New Amenities Change Hostel Image in London

Times are changing. Great Britain is about to get its first youth hostel with a bar.

More than $9 million has been invested in London’s newest youth establishment, the 320-bed Rotherhithe Hostel, located near the Rotherhithe subway stop in the city’s Docklands area, less than a mile from Tower Bridge.

Gone are the days when staying in a youth hostel meant that guests were locked out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., were required to do small chores and were forced to abide by curfews.

When the hostel opens next Sunday, guests will get magnetic keys that allow them 24-hour access. Services also include a toilet and sink in each room, a cafeteria, kitchen, currency exchanges and a sightseeing booking service. However, bar service will only be available to guests who order food. The legal drinking age in England is 18.

Accommodations will be in shared rooms, each with two to six bunks. Each bunk has two security lockers--a small one for valuables and a large one for luggage. There will also be several 10-bunk rooms for groups, plus a conference room and facilities for the disabled.

Although there are no age restrictions for British youth hostels, younger travelers are offered more attractive rates.

Until the end of 1992, a night at the Rotherhithe Hostel will cost those 21 and older about $28, 16 to 20 years will pay $25, and guests 5 to 15 will be charged $21. Americans who don’t belong to the hostel association in the United States can buy a guest card for hostels in England, Scotland and Wales for $16.

The Rotherhithe Hostel is at Island Yard, Salter Road, Rotherhithe, London SE16 1LY, telephone 011-71-232-2114. You can reach it by taking the Metropolitan or District subway line to Whitechapel, and then the East London line to the Rotherhithe station.

The former Carter Lane Youth Hostel will reopen in February after a major refurbishing, and be known as the City of London Youth Hostel. It’s at 36 Carter Lane, London EC4V 5AD, telephone 011-71-2360-4965.

The hostel is in a historical Victorian building, the former home and school for the choirboys of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and will accommodate up to 194 visitors in rooms that will have 3 to 15 beds. Guests will have the use of a restaurant, laundry, lounge and currency exchange. Not only is it close to St. Paul’s, but it’s less than a mile from the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and Museum and the Docklands.

You can find it by taking the tube to Blackfriars Station. After coming out, turn right into Queen Street. Then turn left at the second street to St. Andrew’s Hill, and Carter Lane is at the top. The rates are the same as at the aforementioned Rotherhithe Hostel.

Seven hostels and two student residences that will be open in London next summer are affiliated with the International Youth Hostel Federation. Instead of spending money on transportation to these hostels and not knowing if accommodations will be available, you can reserve a bed by phoning the hostels and using a Visa or MasterCard for payment.

These hostels are listed and can also be booked at London’s tourist information centers. There is a $2.65 fee for each booking. Information offices can be found at Victoria Station, Liverpool Street Station, Heathrow Airport subway station and at Harrods and Selfridges department stores.