If Brazil is too far away or too expensive to reach, just jump on a cheap Ryanair flight and come to London for the most amazing, spectacular and surprising European summer party!

We are lucky enough to have here on our doorstep the most amazing European street carnival, and we would be happy to offer you 10% discount on your London stay if you book with us, at Clink261  Hostel!

BOOK NOW, then just drop us an email with your booking number and we will be happy to discount your stay!

The Notting Hill Carnival is an amazing event which takes place on the streets of Notting Hill, one of the most famous London’s areas each August, over two days, every year since 1965.
It is led by members of the Caribbean population, many of whom have lived in the area since the 1950s.

The carnival has attracted up to 2 million people in the past, so why don’t you join the fun this year?

Check the Notting Hill Carnival Official Website for all the details about this year’s celebrations or the very well done MyVillage.com Notting Hill Carnival Guide, with plenty of suggestion and hints about how to live the Carnival at its best!

This year the Carnival will be the 29th and 31th August, and the program of the celebrations includes great music, great food and of course the most colourful and joyful parade you’ve ever seen!

The 29th will be Children Day, with the emphasis on family, with a shorter Carnival route reserved for young people and kids.

The 30th, Bank Holiday Monday, will be the day reserved for the real Carnival fun, the parade, the music, the fun and frolics!

The music is at the very heart of the Carnival: street bands will be playing Soca and Calypso Music, but also many international reggae, r&b, funk and house artist have been joining the celebrations in the past years. The Carnival featured names as Eddie Grant, Jamiroquai and Wycleaf Jean, only to mention a few. Expect an ecletic line up for this year too!

You will be also able to taste the real Caribbean food as jerk chicken, rice and peas and rum punch, as well as other exotic food from all around the world in the many food stalls all around the streets.

The Notting Hill Carnival is a fantastic chance to have fun, suitable from 0 to 99 years old!
Bring your friends, your family, your work colleagues! Spread the word and come to London to dance and have fun on the most amazing Street Festival of the summer!
And most of all… do not miss the chance to have 10% discount, staying with us in Clink261!

{SPECIAL THANKS to Zoubin Navi, Alexander Montuschi, Norbert A. Mueller and Rupert Hitchcox for letting us use their amazing photos!}

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One of them is the Wireless Festival which will be back to the Hyde Park for its 6^th year from Friday 2 July to Sunday 4 July 2010. It’s a phenomenal open-air live music experience right in the centre of bustling London. The music is a mixture of today’s dance, pop and rock acts. It’s the perfect place to see great bands perform live along with up and coming talents on 4 big stages. Past years headliners were artists such as Jay-Z, Depeche Mode, Kayne West and the White stripes and this year’s Line-up is going to be just as exciting:

Friday: Pink kicks-off along with the Ting Tings, Gossip,Temper Trap, Plan B and Taylor Hawkins.

Saturday:  is known as the festivals “dance night”. LCD Soundsystem headlines along with DJ Shadow, Missy Elliot and special guest: Snoop Dogg.

Sunday: The final day sees Jay-Z, Lilly Allen, Chipmunk, Slash, Friendly Fires and many more.

If you need a break you can go to one of the many food stalls and chill out areas. The Festival also features a massive beer garden and interactive games-the perfect place to meet new people.

The Hyde Park is located right in the centre of London so it’s very easy to get there from the Clink261: You can either take the tube (Piccadilly line to Hyde Park Corner) or the bus (390, 10,73 to Marble Arch) all departing from King’s Cross.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             If

If you love festivals, what better way to spend a summers afternoon and evening?

We offer you 10% discount on your stay in the Clink261, if you attend the Wireless Festival.                

You just have to get your Festival ticket now and then book your discounted night in the Clink261!

Festival tickets are still available in a variety of options. The prices start from 47.70£ per day up to 110£ for a 3 day ticket. But you better get a ticket soon because the demand is high!

We look forward to seeing you in July!!!!

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Here at Ashlee House Hostel we love our city, in every season.
This summer we loved spending time in the nearby parks, enjoying the sun and the joyful atmosphere… and now that winter is up to come, we are all looking forward to the Holiday season… Christmas, of course, but first of all…

HALLOWEEN!

Halloween in London is always something special.

Not only all the pubs and shops are completely decorated, offering you themed food and drinks, but there are also many events, all around the city, ready to give you the most exciting and spooky time of your life.

Here is our personal list of…
10 THINGS TO DO IN LONDON AT HALLOWEEN

1 – The Blood And Tears Walking Tour – Special Halloween Edition!
Declan and his amazing rave-reviewed spooky tour were sold out two weeks in advance, last Halloween!! Be quick and book your place, if you don’t want to lose the chance to experience one of the very best walking tour in London. More info and details on the official website.
As a cherry on top, if you stay with us in Ashlee House, you will get discounted tickets!

2 – The London Dungeon
One of the most famous attractions in London, with people queuing for it day and night all year long, will be at its best on the Halloween days, with a special world-record program taking place from 18th October to 2nd November!
More info on the official website.
Book your ticket at Ashlee House reception desk: it will be not only discounted, but you will also jump the looong queue!

3 -  The British Library
Halloween is coming and the greatest library in London is ready to celebrate it.
Focusing on the period between the 1860s and 1930s, you can attend an illustrated talk examining the fascination that images of spirits, ghosts and ectoplasm held in the minds of the public, as well as high profile figures like Arthur Conan Doyle. This event is called ”Imagining The Impossible” and will be held by Gordon Rutter, head of the Charles Fort Institute and expert on strange phenomena. A good chance to talk to an expert about that shadow you saw last night… More info on the official website.
And the British Library is only 5 minutes by walk from Ashlee House Hostel!

4 – The Ministry of Sound
The Ministry of Sound, one of the most famous London nightclubs, plays host to another night of quality Halloween madness, with everything to keep your Halloween night pumping! Check the official website for more details and ask our Reception staff… if you give us candies, we might be able to get you on the Guest List!

5 – Fancy Dress Boat Party
If you feel creative and you want to show off your great costume, this is the party for you! A 4 hours cruise on the Thames on the London Belle, departing from Westminster Pier: great food, two fully stocked bars, large dance floor and a variety of great music, what better way to spend Halloween this year?
A mystery prize will be also presented to the best dressed!
Click here for more info.

6 – Madame Tussauds and the Chamber of Horrors
The most famous London day-out will be at its best also in the Halloween days!  Make all your Screams come true with a travel trough the most famous chamber of Horrors in London! Will you be able to escape?? Check the official website for more info… an if you buy the tickets at Ashlee House Reception, your screams will be discounted!!

7 – London Bridge Experience
This year, the London Bridge Experience brings you face to face with your deepest, darkest fears. Focusing on the fear of fear itself, the Phobophobia Halloween show will take you past walls that are dripping in blood, squeeze you through confined spaces and make you gasp in terror as you’re met with spiders, snakes, cackling witches and creepy clowns.
Need to know more? Check the official website! No worries, though… Ashlee House Reception is open 24h: if you’ll have nightmares, you can come and talk to us!

8 – Ripleys
One of the oddest museums in London will be ready to scare your socks off on Halloween days! Crammed with witchy artefacts and spooky objects, Ripleys Believe it or Not Museum is the perfect place for a little Halloween fun. Check out the shrunken heads, spell books, wands, and vampire killing kits… who knows, you might need one, sooner or later!
Go to the official website for more info.

9 – Chills in the Chapel: Horror Movie Nights!
What about four nights of terrifying horror films, with a backdrop just as spooky as the films you will be treated to, and all FOR FREE? The gothic Union Chapel – just a few minutes by tube from Ashlee House Hostel – with candles and atmospheric lighting, will be home to the screams of the terrified for four nights, including Halloween itself.
Check the official website for info and to pre-book your free place.

10 – Wicked!
Enjoy the most… wicked London musical, the untold story of the evil witches of Oz! This is the perfect time of the year to applaude this amazing west end show, running since more than 3 years and yet sold out every night!
More info on the official website.

AND… of course… the most important point is…

11 – Come and stay with us in Ashlee House! We offer you 10 % DISCOUNT ON YOUR STAY if you decide to come to London for the Halloween Celebrations!!

This year, London is definitely the best place where to be at Halloween, with your friends or your family!

Come and join us in the Halloween Fun! We will be waiting for you! : )

{Thank you very much to Paul Thomas, Marc Barker, Chris, Angelo Noziglia and Brian for the great photos attached to this post!}

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Here at Ashlee House Hostel we encourage music and music fans, that’s why we decided to OFFER YOU 10 % DISCOUNT if you will come to London to attend to some of the exciting upcoming autumn and winter concerts!

And if you don’t know who is playing, here is a list of some of the artists performing this autumn and winter in London.

Are you a live music fan?
So, why don’t you come to Ashlee House?
We will be happy to sing along and play your favourite tunes all over the Hostel!

10 October – DREAM THEATRE – at the Wembley Arena

14 October – FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND – at Koko

23 – 24 October – GREEN DAY – at the O2 Arena

26 October – THE NOISETTES – at the Shepherds Bush Empire

3 November – 3Oh!3 – at the Electric Ballroom

10 November – BACKSTREET BOYS – at the O2 Arena

11 November – KASABIAN – at the Wembley Arena

16 November – ALICE IN CHAINS – at HMV Forum

12 November – MUSE – at the O2 Arena

16 November – BEYONCE’ – at the O2 Arena

18 November – ARCTIC MONKEYS – at the Wembley Arena

19 November – WHITE LIES – at the O2 Academy Brixton

21 November – JONAS BROTHERS – at the Wembley Arena

21 November – WILL YOUNG – at the Hammersmith Apollo

23 November – TAYLOR SWIFT – at the Wembley National Stadium

25 November – LA ROUX – at the Shepherds Bush Empire

4 December – REGINA SPEKTOR – at the Hammersmith Apollo

8 December – PINK – at the O2 Arena

9 December – PLACEBO – at the O2 Arena

13 December – MILEY CYRUS – at the O2 Arena

17 December – LILY ALLEN -  at the O2 Academy Brixton

20 December – THE HORRORS – at the HMV Forum

21 December – PET SHOP BOYS – at the O2 Arena

and of course…

THE MICHAEL JACKSON – OFFICIAL EXHIBITION
Starting on 28/10 for a limited run only – at the O2 Arena

… There is enough LIVE music for every taste!!
So… what are you waiting for?? : )

Book your concert ticket and then
book your DISCOUNTED night in Ashlee House!

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We also had a short movie filmed in our reception and rooms (click here to read about!) and there is a Vue Cinema just 10 minutes by walk from the Hostel, in the Angel area, with many screens with all the latest releases.
(Click here to check if your favourite movie is already on screen!)

With so many great Festival all around Europe, travelling for film-lovers has never been so appealing!

Cannes, Venice, Rome, New York… so many great cities are hosting directors and actors, and of course London is right on the top of the list!!

The Times BFI 53rd LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2009 will take place from Wednesday 14 October through Thursday 29 October 2009.

This amazing event attracts every year many international filmmakers, promising to show you the best of the best in contemporary world cinema.

Last year the Festival opened with the World Premiere of Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon and closed with the European Premiere of Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and this year the program is not less exciting.

As the Film Festival Artistic Director Sandra Hebron says, “What is the cinema, if not dreams?”
This year’s Festival you will find plenty of films that work on many levels, enough for every taste and expectation.

Anyone looking for work by some of the world’s most significant filmmakers can enjoy new films from Claire Denis, Joel and Ethan Coen, Manoel de Oliveira, Frederick Wiseman, Bong Joon-ho, Steven Soderbergh, Jim Jarmusch, Shyam Benegal and many more.
They will be represented alongside a wealth of newer talents including Warwick Thornton, Jordan Scott and Mia Hansen-Løve, with also the welcome return of such maverick voices as Eugène Green, Andrew Kötting and Harmony Korine.

The opening and closing night films, both presented as World Premieres, will be Fantastic Mr. Fox by Wes Anderson, and Nowhere Boy, by Sam Taylor-Wood, where John Lennon’s early life is told as a love story.

In between these two, alongside the new fiction features and documentaries from around the world, there will be a lively programme of short films, animation, avant-garde and experimental work.

And if all this is not enough, what if we tell you about the FREE SCREENINGS in Trafalgar Square, taking place on the 22nd October?

Under the granite eyes of Horatio Nelson, in the most famous and central of London squares, you will be able to enjoy a selection of short films from the BFI National Archive and London’s Screen Archives.

All the films will be screened in various venues all around the city, so you will be able to see some of the most beautiful London landmarks as long as your favourite flicks.

For all the details about the Festival and its prestigious participants, just check the BFI official website.

If you love cinema, why not coming to London, this October?

Here at Ashlee House Hostel we offer you 10% DISCOUNT on your stay, if you book with us to attend to the Film Festival!

And if you did not have enough of seeing movies all day, you can keep doing it in Ashlee House!
Every night is a movie night, in our Hostel, thanks to the big screen in our lounge and our wide collection of DVDs.

What are you waiting for?
The best of the world cinema and the best Hostel in London are here waiting for you!!

WHERE: Many cinemas all around London, and also Trafalgar Square!
WHEN: From 14/10/09 to 29/10/09
WHY: Because it’s a great chance to see the preview of some of the best world movies and meet your favourite filmmakers and actors!

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEE YOU THEN!
(But hey… don’t forget the pop corn!)

{Thank you very much to Steve Rhodes, Richard White and Simon Pearson for the beautiful photos attached to this post!}

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All fans of the eclectic artist Emilie Autumn gathered to London to share a day together, and many of them decided to stay with us!

The weather on that very special Sunday was absolutely perfect!
When we arrived to the park, carrying heavy bags with plenty of food and drinks, we were happy to see a beautiful clear sky and a warm sun ready to welcoming us!

The park was full of people, everyone enjoying the beautiful day!
But of course the most colourful and happy ones were… the participant of the International Muffin Meetup!!

We have been stunned by the incredible beauty of their outfits!!
We will let the photos do the talk, because the colours and the great creativity of each one of the Meetup participants was enough to leave us absolutely speechless!

We spent an amazing afternoon, chatting and eating together.
People around us were playing frisbee, Victorian Twister, blowing bubbles and being busy in any other sort of fun activities!

And of course we had plenty of tea and muffins!! : )

We also had the great opportunity to listen to some talented musicians playing live their instruments!
Framed by the beautiful nature of Regents Park, it has been truly a magical moment…

We truly had an amazing day, and we feel lucky to have had the chance to meet so many great, creative, eclectic and passionate people … we feel honoured that they have decided to stay with us in Ashlee House!!

Everyone here in Ashlee House would like to thank the great people who came to London to partecipate to the International Muffin Meetup!!
We had such great time with you and meeting all of you guys has been truly a pleasure.

We hope to see you all again soon, because we love when we have the luck to have such fantastic Guests in our Hostel!! Thank you!!!

For more photos just check out our Flickr photostream!

Photos courtesy of… Laura : ) – Lunatic Tailor and Commander Stripe Princess.

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This time we have been proud to host nothing less than the South African Ladies Team attending the Eight Ball Pool World Championship 2009 in Blackpool!

Carol, Janine, Florence, Miranda, Alta and Bev decided to come a couple of days earlier to visit London, so we took the chance to invite them to The Elbow Room, our favourite pool venue in London, for a friendly game, some drinks and a chat!

We had a very fun evening together!!

It does not happen every day to speak with someone who participate to World Championship, so we have been asking them how they started playing pool and what is that they enjoy the most about this sport.
That’s how we discovered that for Bev all started because his brother and father were playing and they thought it wasn’t a “ladies’ sport”! The same happened with Florence’s boyfriend… and yet these girls proved all them wrong!

What they like the most about playing pool is having the chance to share some quality time together with friends and family, and of course the fun and the adrenaline of every new challenge!

We have been playing together for all evening, chatting and sharing ideas and thoughts.
We have been talking about shopping, travelling, lifestyle in London compared to South Africa, and even about mortgages and public transport!!
… What’s sure is that we really want to go to visit them soon!! : )))

Some of our guests came to play pool with us, and they were very happy to have he chance to do so… it does not happen every day to play with World Champions!

We have been very pleased to have these fantastic ladies with us. It’s always so very rewarding when we get the chance to meet such amazing people!
It truly makes the difference.

We have been fantastically guested by The Elbow Room, our favourite pool bar, on Chapel Market, Islington, a few minutes away from our Hostel.
It’s a fantastic venue, lively and so very welcoming!
Thank you to Donald, Kit and all the great staff who gave us the chance to have such lovely time!

And if you like to play pool, even if you’re not a World Champion, do not miss the chance to play at The Elbow Room!
Every Monday playing pool is FREE all day!
If you’re up for some fun times with your friends, great music, great food and drinks, do not miss to pay them a visit next Monday!!

Thank you Carol, Janine Florence, Miranda, Alta and Bev for staying with us: we look forward to see you again soon in Ashlee House!!
(Or maybe will be us coming to South Africa! : )) )

For more photos, just check out our Flickr Photopage!

All photos © Sonia Bertacchini

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We just had a summer fancy-dress party, so here are the photos!!

We are a very small, multicultural and enthusiastic team.
Christophe and Lucie are from France, Anne and Ivan from Ireland, Vita and Andrej are from Ukrain, Pablo from Spain, Kristine from Latvia, Dan and Gabby from Romania, Zsolt from Hungary, Yara and Jaqueline from Brasil and Laura from Italy.

Christophe and Anne

Ivan

Pablo

our manager Kristine

Lucie, Vita, Pablo, Kristine, Dan and Gabby

What are you waiting for? Come to London and join us! : )

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What we like the most of our job is the possibility to cross the lives and stories of so many different people from all around the world.
We have been travellers ourselves, so we know how it feels to be on the other side of the desk, no matter if your journey is a holiday, a break or a path of self discovery.
Every day is different and we are happy to say that our job is never dull or boring, and we are pretty much prepared for any situation…

We must say, though, that we would have never imagined that our Hostel could become the set for a film!! And yet, this is exactly what happened last week!

When Darren Sharland, the director, contacted our manager Kristine about the possibility to film some scenes of his short-film in our reception area, we have been all very thrilled by this idea.

He chose our Hostel because his background is Interior Design and Architecture and our Hostel’s spaces had all the elements needed as it was written in the script.
He thought – in his own words – that “choosing Ashlee House was the right choice because of the great light coming in the window and designed interior and space for movement.”

Of course we have been very happy to accept, so we arranged to have them invading our reception on a sunny Sunday morning.

This short film is called The Traveller (check it out on the official website) and it’s a story about an encounter.
A mysterious guy arrives in a new city and into the lives of a couple of fellows travellers, and join them on their exploration of London.
But something happens and a possible revelation threatens the very base of the couple’s relationship. Who is this guy? And what did he see?

There is only a way to discover it… watching The Traveller, that soon will be ready for screening. Keep an eye on the official website to know more about it.

The day of the filming has been fun and busy at the same time.
Lucie has been working wonderfully as usual to welcome all our Guests at her best, despite not being able to use the reception desk, completely surrounded by cameras and with real actors playing our role!
At the end of the day, though, she got some ice cream from the filming crew as a thank you for her patience.

Emily, the production assistant, has been very kind and nice, as everyone else. The crew and actors used our kitchen to cook their lunch and they have been around our Hostel for more than 10 hours of filming!

It has been truly an interesting and particular day and we are very glad they decided to choose us as a set for this great story.
Meeting all the crew and actors has been a real pleasure. We look forward to be in a cinema to see the première of this short film.

If you have been travelling in your life, you know that “travelling for a long stretch becomes less about the places you visit and things you see and far more about the experiences you have and people you meet.”

We look forward to discover which story will bring us the next ring of our entrance bell.
Maybe will be you, coming to stay with us?

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Regent’s park, five minutes by bus from our Hostel, is one of the most magical places in London.

The beautiful green landscapes and the lovely ponds are the perfect frame for many beautiful days, and we love to get lost in this park, so peaceful and mysterious that it’s easy to forget to be in the very centre of a big, busy city!

So… what about a lovely summer day, a great bunch of old and new friends, beautiful music and one of the most amazing London’s parks? Sounds good, isn’t it?
And what if we also add loads of delicious food and the perfect excuse to wear amazing Victorian dresses? Now, this is an extraordinary recipe for a great TEA-PARTY in London!



On the 2nd of August, Ashlee House will proudly host the participants of the International Muffin Meet Up!
Everything started from the music of the multi-talented artist Emilie Autumn. {Check her out on her official website!}

Dressed in lace, corsets, bustle skirts and blouses – clothes inspired by the Victorian era but re-invented with her unique style – this American performer is known for sewing her own clothes and being an amazing violin player and singer.
Her original style of music is often called ‘violindustrial’ because it’s a combination of industrial music and the electric violin.

Each of her concerts is an incredible show: music, burlesque dancing, aerial acts, fire hooping, stilt walking, ballet all gather together to create a fantastic and phantasmagorical atmosphere, able to involve and entertain the audience.

The fans of this eclectic performer from all around Europe and the world will all meet up in Regents Park to celebrate summer, music and friendship, having a colourful tea party dressed in their finest victoriandustrial clothes.
The organisers are waiting people from the Uk, USA, Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, Central Europe… Pretty much from everywhere!
If you want to have more details, just check out the International Muffin Meet Up Official Site!

We are also glad to say that they chose our Hostel for their London stay!

Everyone is welcome to this party! You don’t need to be an Emilie Autumn fan to come and have fun! All of us, here in Ashlee House, are planning to go, and we would be happy if you would like to join as well.

As a special offer, also, all the people who will book in Ashlee House specifically to participate to this event, will get a 10% discount on their stay!
Just drop us an email to have more info about.

WHERE: Regents Park, London. But also Ashlee House Hostel!
WHEN: Sunday 2nd of August
It will be an all-day event, but the main Tea Party will start around 4 O’ clock. It is recommended that you arrive somewhere between 10 AM and noon.
WHY: Because it’s a great chance to spend an original day out in London! And also because WE OFFER 10% DISCOUNT on your stay! A chance not to miss!!
HOW TO GET THERE FROM ASHLEE HOUSE: It’s just a short journey. Jump on the bus number 30 or number 205 and in 5 minutes you will be at Regent’s Park gates!

{SPECIAL THANKS to Anne and all the EA fans for helping us writing this post, and thank you to Daniel Gray, Juris, The Lunatic Tailor, Mathias, Gianluca, Filippo, Kewen and James for letting us use their great photos!}

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