 bed dorm in Palmers Lodge, Hillspring Lodge Starting at £20 pppn, great bargain.
Starting with the 20 bed dorms where the bunks are built on solid oak wood, have a nice proper thick mattress which you just sink into and nice fluffy pillows. Each bunk has a curtain which offers a great level of privacy and comes with a handy reading light and plug points for charging up your gadgets.
Double Rooms at Palmers Lodge, Hillspring Lodge. Starting at £70 per room, ensuite
Moving up the scale, both hostels offer private ensuite rooms. So if you’re travelling as a couple or just want your own space- these rooms are great.
Starting at £70 a night for Hillspring Lodge and £100 mark for Swiss Cottage- these prices are on par for a budget hotel in London but still represent a great deal and far better than many 4 star hotels in the city.
Quirky and luxurious: The Lounge at Palmers Lodge, Hillspring Lodge
If you like quirky, there is abundance of character in both hostels.
Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage is a 18th century lodge- stunning entrance with a chandelier and many original features like the oak doors and staircase.
Quirky: Here is a picture of the owners's motorcycle selection which you see from the lounge in Willesden Green
Palmers Lodge, Hillspring Lodge is filled with quirky items of furnishing like a deer rug hanging from the ceiling or a garden full of the owner’s collection of 100 odd motorcycles!
Facilities are great here- huge laundry plus an onsite restaurant that does decent pub style grub.
Both hostel have a really nice lounge area. Tons of comfy sofas which you just sink into and where guests vegetate, laptop in hand surfing thanks to the excellent wifi connection in the hostels. Which is free.
At Swiss Cottage the lounge area and the reception area in Willesden Green also has a few desktop PC’s to use for free.
They have a huge plasma screen TV plus they have a great library of DVD’s which you can borrow for free and watch a movie of choice.
Both have a great funky bar, where you can socialise and meet other hostel guests.
The hostel breakfast is limited and basic- cornflakes, coffee ( not the best..) , orange juice and a croissant.
Also hostel offers free wifi in the lounge areas and not in the rooms- this they explained, was to prevent people who would abuse the privilege and be streaming movies or downloading massive files, draining the bandwith for everyone.
Fair enough.
VERDICT
Overall, I had a great stay at both Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage and Hillspring Lodge.
It’s a refreshing alternative to the mundane, soulless budget chain of hotels in the city and offer that personal touch that you crave when you’re a stranger in the city.
It’s the kind of hostel where you become so comfortable and happy living, you could easily outstay your welcome!
For more details and booking your stay visit the Palmers Lodge site: www.palmerslodges.com
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