The California - Kings Cross St Pancras, London

Very small and spartan room but super convenient to St. Pancras/Kings Cross stations. Staff was very friendly. Stairs were a bit awkward with heavy bags so I wouldn't recommend for anyone who would find that a challenge. Value for price so no complaints.

Such a lovely hotel. The staff are very friendly and loved that there is a bar. There’s an outdoor terrace but it was raining so couldn’t use it. Lovely room, nice and clean and a huge bathroom. Great spot for Kings Cross area, up a small side street opposite the station - would definitely stay again

Enjoyed our stay. Room did get hot and stuffy. No air on and couldn’t open windows. Would have been perfect in cooler weather. Great location and staff. Baggage hold was great for us too.

Room was clean, staff were helpful, and the location was exactly what I wanted. If you end up with a room on the top floor like me then be prepared to take your luggage up a few flights of narrow stairs.

Loved the location across from Kings Cross and St. Pancras Station. Property was clean and well kept with updated bathrooms and comfortable beds. Staff was very helpful and polite, and I appreciated the 24 hour staffed front desk. Nice to have small bar on site as well!

We found the wifi very unstable - kept disconnecting. Otherwise, a very nice hotel in a convenient location

The hotel room had no AC, and only had one fan which did not rotate, but the windows were big and could open to provide some air. The location was great, close to train stations but also on a quiet side street. The street did have construction going on, so that was a little annoying. Also the building has No Elevator and heavy luggage had to be carried up in a small narrow flight of stairs.

Stayed here for 3 nights while in London this month. Pros: clean, offers small breakfast, great vibe, friendly staff, nice decor, close to transit. Cons: no elevator, large construction site next door at the moment (couldn’t keep our windows open as workers would see right into our bathroom/bedroom, wifi didn’t really work in our room except in one spot by our door.

The only rooms with Air Conditioning are on the 4th floor. There is no elevator and no bellman, so you are on your own if you want AC.

Only demerit of this hotel is no lift even rooms exist in 4th floor.

Extremely narrow stairs (hotel put us on top floor), no lift. No A/C, and poor ventilation with weak fan — insufficient for 28-30 Celsius heat. Bathrooms drain, shower door, and toilet seat all broken. While staff were friendly, it was clear this is a dated property that ownership has made little to no effort to maintain. Location is convenient for Kings Cross and St. Pancras (international departure) trains … convenience didn’t outweigh the poorly maintained space, cramped quarters, etc. Do yourself a favor and choose a different property. This is a 2-star property in poor shape!

I’ve stayed here twice. The first time was in a room on an upper floor, this was very nice and bright. The most recent was in a basement room. Although the room is well maintained and comfortable there was an evident smell of sewage in the corridor outside. This did not get into the room but was unpleasant when outside. Overall the hotel is good for price with obviously excellent transport links.

The room lacked basic amenities, such as hand towels, washcloths, a mini-fridge, and a microwave. I stored my luggage under the bed, and when I pulled it out, it was coated in dust and dirt. The mattresses are clearly cheap and well-used. Overall, the hotel was adequate, but I wouldn't recommend it and wouldn't return.

Room was incredibly small - it wasn’t clear in the booking process that the sink was in the main room away from the toilet and that there was not a proper bathroom. Toilet and shower was separated about half a metre from the bed with a glass wall and what I can assume was very old pipes as in the morning there was water leaking from somewhere around the toilet. The room did appear clean on arrival though but you can really smell the musty old carpets in the building as a whole.

Clean room

Room was good, matress comfortable but the floor was dirty and there was no light switch by the beds, or a lamp. I found this highly uncomfortable and risky, as there was a step between the beds area and the rest of the room. Regarding the floor, I spilled a bit of drinking water so I used the feet mat to dry it and the mat was really dirty after! Also, no hooks or rails for the towels.

This is a great hotel. The proximity to KX St Pan makes it perfect for London trip. The rooms are compact, but the idea is to not spend lots of time in there anyway! The beds were really comfortable and i slept like a log. The hotel was quiet too, no noise of traffic. The cleanliness was 100%. Clean floors, clean fresh sheets. Finally i would like to say something about Sienna, the receptionist. She was really warm and friendly. Upon checkout she asked if we wanted to leave our luggage for a few hours. We were going sightseeing and didn't fancy lugging a backpack around, so this offer was very kind and really made our stay at The California. Thank you Sienna!

The hotel allowed us to drop off our luggage early before check in which was great! There was construction outside the hotel and it was noisy in the area fairly late for a Thursday night but we had to leave our windows open for air, since there was no AC. The room was comfortable but not as large or well decorated as the photos appear. The floor was dusty and the towels did not seem clean. The carpets on the stairs to the room were threadbare and very stained. It was nice to be so close to the station, we got to see Platform 9 and 3/4 and it was easy to get to other areas of London for sight seeing. For the price of this hotel, I was disappointed in the cleanliness and quality.

Excellent location. The room was very clean and comfy. Staff were friendly

There was construction outside of the hotel making it very difficult to find. Even our Uber driver was lost. A message from the hotel as a heads up would have been appreciated. We checked in around midnight and when we got to our room, it was so small that the 4 of us could barely fit our bags and ourselves in the room as it was much smaller than advertised. As soon as we opened the door a very strong sewer smell came out of the room. The bathroom was even worse. We opened windows to air it out but the smell never disappeared. The room was muggy and also had a body odor smell. The bathroom has frosted doors, so no privacy. We ended up staying just that one night since we were unable to find another hotel until the next day and barely slept due to the heat and the smell. I reached out to the property about a refund and never heard a response from anyone. Definitely do not recommend this hotel.

Very small and spartan room but super convenient to St. Pancras/Kings Cross stations. Staff was very friendly. Stairs were a bit awkward with heavy bags so I wouldn't recommend for anyone who would find that a challenge. Value for price so no complaints.

Room was clean. The bathroom is too small for my liking. We had a family room the frosted glassdoor doesn’t offer much privacy

Room was nothing like was pictured above. Was on the lower ground floor Room 101. The bathroom was extremely dated, however shower was good. Immediately we could hear people walking around on the upper level which was reception so that continued into the early hours and first thing in the morning. We could hear the underground going past well into the early hours. We could hear staff talking at reception through the ceiling, baring in mind reception is open 24/7. In the morning we were woken again at 6am by other guests and staff due to thin walls and walking around upstairs, the cleaners were extremely noisy in the morning as the cleaning cupboard was opposite. They were slamming doors and shouting between themselves. We were then woken again by the fire alarm going off at 8:00, we were not informed there would be a test before hand. As we left the room we had to navigate around all the cleaners equipment and other rooms dirty bin bags. To access the stairs. There was a sign in the desk stating a fire alarm test would be done the Monday, but this was the Sunday. Wouldn’t stay here again and have had much better experiences at bigger brands, I didn’t feel especially safe staying here

Oh friends.......the bathroom doors are made of frosted glass. So if you are traveling with friends and you want some privacy - you won't have it. The door is almost translucent as soon as it gets steamy in the bathroom from a shower. Not to mention, it doesn't block out any noises, so I hope you are SUPER comfortable with whomever you are traveling with. This is my only complaint about the hotel, otherwise I liked it. I enjoyed this hotel's closeness to Kings Cross/St Pancras - it made train travel super easy.

A basic hotel but that is what we paid for. A solid option with very friendly and helpful staff. The steep steps into the bathroom are not for the faint hearted and the walls are very thin! But a good option if on a budget. Excellent location

Close to Kings Cross. Our room though has no window !!! God forbid - if there’s fire or emergency… not good , you’ll be trapped ! This is my 3rd time here but this room we had this time was in the basement and you had to go through a steep staircase which can also be dangerously high risk for a fall ! Other than the no window & steep staircase- it was a good stay !

Stayed here for 3 nights while in London this month. Pros: clean, offers small breakfast, great vibe, friendly staff, nice decor, close to transit. Cons: no elevator, large construction site next door at the moment (couldn’t keep our windows open as workers would see right into our bathroom/bedroom, wifi didn’t really work in our room except in one spot by our door.

The only rooms with Air Conditioning are on the 4th floor. There is no elevator and no bellman, so you are on your own if you want AC.

Great location. Room had everything you needed, it was a basement room so couldn’t open any windows.

Room was too small, there's no lift, no sound proofing, internet was hit and miss and the hot water was unreliable.

Perfect for a short stay and very friendly staff

Meh. Not memorable, indifferent staff. Close to Kings Cross, though, which was the point.

Room was not ready two hours after posted check-in time.

Room was clean, staff were helpful, and the location was exactly what I wanted. If you end up with a room on the top floor like me then be prepared to take your luggage up a few flights of narrow stairs.

Okay property, but the service was pretty terrible. Didn't get us into our room until almost 4 PM, two hours after scheduled checkin. Housekeeping for some reason puts towels in the CLOSET rather than the bathroom, which meant that I had to dry myself off with a shirt when I got out of the shower. Then when I went down four flights of stairs to ask for towels, they seemed extremely exasperated by the request and asked me if I had bothered to look in the closet first, as if this was an entirely normal and obvious thing, and wasn't I such a silly, entitled hayseed tourist for fhaving failed to look there first before bothering them with such a ridiculous inquiry. I have stayed in hotels all over the world and I have never had to go rooting around in the closet of my hotel room to find a towel before. It is conveniently located right next to King's Cross station; I'l give it that. And the breakfast was okay. But other than that I can't say this place has much to recommend it.

The receptionist at time of check-in and checkout (same) was not friendly. All the other ones were super. Room wasn't ready at time of check-in although they knew what time we would be arriving. In other hotels they offer free drinks while waiting... We had ants in our bathroom (family room on the ground floor) on the last night of our stay.

The staff were really helpful.

Emma and the rest of the staff took great care and welcomed us with open arms. Super helpful and kind and gave great tips. Helped arrange transport etc. and made our trip that much better.

Above and beyond service plus great location Tremendously convenient location for any Eurostar traveler - right by St Pancras Quiet and with a charming little back terrace Not large rooms but well equipped. The staff were *amazing*

We got upgraded to a room on the ground floor based on our luggage and the difficulty getting it to higher floors. This was so kind and thoughtful and we really appreciated this after our full day of travel. The staff were so accommodating and the room was perfect.

Great location for international stations

We needed a hotel close to the station for an early trip on the Eurostar to Paris, and this was absolutely perfect. Not even a minute’s walk to and from King’s Cross/St Pancras station. 24 hour reception. We were on the ground floor (thank goodness, because we had heavy suitcases) and facing the street, and so there was a bit of street noise but nothing too crazy. Also, every 5-10 mins you could hear a bit of a rumble as the trains passed far beneath us, but the location of this topped everything else for me.

The hotel is VERY centrally located- across the street from Kings Cross-St Pancreas. The underground tunnel to get into the station is half a block from the front of the hotel. Staff was nice and cordial. The common spaces were good. They have a small bar with lots of comfy seating (I worked from here one for a couple hours one morning). There is also an outdoor patio with about 4 tables, which was also nice to sit and have a coffee in the sunshine. The room itself was very small, though it was fine for one person. Beds were very firm. The fixtures in the bathroom are a bit old but functional. My one complaint is that there is no air conditioning - I was there in June when it was over 30 degrees. Thank goodness they had a small fan in the room or I don’t think I would have made it! I put the fan in the open window, though with my room being on the ground floor it wasn’t incredibly safe. I was a bit worried but wouldn’t have survived with the window closed so took my chances. I would stay there again, as it is an incredibly convenient location, just not during a heat wave.

Near the station

Room was great and had everything we needed for our one night stay. Can’t beat it’s location close to Kings Cross station!

Great location near station. Receptionist was extreme helpful . Room was clean and comfortable.

Great location ideal

There is a huge construction site across from this property that will be active for 4-5 years. Street-facing rooms have construction noise starting at 8:30 a.m. on weekdays. There is no air-conditioning so any warm days are VERY warm (evenings included--sleeping was very hot) and with a street-facing room, open windows are difficult. The hotel staff provided a fan and were sympathetic. Small, but very comfortable lobby and bar. The room was compact but great use of space. Location very convenient. On the edge of Bloomsbury and very near Kings X.

The property was ideally located, near the King's Cross Tube Station and St.Pancras International, making it easy to get anywhere in the city, and get out of the city quickly with no fuss. The accomodtion was simple and just what was needed....

Superb location very close to King’s Cross, good value for money given size of room and facilities. I had a room with a bath and a balcony.

What a lovely place, warm friendly welcome and a really nice room. They have a bar which is open 24 hours a day and it is so close to Kings Cross so super handy. Would definitely stay here again

Very nice room and excellent breakfast

Loved the location across from Kings Cross and St. Pancras Station. Property was clean and well kept with updated bathrooms and comfortable beds. Staff was very helpful and polite, and I appreciated the 24 hour staffed front desk. Nice to have small bar on site as well!

Okay property, but the service was pretty terrible. Didn't get us into our room until almost 4 PM, two hours after scheduled checkin. Housekeeping for some reason puts towels in the CLOSET rather than the bathroom, which meant that I had to dry myself off with a shirt when I got out of the shower. Then when I went down four flights of stairs to ask for towels, they seemed extremely exasperated by the request and asked me if I had bothered to look in the closet first, as if this was an entirely normal and obvious thing, and wasn't I such a silly, entitled hayseed tourist for fhaving failed to look there first before bothering them with such a ridiculous inquiry. I have stayed in hotels all over the world and I have never had to go rooting around in the closet of my hotel room to find a towel before. It is conveniently located right next to King's Cross station; I'l give it that. And the breakfast was okay. But other than that I can't say this place has much to recommend it.

I had a tiny room but v clean. Neighbourhood noisy so could not open the window but staff brought a fan right away. Great water pressure in shower! Pillows weren’t all that comfortable but bed ok. Super close to rail and tube station. Reasonable continental breakfast available

The staff were wonderful and the location was ideal, but the road was closed down due to road construction. That had nothing to due with the hotel, but it was it was inconvenient, as we had to drag our luggage several blocks. The terrace out back was lovely and a bit quieter. Note: the only sink is IN the bedroom. Which makes getting ready without waking others impossible. Again, the staff was lovely, and I would consider the California on my next stay.

Stayed here for 3 nights while in London this month. Pros: clean, offers small breakfast, great vibe, friendly staff, nice decor, close to transit. Cons: no elevator, large construction site next door at the moment (couldn’t keep our windows open as workers would see right into our bathroom/bedroom, wifi didn’t really work in our room except in one spot by our door.

One night stay. Comfortable beds, cute outside bar, lovely staff

We stayed (family of 4) for 1 night before taking a train to Edinburgh. Family room was nice but small as is expected for London. Kings cross is a 1/2 block away. Super easy access. Breakfast was served at a restaurant next door and was excellent: full English breakfast or yogurt with fruit and granola. Note: no lift at this hotel so you have to carry your luggage.

It was awesome onec we got moved to a room above ground and with AC. The bottom floor room was smaller, with no AC but was still nice. It was hard in the heat. The hotel accommodated us nicely. Highlight was the breakfast!