St Christopher’s Edinburgh Hostel

This place has a TERRIFIC location because it is right by the train station. It also is clean. But it can get loud, the breakfast in the morning wasn’t great, and the man at the front desk double charged my card. Though it was worked out later, that experience was stressful for me. I would stay here again simply because of the location.

While the staff was really nice and really helpful, the hostel itself could’ve been a lot better. At the time we stayed there, wifi was not available in any rooms past the first floor, storage was in flimsy cages beneath the beds, and the mattresses and pillows were relatively uncomfortable. The location is great and it didn’t feel unsafe — but it definitely isn’t the best hostel I’ve stayed at by far.

So we came to st Christopher’s for a hen weekend. We were a group of 8 on two rooms of 4. We were on the 4^th floor (no lift working– be prepared) and as we were a late booking we didn’t have the luxury of choice. Our room was small and basic, 2 sets if bunk beds, 1 Mirror and 2 plug sockets. We unlike our other four friends had no on-​suite, we had unisex shared toilets and showers (they get busy in the mornings).
Breakfast is included and is available till 10am. It is a continental type breakfast and you can stock up on the basics, tea/​coffee toast and cereal but you can order from the menu at a reduced price for staying at the hostel. They have a dinner and lunch menu but be prepared for a little wait during busy times. There is a bar that opens till 1am and every-​night there is different entertainment, quizzes, live music, DJs etc…
It is very centrally located and you can walk nearly anywhere. There are 2 clubs, one across the road and the other down the road.
While staying at st Christopher’s I recommend doing a ghost tour, visit the Edinburgh dungeons and take a ride in a rickshaw. Bus tours are a quick way to see the city and on purchase you get a free sundae at the hard rock café.

Currently lying in my bunk at the hostel listening to a pretty terrible rock and roll cover band make a giant racket. Loved everything about this place (great location, clean rooms, friendly staff) until it was time to go to sleep. This might not be the place for you if you have any interest in getting some rest at night. In addition to the loud music from the bar below every night, you can also count on drunken guests slamming doors and yelling/​running in the hallways all night. It might have been perfect had I been in the mood to party, but after a long day of touring the city, a little shut eye at midnight does not seem unreasonable. A four star hostel dragged itself down to a two star level tonight

St. Christopher’s is one of the nicer hostels I’ve stayed at. I lucked out when I stayed in a 10-​person bedroom with only two other travelers. Each room has its own bathroom and there are cages to store your luggage so bring a lock. There’s also free wi-​fi and rental lockers to store your luggage after you checkout. The free breakfast is a step below the continental breakfasts that I’m used to back in the States, but they have single serving Nutella spread for the toast! I’m sold!

My boyfriend and I picked St. Christopher’s hostel in Edinburgh because he had stayed there with some friends studying abroad a week or so earlier and had a great experience. Instead of staying in a traditional hostel room, we booked a private room (not sure what to expect when doing so), and were pleasantly surprised to find a full size bed, private bathroom, free towels, a television with surprisingly number of channels, and in-​room coffee/​tea supplies.
Everyone on the staff is awesome — most, if not all of them are from Australia, and they all have a great sense of humor and attitude all the time. There are tons of pamphlets and brochures for various tours, sites, etc. around the hostel and the staff can also help you figure out where to go if you’re at a loss for sightseeing options. There’s an interesting looking art gallery just next door to the hostel (I didn’t have a chance to check it out but after looking through the huge, plate-​glass front windows I’d recommend checking it out at least briefly if you’re an art fan at all), and across the street and down a block or so is the «Edinburgh Dungeon».
The hostel is above/​connected to a bar/​restaurant area and the food is both good and fairly priced, especially if you’re a guest of the hostel. Obviously it can get loud and crowded with so many rooms/​beds available, but if you’re opting for a hostel over a hotel then chances are you’re prepared for that already.
Things to Note:
— St. Christopher’s is a very popular place, especially during tourist season (July & August), so booking in advance is recommended;
— The hostel has five floors, and the lift rarely works. Honestly, I’m not complaining, it’s just something to keep in mind;
— Free (reliable) wi-​fi in the «chill out room» located on the second floor (also where you’ll find lockers to store your bags, etc. if you arrive early or are leaving after check-​out), in the bar and reception areas on the first floor;
— St. Christopher’s has an awesome location — very close to the buses that will take you on tours of the city or back to the airport, and just a stair-​climb away from the Royal Mile, where all of the touristy shops and street performers are located. When I say stair-​climb, though, I mean a stair-​climb. There are probably 80 – 100 stone steps with steeply inclined walkway in between sections, that will take you up to the Royal Mile, so just be prepared.
If you stay at St. Christopher’s in Edinburgh, make sure to ask them about becoming a VIP — the card saves you a great deal of money on future accommodations and food and works at any of the associated hostels in other locations throughout Europe.

Location, location, location… and hot employees. If you want to see the sites in Edinburgh during the day and have a place that is easy to stumble back to at night this is a good choice. The rooms were mostly clean. Unfortunately, the showers were less than satisfying. Being above a bar is helpful, though it isn’t a place I would like to stay all night. It does work as a place to get a few drinks and meet some people before going out for the night.
The rooms are a little cramped, but it is definitely the kind of place to stay if you want to meet other random people staying at the hostel and then forget them because you all got too drunk.