Edinburgh West End Hostel

Disappointing
Expected a five-star hostel and was left very disappointed. Serious security loopholes in their system and a distinct lack of quality in the rooms. Expected to be sharing a room with three or four others. In fact they have packed six to eight bunks in a room and it is very cramped. The shower and bathroom in the room is unhygienic and impractical. Sleeping is very difficult due to the cramped conditions and the immense noise from busy Leith Walk outside. Inconsistency when requesting the key for the luggage room. Sometimes you have to sign your name and sometimes you don't. Essentially anyone can walk in ask for the key and help themselves to other people's luggage. Main door that leads to the rooms has a security swipe system however the door was left with the latch off so anyone could access the luggage room, self catering area, and rooms. Lots of school groups here with children running around in the corridors and in the foyer and cafeteria. Generally very noisy. Wi-Fi system worked and only cost 1UKP for two hours. Overall a below average hostel with poor security, cramped sleeping conditions, and a lot of street noise. Choose another hostel to enjoy your stay in Edinburgh.

Lovely
We first got off the bus and didn't really know where to go but strolled down the road and found it in about two minutes. We were there at 9 and couldn't sign in till 1, but could leave our bags there while we had a bit of a wander, which was lovely! It was within walking distance to the Center and there was a Somerfiled just down the road, handy handy. The staff were quite nice but what really made the stay was the other hostelers. A selection of such lovely people it was like family by the end. The new kitchen had just opened the day we got there, so that was really handy. My stay was excellent frankly but perhaps not the best hostel for others as we were there to be out at fringe shows during the day and clubbing at night, so didn't really need to avail of washing machines as we were only there for four nights. The showers were great though, lovely and hot and clean. Also the fact that they were co-ed meant we could check out the other very handsome hostel goers. the twenty-four-hour access was savage, and though there was no deposit boxes i left stuff just in my bag in room and it was grand. This hostel is perfect for anyone going for a laugh with their mates, have fun.

The openly admitting (in front of customers) drug taking manager of this hostel is a rude uneducated pig with no customer service skills and has no idea how to run a hostel, but more of a homeless shelter. The website makes it look like a pleasant place to stay. What a sham!Really they are tiny dirty rooms with dirty beds and dirty bed linen for all to share, and rarely changed. The bathrooms were also on the same note, with hair in the plugholes from a few weeks, puddles in the showers, and pee on the toilet floors. The manager also doesnt seem to understand that you shouldn't put one female in a room with two men twice her age, one who cracks open a beer before going to bed, and the other who pretty much walked around naked. When I told the manager about this he didnt really seem to care, and just offered me an all female dorm. He didnt understand, and didnt care, that I didnt feel safe there and therefore didnt want to stay. I did not feel safe at all at this hostel and wish I had gone with the other reviews on this site. I have now learnt my lesson. Don't stay here especially if you are a lone female traveler.

West End Hostel, located in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh, unfortunately gives hostels a bad reputation. Only for we were part of the same group, the lack of space between all the bunk beds would certainly have been an issue. Two of the bunk beds had no ladder up to the top bunk so acrobatic movements were a necessity before being able to sleep in these beds. The bed protector sheets, duvets, and pillows were all covered with hair and dirt and were an insult to people sleeping here. The floors of the showers/toilets area were filthy and soaking with water. Hairs in the sink plugholes were not removed for the entire duration of our stay. Vomit was lying, visible to everyone, in one of the showers and when it was mentioned to one of the staff he replied in a 'what-do-you-want-me-to-do-about-it' tone "It's being dealt with" as he lay back at his desk with his feet up watching a match. This was typical of the attitude of this particular member of staff. Edinburgh is such a beautiful city, rich in culture with nightlife to match, and I would hate for anyone's trip to this city to be ruined by staying in this hostel.

For a group stay over a long period at the Fringe festival, this did not meet our needs at all -- we had no idea how small the room was that twelve of us were to be accommodated in -- only big enough to fit twelve bunk beds. There was no storage space for personal belongings (including bags) and no regular cleaning in the rooms -- which led to an appalling standard of living by the end of our stay. The times at which the so-called facilities are available were impractical and brief. There are more rules-for-the-sake-of-rules here than kindergarten (no use of the internet while "breakfast" is being served or the floor is being swept). The "lounge area" is closed all night and for most of the morning for cleaning after "breakfast" which comprised of bland cereal and toast. For Fringe-goers who (as well as a bed) require a hostel to provide somewhere to relax during the evening, our group spent most of its time in the corridor eating take-out food as both the lounge and kitchen (and any access to a kettle) were closed from around 9 p.m. The staff were civil, but are only there during the day and spend more time ensuring that the owners of the hostel are kept happy than its guests. The laundry is for staff use only -- unless you are lucky enough to catch them on a quiet day -- and this is astounding as we had to beg to have our bed linen changed after three weeks, so I have no idea what they use it for. We managed to have one game on the pool table during our twenty-eight-night stay as it served as the breakfast table for the rest of the time. This is not a hostel designed for people who plan to be out and about during the day -- because you would miss the use of its facilities. The final straw was being short-changed £10 when receiving the deposits at the end of the stay. I have no doubt that as a single traveler looking for a cheap place to stay for a night or two outside of festival time, this hostel would be an excellent choice, but as a group I know that you can get considerably more for your money elsewhere. Avoid.

Thought it was very clean for a hostel, the staff were ok. We were allowed to drink in the hostel which was handy at 4 in the morning after a big night out. Also the female cleaner was very nice, she even let me masturbate in the room while she was cleaning, now that was great and very very horny. The showers and toilet were shared but that was ok and they were very clean. Nice place.

Don't let the nice Web site of this hostel mislead you! The pool table is covered at 22 hrs. (10 p.m.) because it serves as the breakfast table. Also the pool table is rented, so when our coin got stuck the very UNfriendly staff couldn't help us at all. The bar closes at 22 hrs instead of 23 hrs and they sell no drinks, so you can hardly call it a bar. Rooms are very, very tiny, not clean at all and the same with the showers. There was no electricity in the rooms and the staff were impolite and didn't help us at all when we had a problem. Despite all this, Edinburgh is the greatest city ever, but please don't go to West End Hostel.

Nice facilities and bathrooms. Breakfast is very simple and beds are crammed like sardines in each room. The staff are really creepy.

The only thing to praise was the breakfast. We were given five beds, and on our arrival late at night we were astonished to see that the members of a stag party had occupied our beds. There was nobody around to sort things out. We spoke to the owner the following morning to ask for some kind of explanation, but to no avail. Then we asked for the complaint book, but no complaint book was to be found in the premises. As far as the showers are concerned, the cleaning person had been absent for some centuries. We tried as hard as possible to avoid physical contact with the curtains and tiles in the showers. It might have been the worst experience hostel-wise we've ever had. Good luck to potential backpackers.

One of the best I've stayed in. It's really, really clean, and has a nice staff. There are lovely bathrooms with plenty of showers and such. It has a great location also, right across from the Haymarket Station, and a walk from everything else. GREAT place.

This hostel proved to be a great place to stay. Security entry was great and having no curfew proved ideal. 24 hour showers were available and the friendly staff were at hand both for information and tour booking.

A very nice place to stay, with clean adequate facilities. The breakfast here was really good compared to all other hostels I've been to -- they had 6 types of cereal, juice, toast, and free flow hot chocolate, tea, or coffee all day. There was also a pool table in the common area.