We booked here because it was the most affordable (of course, I won't say cheap-not in London :P) at a relatively central location. It's right next to St. Pancras and King's Cross stations and a 5 (ish) minute walk to Euston Station. Since we used all of those during our trip, it worked out really well. We ended up in the basement, which was not exactly desirable (a bit dark and damp and the shared bathroom had no window and was a bit mildewy-but there was a fan and it was very clean). The room was tiny, but we were never in it, anyway. Everything was very, very clean-and that made up for the lack of space and light ;) The breakfast was very filling and the staff was friendly. The area around the hotel wasn't sketchy exactly-it's a street full of house/hotels-but we did get some stares every time we went out or came back. And one night, we returned and walked by some potential prostitutes up the street :P But no one bothered us :) They had maps and were able to provide directions when asked. Overall, it was nothing special, but it was a good place to stay.

The staff at the Macdonald are very welcoming and friendly. The hotel is simple but very clean and the breakfast is very efficient - definitely no long waits like there are in some places. I usually stay here when I am ( frequently) in London. It's in a great location from Gatwick as you can get the cheaper train straight to St Pancras Kings Cross - the hotel is within spitting distance! Good pubs near by too.

Great budget hotel and a good value for the price. Front desk staff was very helpful and friendly. Free breakfast is decent (much better than paying 5-10£/person every day!). They offer either a regular English breakfast, muesli or cornflakes, and yogurt. We had no problems with the free wifi. The shared bathroom and showers were never inconvenient (some rooms have their own private bathrooms). The rooms are cozy in the European style (small by American standards, so don't expect the typical Hilton or Marriott-sized room). It's a very short walk to Kings Cross tube and St. Pancras train stations. No lift, so you'll have to carry your bags up. This might not make it a good choice for elderly travelers. Overall a fair deal.

Solo traveller - in town for an event, didn't have the missus with me so thought I'd gamble. I say gamble because some of the absolute worst 'budget' hotels or B&B's I've stayed in have been from my home town. Yes London. This place is located in a pretty square full of similar properties. And most of them are pretty disappointing. I speak from experience. I don't know why I keep returning. The fella on reception was friendly enough, smooth check in, up the stairs to the 2nd floor key in hand to the cramped entrance to my room, which had a complete ceiling light fitting dangling from it's mounting! Open the door and the words 'cat' and 'swing' become applicable. I swear I haven't seen a TV like that for 30 years. I've also thrown better furniture into a skip. Cracked glass pane in the window, I chuckled when I saw one of those tiny bars of soap about the size of an aspirin sitting in the rusty shower rack. Toiletries. The shower was disgusting, (see pix), and soundproofing? Forget it. OK I'll try and give some positives. Bed was comfy but no way a double, heater worked well bearing in mind it was -2 and freezing ouside, breakfast in the small cellar room was adequate I suppose. And location ain't bad. And it was cheap!