YHA London Lee Valley

Good stay with clean rooms and bathroom

Avoid this place at all costs. They are using volunteers to work here and carry out food prep with no training. They had a close miss with a child with a food allergy. They tell volunteers they are secret and have to stay hidden and basiclsly treat them like dirt., they certainly don’t value them of provide a positive experience. The management are nothing short of bullies in my view. They even told volunteers they had to share beds. So if you are looking to volunteer avoid at all costs. If you are looking to take groups of kids or stay be warned their attention to safety and food hygiene is seriously lacking.

We stayed at this hostel as a family, spending nearly £400 for a few nights, including rooms and breakfast. Unfortunately, our experience was deeply affected by the behaviour of the hostel manager, who was incredibly rude, unfriendly, and unwelcoming from the start. Some of our children live with mental health challenges, and at times this can result in them being a bit loud or needing extra support. Rather than showing any understanding or basic human decency, the manager stared at us in front of everyone, made inappropriate comments, and even counted our children out loud as if they were luggage. Her facial expressions were openly judgmental and made us feel deeply uncomfortable and discriminated against. This treatment was entirely unnecessary and ruined what should have been a positive time for our family. A little kindness or a polite conversation could have gone a long way. Thankfully, the rest of the staff were friendly and professional a stark contrast to the manager's unpleasant attitude. This experience left a lasting negative impression, and I would not recommend this hostel to anyone expecting respect and inclusion.