Inverness Millburn Hostel SYHA

Inverness Hostel SYHA has to be the largest hostel in the country. Despite that, it's a little hard to find. It's out in the middle of a residential area (a posh one at that) and the street names are all slight variations of each other, so it's easy to make a wrong turn and find yourself back where you started. Perhaps because of its upscale surroundings, there's not one sign directing you towards it -- anywhere.

There's a pretty good uphill hike from the bus/train station. The big, white, concrete building is entirely devoid of personality -- it looks like it once was part of a boarding school or a juvenile detention hall. The institutional exterior sets the tone for the cold interior -- although very clean and efficiently run, you would be hard-pressed to find a smiling employee.

There's plenty of parking for the large tour buses that disengorge scads of teenagers that roam through the halls talking on cell phones. The reception area only had one overworked person at a time. Several times I saw at least five people in line to check in or out. You have a keycard to get into your room (they'll hold your SYHA membership card or other such valuable as a key deposit), but there's a mandatory lockout at 10 a.m. for cleaning. And no excuse you can come up with will get you into your room during this time -- even if your flight is leaving and you forgot your passport in your room. The receptionists always looked exhausted and their sense of humor and good attitude was nowhere to be found.

So bring your own party because they will not be organizing spontaneous pub crawls. However, there are rules posted everywhere (no food or drink anywhere besides the kitchen/dining room -- both large and clean -- not even in the lounge or in your own room). The kitchen/dining room close at 11, so no late-night snackfests/drinking games here! Clean sleepsheets are provided and they request you strip your bed when you leave. There is a large luggage room with lockers (bring your own lock). They have internet vouchers for the computers -- one pound for twenty minutes. There are two coin-op laundry machines -- two pounds for a wash and you can buy detergent tablets at reception for fifty pence -- if you can stand the line, and twenty pence for six minutes of drying time. Or, you can sneak it into the huge staff dryer that will dry everything you own in about ten minutes.

It's easy to get lost in the various wings. The shower on our floor was out of order, so we had to go up or down -- there was only one shower stall for the whole floor. Remarkably, it was very clean, as were the large bathrooms (five stalls/sinks per floor, so you're not crowded). The dorm rooms are large and they have lockers (bring your own lock) for your bags and power outlets in the rooms. There is a sink/light/mirror in the rooms and every bed has its own reading light that's bright enough to read, but not bright enough to keep everyone else awake. There's also a table and chairs inside the dorm room, which is a nice touch.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review