Haystack Hostel

Beware. Apparently, this hostel is part of 3 different hostels owned together (haystack, princess street, baxter), which I learned when I checked in and they told me they had moved me to a different hostel (princess street). Staff was angry I hadn't repsonded to their emails - again, from a completely different hostel name that I hadnt booked and never mentioned moving me from haystack. I cant review haystack hostel because I never stayed in it. Very sketchy and unprofessional. Do not recommend.

A hostel well located in Edinburgh, with a staff and ambience relatively pleasant. However, the price of the private room is really expansive, taking into account that the toilets and the bathroom are shared, and the room is not properly isolated from the noise. The other guests are often disrispectful by making noise late at night or very early in the morning in the kitchen, slamming doors... Also, the staff entered in our room by mistake several times.

The showers had almost no water pressure and was barely warm. One morning the water went out all together. No common area to meet other travellers. Very dingy with a weird smell throughout. The toilets were in a room with no heating - keep in mind it snowed.

Could do with a few improvements. Not warm enough, the heating system was broken so we were given a small electric heater which wasn’t really sufficient. There also isn’t much hot water available in the wash basins which makes washing difficult. The showers are clean but not in very good condition. Good stay overall as the location was very good. Thanks, Will

I would stay elsewhere next time. •Flront door to the building & roon 5 remains unlocked at all times. •The location is brilliant. •In my experience the staff were pretty quiet & didn't want to be bothered. We never saw then besides when vacuuming & they stay in the office upstairs in a different hostel, very strange. •No washing machine •Great kitchen but no bowls! •No common space •No kind of atmosphere at all! •HORRIBLE BEDS - the mattress corners sit above your head...

The night desk lady was amazing. I had a very late arrival and an early departure, she was so helpful. The beds are tight, but they serve their purpose. It’s certainly not a luxury spot, but the common areas are clean and well kept and a great spot to hang out in between activities. They’re not kidding about the stairs though. I could’ve cried after hiking up the hill for 30 minutes, then having to drag my suitcases up 5 flights of stairs. Just be prepared for that workout.

I stayed 6 nights in the 6 bed ladies room. ✅ Staff were friendly and kind. Great location for old town, new town, & transit. Others were respectful and considerate. Small hostel - lots of fridge room and no competition for shared facilities. 🤔 This small room has regular bunk beds - no curtains, reading light, shelf, or hooks (so lots of clutter, low privacy). Room door slams, loud latch lock. Small, cramped toilets and showers. Low airflow in showers and room.

The location was fantastic but the price was too much for what it was. Staff were not in the office much at all, some were nice but my initial impression was not good. I had to wait 15 minutes to check in my stuff and she tried to get me to leave so she could too. No toilet paper holders in the bathroom and the door handles on some of the rooms were broken. If you don’t like slamming doors this isn’t a good place for you! Walls were thin and other guests were loud in the kitchen until 12 am.

Fairly decent hostel. The four flights on a spiral staircase are brutal with luggage so consider that when booking. Overall it was clean, quiet, and in a good location, but be prepared for a sore back not the most comfortable mattress.

The staff was friendly and helpful and all areas were very clean. Showers were good. For those of you comparing hostels, just know this hostel is more for people who are into nightlife and don't mind city hustle. the price we paid,over 150 per night sterling you can find a bit quieter area still close to interesting areas (Grass Market, Royal Mile) with nice rooms. I would have expected an updated bed for this price point. Also know there is no lift and 4 flights of spiral staircase to climb...

Alles sauber, Küche gut ausgestattet, freundliche Mitarbeiter. Für den Preis würde ich wiederkommen.

This hostel gets the job done, but a few small changes could make big improvements. 1. It is hard to get drinking water when the kitchen is closed overnight. A water dispenser in the lobby would help. 2. The women’s dorm had no window curtains. The room location provided privacy, but curtains would keep out the lights from the street at night. 3. There needs to be a better system for tracking which beds are taken. I came back once to find another girl had claimed my bed while I was out.

It was incredible. Loved it!

I have stayed here twice and the location is absolutely perfect. Has kitchen . Bed is very comfortable. 10/10

Beware. Apparently, this hostel is part of 3 different hostels owned together (haystack, princess street, baxter), which I learned when I checked in and they told me they had moved me to a different hostel (princess street). Staff was angry I hadn't repsonded to their emails - again, from a completely different hostel name that I hadnt booked and never mentioned moving me from haystack. I cant review haystack hostel because I never stayed in it. Very sketchy and unprofessional. Do not recommend.

5 stars across the board. My only critique is they say the check in closes at 11pm. I was coming back from the airport just before this time only to find out it shut at 10pm. I was almost gonna be stranded but luckily some nice (overnight porter) guy heard me knocking on the door. this was lucky because their whatsapp & hostel phone number didnt work. Hostelworld, the welcome email & I believe their own website stated an 11pm check in desk closure.

Overall, Haystack Hostel exceeded my expectations, great location (close to transit & major sites), very clean facilities, added convenience by having access to a kitchen, and a safe, comfortable atmosphere. I would definitely stay here again and highly recommend it for anyone looking.

The night desk lady was amazing. I had a very late arrival and an early departure, she was so helpful. The beds are tight, but they serve their purpose. It’s certainly not a luxury spot, but the common areas are clean and well kept and a great spot to hang out in between activities. They’re not kidding about the stairs though. I could’ve cried after hiking up the hill for 30 minutes, then having to drag my suitcases up 5 flights of stairs. Just be prepared for that workout.

I stayed 6 nights in the 6 bed ladies room. ✅ Staff were friendly and kind. Great location for old town, new town, & transit. Others were respectful and considerate. Small hostel - lots of fridge room and no competition for shared facilities. 🤔 This small room has regular bunk beds - no curtains, reading light, shelf, or hooks (so lots of clutter, low privacy). Room door slams, loud latch lock. Small, cramped toilets and showers. Low airflow in showers and room.

A hostel well located in Edinburgh, with a staff and ambience relatively pleasant. However, the price of the private room is really expansive, taking into account that the toilets and the bathroom are shared, and the room is not properly isolated from the noise. The other guests are often disrispectful by making noise late at night or very early in the morning in the kitchen, slamming doors... Also, the staff entered in our room by mistake several times.

Everything are good except no elevator to the 4th floor

The location was fantastic but the price was too much for what it was. Staff were not in the office much at all, some were nice but my initial impression was not good. I had to wait 15 minutes to check in my stuff and she tried to get me to leave so she could too. No toilet paper holders in the bathroom and the door handles on some of the rooms were broken. If you don’t like slamming doors this isn’t a good place for you! Walls were thin and other guests were loud in the kitchen until 12 am.

Une des meilleures auberges que j’ai pu faire ! Toujours très propre avec un personnel accueillant et chaleureux. La localisation est superbe et la cuisine est niquel. Cette auberge est un peu plus chère que la moyenne mais ça vaut le coup !

Très bien située avec une équipe dynamique, chaleureuse et toujours présente. L’auberge était propre avec une cuisine très fonctionnelle. Les dortoirs réservées aux femmes étaient très bien aussi avec de bons rideaux occultants et tout ce qu’il faut. Ça vaut bien le prix. Je recommande !

Fairly decent hostel. The four flights on a spiral staircase are brutal with luggage so consider that when booking. Overall it was clean, quiet, and in a good location, but be prepared for a sore back not the most comfortable mattress.

Such a great location, 15 mins walk or less to most of the tourist locations we wanted to go to and super close to the station and a sainsburys. Staff were super lovely and helpful. Would definitely recommend!

Towel included with private rooms. Clean showers and bathroom facilities. Good communication through WhatsApp with staff. Great location just off the high street.

The showers had almost no water pressure and was barely warm. One morning the water went out all together. No common area to meet other travellers. Very dingy with a weird smell throughout. The toilets were in a room with no heating - keep in mind it snowed.

Excellent little hostel, great value breakfast, just beware the 54 spiral steps up to reception!!

Could do with a few improvements. Not warm enough, the heating system was broken so we were given a small electric heater which wasn’t really sufficient. There also isn’t much hot water available in the wash basins which makes washing difficult. The showers are clean but not in very good condition. Good stay overall as the location was very good. Thanks, Will