…Many of the places I had looked into were already booked and others were way too expensive. The high price of housing was partly because people raised rental prices under the circumstances and because the pound is currently double the value of the dollar. Since I’d be staying in London for 20 nights — even fairly priced places at £200/$400 per night added up quickly. Thankfully I heard back from a girl named Kirsty, an accommodation sales coordinator from the University of Westminster. She notified me that she had a dorm room available in Marylebone Hall the first 10 nights of my stay for £59.39 per night. Done deal! It’s an en-suite single room, which means it’s a single dorm room with a small private bathroom. I was worried where I would stay the remainder of my days/nights, but then Kirsty told me she had another room available in Alexander Fleming House that I could transfer to for £39 per night. It’s a single room with a shared bathroom, not ideal, but the price is great. Both residence buildings are located close to my venue assignment and I think staying at a university will add to my adventure.

Some cool factoids about the buildings where I’ll be staying…
Marylebone Hall is a modern, 21-storey building. It’s opposite Madame Tussaud’s and the Planetarium, two of the biggest tourist attractions in London, and is within walking distance of the city’s West End, famous for its theatres, restaurants, shopping and nightlife.

Alexander Fleming House is located in fashionable Hoxton, close to the original City of London. The Hall comprises of three modern buildings, which are set in a piazza. The architect incorporates traditional, local materials such as yellow London stone and slate roofs.