The Dictionary Hostel, Shoreditch, London Hostel

Good staff and rooms, nice atmosphere for meet people.

Staff member's really preparate and gentle.

Very good location and atmosphere. I met there very nice people! I keep good remembering of it.

Incredible nice people at the reception and all the basics you need to stay a while, including a simple breakfast. Sheets were clean, but really nothing else in the room, even after we asked for a "deep cleaning", it was dusty and the bathroom stank from the mold on the walls. Therefore — 2 stars.

This is by far my favourite hostel in London. I always enjoy staying there. Rooms are great, though showers could be better. The whole design of the place is very cool. The neighbourhood is so much fun and the bar downstairs is super handy to have a quick drink and dance for a moment. The included breakfast couldn’t be better: toasts, tea, coffee and more — as much as you want! The whole atmosphere of the place feels right. They have a very useful app to help you find things to do too. The receptionist (Stefano, if I remember correctly) has an amazing music taste and keeps the lobby rocking with Smiths and Queens of the Stone Age. Some of the rooms have swings in them (yeah, swings, as in the swings you see in the park), which is always fun and adds a nice touch that no other hostels have. It’s 5min away from the tube which is super handy. Definitely coming back!

It was my best stay in London. Youthful and happy place at the junction of old and new city of London having tower bridge on one side and the new city on the other. The place where you have various activities going on constantly at various times especially the weekend evenings. You can enjoy community discussions and meals, cinema and many other things while staying here.

The hostel is what you expect for the price and location, but what really stood out for me was the friendliness of the staff! I think the girl was called Sarah and sometimes a friendly face (albeit somebody that also clearly knows what they are doing), can make a big difference to your stay! Thanks a lot guys and maybe see you next time!

Great location, grim kitchen and cleanliness but you get what you pay for in July. I stayed in a small 3 bunk hostel with one ceiling window and a fan: stupidly hot. They're working on the terrace and their bar next door is decent. You get 10%, off when staying but they weren't serving ANY food when I stayed. The communal kitchen was so grim I cooked there Inc and ate out the rest of the time. It when it came to breakfast the place was spotless to be fair and the staff we're all great.

Great location, grim kitchen and cleanliness but you get what you pay for in July. I stayed in a small 3 bunk hostel with one ceiling window and a fan: stupidly hot. They're working on the terrace and their bar next door is decent. You get 10%, off when staying but they weren't serving ANY food when I stayed. The communal kitchen was so grim I cooked there Inc and ate out the rest of the time.

Really good for what it is,. A hostel. I good services, friendly staff, great atmosphere and does exactly what it says on the tin. Great location also for further travel or city sights.

One of the worst hostels I have ever stayed.
First of all, booking system is unreliable and unprofessional. I booked for 3 nights through Expedia and recieved confirmtion email. However, the day I arrived, the receptionist said that my whole reservation was cancelled! I asked if I have to pay extra money because it's not my fault. He said that it's not his fault too. Well, fair enough. He said, If I still want to stay with them, I have to change room for the next days. I agreed. On 2nd day, I asked if I have to change the room again for tomorrow, then it turned out that he only booked me in for 2 nights, there's no booking for tomorrow. So I had to change room 3 times for 3 night stays!
Meanwhile, beds at rooms in which I stayed were not fully booked as shown in the websites.
Secondly, it was extremely noisy at weekend because of loud music from bars, clubs nearby and hons from cars, police cars, ambulance cars. Omg. It's impossible to have proper sleep there if you stay during weekend. Eventhough, I agree that the location is brilliant in terms of transportation and eating. Just 10 minutes walk to nearest tube stations, 1 minutes walk to bus stops. There're a lot of Vietnamese restaurants to try. The room is clean, big enough, WC and bath rooms are convenient.

This hostel is very loud (a lot of bars next door that play music until 2-3) and not clean (toilets not cleaned, used towels of former visitors left in dorms, rubbish in the lockers for the bags, full bins in the room). They tell you the tap water is unsafe so they can sell bottled water, and provide lockers without the locks (that you're able to buy at the counter). Breakfast is poor and staff is unfriendly.

Very nice if you want to challenge yourself to make friends, because most people here aren't solo travelers. Very nice staff and they try their best to keep it clean.

The staff was very friendly. It's near a lot of shops and bars, so if you want to go out you can by just walking 3 minutes. Met some really nice people while staying there, breakfast was good and slept well. Al though the room was filled with dust on the floor.

Discreet hostel near Liverpool Street but uncomfortable for bed lighting and outlets to charge the phone. Point in favor was the bathroom in the room, I was in a 4 person room.

Friendly staff.
The facilities leave a lot of Q desiring.
Very uncomfortable bedrooms. Guys. Little ventilation. Dirty dirty bathrooms. Mushrooms in roofs and tiles.
Very expensive for what Q offers.

Dirty and do not accept children, plus I had a problem and did not bother to speak in Spanish when there are employees who speak it…

Very friendly and lively, I recommend this hostel! Nightly entertainment, bar and rooftop terrace. This noisy but material (earplugs) are provided and the noise that the Inn's guests make is no worse than the night club noises around.
Hygiene side, only dusty under the beds because of the cages (to secure our business) thorough housekeeping on request in all cases.

If you don't mind being moved to a different room in the middle of the stay without warning… rude staff and another asking for fags from stayers every-night… one room too old and another too hot… waking up to find someone trying to break open my secured box… … making you shower in the shared area without privacy to get change because you had to wait to move into a room (I wondered why the birds hadn't dived down to snatch my little worm y'know) … Then this is the place for you! It's no wonder why I left the place a day before the original check-out. Hot shower though! Not for me.

A hostile hostel The Dictionary is now. Dangerous. Abusive. Unpredictable. We left some positive comments about The Dictionary Hostel a year ago and gave them a high rating in February LAST YEAR (02/2017). We do not want our last comments to mislead someone. When we put our favorable ratings a year ago, Karin (Karine) was the Manager and Berta was the receptionist who we first met. Our favorable rating was mostly about them and some other professionals who do not work for the Dictionary Hostel any more, regretfully. All sorts of things changed. The staff is overworked and underpaid. The turnover is very high. Some of the staff members leave. Some others from those who do stay feel frustrated and they lash out on their clients who they see as scapegoats. Some others turn to alcohol for comfort and they drink in communal areas in full view. The guests’ stuff (food and other things) from the fridge in the kitchen keeps disappearing and /or being deliberately destroyed by the abusive staff and abusive management. Manager Karine who was the manager a year ago treated her guests as valuable customers. Current management treat guests as pieces of garbage. The place including The Translate Bar has become a hotbed for alcoholics and drug users.

Friendly staff and good kitchen. Good Wi-Fi and multiple places to charge your electronics. The showers and beds could be better.

Overall great value for the money, id stay here again. Can get noisy outside at night due to the bars around. Building is very cute, nice decoration, hallway is a bit of maze. Bedding is very warm and the dorms are spacey.

A hostile hostel The Dictionary is now. Dangerous. Abusive. Unpredictable. A hostile hostel The Dictionary is now. Dangerous. Abusive. Unpredictable. We left some positive comments about The Dictionary Hostel a year ago and gave them a high rating in February LAST YEAR (02/2017). We do not want our last comments to mislead someone. When we put our favorable ratings a year ago, Karin (Karine) was the Manager and Berta was the receptionist who we first met. Our favorable rating was mostly about them and some other professionals who do not work for the Dictionary Hostel any more, regretfully. All sorts of things changed. The staff is overworked and underpaid. The turnover is very high. Some of the staff members leave. Some others from those who do stay feel frustrated and they lash out on their clients who they see as scapegoats. Some others turn to alcohol for comfort and they drink in communal areas in full view. The guests’ stuff (food and other things) from the fridge in the kitchen keeps disappearing and /or being deliberately destroyed by the abusive staff and abusive management. Manager Karine who was the manager a year ago treated her guests as valuable customers. Current management treat guests as pieces of garbage. The place including The Translate Bar has become a hotbed for alcoholics and drug users.

So, one of the shared rooms had the window stuck open, so that's that, staff seems pretty nice, there's a nice pub next door, where you will actually get a discount… Super busy area at night time, everyone party's out… Depending on your luck, you might smash some drunk dutch chick or what not. Overall ok, bit sad about the squeaky wooden floor on the corridor, and the god damn window that wouldn't shut… Good nut tho.

Well located. Nice guests. Great group activities. Has been my best night in London so far.

This is a basic hostel. Our private room was fine, and I would say the price matched the quality. All staff were nice, some were particularly lovely. The "free breakfast" was a complete disappointment. Loaves of bread beside a toaster and boiled eggs to peel, was not what I was expecting. It is also really packed and rowdy in the mornings and not in a friendly communal way. Recommend avoiding the kitchen for breakfast, plenty of coffee shops nearby. Would recommend this hostel if you just want a basic place to crash near enough to the centre.

I love this Hostel! I have stayed here twice now, both great experiences. Short walk to an underground station and lots of incredible restaurants nearby. Also if your into street art this location is in the heart of it!

I stayed 4 nights and enjoyed my stay. Good neighbourhood close to markets, shops and bars. Self service kitchen with a free simple breakfast in the morning included.

Of course as a hostel is fine. But a little bit cleaner…

I didn't stay at the hostel, but met up with some friends who did. Had a great night at the bar, though it was a bit expensive. Staff were friendly and approachable, and the other guests were a good laugh.

The Dictionary Hostel is in a great location in Shoreditch with the bus stop right out side the front door and plenty of bars within walking distance. Their facilities include sturdy bunk beds with cages underneath, though not all of them can be locked to secure your belongings. A down stairs kitchen area with plenty of gear to make a home cooked meal if you feel the need and comes a TV with Netflix for your entertainment. Good high speed Internet and cozy common room next to reception with a foosball table for all the socialites.

All the best. Friendly person nice polite short at the top. Just the showers one can tired. Good breakfast.

Great staff! Happening location. Won't find a nicer place for the price. Bunk beds in various sized rooms according to your budget and sociability. Don't expect a hotel, but plenty of soul here! Free breakfast. Free earplugs. Self catering kitchen.

The cleanliness was not the best but the staff were very friendly, the bed comfortable and in the kitchen there was a lot of choice of food to choose the breakfast.

Good place to stay for a very reasonable price. Room facilities are a bit basic. Shower rooms could do with being a bit larger. But overall excellent value for money and the staff are very friendly.

Best price for shoreditch. Friendly staff in some days of the week… just guess which and good luck. Breakfast is free though food is not really quality food. Eatable anyway! Not so noisy from 3am to 8am.

A really nice place with a cozy atmosphere. A nice kitchen with everything you need for basic cooking. The cleanliness is okay, except for the toilets downstairs which very a little gross. Staff is overall nice and there's everything a hostel needs.

As hostels go its a good place. My only dislike was there was three plug sockets per room. I would have expected one beside each bed.

Best hostel in London, hands down. I've stayed in over 10. The staff and culture and atmosphere are amazing, and Berta deserves a prize. Dennis, too.

My fav hostel so far. Trendy feel, great location. Love the full kitchen and very friendly staff. Big lockers, luggage actually fits under your bed, just bring padlocks. I totally recommend it!

Located in Shoreditch, very good for nightlife fans. All people at reception had a very relaxed attitude. 16-bed room (s) are too crowded and with only 1 shower. It also has only one small window and it does not get enough air. The hostel has an inner courtyard which gets loud at night. If your room faces the yard — bad luck. Toilets are not very clean. The shower in the room was definitely not clean and full of towels, clothes and cosmetics left by tourists. Breakfast is included in the price — the kitchen is small and gets crowded in the morning tough.

Great location, basic facilities, decent security, reasonable pricing. The noise from the street was inescapable in our bedroom. We had an four-bunkbed room and with eight of us in it it was essential to keep the windows open for temperature and odour control. Noise pollution from outside and interior hallways was a bit of a distraction from sleep. The showers and toilets were at an OK standard of cleanliness however there was a very frustrating moment on a Saturday morning between 10AM and midday where there was barely any water in the building's system to fuel showers. I personally spent 15 minutes standing in a shower to use approximately one minute worth of water, split between three short bursts of pressure. Very surprising insufficient water system for a city centre hostel.

Hostel is in a cool location and the staff is friendly. The showers and facilities are disgusting though. Their claim that they do daily cleanings daily is the biggest joke I've ever heard of. Maybe because we're on the top floor. If you don't care then go for it but this was one of the grossest hostels I've ever stayed at.

Great staff and good localization, very noisy at night, however. If you have any problem with sleeping, you can get the ear plugs for free at reception! Rooms are clean and typical for a London hostel — many 2-level beds in one room. You can lock your luggage in special cage under bed with your locker. The bathrooms were less nice and not convenient (very small). You get 10 % discount in the hostel cafe and bar, which sells good food and drinks.

I really like friendly approach of the staff and receptionist. Very happy place, perfect for young people who want to have a lot o fun and hang out with people all around the world. I will definitely come back one day with my friends.

Pretty decent actually. Right in the thick of the action, and reasonable prices. Lively bar and decent enough digs. Air con would be amazing as having a window open means the street noise — of which there was lots — comes right on in.

The staff in general was quite friendly, the location unbeatable, is a fashionable area with lots of young people. Cleanliness was nil. When I was there was no system for which you were assigned a bed, so when you arrived in the room at night you had to look in the dark a bed not occupied, all very fun. I also paid for a room with bathroom, and it took all week spoiled, having to use a common one.

Lovely hostel. We had a nice stay there twice, because the staff is very cool (especially Berta ;) ) and during the first stay we had a swing in our room, we loved it! Also the breakfast is quite good, you get everything you need. Love to stay there again!

Very good location. Cleanliness and in the room there was only one plug.

Small and very noisy. It is in an area to go out at night, but to rest is not the most advisable.

Great staff, nice loccation. I can only rec. It. Be fast, when you want to enjoy hot shower ;-)

Good hostel overall frendly staff cleanish facility's. Hell of alot of noise from what must be a nightclub nextdoor at from 1am untill about 3am.

My star rating is arbitrary as my only experience of the hostel is observing from the outside. Front that point of view I was amused and, from a professional communications perspective, quite impressed by it's bold, irreverent and memorable brand and outdoor advertising.

Great staff. Close to public transport, there's Tesco's and Sainsbury's near by, as well as restaurants and bars. Small rooms, but clean and well maintained (at least ours was). Nice kitchen, everyone washes their dishes after they are done, but I suggest you eat outside if you are really hungry. Cool crowd from all over the world.

Location was fantastic! Right on the main town. Room was perfect and had the necessities. Service was great and everyone was happy. The place gave off a youthful fun vibe.

I stayed close to a week. It has good facilities, nice big kitchen, 24 hour reception, friendly helpful staff and free Wi-Fi. The shoreditch area is a good area with lots happening. It's near a few tube stations and bus stops. Things to improve on, Wi-Fi is bit patchy, they have a cage underneath the bed but 1 of them had a lid that kept crashing down and hit my head a few times. Overall I enjoyed this place, good value for London.

The hostel has a nice vibe and great location in the hipster area of London. They provide breakfast, luggage room, laundry, maps, etc. The Wi-Fi is free and fast. The staff is friendly and really helpful. The rooms and showers are clean! You can cook in the kitchen, chill out on roof terrace, chat with other guests in the lounge and more things. The Dictionary hostel is a great unique place! ;-)

I have to say that I'm really very, very disappointed by the Dictionary. I get that it's a Youth Hostel, and Youth Hostels have priorities that include young people working there, providing different Hostel-related Activities, a bar, etc. But for each and every Hostel and Hotel around the world and especially in Europe, there has to be a well kept standard of hygiene and cleanliness. And that couldn't have been any more horrible at the Dictionary. Although they claim to be cleaning the rooms everyday, (wich we never ever even saw anyone doing) literally in every single place it could've been dirty – it was! From just layers of dust laying around everywhere, to mold in the bathroom doorframe. And to make matters worse, the internet concept and the simple and young design (which turned out to be just very basic and outworn) may be working, but our 8-bed dorm only had FOUR electrical outlets, that were situated in one row (? ) behind one of the beds. What can you possibly think, when you open a Hostel and then just don't pay attention to the most basic and easy things it should provide for their guests? Also, the room only had one light, with the switch next to the door. Thats really two things that are just not acceptable for a good Hostel. Next to that, what I found pretty sad, was that there was a kind of canvas that was attached all the way on the front side wall outside of the hostel and blocked the view outside, although there were also curtains.

• The number of electrical plugs in the room is twice less than the number of people. On top of that you can’t borrow a plug converter, you have to pay £5 • The toilet is extremely small. • The washbasin is so tiny it barely fits two hands. Since there is a soap dispenser right above it, forget about washing your face.

Best area, best crew, best atmosphere! such a fun place to stay at! I spent most of my trip there because I made so many friends and we would stay either at the hostel or Translatee Bar right next door thumbs up :)

Great location! Shoreditch is the place to be for nightlife and young culture. Very hipster. The hostel reflects that in a big way. The staff were friendly :)

Clean facilities and cool staff. Stayed here once and had a blast.

Best Hostel I've ever been to! Great location in Shoreditch. Huge ensuite dorms. Good and clean facilities. Great staff and good atmosphere. Highly recommend it!

Cosy and located in one of the hottest London neighbourhood. The staff is friendly and helpful. If you feel like having a drink at the bar, you'll probably meet nice guests before going out.

Never been to a hostel before, always too afraid! This place I loved. Option for all womens dorm. I felt very safe and the neighborhood looked sketchy but was full of mustachioed hipsters. Fantastic vintage shopping in the area! Staff and deals with nearby places was really great! Super clean. Toilet room and shower room separate from each other and in the room. They clean everyday so it's super clean. First place I've stayed that had the genius idea to leave Air Effects can in the bathroom. The walls are very well insulated but the windows let in all the noise from the club, but earplugs solve that problem! The Wi-Fi now works in the rooms for free! Also the museums have free Wi-Fi so I was posting constantly!

Great place with great people. Would come back some day.

Couldn't sleep due to the nightclub entrance directly below our room window, was kept awake by screaming and shouting all night. Ruined my weekend in London.

— a great first hostel experience. Beds were decent, it was mostly quiet at night, and the staff are friendly and helpful. A downside is that the Wi-Fi doesn't work in the rooms — only common areas.

I only stayed at the hostel for three nights, but it was a good stay. I was in room 51 — a four bed room with en suite toilet and a little wash basin. The big highlights of The Dictionary are the beds and the showers; the mattresses are very good, which makes sleeping comfortable and will stop a lot of snoring, and the showers are very powerful and stay warm, though it is fiddly to set a good temperature. Under the bunk beds, there are metal draws on wheels. There are as many drawers as people in the room, and they can be filled with your luggage and then locked shut if you bring your own padlock — there is no need to live directly out of your suitcase. The drawers roll in and out easily, even when filled with very heavy luggage. Floors were wood-effect laminate, with a thoughtful patch of tile around the basin. There were two mirrors — one above the basin, and a three-quarter-length on the wall. It was detachable from the wall, so can be used along with the mirror above the basin to see the back of your hair, which is useful for people with very long hair like mine. The hostel is very clean. Shoreditch is extremely noisy at night. The Dictionary is right on Kingsway/Shoreditch High Street and the area gets wild at nights. This is excellent if you want to go out, and if you're staying in, the street level noise disappears once you get into your room. The hostel was not entirely perfect.