Barmy Badger Backpackers

Yes, just like everything in London, it is stupid expensive. If you can’t deal with the prices, vacation to NYC instead. Same vibe more or less.
But it’s a good place to get a solid night’s rest. The staff is nice, there is a carb-​heavy free breakfast, and the building is fairly quiet.
Tall people beware — beds are extremely cramped as are the bathrooms and common areas. Never have I encountered a more awkward kitchen table, everyone sits and eats quietly, avoiding each other’s gazes. You’d have to be really sociable to break the ice, the environment isn’t condusive to getting to know one another.
Not too much smell of cigarette smoke (as is often the case with most hostels), which to me is priority number 1 when in Europe. This simple fact, along with the overall cleanliness, bumps it up to four stars.

This hostel is okay, but not more than that. The positives: it’s very close to the Earls Court tube line and is walking distance from Hyde Park, the Natural History Museum, the V&A Museum, etc. It’s also very clean and has a decent breakfast (cereal, toast with spreads, bananas, tea, and coffee) served from 7:30 — 9:30. The negatives: as with most London hostels, it’s quite expensive (about $ 42 – 44 US per night). Also, although there is a TV room, there isn’t space in it for more than 4 or so people to sit, and it doesn’t really have a cozy common room feel. Similarly, staff don’t do very much (or anything, really) to create the kind of friendly atmosphere you’d expect from a hostel. It’s really a clean, decent place to sleep, and not much more.