Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel

Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel descritpion

The 5-star Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel is just half a mile from the shops of Princes Street and Edinburgh Train Station. It provides a licensed cafe and restaurant, a shared kitchen and modern rooms with private shower rooms.
The historic Royal Mile can be reached in less than a 20 minute walk, and the views from Arthur’s Seat are 1.5 miles away. Vibrant nightlife in Cowgate and bars on George Street are both within a one mile walk.
Edinburgh Central’s guests have secure coin lockers in each room, and some rooms also have a TV and DVD player. A fully equipped communal kitchen is provided, as are laundry and ironing facilities.
The hostel’s Bistro offers a varied menu for meals throughout the day. The bar area has plasma TV's and Wi-Fi coverage, and the front desk is open 24 hours.
SYHA is a charity and membership organization. For non-members, a supplement per person, per night will be added to the published rate. See Important Information for more details.

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Facilities of Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel

Kitchen ：Shared Kitchen

Pets ：Pets are not allowed.

Activities ：Library

Food & Drink ：Restaurant | Bar | Snack Bar | Special Diet Meals (upon request)

Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

Parking ：Public parking is available at a location nearby (reservation is not possible) and charges may apply.

Reviews for Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel

Review 1：Traffic noise and clubbers on the street at 3am making a racket

Review 2：Quiet (not in rooms due to street noise) but generally in kitchen and dining room. Very relaxing like home from home.

Review 3：Smoke smell in the corridors was gross. Pillows were terrible. Would have been helpful to tell your guests staying during Christmas time, that there are no good facilities open for breakfast or lunch in Sendlinger Tor. We had to go the central station hoping that there would be something available and ended up having McDonalds.

Review 4：Location was perfect, particularly for the Christmas markets, tram and trains. Lift was available and laundry facilities. Staff were happy to answer questions.

Review 5：Before check-in, the lockers used for putting luggage were full. so I could just wait near the front desk instead of hanging around first.

Review 6：The facilities. Heaters works well at night. And the pineapple cakes taste good.

Review 7：The hostel was clean and the staff were helpful. The facilities were sufficient for my stay and the environment felt very safe. Location-wise also good! Would recommend

Review 8：The hostel was in excellent condition, with modern appearance and the room was kept very clean. The location is only a short distance from Princes Street. Definitely good value. One thing I particularly liked is that they offered single sex dorms for men, as a practicing Muslim who doesn't mix with women this was the main reason I chose this one over the others in the area.

Review 9：Nothing really - I need big pillows for a neck/back condition but there were spare ones in the room.

Review 10：Great - very hot room but that was the unseasonable weather.

Review 11：- the disposition of the rooms. It feels that the room of 6 should be a room of 4. I am not very picky, but I really think it is too packed.

Review 12：- The staff is amazing. They make it up for the less good aspects. A special not the the chef! very nice. - Modern building

Review 13：My mother was taking one of the free-wifi tickets which were located in a bowl at the front desk that clearly said "please help yourself". The woman at the desk looked at my mum, said something that my mum did not comprehend and hid the bowl -little disrespectful I must say.

Review 14：Amazing Location Friendly Staff (with one exception) Good Breakfast Clean Rooms Well heated Spacious Hostel

Review 15：The duvet under the covers (the cover wasn't closed/sealed on one side) looked a bit dirty and there was a piece of hair that did not belong to me.

Review 16：The value for money was amazing. Very cheap to share a twin room with friends and it was very spacious.

Review 17：Hostel map said 10 mins walk away from train station actually took 20mins - which normally doesn't bother me - but when you've done it 4 times it gets tiring - got taxi to train station next morning which cost £5.40 - which was happy to pay. As we were twin bed private room, a kettle etc would have been Nice, we were told that there was a kitchen downstairs - but this is Self-catering - need ur own t-bags milk etc.

Review 18：Staff extremely friendly, exceptionally clean and tidy. Overall was happy as the price of £54 reflected the amenities

Review 19：The room was fairly grubby. We got to the hostel after a very difficult journey, arriving at 3am and was to tied to complain about the slight smell of sick by the bed on a very stained carpet. My 17 year old daughter said her upper bed smelt of urine. Every picture of the accommadation shows tea and coffee facility in the rooms. we had none. Didn't complain as it was cheap and we had no intention of spending a long time in the accommodation, just somewhere to put our head down.

Review 20：location was good, not to close to city centre but close enough,took only 5-7 min to walk. Staff were very helpful. We had breakfast there which was good.

Review 21：2 pounds to rent a towel, no soap in the showers

Review 22：Very nice staff! And the location was perfect, couldn't have been much more in the heart of the city.

Review 23：Although called a youth hostel, there were several older men in my room (some who made me feel uncomfortable)

Review 24：The staff were amazing. They were very helpful. The facilities were modern and comfortable.

Review 25：The room wasn't clean, under the bed we found rubbish. The shower was dirty. The rooms hasn't any guardorbe. The windows aren't possibile to close it. It was cold on the room. The photos aren't real. The staff was unfriendly.

Review 26：Located in a good position, 15 minutes walking from the city center or only 5£ with the taxi.

Review 27：Very good location - 10 mins from Princes Street. Hostel (5*) very clean and great amenities. First time staying here or any hostel and would not hesitate to do it again.

Review 28：Just a bit noisy because of the hotel is on the main street, however, what could I say... this is why we can stay in a nice city location. Just few more things: 1.it will be good if towel matt is providing in front of bath room 2. With the similar price with other hotel, people who book the whole room (not for a person) might expect more facility like towel, tea, coffee and some toiletries.

Review 29：Quite Convenience, and Room is very clean

Review 30：I had booked a private twin room however we got a room with 2 bunks in with no tea making facilities, I also had to go and ask for our towels this is not what I booked. We were late to check in so at the end of the day it wasn't the end of the world.

Review 31：Staff were brilliant, room was very clean and the shower pressure was incredible!

Review 32：Charging for keeping luggages. They even count check-out day as one day for calculating keeping fare.

Review 33：I visited Edinburgh while Fringe Festival so every accommodation was really expensive. Among them, this hostel has relatively reasonable price. Location was not that bad.

Review 34：The first day wifi was not available And it is not for whatsapp.... A lot of noise from outside, heavy traffic since very early

Review 35：Close to The city centre

Review 36：No towel provided. Two choices for breakfast meant much was wasted on us. Hot breakfast was too large for US (both seniors).

Review 37：Location was convenient for sightseeing...although a little noisy.

Review 38：I did not like the size of the showers. It wasn't comfortable sharing that space with strangers

Review 39：The desk staff were friendly and the location was ideal

Review 40：I feel that the rooms are not cheap in comparison for what you get. We paid £80 for 1 night, but there was no breakfast or lockers incl.and it was requested to take of your own sheets etc. check in was after 15:00pm and we needed to leave before 10am.

Review 41：Good location, clean rooms

Review 42：The free WiFi was so slow it was basically non-existant, but it didn't bother me - this is more advice for other guests who might need it.

Review 43：Good location in the city centre A lot cheaper than hotel options (for a single traveller) Clean, modern rooms

Review 44：Traffic noise from street. Wifi slow.. Hard to get fresh air in room unless opened slats as well as windows.

Review 45：The food, ensuite in bedroom, design of bedroom, well-appointed self catering kitchen, lifts. Staff pleasant and helpful.

Review 46：Would have liked soap...Had to buy a whole cake of soap for two nights...

Review 47：Good clean facilities in a location that is easy to walk into the main sites.

Review 48：Only problem we had is that our room was facing the street, and since it's only single glazed windows, we had a lot of traffic noise from the street. Because the sun was shining right in it was very warm, too. Maybe ask for a room facing the other way. Otherwise rooms and floors were very quiet.

Review 49：Great staff, clean facilities, great location, only 10 minute walk to princess street, very secure building, clean rooms.

Review 50：On a noisy main road, double glazing helps keep noise out but having to have the windows closed on warm nights not ideal

Review 51：Great location and facilities, friendly atmosphere, helpful staff

Review 52：Check-in time is late and you have to pay for leaving your luggage at the hostel before check-in and in the room there are no towels, you also have to pay for towels.

Review 53：Great location!

Review 54：Paying per hour for left luggage lockers and scraps of paper with long codes for 12 hour Wi-Fi access felt a bit cheap.

Review 55：Amazing value for money during the Fringe - really top notch hostel accommodation. Great New Town location, excellent comfortable private rooms, ensuite, lots of room, clean and well maintained.

Review 56：Very expensive for a YHA, even at high season. Dogmatic about check-in time (3pm) - wasteful if you get to the city early in the day . Wifi valid only for 12 hours, i.e. not full length of stay of 19 hours max.! Disinterested staff

Review 57：Meal from cafeteria was excellent value for money

Review 58：The first day we arrived too early for check in and had to pay for a locker for our bags (50p - £1.05 per hour) which I think is unacceptable considering the cost of our room for the 3 night stay (£400). We complained that our bed was broken and had a very bad night and we got a room change and complementary breakfast for the rest of the stay to compensate. We were very pleased with the way the hostel sorted out the problem.

Review 59：The location was convenient to the centre of the city. Just a 15 minute walk and much cheaper than the accommodation in the city centre during the festival time. The staff were excellent at sorting out problems we had with the comfort of the bed on the first night.

Review 60：Check out at 10 and can't check in until 3?Takes 5 hours to tidy a very basic room? The beancounters are at work with the breakfasts.This year the quality and selection on offer was pitiful.

Review 61：Location

Review 62：The smell in the room 318 was terrible. After one night we realised the carpet in the room was tottaly wet, probably caused by a leak in the bathroom. The mattress is very unconfortable. It was my 6th time there and in all of them the mattress was unconfortable. Too expensive.

Review 63：Location is nice.

Review 64：My only reservation was that my room - which was directly over the corner of Annandale and Leith Walk-was very noisy. Of course this is a function of the location, not controllable by the management in any way, but still, it's something one may want to know if considering a stay here. It's likely that other rooms are less invaded by street noise.

Review 65：The staff were wonderfully friendly, kind and cheerful. Always a smile and alert to any of my needs. The restaurant served delicious, healthy food at bargain rates, with OTT service as well.

Review 66：Asked for extra pillow because the pillow was really uncomfortable, but the staff couldn't provide us with any extra pillow.

Review 67：The hostel was bright and clean, and the kitchen was awesome!

Review 68：Bug biting in the room with comforters covering the body. Incompatible bedding with cotton falling out. Lump of sheets on the hallway all through our stay. Furniture out of place. Luggage check-in charged by the hour at astonishing price:one pound one hour.

Review 69：One of the the staff was very unfriendly, simply giving the door cards and when to check out without giving any introduction to any facilities. What is worse, he gave me wrong information about luggage and caused me a lot of trouble!

Review 70：Things seem to be new. Convenient and safe door card

Review 71：Clean rooms, friendly staff, and good location. We had to skip breakfast as we were leaving early but it looked and smelled good! Accessible lifts were handy too - at our previous hostel we had to lift all our heavy luggage up several flights of stairs.

Review 72：Room faces the main road and thus exposed to loud traffic noise. Some minor things in the room were not working such as the ventilator in the bathroom and the light on top of the wash basin. Place to hang up clothes was not practical as it is the same shared space as the kettle and tea-making facilities and the total height of the space was only about 3 feet..

Review 73：Location was convenient and quite central in the newer part of town. Front desk staff were very helpful, informative and courteous. Communal kitchen facilities and dining hall were great!

Review 74：We booked a triple room. It is an en-suit, spacious, clean and quiet. The WiFi signal is very good on the third floor. The self-catering kitchen is very well furnished (4 ovens with hobs, 2 big fridges, microwave, lots of pots, etc) and the dining area is large. This hostel is greatly above our expectation for its price and quality in such a central location.

Review 75：Nothing

Review 76：The location was very good, standards were high. our "premier" en suite room was very comparable to budget hotels, but half the price!

Review 77：Clean. Quiet. Most like a hotel with private baths. Easy walking to King's Row and the shops. Ate in the cafe the first night. Had the bbq chicken and it was pretty good. (I'm from southern USA so I've tasted lots of bbq.) Front desk staff friendly and gave good information.

Review 78：The room wasn't properly cleaned. A workman had obviously used the small table as a work bench and had left wood shaving all over it and on the floor. I think the room should have been checked before it was given to us. The rest of the room was totally fine.

Review 79：Great friendly staff who go out of their way to ensure that they do everything they can to make sure your stay is pleasurable.

Review 80：They charged you to keep your luggage until check in time. There are lockers that cost £ 1 per hour or you can give 6 pound for a day. wifi is not free. It also costs £ 1 per hour. They could not find a hair drier. I asked at 9, 10 and 12 three times but cant have.

Review 81：Near to the bus station female room

Review 82：Location is fair, hostels at Royal miles are probably better for tourist though The room is modified from a previous dorm, the lock was removed and became a key lock, upgrade is not well done I'm afraid. £45 with no breakfast and utilities are a bit expensive

Review 83：Room, linen and towels are clean Spacious for solo traveller

Review 84：Poorly appointed self-catering kitchen. No mugs, none, all weekend! One microwave which led to long queues. Very noisy if bedroom on the road side of the building.

Review 85：The twin room was nice and the location was perfect for our needs (right at the start of the Edinburgh Marathon)

Review 86：Paid Wifi

Review 87：Very clean and spacious rooms, good shower too. In a city where Hotels have become very expensive this is a great option for the budget traveller.

Review 88：It's a bit of a walk from the Royal Mile. Having to pay for wifi is a bit of a bummer. We didn't end up buying it, and we didn't have breakfast there.

Review 89：The room was lovely! Very clean. Comfortable beds.

Review 90：Free wifi would have been a good idea as most of the other places offered wifi for free.

Review 91：The hostel was neat and clean and quite spacious rooms , great idea if you are with friends , well equipped self cooking kitchen. Only i felt the bathroom was crunched. Overall a good experience.

Review 92：I thought the wifi is free but we have to pay 1pound for an hour which is quite expensive. The bag locker also eat up my coin but staff was helpful on that.

Review 93：The private room was nice with private bathroom.

Review 94：Staff were helpful and let us leave our bikes in the store for the day after we had checked out, so we could explore Edinburgh before we had to leave later in the day

Review 95：I had a room at the front and the traffic noise was not great. However I wear earplugs and slept very well.

Review 96：A very comfortable bed with just the right softness of pillows

Review 97：No nothing,just a little constructive feed back ,you can't have your room till 3pm ,there's no alteration on this ,so customers you can go early and sit and enjoy ,but don't expect early chech in .to the mangament quite understand you have the rooms to prepare ,however I travel for a Iivong and there are times when I have been allowed in my hotel room early and its a most gratful jesture,,of course though only if the room is ready ,,thank you for a wonderful stay

Review 98：What more could u ask for in the middle of edinburgh,,for customer service ,cleanliness value ,

Review 99：We heard a strange humming sound and after a few occurrences we deduced that it was a neighbouring room turning on the taps. Made for an early morning wake up call.

Review 100：A spacious double with private bathroom that was clean and provided all that we needed. The bathroom is actually 2 separate areas, one for shower, one for toilet with a sink in between. Not a problem unless you like a bath. The location is perfect for city centre shopping, pubs, food and theatre.

Review 101：Only issue I had was chambermaid banging at the door at 10.01 and telling us to get out as check out time was 10.00. She also informed us that we would have no time for a shower and there would be an additional fee for late check out!

Review 102：Great facility. Very clean Spacious Cheap

Review 103：The pillow on the bed was far too thin!!

Review 104：Located ideally for everything central Edinburgh has to offer, close to all transport links. Helpful lady on the reception looked up buses for me.

Review 105：There were no towels, so bring your own!

Review 106：Clean accommodation with lockers, shower and toilet in room. Also a little table with chairs, bed light and power points to charge mobile phones, etc.

Review 107：Bed not to my liking but that's a personal thing.

Review 108：Breakfast very well priced and filling. Accommodation clean and staff friendly & helpful. shower excellent.

Review 109：Great place to stay. Unfortunately the stay was spoiled somewhat by rugby supporters from the University (Cardiff I think) shouting and banging on doors at three o'clock in the morning Saturday and Sunday . No respect for other hostel users at all. Perhaps some signs could be put up asking people to respect other users after a certain time in the evening.

Review 110：Accommodation, staff, booking, location and food all great.

Review 111：Food was second rate. Continental breakfast was poor. Cheese curled up. Rolls bashed! Toaster poor. Not enough fresh fruit.

Review 112：Staff who took an interest in where we were going for the day out. Being greeted warmly on return

Review 113：The bed was very uncomfortable and very small. the TV was tiny.

Review 114：the location was good. The hostel is near the city center and there are a lot of shps and restaurants.

Review 115：The mattresses The Wi-Fi barely worked For a stay of 10 days, bed sheets, room nor towels were ever cleaned.

Review 116：The kitchen and the common area. And staff member Daniel Berger was very nice to us.

Review 117：Staff are incredibly unhelpful. Rooms are v basic but are fairly clean. Towels have to be paid for and are £2 each. Some hotels in edinburgh are actually cheaper than the hostel and you get a lot more for your money. We usually stay at hotels on leith walk however as it was new years everything was sold out. My advice would be to look elsewhere first however if there is nothing else, this hostel will do!

Review 118：Hostel is right 5 minutes walk from train station

Review 119：Booking.com system didnt update the hotel correctly i was asked to pay 129 and id already paid 110.00 to booking.com i had to prove id paid already. The room had a funny smell to it

Review 120：The location and value for money

Review 121：-The bed was uncomfortable because of the "pillow" so I didn't get adequate sleep

Review 122：-It's relatively close to the city centre and the tram and bus stops are a few minutes away -The staff was SUPER friendly and helpful -Great option for a short stay in the city

Review 123：The bathroom is small,and the water pours out accidently. It should be fixed. I book one bedroom and they gave me with two beds in one room that makes me surprised.

Review 124：The price is reasonable and the place is 15 minutes from railway station.

Review 125：Bit more signage & clear location points would have helped 'spatial awareness'...lost lift a couple of times!

Review 126：Comfort offered by en-suited room much appreciated

Review 127：Ventilation lacking (aside from opening the window) You have to pay for locks on the closet in the room, I find it silly.

Review 128：Good showers Good beds Friendly staff Good bar Nice seats at bar and reception

Review 129：The cooked breakfast is a little too generous for my taste.

Review 130：I have stayed in the Edinburgh Central Hostel previously and will always make a point of staying there on any future trips to Edinburgh. The staff are always helpful and friendly and the facilities are consistently of a high level and offer excellent value for money.

Review 131：A charge on wifi

Review 132：I stayed with my friends for a weekend trip, we had an excellent stay in premium rooms. :) very comfortable and a 5 minute walk to princes street

Review 133：Lots of traffic noise but only to be expected given location.

Review 134：With 3 kids it is difficult to find inexpensive accomodation and rooms to accomodate us all. This room was perfect with ensuite facilities. Staff were great.

Review 135：Our ensuite was spacious, but it could have done with a bigger/ higher sink, a shelf and coat hooks. It could also have done with a more thorough clean, there was lots of black hair all over the floor around the shower and it had a smell of urine. Giving the impression that the floor hadn't been cleaned.Although the toilet, sink and shower were clean. Would also like to see a bedside lamp/ wall light to read by.

Review 136：We would definitely look to book this again. Staff very friendly. Room was clean, roomy and comfy, it had everything we needed. Food in the cafe was great, good choice and great value. Can't comment on the self catering kitchen because we didn't use it.

Review 137：Location was not as central as the name suggested. Bathroom in the dorm room was convenient, but also made it a little noisy in morning.

Review 138：Room was very clean. Staff was helpful. You could borrow things such as a hair dryer or electrical converter.

Review 139：I needed to leave my luggage for the day, and it cost £1.5 an hour, and ended up as much as the stay itself. I have never experienced any thing like it. It was also horrible to discover the added sugar in the cereal I had paid almost £5 for without any warning.

Review 140：Windows facing very noisy street. Be ready. Wee bit expensive for rather basic service.

Review 141：Location is very conveniently close to centre. Good breakfast. Friendly staff.

The Fine Print

SYHA is a charity aiming to inspire all, especially young people, to broaden their horizons, gain knowledge and independence through new experiences of adventure and discovery. In support of this aim, all bookings will include a temporary membership fee per person per night. (Full, existing members of SYHA and HI using these channels are not entitled to a membership refund).From the age of 5 to 15 years, young people must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and may be accommodated in a single-gendered shared room with the parent or guardian and other guests, at the discretion and responsibility of the parent or guardian. The young person/people, the parent/guardian and the other occupants of the room must be of the same gender.When booking for more than 9 persons:100 percent of the total amount may be charged any time after booking.Please note the following cancellation charges will apply to the entire booking:57 days or more - 20% of total cost56 to 29 days - 55% of total cost28 to day of arrival - 100% of total costSYHA advise that additional notice be given to the destination youth hostel when travelling with children, to ensure that suitable accommodation is available. Contact details can be found on your booking confirmation.Parties with young children (under 5 years) will only be accommodated in designated family rooms, where available.There is no capacity for extra beds or cots in a shared dormitory or private accommodation.No stag or hen parties are permitted at any youth hostel.Depending on location check-in is either 15.00 or 17.00. Please check these times as stated on your reservation (or on Booking.com) before arrival.SYHA does not accept American Express cards as payment or guarantee.Should guests be entitled to a refund or part refund please note that these are processed by SYHA National Office, Stirling. It will take 7 to 10 working days from the date of the property receiving guest's request for the refund to be processed back onto the original card used.Please inform Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details provided in your confirmation.Please note that the full amount of the reservation is due before arrival. SYHA will send a confirmation with detailed payment information. After full payment is taken, the property's details, including the address and where to pick up the keys, will be sent to you by email.