The Hostelz.com Review
Aberdeen Youth Hostel, gray and made of granite like every building in the city, is large and institutional but provides comfortable accommodation at very affordable prices. It is also the only hostel in Aberdeen. Located in a peaceful, upscale neighborhood on Queens Road, the hostel is quiet and slightly secluded.
An easy ten-minute walk down a single street, however, leads to Union Street and the plethora of bars and restaurants that litter this central artery. For those people less inclined to walk, the 14 and 15 buses stop on the street directly outside of the hostel three or four times every hour (until 11 or 12 at night) and carry passengers to any stop along the length of Union Street for about 2 pounds.
A reception desk on the first floor of the hostel is manned (or womanned as the case may be) twenty-four hours a day. There is a pay phone in the reception area and a host of maps of the city and the surrounding areas. A TV and sitting room lies adjacent to the reception where internet can be accessed for a price.
Lodgers are given a key code to access the rest of the hostel, and through this security door one finds a very large, superbly equipped kitchen complete with cubbies for food storage and a long dining room. Continental breakfast is offered each day for a small price. A quiet lounge near the kitchen is perfect for reading peacefully or working on laptops. Laundry service is available for a price in the basement, and a luggage locker there can be used to store gear that doesn't fit in the room.
Bedroom sizes vary but are not cramped or overly crowded. Rooms are well kept and very clean, and smoking is not allowed in the building. Bathrooms on each floor have several toilets and several showers. Overall, the hostel is very international and hearing five or six languages spoken in the kitchen during dinner time when everyone is busy cooking is not at all unusual. The social atmosphere can be fun if some effort is applied, but language barriers may inhibit the interactions. It is also not surprising to encounter families residing in the hostel temporarily or people of a wide variety of ages.
An easy ten-minute walk down a single street, however, leads to Union Street and the plethora of bars and restaurants that litter this central artery. For those people less inclined to walk, the 14 and 15 buses stop on the street directly outside of the hostel three or four times every hour (until 11 or 12 at night) and carry passengers to any stop along the length of Union Street for about 2 pounds.
A reception desk on the first floor of the hostel is manned (or womanned as the case may be) twenty-four hours a day. There is a pay phone in the reception area and a host of maps of the city and the surrounding areas. A TV and sitting room lies adjacent to the reception where internet can be accessed for a price.
Lodgers are given a key code to access the rest of the hostel, and through this security door one finds a very large, superbly equipped kitchen complete with cubbies for food storage and a long dining room. Continental breakfast is offered each day for a small price. A quiet lounge near the kitchen is perfect for reading peacefully or working on laptops. Laundry service is available for a price in the basement, and a luggage locker there can be used to store gear that doesn't fit in the room.
Bedroom sizes vary but are not cramped or overly crowded. Rooms are well kept and very clean, and smoking is not allowed in the building. Bathrooms on each floor have several toilets and several showers. Overall, the hostel is very international and hearing five or six languages spoken in the kitchen during dinner time when everyone is busy cooking is not at all unusual. The social atmosphere can be fun if some effort is applied, but language barriers may inhibit the interactions. It is also not surprising to encounter families residing in the hostel temporarily or people of a wide variety of ages.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
August 2006
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Aberdeen Youth Hostel Details
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Aberdeen Youth Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Horrible place It is horrible place, dirty, every room stinks, looks like never been cleaned properly? wouldn't recommend to stay there. — Anonymous , Europe (2011-02-11) Horrid I have stayed in this hostel during the high season where it serves as an average rundown overpriced typical Scottish hostel. My recent visit in the low season however revealed that it appears to be run also as an asylum centre. Most of the clients staying were from nigeria and some appeared to be homeless. As expected most of these people had low levels of hygiene and manners which made my stay a horrible experience. What's more as already mentioned the hostel is hugely expensive and many of the utilities are not working. On top of this the internet access is two pounds/hr!!. I would recommend to anyone particularly those in the possession of expensive items or electrical goods that it would be much wiser to stay in B&B you would pay only a tenner more if not less. — MOSullivan , Ireland (2011-01-11) Awesome! 4 stars I stayed in the Aberdeen youth Hostel in October 2007. The guy on the front desk was really funny and helpful -- funny i remember him so clearly. The rooms were nice and the facilities were good -- i really enjoyed my stay there. — Charlie , New Zealand (2010-10-01) I stayed in August 2005 as budget B&Bs are virtually non-existent in this city. Front of office very helpful and friendly but we had a shared room for partner and myself and the ladies toilets and facilities were on the next floor. Lots of smokers milling around the front of the house and smoke wafted in through the common areas, not so great. Good internet facilities. Lots of outside noise at night from both the corridors as well as the walkers on the gravel outside our room. Bunks were very, very small. Very good drying room. — Julie (2007-02-03) I stayed in the Aberdeen youth hostel this past summer in July and it was pretty good considering it was only my second hostel. It was pretty clean and the people were really nice. The guy at the front desk was awsome -- he was really nice too. I would definitely go back to that hostel anytime. — Hannah (2006-09-08) Well, I went there because I have been told by the tourist information center that there were no B&Bs available at that time. But once I got there it was quite nice for a hostel, but I wouldn't say a 4-star hostel. The bathrooms were a bit messy but the rooms were tidy and the kitchen was ok. People at the reception were very friendly, like everyone else in Scotland. Again, I do think there should be some concern about the quality of people that they admit to it. Some of the residents were freaky in terms of being psychologically unstable, not in a harmful way at all, but it somehow reminded me of my foundation course at the psychiatry hospital. — Simon (2005-11-12) I stayed in this hostel in July 2004. From the train station it took me a little less than half an hour to get there with my backpack. The old lady at the reception was rather unfriendly and seemed a little confused. Then, the bed was rather nasty, because the blanket smelled, probably due to an awful washing powder. The hostel is very clean, offers very many facilities, but it lacks atmosphere. — Jasmin (2005-10-15) I visited this hostel two and a half years ago. It was really nice staying here. The guy working at the reception at the time was very kind and open-minded. He made me and my friend feel very welcome. He had traveled around and got stuck in Aberdeen because he spent all his money and was now working in this hostel. I really appreciated that. What I mean is, it is very good to know that the hostel itself could become not only an accommodation, but also a financial support in a way as well. The rooms were all right and the kitchen and hygiene facilities were, too. Only it was quite loud at nighttime, when there were little children around who did not want to sleep yet. Anyway, it was great to meet people in the kitchen, some of whom offered us some of their ordered Indian or Chinese food. I had a very nice time in Aberdeen's Youth Hostel. — Zabeena (2004-10-12)