I was fortunate enough to attend the relaunch party for a unique hostel at Kings Cross in London, Clink78 Hostel. The hostel  (not to be confused with it’s sister hostel Clink 261 just down the road) is a hostel in a former court house hence the name. For those that are looking for a modern comfortable hostel with a bit of London history thrown into the mix this could be worth a look.

The Court Rooms

Clink 78 is certainly a interesting and unique hostel. On walking into the building you first notice the high ceilings, original marble floor and glass ceiling. It’s a great mix of a modern hostel with history, the owners could easily have stripped out any remnants of the court house itself which would have been a real shame. Even a visit to the hostels internet cafe is a little bit special, especially if you manage to get the judges seat overlooking the court. It’s a strange experience at first to see people sitting at computers at different angles in clearly what used to be a working court house. The lounge area complete with large wide screen TV is the other court room with some unusual seating and thoughtful design. Old plaques don the walls referring to court etiquette, whether they are original or not i’m unsure.

Sleeping

For those looking for an authentic experience, you can book yourself into one of the old cells complete with heavy re-enforced door, barred window, and letter box opening for food. The prison cells can be booked on your own or with a partner.  The other rooms in the hostel are your standard affair, ranging from those with a double bottom bed with single top bunk to two bunks in a room. The rooms are minimalist, clean, modern and come with a card key for access.

The hostel has dorms of 4-6 for families, 8-10 for groups and 12-16 – the cheapest option for big groups.

Drinking

The “Clashbar” downstairs has been refurbished with some interesting graffiti and décor. The bar has plenty of room for dancing and socialising and is likely to be the scene of many themed parties, games and events. Named after “The Clash” as the band were once standing in the dock at Clink 78 for shooting prize winning pigeons.

Overall Clink 78 is a interesting hostel with good facilities and a historic twist. It’s quite a large hostel but is definitely worth looking into if you are visiting London as it has just been refurbished and has all the facilities you should need as a backpacker.