The recently refurbished easyHotel Old Street is a budget 3-star hotel located near the Barbican in East London. Having reopened its doors in July 2019, this new-look hotel is housed in a redbrick building with arched windows right on Old Street and contains 89 rooms, which are mainly double/twin. I stayed here for one night in August 2019 and this is my review of my visit.
To give you a real feel for the hotel, I’ve included my own images below. If you find my review for the easyHotel Old Street helpful, be sure to leave me a comment below and let me know! 👇
📌 Plan your trip with my East London city guide
Location
One of the best features of the easyHotel Old Street is its location. An easy 5-minute walk from both Old Street and Barbican Underground stations, this hotel is easily connected with the rest of London (especially as it is only two stops from Kings Cross). You can also walk into Shoreditch in 10 minutes.
There are loads of nice places to visit right near the hotel, though. The cyclist cafe Look Mum No Hands is down the road, serving coffee and food with a side order of bicycles and gear. It’s one of my favourite places to work from, so if you’re looking for somewhere to take your laptop during the day it’s a perfect option.
You can also take your pick from Shoreditch Grind and Clerkenwell Grind. The former is also great for working during the day, while the latter is perfect for cocktails and small plates in the evening.
📍 Address: 80 Old Street, Islington, London, EC1V 9AZ
☎️ Phone: +44 203 976 4890
Price
easyHotel Old Street primarily has double and twin rooms, which vary in price depending on whether they have a window or not. Prices also vary depending on the season/time of the year, but according to TripAdvisor, you can pay anywhere between £39 – £80/night.
Support my blog and book your stay with:
Are there any benefits to booking directly with easyHotel? They don’t appear to have their own loyalty scheme currently but they do have some additional benefits that you can purchase in advance when booking directly, including early check-in, late check-out and a breakfast box.
It’s also important to note that even though the hotel rooms have WiFi and TVs, the use of they aren’t free and incur an additional charge for use. Wi-Fi access costs £5 per day for two devices or £20 for the entire stay (up to 30 days, including two devices). Using the TV costs £5 as well, and I’m assuming this is for the entire duration of your stay, not per day.
easyHotel Old Street rooms
I stayed in a double room with a window, that faced onto Old Street. My mum had stayed in this hotel six years ago (before the recent refurb) and wasn’t impressed by how noisy it was then. However, the new hotel must have been soundproofed because I couldn’t believe how silent it was. Even with a window onto such a busy London street, I couldn’t hear anything.
Size-wise, the room is pretty compact – which is to be expected on any budget hotel especially in London. There was enough space around the bed that you could move around, but you wouldn’t be able to open up a large suitcase on the floor. There were a couple of hangers affixed to the wall but not a full wardrobe, as this type of hotel is clearly meant for a one or two-night stay.
The interiors were very neutral, with faux wood floors plus beige and grey walls. An illustration of the London skyline, complete with The Shard and the London Eye, is painted above the bed, which is very simple but very comfy. Crisp white cotton sheets and thick pillows made the bed a dream to sleep on. The bed is a double, which feels a little small if you’re used to a king or a queen-sized mattress, but it was still comfy enough for two people.
The bathroom
The bathroom at easyHotel Old Street was very compact and simple, with a shower, toilet and basin. You definitely couldn’t fit two people in the shower (such a shame, I know) but at least it was fresh and clean. If you’ve read any of my other hotel reviews, you’ll know I’m freaked out by anything remotely gross about hotel bathrooms. Thankfully, this one was spotless, which I really appreciated.
Breakfast
easyHotel Old Street offers a breakfast box for £5.45 per person, which you can book in advance on their website or order upon arrival. The box contains a bottle of orange juice, a fruit and seed snack, breakfast biscuits, a yoghurt and a muffin. I didn’t try the breakfast at the hotel (and I’m gluten-intolerant), so I can tell you what it’s like – but it is a reasonably-priced option for the morning, especially if you’re in a rush. Alternatively, you can always grab breakfast at one of the places I mentioned above or check out my other recommendations in East London.
Amenities
As this is a budget hotel, there aren’t other facilities or amenities here. You do have cafes, restaurants, gyms and shops right on your doorstep though so this isn’t really an issue.
I should also note that while I had access to the hotel’s WiFi during my stay, I couldn’t get it to work on my Android phone at all. I tried repeatedly but I couldn’t get online, so I can’t comment on what the strength of this service was like.
Bottom line
If you need a reasonably priced hotel near the Barbican, Clerkenwell or Old Street, then you really can’t beat the easyHotel Old Street. I had a very satisfying stay here, and couldn’t believe how much better the hotel is looking since it’s recent refurbishment. It’s definitely up there as one of the best budget hotels I’ve stayed at in East London recently. I definitely recommend the easyHotel Old Street to anyone looking for somewhere to stay that’s cheap but cool in East London.
📌 Plan your trip with my East London city guide.
Subscribe for more fabulous hotels!
Pin this blog for later!
📌 Disclaimer: This hotel kindly offered me one free night in exchange for writing a review and featuring it on my social media accounts. They made no editorial demands on me and this is a completely honest account of how I felt about my stay. As a general rule, I don’t write negative reviews: if I don’t like a hotel or hostel, I won’t feature it. So, I obviously really liked this one.