Pickwick Hall

I’ve seen worse and I’ve seen better. The hostel was generally clean, but stains were noted on the comforter and bed (that was visible). The shower was clogged and visually displeasing (think it needs a facelift). The breakfast was very basic with cereal and toast. The staff was a mixed bag of really nice vs off putting. One experience with a staff and miscommunication. Left me feeling less than a customer, she was more interested in her phone, I would have mistaken her as a guest had I not seen her prep the breakfast.
Pros:
two tubes near by… Russell Square (get ready for a hike up/​down a spiral long staircase, ugh), Holborn (busy!).
Location!
Close to British museum
Decent value (you get what you pay for)
Cons:
you get what you pay for
In need of repair (roommate got rained on in the night from a leaky window)
Indifferent staff (luck of the draw)
In a basement room you hear the creaking of the floor, neighbors talking (bring earplugs)
No lockers
Bottom line: in my opinion, this is not a 4.5÷5 star hostel. It should be a fair/​good score, not excellent.

Definitely stay here if you get a chance! Patrick was more than hospitable and always had a warm breakfast waiting downstairs in the morning. If you are looking for a great place to stay, with a homely feel, for a bargain, don’t pass up Pickwick.

A very lucky catch and a great hostel! I don’t know if it’s standard or if we were just lucky our room had a fridge and a microwave, which made leaving in expensive London a lot easier! Our room was a double bed ensuite, which also had a bathroom (toilet & shower). It was also incredibly quiet for being in the middle of London the only thing I occasionally heard was the very distant rumble of the Tube deep underground (we had a lower level room). Aside from the ensuite microwave, there is a microwave, a stove and an oven in the kitchen which may be used by guests. Breakfast is also included in the price, though it’s somewhat basic (as usual for hostels). The location is perfect just a street away from the British Museum and a 3 minute walking distance to two Tube stations. Directly opposite those Tube stations are also larger supermarkets. The staff was very polite and friendly. As a German, I probably have to point out that they were sometimes not quite on time and breakfast which was announced for 8am wouldn’t be ready before 8:05am. The general atmosphere is welcoming. Most of the furniture is old and shows clear signs of extensive use (the chair in our room had some burn holes), but the hostel is clean where it matters (bed, bath, food). The common room has a TV with VHS player and video tapes to watch, a (very slow) computer, a printer, and lots of books to read. A minor disadvantage is that the free wi-​fi doesn’t seem to work in all rooms. It definitely didn’t work in ours.

I enjoyed my stay here for the most part. The rooms are very very basic, so if you’re the sort of person who’s looking for a little bit of luxury in a hotel room, go elsewhere. My only complaint about the facilities was that the bed was quite slanted… I couldn’t sleep on my back because I felt like I was rolling off. But once I found the right side to sleep on it was alright.
The location is pretty good, right between Russell Square and Holborn and literally a 2 minute walk from the British Museum. With a good map and some walking shoes, it’s a reasonable distance from a lot of other sights too.
My biggest issue with Pickwick was checking in. Or, with getting in. The front door is locked. When I arrived, there was a group of people who had been waiting outside for about 15 minutes, and we waited another 20 minutes until finally someone came and opened the door. Apparently they had been out of the office, upstairs cleaning. It’s understandable for a small place like this to only have one staff member there, but both myself and the other group had arrived at our specified arrival times and there was no one waiting to let us in.
Other than that, I’d recommend it for London accommodations on a budget for sure. A very basic breakfast is included too.

The Pickwick!
This place was a huge part of why I had a terrific time during my stay in London. The location is outstanding — in the heart of Bloomsbury, down the street from Russell Square, five minutes from the British Museum and the University of London. The interior is not posh (it’s a hostel) but it’s clean and well-​maintained. Patrick, the owner, goes out of his way to make you feel at home, and is a great resource for visitors to the city.