Press Inquiries
If you have any questions about St Christopher’s Inns please contact Robert Savage:
- Email: robert.savage@bedsandbars.com
- Phone: 0044(0) 208 600 7503
- Address:1D Colet Gardens, Hammersmith, London, W14 9DH
Press Information
An Overview of St Christopher’s Inns: St Christopher’s Inns operate hostels in ten cities across Europe. You’ll find us in London, Paris, Berlin, Bruges, Amsterdam, Prague, Edinburgh, Bath, Newquay and Brighton.
The hostels are part of the Beds and Bars group, which also owns and operates Belushi’s bars. You can find more information about the parent company at www.bedsandbars.com
For more information about Belushi’s bars please go to www.belushis.com or contact Robert Savage.
St Christopher’s in the Press
The Times: “St. Christopher’s has been a welcome addition to the City of Lights ”
ARD Radio Germany
When we launched our big brother style web cam ‐ dorm room at the Village Hostel on Borough High Street, it created something of a buzz. In fact it was huge in Germany! See and hear it for youself on the ARD website.
The Sydney Morning Herald: “For a bohemian atmosphere on a budget and an added bonus of free walking tours of the city, head to one of the three well-known Flying Pig hostels.”
Lonely Planet Britain 2002: “A chain of hostels that has gained a reputation in recent years for being cheap and reliable, fun and relaxed.”
Guide De Routarde 2002: “First choice for London.”
Amsterdam
Summary
- St Christopher’s at The Winston opened in 2005 on Warmoesstraat
- The Flying Pig Hostels joined the company in 2008
- The Winston Kingdom Nightclub is next door to the St Christopher’s on Warmoesstraat
In More Detail
2005 ‐ St Christopher’s at The Winston, a budget art hotel and hostel in opens in the centre of Amsterdam, on Warmoesstraat.
Taking over from the Winston hotel and nightclub, St Christopher’s at the Winston soon became a huge success, with 50 themed, art rooms containing 130 beds and a 60 bed hostel. After the takeover occupancy rates rose from 62% to 92%.
2006 ‐ Belushi’s opened in Amsterdam with a beer and smoking garden overlooking the Red Light District. Bar takings at this location rose from €1,000 a week to €20,000.
2008 ‐ The Flying Pigs hostel group in Amsterdam joins the company, adding two world renowned hostels, and bars to the chain. The Flying Pigs beach hostel was managed under license and together the hostels added a bohemian flair to the company.
2009 ‐ The Winston Nightclub undergoes a massive retrofit to keep pace with the number of international bands, DJs and clubbers coming through the doors.
Bath
The St Christopher’s Inn opened in 2003 on Green Street.
The property includes a 54 bed hostel upstairs and a Belushi’s Bar downstairs.
The hostel is a ten minute walk away from the train station and teh bar is a popular spot for local university students.
Berlin
Summary
- The St Christopher’s Inn opened in 2006 in the Berlin‐Mitte District.
- There are 133 beds and eight apartments in this building.
In More Detail
In 2006 St Christopher’s established a hostel and apartment complex in one of the Circus hostels, in Berlin.
The building in the Berlin‐Mitte District opened in November 2006 with 133 beds and eight apartments.
A Belushi’s bar and nightclub opened at the same time. The bar was previously known as the Bunker Bar ‐ a venue frequently used by the communist Politburo during the Cold War.
Brighton
The St Christopher’s Inn opened in 2003 on the seafront, opposite the pier.
Overlooking the famous Brighton Pier, this new location offered both hostel and hotel rooms for the first time in the history of the company.
There is also a Belushi’s bar and a basement nightclub at this location.
Photos to Download
Bruges
Summary
- The St Christopher’s at the Bauhaus opened in 2005, on Langestraat.
- The property offers hotel rooms, hostel dormitories and private apartments.
- The nightclub Entrenous was added to the property in 2009.
In More Detail
In 2005 St Christopher’s at the Bauhaus opened in Bruges, offering travellers hostel rooms, budget hotel accommodation and private apartments.The historic charm and great location make the bar and restaurant popular with guests and locals alike.
In 2009 the nightclub Entrenous was added to building. The Entrenous is the only new club and performance space to receive approval from the local government, in many years. The project also received a €250,000 government grant.
Edinburgh
The hostel here opened in June 2001, opposite the Edinburgh Waverly Station.
You can see the location through a live web came feed, by clicking on this link.
This was the first St Christopher’s Inn hostel and Belushi’s bar to open outside of London.
The location is a ten minute walk from the Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile.
St Christopher’s in Edinburgh is also a host venue for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
London
Summary
- There are seven hostels in London. You’ll find a St Christopher’s Inn ‐ in Camden, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Shepherd’s Bush.
- There are also three hostels on Borough High Street, near London Bridge.
- The Village, our flagship hostel, is home to the world’s first live, dormitory web cam.
- 1995 ‐ The Grapes Inn on Borough High Street is bought and converted into a hostel, and bar. The site was originally occupied in the sixteenth century by the Christopher Inn ‐ a location where passengers would gather before taking the stage coach to Dover.
- The hostel opened with a 100% occupancy rate and a simple business plan. A bed cost £10 and there were no hidden costs. This development came at the same time when the internet was just taking off.
In More Detail
1998 ‐ With the demand for beds outstripping capacity, a second building was purchased on Borough High Street. This became the Orient Espresso coffee shop and hostel.
1999 ‐ The huge demand for budget accommodation in London led to the development of three new projects.
- A 50 bed hostel and bar in Greenwich.
- A 50 bed hostel and bar in Camden.
- A 166 bed hostel, bar and nightclub on Borough High Street.
- The Borough High Steet site was called The Village and became our most successful site in the UK.
2000 ‐ A 68 bed hostel and bar opened in Shepherd’s Bush, West London.
2008 ‐ A new hostel opens in Hammersmith inside a listed building which is also part of the tube station.
Paris
Summary
- The Paris hostel opened in 2008.
- The building is new and includes private rooms, dorms, an internet café , a Belushi’s bar, a sauna and a sound proof basement nightclub.
- It is a ten minute Metro ride from Gare du Nord.
In More Detail
2008 ‐ On February 8, after seven years of searching for the right location, the first St Christopher’s Inn to be built from the ground up opened in Paris.
By coincidence the location was next door to a church called Eglise St. Jacques St. Christophe.
As the new model for St Christopher’s Inns, Paris included private rooms, dorms, an internet café , a Belushi’s bar, a sauna and a sound proof nightclub in the basement.
The building is a reconstruction of a 19th century warehouse called Magasins Gé né raux. This burnt down in 1990, however its sister building on the opposite side of the canal survived. The new build was designed by architects Chaix et Morel.
The location in the 19th district of Paris is famous as the backdrop to the film Amé lie, next to the largest artificial pool of water in Paris ‐ the Bassin de la Villette.
Popular attractions within walking distance include the Buttes Chaumont Park and the Parc de la Villette, which includes the Science Museum.
Prague
Summary
- The Prague project is a joint operation between St Christopher’s Inns and the Bohemian Hostels group.
- The project is a four-star hotel and hostel hybrid.
- The design is especially environmentally-friendly.
In More Detail
2010 ‐ St Christopher’s Inns entered a partnership with established boutique hostel/hotel operators in Prague ‐ Sir Toby’s, Miss Sophie’s and the Czech Inn.2010 ‐ St Christopher’s Inns entered a partnership with established boutique hostel/hotel operators in Prague ‐ Sir Toby’s, Miss Sophie’s and the Czech Inn.
Mosaic House is a unique blend of private, 4-star hotel rooms, traditional backpacker dormitories and the biggest Belushi’s Bar in Europe.
Designed by Czech architect Tereza Koucká (and her team Tek Tek), Mosaic House is a unique project, fitted with the latest environmentally-friendly technologies.Designed by Czech architect Tereza Koucká (and her team Tek Tek), Mosaic House is a unique project, fitted with the latest environmentally-friendly technologies.
The building includes the Czech Republic’s first greywater recycling unit, solar water heating, energy efficient lighting, heating systems automatically controlled by occupancy and there's even an airport shuttle bus that runs on chip fat in the works.The building includes the Czech Republic’s first greywater recycling unit, solar water heating, energy efficient lighting, heating systems automatically controlled by occupancy and there's even an airport shuttle bus that runs on chip fat in the works.
Newquay
Summary
- The hostel is on a cliff top, overlooking Towan Beach.
- The Escape Surf School is part of the same building.
- You can see the location through a live web came feed here.
In More Detail
The St Christopher’s Inn opened in Newquay in 2002.
There are eighty beds, two bars and a terrace overlooking Towan Beach.
The adjoining Escape Surf School is a big draw for the backpackers staying here.
Newquay was the company’s first freehold property.
Belushi’s
The Belushi's bar chain is also part of the company and you'll find a Belushi's attached to most of the backpacker hostels. Here is a summary of the history behind Belushi's however of you require more information, please go to www.belushis.com
1994 ‐ The company’s first Belushi’s bar opens in Covent Garden, Central London.
The fantastic location and value for money business model made the bar an instant success.
Belushi’s would go on to form a highly successful chain of bars across Europe, attached to another Interpub plc business model ‐ St Christopher’s Inns youth hostels. The youth hostels would become the future of the company, with ambitions plans for expansion across Europe.
2010 ‐ You can now find Belushi’s bars in Edinburgh, Bath, Newquay, Brighton, Paris, Berlin, Bruges, Amsterdam, Prague and across London.
In the British capital the Belushi’s chain operate in Camden, Borough High Street, Greenwich, Shepherd’s Bush, Hammersmith, Fulham and Covent Garden.
The Parent Company
2005 ‐ Interpub is rebranded as Beds and Bars to reflect the two core businesses, under the parent company. The rebranding reflects that 50% of the company’s income is derived from accommodation sales at St Christopher’s Inns and the other 50%, from bar sales at Belushi’s. 2009 was also the first time when sales generated in Europe, matched those generated in the UK.
2009 ‐ In April Mrs Francisca J J M KNOWLES was awarded an MBE by HM the Queen for services to skills training in the hospitality industry and to charity. This was an honorary award, granted on occasion to people from other countries who have made a significant contribution to relations between the United Kingdom and their own country.
The company goes forward with the same four principles of customer service.
- Safe ‐ Whether you’re drinking in our bars or sleeping in our beds, we pledge to keep you safe because your experience is important to us.
- Fun ‐ We’ve found that when people have a good time, they come back and we always like to see them again.
- Secure ‐ Travel possessions and private parties are protected when you get involved with Beds and Bars. We know what’s important to you.
- Value ‐ We price to stay ahead of the competition and ensure that customers get value for money on all of our products, all of the time.
In 2010 ‐ An additional set of core values were adopted by Beds and Bars ‐ Product, People and Community.
- Product ‐ By improving the product people are attracted to it.
- People ‐ When people are attracted they want to stay in our beds, drink in our bars and work for us.
- Community ‐ With customers and staff engaged in every aspect of our business, a sense of community is created.
