Budget Backpackers Hostel

Cheap Central Cowgate. This is probably the best hostel in Edinburgh and the staff is awesome. There are lockers in the room that you can use to store your stuff and the bar/​kitchen serves excellent food at very reasonable prices.

Booked quite last minute and during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (plus the television festival, which I was there for), and for a female-​only, 4-​bed room the price was very reasonable. The beds were comfy, each person had a locker (which you could buy a padlock for at reception for £5, or bring your own) and there was a little lamp and power socket by each bed. They ask people to be considerate of noise after 10pm, which seemed to work and I slept well both nights I was there. There are both mixed and female only bathrooms with toilets in cubicles and shower cubicles — the shower was surprisingly powerful!
Check in and out was fuss-​free, with mostly friendly staff on the desk, and there was a nice (fairly small) bar/​café/​restaurant downstairs that had great prices and deals each day. — I had a delicious burger with sweet potato chips and a Sex on the Beach cocktail — all for under a tenner which is amazing for a Londoner like me! You also get discount vouchers with your check-​in paperwork, which I stupidly forgot to use.
They have a sister hostel down the road that has a different activity each night (from pub quizzes to karaōke nights), and they also run tours which unfortunately I didn’t get to experience.
Although it looked a bit shabby, Budget Backpackers really had everything you could want, especially for the prices, and it was very conveniently located for me too.

1) Locker in room collapsed when I put my bag on it bc it was broken.
2) You have to input a new wifi voucher code every day. That means you wake up with no wifi and it cuts off at midnight, meaning you have to walk all the way back to reception to get a new code.
3) Can’t control temperature or time in showers bc the showers have an automatic stop function. Turns off every 5 seconds which is so annoying.
4) No place to put shampoo/​toiletries in shower. Have to put on disgusting shower floor.
5) Staff doesn’t knock before coming in to change the trash — unprofessional and unsafe. (Male staff member came into female room)
6) Shout out to Shalla (blonde, bigger staffer) who was extremely rude. Someone from our group called down to get the wifi code and she said «bit lazy aren’t you»? Except for the fact it was late and we were staying on the top floor. And then she said I’m going to give you the code in a funny way. She then proceeded to give us the #s for the code and then said «I gave it to you backwards. «Who does that?! EXTREMELY unprofessional and rude… also a stupid move for a hostel that doesn’t exactly have an efficient way of doing things…
Would not stay here again. The staff seems more interested in looking cool and being immature then serving guests. Also it caters to a younger crowd bc the amenities are not nice in the slightest and there is graffiti/​neon/​chips in the paint everywhere. If I were you, I’d choose another hostel or stay at a local B&B. It’s not worth it to stay here and I honestly don’t know why it has such high reviews.

There are many backpacking hostels in Edinburgh and each has its plus and minus points. This was my first stay at Budget Backpackers and I kinda knew what to expect from reviews and the hostel’s city location.
I expected a big and busy hostel with lots of migrant workers and that turned out to be the case. There are many Spanish migrants here due to massive unemployment in that country and many are permanently resident at the hostel. A visit to the hostel’s kitchen with all the food boxes says it all.
Despite the commercial undercurrent of the hostel I found this hostel to be very well run by nice ‘can do’ people. There is a definite buzz about the place which is likely to suit the younger visitor, those looking for a quite hostel for chilling out should look elsewhere. The hostel has a backpacking theme with various graphics and photos on the reception wall and throughout the hostel. Beyond the reception is a combined bar and restaurant with a widescreen wall mounted tv where you can buy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Later in the evening guests gather at the bar for drinks and there is a pub crawl if you’re into such things.
The dorms were clean, the beds comfortable with firm mattresses which suits my bad back, plenty of space and lockers provided but you do need your own padlock whereas the lockers in some hostels have key lockers. You can buy padlocks at the reception desk but you probably have one chucking about at home you could bring along. One downside of lockers which require a padlock is that the use of a padlock tends to indicate something valuable inside the locker, whereas key lockers are all the same and so your locker doesn’t stand out as something with valuable equipment inside. In saying that I haven’t found any issues with security, bearing in mind the dorms are security keyed but it could be possible for someone staying in a dorm to lever open a locker and then scarper with the swag, after all it is only £10 or £11 per night, then flog the stuff at Cash Convertors, but there is a fully secure luggage room at this hostel which is locked and camera monitored should you require greater levels of security for your stuff.
The showers were clean, spacious and worked well with plenty of hot water which runs contrary to the experiences of previous visitors but perhaps this is something they have sorted out in recent months. The kitchen I found to be ok, if it had been better I may have given a full 5 stars but again it was really busy, utensils were scattered around and couldn’t find a working tin opener, but this is largely due to the intensive daily use the kitchen gets from the migrant workers, all of whom need the kitchen to keep personal daily living costs down. But a lot of guests stayed clear of the kitchen because it’s total bedlam in there.
The central location of the hostel is good for visiting the local city attractions but this makes car access more difficult so you have to park further out and then carry your stuff to the hostel. Some hostels further out you can park outside for a while which makes taking your stuff in much easier.
In conclusion I would be happy to recommend this hostel. Some of the older problems pointed out by other reviewers appear to have been ironed out. I liked the humorous themed bar which looks like an old VW camper van, the friendly staff, the showers and smaller dorms. A guest did show me inside the larger dorms which looked like the inside of a concentration camp so I would recommend paying a couple of pounds extra to stay in a much smaller 12 bed dorm.

I stayed here for one night before heading to explore the highlands and it was a great choice. The room that I was in was a four bed and it seemed huge. I have been in hostels in the past that you seemed to be on top of the other people but that was not the case here.
The staff at the front desk are also really great! When checking in they gave me the rundown of where everything is located to if I need a lock they have them. After I got settled I went and asked where I could get some good food and they sent my down the street to a bunch of places to choose from.
Super nice people made a normal hostel into a great one!

For the price, this place is definitely worth it! I was there for 1 night and stayed in a 4 bed room, so I don’t know anything about the massive rooms. I will say though, when coming home drunk in the middle of the night, I had trouble finding my room. So many doors and hallways and twists and turns. Very confusing when all I want to do after my kebab is pass out.
But the bed was comfy, the duvet was lovely, and I liked the lockers and the little shelf each bed had with a small light. The only negative for the room was that there was no mirror so I had to get ready entirely in the communal bathroom around the corner. Not very important, just a minor inconvenience.
The bar was great, had dirt cheap shots with even dirtier names. I would give you some examples, but I think I had too many of them that night to remember. I had already lived in edinburgh for a year so didn’t need the free walking tour but it was really nice to offer that everyday for people who didn’t know the city.
If I come back and need to book a hostel I will definitely come here!

We stayed for one Saturday night. That was probably the appropriate amount of time to stay, because I never really did feel settled in. The people at the front desk were nice, but were almost trying too hard to sound American if you know what I mean. The hostel has its own bar with decently priced beers (£2 for a Tiger) and a good breakfast complete with haggis. They also had laundry facilities on site. It cost £1 for the dryer, which doesnt sound bad but we needed to put our clothes through twice to get them dry and it wasn’t even a quarter full (we only put in what we were wearing as they had gotten soaked in the rain). Also, it was really loud outside on a Saturday night. Overally, it was good enough especially for the cheap price.

I LOVE this hostel!
Its so clean, fresh and friendly… not to mention cheap. Showers are free and clean linen are provided upon arrival. Its in a nice central location and its so lively and bubbly :) the staff are really lovely and easy to approach, giving you all sorts of advice and are great for a general natter. There is no lift, so be prepared to carry your stuff up a few flights of stairs (depending on where your put!!)
Theres a lovely sitting area with a TV and pool table, BBP also provide breakfast but me and my friends were out before breakfast and usually ate out anyway so that wasnt a problem. You also get a locker each in your room for all your stuff :)
Ive been to Edinburgh a few times and we’ve always used this hostel. If your not bothered about sharing your room with strangers (but thats kind of normal for hostels!!), and just to use it for a base, its fantastic! I would happily pay more to stay here.
It is to say that rooms start from £7 per night, but thats for a 12 dorm shared and the prices go up a few quid the less beds there are in the dorms. We normally stay in a 6-​shared which is lovely and is only about £12 a night which i don’t mind paying compared to the £40+ a night you’d be looking at paying for a hotel in the same location.
Wifi can be a bit sketchy, but if your only using it for somewhere to sleep then its not much of a problem, as most places out of the hostel have wifi anyway. We didnt even think about it, and if you HAVE to use the internet, theres computers in the lobby that can be used for something like £1 for 30mins.
My advice: Stay here, its lovely :) I would highly reccomend it to anyone.

This place is clean and orderly. It has a fantastic location and an amazing view. The bar seems cool if you’re into drinking. Overall, it’s a good place.
Things that would make my review higher:
–I was stashed in the extra building across the street. There’s no common space in that building, no chairs, very few toilets and showers, and long narrow hallways with no windows: pretty freaking creepy. I’m a guy and felt unsafe in that building.
–the extra building had no wifi so I kept having to cross the street to look things up.
–no interesting vegan/​vegetarian breakfast options. A restaurant across the street facing the square has a vegetarian breakfast with veggie sausage and veggie haggis. I just went there every day!

I LOVE this hostel. It is so fun and lively. The staff orchestrates daily walking tours and nightly pub crawls. There is a cute little café to order food in, lots of comfy sofas to hang out around and meet the other patrons. The location is ideal, right in the old town part of Edinburgh. For all the Harry Potter fans, you will enjoy it immensely as it is close to all the hot spots for JK Rowling while she was writing the books. Interestingly 90% of the staff are rowdy Australians. They are committed to ensuring the guests enjoy themselves and experience Edinburgh the right way. Be prepared for it being very loud, though. So if you are looking for a nice quiet hostel go another direction.

Nettes Hostel zu moderaten Kneipen, die Lage ist klasse von hier aus läst sich die herrliche Stadt super erkunden!

Sehr gutes, junges Hostel. Die Zimmer sind auf modernem Stand, Toiletten und Duschen sauber. Die Küchen bieten viel Platz und Sitzplätze.
Service ist sehr nett und jung. Man muss allerdings auch mit Lärm zurecht kommen, da die Cowgate eine bekannte Straße zum Feiern ist, die sich jede Nacht zu einer Fußgängerzone verwandelt und von betrunkenen und feiernden besiedelt wird. Für mich persönlich hat das gut gepasst, es ergibt sich jeden Abend was zum Feiern.

I was jumping from hostel to hostel a few years ago, and Budget Backpackers was my favorite on the whole trip. All I care about is cleanliness, and it was pretty well maintained. The common room was chill, lots of people just hanging out talking and watching movies. The highlight though was the pub crawl, everybody got to know each other and had a great time.

Fantastic hostel. Very clean, loads of rooms, perfect location for the festival, good breakfast, free walking tours and bar crawls pretty much every night AND good cheap prices!

Originally, this place got a 4* rating from me, when I first stayed here as a 20 yr old. However, it became a 3* rating after trying to stay here again this past January.
When I first stayed here, I thought this place was one of the best hostels I’ve been in in Europe. Clean common areas. Clean rooms. Pretty clean bathrooms. The cleaning lady came in religiously everyday to clean all rooms. I stayed in a mixed 6-​person room. If I recall correctly, they have this locker-​type thing to put your belongings in. Which was also great. The staff was pretty friendly, although I didn’t interact with them much. I went to school a few hours away in Lancaster, so I wasn’t too clueless about being in the UK.
What really makes this hostel stand out in my mind from the others, is their bar downstairs. It’s a slightly small, cozy little bar. Where the clientele is mainly the backpackers staying upstairs. What a great way to make even more money! It’s great, because, aside from the common room, where people can be super quiet/​awkward, you can also chat up people from all over at this bar. When inhibitions are lowered with every sip of your (insert drink here). They had drink specials too. We met a group of guys who had their ‘reunion’ with their uni friends at that bar every year. They bought us about 20 shots called «cock-​sucking cowboys». it was this crazy yellow viscuous thing. And pretty gross and sickly sweet. Needless to say, I did not leave my bed to see any sights the next day.
Now, years later, i had fond memories of Edinburgh (minus the cock-​sucking cowboy shots), and Budget Backpackers Hostel. So even though I had more money than I did as a uni student, I wanted to stay here again to relive it all. Sadly, they told us that they were filling up there rooms and a mixed room would have costed us 50% more than a normal hotel. Which was kind of ridiculous. They wouldn’t bend at all. So we end up at a really nice hotel instead for less money, with 2 beds and our own bathroom.
The bar was still great though. We went on New year’s eve, and it was a hoot. They had a live band. And the same kind of mixed crowd (travellers and scots). One group of scottish boys wore kilts in freezing weather with no underwear! They also tried to get us to put our hands underneath their kilts… my friend did it, which is how we knew they didnt wear any pants.

I’ve recommended many a travelling friend to stay here on numerous occasions and overall, I’ve heard nothing but positive comments. The fresh licks of paint and general clean aura all get the thumbs up, alongside some helpful and chilled staff.
One minor problem, so I’ve been told, is the lack of Wifi and painfully slow on site internet slightly hamper any chance of labelling this hostel as amazing.
Nonetheless, there’s so many additional features such as cheap breakfasts, free storage lockers, hot showers and a swanky ‘chill’ lounge. These easily make up for the above niggle.
Oh, and it’s location is a massive bonus, only a stones throw from the train station, the castle and Princes St.

LOVED budget backpackers, BUT no elevator and our room was on the top floor. hated it. Oh and no wifi.
Nice bathrooms, AMAZING area that was close to everything, nice staff
p.s.
ask about the pub with the special menu for budget backpackers, so much cheaper

A friend and I went to Europe for 5 weeks, through 8 countries, this was easily our favorite hostel. Great, friendly, and knowledgeable staff. They’ll tell you who is play what music and running which specials, rock out to some old school Metallica with you, or make sure you don’t do anything *too* stupid out in Edinburgh.
Protips:
TAKE the free tour, it is really quite good. You’ll learn a lot of intimate information about Edinburgh and its history.
GO on the pubcrawl (it too, is free)! It’s a great way to make friends with people from all over the globe, see a variety of bars, and let’s be honest… sometimes while drinking you just want to be sheepishly led to the next place.

Ausgezeichnetes Hostel zu einem super Preis. Man zahlt ca. 12 Pfund pro Nacht im Dorm. Die Zimmer sind recht neu renoviert und wirken sauber. Viele junge Leute sind hier unterwegs, so dass ich abends immer was ergibt. Außerdem ist die Hostel-​Ermäßigungskarte sehr cool. Man kann in den anliegenden Pubs vergünstigt Essen gehen. HmmmFish ‘n’ Chips!