Goldsmid House
Goldsmid House 36 Gillingham Street, London SW1V 1HU England
Full view
View all photos(12)12
Traveller (3)
Room & Suite (4)
Dining (1)
View prices for your travel dates
Contact accommodation for availability.
There are similar hotels available.
View allDid you already book this hotel?
About
4.0
#17 of 91 lodges in LondonLocation
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Great accommodation near Victoria underground station. The bulding was opened in September 2008. All the bedrooms are en-suite and guests have access to a kitchen equipped with all basic essentials. A launderette is also available on site. There are many restaurants and cafes around the residence. Shops are also nearby should you wish to cater for yourself.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Internet
Non-smoking hotel
Shared kitchen
Room features
Desk
Private bathrooms
Kitchenette
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Location
Goldsmid House 36 Gillingham Street, London SW1V 1HU England
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 97 out of 100
97
London City Airport
13.4 km•
See all flights
Heathrow Airport
21.9 km•
See all flights
Hyde Park Corner
16 min•Underground
Car Hire
253 Restaurants
within 0.5 kilometers
29Reviews2Q+A9Room tips
Reviews
Traveller rating
- 9
- 10
- 7
- 0
- 3
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Sort by:
Detailed Reviews
Goldsmid House are dorm rooms for University College London, that are opened up in the summer for visitors (not just students -- people of all ages). It's basically a single en-suite room, 8 rooms per floor, with a shared kitchen. The room decor is very basic, and I ended up buying my own big pillows nearby at Argos for £14 as the one in the room was pretty tiny. I stayed about a month, and the price was only £43 a night which is incredible for this part of London.
Even the horrifying easyhotel down the street, much worse room & tinier than this dorm room, is £65, and basic hotels in the area are typically three times the price. The security was very good too e.g. 24-hr staffed desk, gated/swipe key entry etc. And being so central is great, i.e. 100m from Victoria Station, there's a Sainsbury's and plenty of restaurants nearby, nice walks down Vauxhall Bridge Road to whichever Thames riverside walk you want to do etc.
Even the horrifying easyhotel down the street, much worse room & tinier than this dorm room, is £65, and basic hotels in the area are typically three times the price. The security was very good too e.g. 24-hr staffed desk, gated/swipe key entry etc. And being so central is great, i.e. 100m from Victoria Station, there's a Sainsbury's and plenty of restaurants nearby, nice walks down Vauxhall Bridge Road to whichever Thames riverside walk you want to do etc.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2011Trip type: Travelled on business
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
...the quality of this accommodation is not as good as before.
The location is fantastic: a very short walk from Victoria Station. The single rooms are ensuite which is not easy to find in a university residence. Each floor also has a common room with cooking facilities, fridges, microwaves, and plates/utensils, which is really convenient.
However, I have stayed here before and this time noticed that the rooms and halls were not as clean as before - not because the maintenance/cleaning staff aren't working hard. I think their workload is increasing and they just cannot do as good a job as they did before because they are overworked. Also, there were some problems with the room that were obvious and easy to fix, like having sheets that actually fit the bed. The fitted bedsheet and mattress cover were clearly too small for the mattress - they were stretched to fit but they barely reached over the mattress corners, and the sheets would fly off the mattress ends with the slightest motion. This may seem like a small thing but it was really annoying to have the sheets moving around all night long - and the mattress isn't going to stay clean if it's not fully covered. That UCL can't fix this simple comfort/cleanliness issue by purchasing sheets and covers that fit its furniture makes you wonder where else they are cutting costs.
Bottom line: great location for the price; ensuite and common rooms are a big plus; but some basic things need fixing.
The location is fantastic: a very short walk from Victoria Station. The single rooms are ensuite which is not easy to find in a university residence. Each floor also has a common room with cooking facilities, fridges, microwaves, and plates/utensils, which is really convenient.
However, I have stayed here before and this time noticed that the rooms and halls were not as clean as before - not because the maintenance/cleaning staff aren't working hard. I think their workload is increasing and they just cannot do as good a job as they did before because they are overworked. Also, there were some problems with the room that were obvious and easy to fix, like having sheets that actually fit the bed. The fitted bedsheet and mattress cover were clearly too small for the mattress - they were stretched to fit but they barely reached over the mattress corners, and the sheets would fly off the mattress ends with the slightest motion. This may seem like a small thing but it was really annoying to have the sheets moving around all night long - and the mattress isn't going to stay clean if it's not fully covered. That UCL can't fix this simple comfort/cleanliness issue by purchasing sheets and covers that fit its furniture makes you wonder where else they are cutting costs.
Bottom line: great location for the price; ensuite and common rooms are a big plus; but some basic things need fixing.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very good value when staying in city centre. I was traveling on my own and wasn't looking for anything other than a place to sleep and keep my stuff. Pay laundry and 24 hr security were a plus, friendly front desk. Rooms could have been more spotless, but I considered them clean and in good condition. Bed had a cheap mattress but didn't matter. The only downside was delivery truck noise in early morning- I don't think the dorms were full so they should book inside rooms first for more quiet (these look out onto a quieter courtyard). All in all great value.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2011
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I would have given 3.5 stars if I could, because I think the positives of the place make it somewhat better than average (more like "good"). But four stars for “very good” didn’t feel right, either. So three it is. Anyway, here are the pros and cons as I saw them.
Pros: Single ensuite room is somewhat larger than comparable rooms at other London dorms (I’ve stayed in quite a few). The bedding was fresh and clean, and the bed itself was bigger than the tiny twin that typically features in such rooms. My room facing the podium/courtyard was very quiet, with no road noise and very little disturbance from other guests using the courtyard. The room was clean and the ensuite bathroom, though “pod style,” wasn’t as cramped as others I’ve stayed in. Goldsmid House has some of the most affordable laundry facilities you’ll find in London dorms (2 pounds to wash, 1 to dry). It is close to the Victoria Coach station, where you can catch a National Express bus to Heathrow if your flight requires you to be at the airport before the tube starts running. The neighborhood has lots of pubs, restaurants and takeaway places, as well as a Sainsbury’s grocery store about a block away.
Neutral: Proximity to Victoria Station. It’s just minutes away, but I don’t find the lines it’s on (Victoria, Circle/District) particularly useful. So you’ve got easy tube access, but the journey itself often requires an additional change or two compared to if you were based around Baker Street Station (my preferred “home base” when I’m in London), Oxford Circus, or even Waterloo. Partly this is because of where the Victoria neighborhood is located: in other central neighborhoods, you’re likely to be a few minutes’ walk from a handful of stations with different lines of service. But in Victoria, walking to a tube station with a different line than those offered at Victoria is at least a 20+ minute hike. But this is mostly personal preference and I don’t think it would be an impediment to most travelers. Since the station is conjoined with Victoria train station, it’s almost always crowded, often with tourists with suitcases that they wield with reckless abandon :-) Again, not a big deal for a few days, but after a week I found myself wishing for a different tube station as my home base.
Cons: The biggest negative had to be the internet. From the hours of 5 p.m. until after 2 a.m. the speed of the internet basically slows to a crawl. I assume this is because all the other lodgers are using the wifi at the same time. But it was extremely annoying. This is a budget place, so I’m fine with having no TV in the room or in a lounge area as long as I can use my computer in the evenings to either get some work done or stream a show. I couldn’t do either very well for the entire length of my stay. Security was a bit of an issue for a few reasons. First, there is only one entrance/exit to the complex, which is good for some things (keeping non-residents out) but bad for others (emergency evacuations). Second, the gated entrance uses an automatic door that takes a long time to open/close. It would be very easy for a non-resident to walk through well after a resident had opened the door with their key-fob. The security office sits somewhat back from the door and the security guards were frequently absent or transfixed by their computer screen rather than watching who came in or out. Of all the London dorms I’ve stayed in, security staff here was probably the least attentive. My final drawback is that, for some reason, the pipes in the building (or at least in my section of the building) whistle quite loudly. It’s really shrill and likely something to do with the pressure in the pipes, but there’s no way to stop it. So whenever you or one of your neighbors takes a shower or a flush, a shrill whistle blows. Every time my neighbor flushed I woke up, and when he took a shower at 6 a.m., it was 15 minutes of pipes whistling, so I was up, too. For a 21st century building, these problems were surprising to me.
Protip: Like in all London dorms, the pillow is generally pretty awful (and you only get one). There’s an Argos around the corner where you can order a pillow online for less than 10 pounds, and then pick it up right there minutes later. Buying a pillow made sleeping much more comfortable, and at 8 pounds, I didn’t feel bad when I left it there.
Pros: Single ensuite room is somewhat larger than comparable rooms at other London dorms (I’ve stayed in quite a few). The bedding was fresh and clean, and the bed itself was bigger than the tiny twin that typically features in such rooms. My room facing the podium/courtyard was very quiet, with no road noise and very little disturbance from other guests using the courtyard. The room was clean and the ensuite bathroom, though “pod style,” wasn’t as cramped as others I’ve stayed in. Goldsmid House has some of the most affordable laundry facilities you’ll find in London dorms (2 pounds to wash, 1 to dry). It is close to the Victoria Coach station, where you can catch a National Express bus to Heathrow if your flight requires you to be at the airport before the tube starts running. The neighborhood has lots of pubs, restaurants and takeaway places, as well as a Sainsbury’s grocery store about a block away.
Neutral: Proximity to Victoria Station. It’s just minutes away, but I don’t find the lines it’s on (Victoria, Circle/District) particularly useful. So you’ve got easy tube access, but the journey itself often requires an additional change or two compared to if you were based around Baker Street Station (my preferred “home base” when I’m in London), Oxford Circus, or even Waterloo. Partly this is because of where the Victoria neighborhood is located: in other central neighborhoods, you’re likely to be a few minutes’ walk from a handful of stations with different lines of service. But in Victoria, walking to a tube station with a different line than those offered at Victoria is at least a 20+ minute hike. But this is mostly personal preference and I don’t think it would be an impediment to most travelers. Since the station is conjoined with Victoria train station, it’s almost always crowded, often with tourists with suitcases that they wield with reckless abandon :-) Again, not a big deal for a few days, but after a week I found myself wishing for a different tube station as my home base.
Cons: The biggest negative had to be the internet. From the hours of 5 p.m. until after 2 a.m. the speed of the internet basically slows to a crawl. I assume this is because all the other lodgers are using the wifi at the same time. But it was extremely annoying. This is a budget place, so I’m fine with having no TV in the room or in a lounge area as long as I can use my computer in the evenings to either get some work done or stream a show. I couldn’t do either very well for the entire length of my stay. Security was a bit of an issue for a few reasons. First, there is only one entrance/exit to the complex, which is good for some things (keeping non-residents out) but bad for others (emergency evacuations). Second, the gated entrance uses an automatic door that takes a long time to open/close. It would be very easy for a non-resident to walk through well after a resident had opened the door with their key-fob. The security office sits somewhat back from the door and the security guards were frequently absent or transfixed by their computer screen rather than watching who came in or out. Of all the London dorms I’ve stayed in, security staff here was probably the least attentive. My final drawback is that, for some reason, the pipes in the building (or at least in my section of the building) whistle quite loudly. It’s really shrill and likely something to do with the pressure in the pipes, but there’s no way to stop it. So whenever you or one of your neighbors takes a shower or a flush, a shrill whistle blows. Every time my neighbor flushed I woke up, and when he took a shower at 6 a.m., it was 15 minutes of pipes whistling, so I was up, too. For a 21st century building, these problems were surprising to me.
Protip: Like in all London dorms, the pillow is generally pretty awful (and you only get one). There’s an Argos around the corner where you can order a pillow online for less than 10 pounds, and then pick it up right there minutes later. Buying a pillow made sleeping much more comfortable, and at 8 pounds, I didn’t feel bad when I left it there.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Travelled solo
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed here for 9 days before my dorm opened up for the term, and it was a nice, comfortable and clean room in a building with a solid location.
Overall Goldsmid House is a 5 minute walk from Victoria Station and the many tube links it offers, it is within 20 minutes walking of Buckingham Palace, and there are a plethora of restaurants, food shops and everything else one might need.
Security wise I found the location spot on as long as you locked your door, which one should do. The only real negative was the heat. My stay here was late august through to early september and while it was warm outside, it was to the extent that I'd almost sprint to my room where the window was open the foot that it could be open for an escape from the heat of the hallway. I don't understand why it was warm, but it was.
Outside of this the bed was comfortable, the en-suite was perfect, and the kitchen was well situated.
Another negative is the banging of the doors, which as I've learned this year seems to be a typical issue among English University dorms that connects more to the people in the rooms then anything else.
Highly suggest this location, and University Rooms which is the site I booked through for anyone looking for a private basic accommodation in Westminster.
Overall Goldsmid House is a 5 minute walk from Victoria Station and the many tube links it offers, it is within 20 minutes walking of Buckingham Palace, and there are a plethora of restaurants, food shops and everything else one might need.
Security wise I found the location spot on as long as you locked your door, which one should do. The only real negative was the heat. My stay here was late august through to early september and while it was warm outside, it was to the extent that I'd almost sprint to my room where the window was open the foot that it could be open for an escape from the heat of the hallway. I don't understand why it was warm, but it was.
Outside of this the bed was comfortable, the en-suite was perfect, and the kitchen was well situated.
Another negative is the banging of the doors, which as I've learned this year seems to be a typical issue among English University dorms that connects more to the people in the rooms then anything else.
Highly suggest this location, and University Rooms which is the site I booked through for anyone looking for a private basic accommodation in Westminster.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2013Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Centrally located and only 2 mins from Victoria Station, this is a great deal for around 40 odd quid a night. Very clean and has security gates (just make sure you remember to lock your door all of the time even when stepping out for a few minutes to the kitchen). As others have said, very good basic student accommodation but very comfortable; Ensuite room with desk and free WiFi plus the use of the common room/kitchen complete with crockery, cutlery, cooking utensils, fridges and the usual cooking equipment; Sainsbury's, M&S food, etc. all very handy. Ask for a room facing onto the inner courtyard and noise will not a problem; if you have a room facing the street then just take your earplugs because the glass recycling rubbish trucks tend to make a bit of a din in the morning. Very good washers and dryers. Fellow travellers all very nice and considerate of each other. Buckingham Palace and the Royal Mews etc. is just a 10 min walk away so if you're planning a visit around all of the sights in central London then this is the best budget accommodation over the summer.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2013Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Rooms facing the inner courtyard are much quieter.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For £48 per night I got a comfy bed (yes it was basic, but comfy), wardrobe, internet via ethernet, my own bathroom, and equipped kitchen. Bed linen, towel and a bar of soap was provided.
You can't beat the location walking distance to the Kings Road and Picadilly. Victoria tube and buses with multitude of destinations right on your doorstep. Sainsburys and plenty of cafes/restaurants right on your doorstep.
I was in the south building which I didn't find noisey, but was quite hot. The heating wasn't on, I think the heat was just part of the building. The windows in the rooms only open half a foot so you can't adequately ventilate. I overcame this problem by moving the bed right under the window so I was kept cool throughout the night.
Overall I would return here. Improvements would be making it easier to open window slightly more and having a toaster in the kitchen.
You can't beat the location walking distance to the Kings Road and Picadilly. Victoria tube and buses with multitude of destinations right on your doorstep. Sainsburys and plenty of cafes/restaurants right on your doorstep.
I was in the south building which I didn't find noisey, but was quite hot. The heating wasn't on, I think the heat was just part of the building. The windows in the rooms only open half a foot so you can't adequately ventilate. I overcame this problem by moving the bed right under the window so I was kept cool throughout the night.
Overall I would return here. Improvements would be making it easier to open window slightly more and having a toaster in the kitchen.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2013Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: south side room is quiet
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
As others have said, Goldsmid House is cheap (£45 per night), spotlessly clean, basic accommodation, and really useful to have fridges, crockery, cutlery, ovens, kettle, etc in the kitchen It's in a great location - 5 minutes from Victoria, big Sainburys within 100 yards, and 15-20 nice restaurants plus pubs within a 5-minute walk radius.
It was hot internally - not clear why as the weather wasn't hot and heating seemed off. External noise is not too bad, especially if you get a room at the back (rooms xx7 are tucked in a corner) but - perhaps reflecting the postgrad student lifestyle of other residents - there are comings and goings at all hours with loud lockings and unlockings of doors, and including (for me) someone who decided to cook a meal in the kitchen at 4am that involved lots of to-ing and fro-ing. I'm undecided if I would use it again.
It was hot internally - not clear why as the weather wasn't hot and heating seemed off. External noise is not too bad, especially if you get a room at the back (rooms xx7 are tucked in a corner) but - perhaps reflecting the postgrad student lifestyle of other residents - there are comings and goings at all hours with loud lockings and unlockings of doors, and including (for me) someone who decided to cook a meal in the kitchen at 4am that involved lots of to-ing and fro-ing. I'm undecided if I would use it again.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2012Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: As noted, at least for the main block on Gillingham Street, I'd go for rooms number xx7 -...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I've been staying in this location for almost two and a half weeks as part of my grad course. I would have said it was overall an okay experience, but I've confronted the manager about several items from my room that are missing. I used them on a Saturday, that same day my room was cleaned. On Sunday, I noticed several items were missing. Management said "sorry" and can't do anything... Just know your locked valuables are NOT safe!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This really is excellent basic accommodation, ideal for a stay in central London. Security is good and the staff delightful, so helpful. The room was spacious enough, with an immaculate en-suite and very comfortable bed. Plenty of storage space and hot water. A bonus was a large shared kitchen-diner with the facilities to cook meals if needed, lots of fridge/freezer space which is great in the hot weather. Some might bemoan the lack of TV, to me that just added to the peace & quiet. Good WIFI connection though. Location is just round the corner from Victoria station, but it was amazingly quiet. Plenty of nice places to eat at the end of the road.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2015Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
"Rooms facing Gillingham Street are very noisy in the morning when the window are open due to trucks hauling trash and recycling."Read full review
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandLondonPimlico / Victoria
NUMBER OF ROOMS
158
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingGOLDSMID HOUSE
Frequently Asked Questions about Goldsmid House
Which popular attractions are close to Goldsmid House?
Nearby attractions include Westminster Cathedral (0.3 km), Victoria Palace Theatre (0.4 km), and Flight Club Victoria (0.4 km).
What are some restaurants close to Goldsmid House?
Conveniently located restaurants include The Cambridge Street, Kazan Restaurant, and About Thyme Restaurant.
Are there any historical sites close to Goldsmid House?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Houses of Parliament (1.4 km), Tower of London (4.9 km), and Churchill War Rooms (1.3 km).