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Haystack Hostel

5/3 West Register Street 3rd Floor, Edinburgh EH2 2AA Scotland
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Traveller (35)
Room & Suite (14)
Dining (10)

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Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.

About

#4 of 54 hostels in Edinburgh
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
We are a brand new hostel located in the heart of Edinburgh. We offer everything you need to explore our beautiful city of Edinburgh!
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Property amenities
Parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Free breakfast
Game room
Board games / puzzles
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
24-hour front desk
Wifi
Breakfast available
Shared bathroom
Shared kitchen
Shops
Clothes dryer
Laundry service
Washing machine
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Room features
Housekeeping
Safe
Iron
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
4.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Centrally Located
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, Czech, Hungarian and 2 more
478Reviews5Q+A48Room tips

Reviews
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Kella wrote a review Nov 2021
2 contributions
As a women, I felt really safe here even in my mixed dorm room.. It was very clean and quiet, Yann was such a lovely and helpful host. I was so glad I found this hostel, right in the middle of the city and it made it easy to reach all the tourist and areas of interest. Showers were great, hot water and more importantly completely clean. I liked the curtain across the bunk bed and felt I had good privacy in a mixed dorm room. Kitchen is really good, the main entrance/chill out area is nice and I ended up playing card games with some of the other people staying in th same room as me. I'd reccomend this to anyone solo travelling in Edinburgh and I'd love to stay again.
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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penfoldemily wrote a review Nov 2021
Hove, United Kingdom29 contributions9 helpful votes
I only ended up staying for one night but Haystack hostel was great. It's small so feels homely, they had a nice kitchen, everywhere was clean and the beds were comfortable. Yann was helpful, I would definitely stay here again and recommend it to others.
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Horse_Whisperer_123 wrote a review Oct 2021
Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom7 contributions4 helpful votes
Yan was a brilliant host and accommodated to our needs. The hostel was clean and warm. It is in a perfect, central location and has easy access to transport and into the city. Great for friends and single travellers
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Coffee Frog wrote a review Sept 2021
55 contributions25 helpful votes
+1
I've stayed in a few hostels in my time - I think this is my 13th - and I was a bit worried about loud noises and a lack of privacy. Fortunately I had neither - it was really, really quiet in my 12 bunk room. It had blackout privacy curtains, a USB port and a plug socket. Amazing! The hostel facilities are all clean and well put together. Staff are helpful, although sometimes you'll need to contact them via WhatsApp as there's no 24 hour desk (it's a small place). The only drawback is the long walk up a spiral staircase, but... there's not much they can do about that. Strongly recommended for more introverted travellers. If I come back to Edinburgh I'll absolutely stay here again.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: The cactus coffee shop next door is amazing. Also there's another hostel called "Argyle's" in the...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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James Burford wrote a review Mar 2020
2 contributions4 helpful votes
- Staff were all wonderful. Very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable of the local areas. - The hostel was lovely with a nice communal area for chilling. - Rooms were spotless - Nice large kitchen with ample storage and cooking facilities - Breakfast was a lovely edition - Price was great for what is offered. Location was excellent. A two-minute walk from Waverly station and local pubs/bars and shopping.
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Date of stay: March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Amber L wrote a review Mar 2020
1 contribution
Amazing hostel especially for a solo traveller, its 10 minutes walk to all the shops,pubs and tourist attractions. Hostel is quite private and quiet for a hostel which is nice cause I like my sleep. Beds have privacy curtains and the showers are huge! Receptionists are very kind and helpful too especially yan. Andddd dirt cheap!
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
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Jasmin D wrote a review Feb 2020
2 contributions
A group of 9 of us came for one night over the weekend. The staff was great and helpful. They held our bags for us for the day until check in time and we had no problems. The hostel had a great area with board games and seating as well as a clean kitchen. It overall was a nice place to stay for one night. The hostel SEEMED to be clean and comfortable BUT unfortunately, a few individuals from our group left with multiple bedbug bites. It was a big scare as we all had our bags in the room and are unsure of what we could have brought back home with us. The company was contacted the next day and have seemed to have dealt with the problem immediately and have stated that the fumigation process has began. Definitely a scary experience and I personally would not feel comfortable sleeping somewhere that has had a bedbug problem. We were all forced to have to deal with the consequences of potential contraction of bedbugs on our belongings as soon as we were back home.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from hosteloperator, Manager at Haystack Hostel
Responded 2 Mar 2020
Dear Jasmin, Thank you for your review and for providing us with feedback from your stay. First, I am very sorry to hear that you were unhappy with your experience at the Haystack Hostel. We take all complaints very seriously and I want to assure you that we have procedures and standards in place to ensure the comfort and safety of all our guests. Regarding your concern about potential bed bugs, while it has been a problem in Edinburgh hotels in the past, this is the first incident that I have ever heard of at this hostel. However, we do take pro active measures to ensure that every room in the hostel is free of pests of any kind. We closely work with a pest control service to inspect rooms routinely and would be informed immediately of any issues. To date, we have not had any. Since your report, the room has been inspected  and preventively treated on two occasions. Another inspection is scheduled during the coming week. Although I understand we weren't up to your expectations, I am nonetheless glad to see you were happy about our services and found our hostel clean and comfortable. I hope we will be able to make it up to you next time you are visiting Edinburgh. Kind Regards,  Yann Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Elena S wrote a review Feb 2020
6 contributions
I just had an overnight here. The accommodation itself is really good. The bed was comfy, large shower rooms, hot water, large well-equipped kitchen, perfect location, just across the street from Waverly Station, free WiFi, breakfast served in the morning, the best value for money! My problem was with the staff. Before checking-in I had left my luggage there for 2 days, the guy at the reception told the price was £5 per day. Upon my arrival another guy took £20 from me (£10 is deposit for the keys). But when I was leaving, they didn't give me back the deposit! Told that the price to store luggage was £10per 1 item a day. Which is incredibly expensive! I feel, probably, I've been cheated. Disrespect to the staff. Please check with the facilities pricelist first. I could have left my luggage in any other place or rather stayed at B&B. Unpleasant experience due to the issue.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
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Response from hosteloperator, Manager at Haystack Hostel
Responded 21 Feb 2020
Dear Elena, thank you for taking the time to write us. I got in touch with you right after you left and as soon as I have been made aware of the confusion. I can confirm , we keep luggage for a £10 fee per day, sorry to see you have been wrongly informed. Of course, guests can leave their bags for free before check in and after check out. Please get back to me so I can arrange to fix your discontentment with our services. However, glad to read you enjoyed our hostel, your bed, the shower rooms, the kitchen and the location, we are aiming to offer value for the money indeed. We'' make sure to you can enjoy a hassle-free experience next time you are coming to Edinburgh. Kind Regards, Yann
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Ker wrote a review Jan 2020
5 contributions11 helpful votes
Very good location, a lot of restaurants and shops nearby. Reception 24/7, friendly service. Our room was not super clean when we checked in. Also bad ventilation so it was always either freezing or way too warm. Breakfast had nothing but bread and cereal so we ended up buying some fruit and veg ourselves. Fine for a couple of nights but I wouldn't stay for long
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from hosteloperator, Manager at Haystack Hostel
Responded 26 Jan 2020
Dear Keralynni, Thank you for taking the time to write us. Our rooms are cleaned on a daily basis, beds changed, floor vacuumed, and lockers checked, to make sure guests find their room in pristine condition (almost pristine), sorry tp read you didn't find yours not super clean, although, if other guests were occupying the room we wouldn't be able to "tidy up" after them, you can either open or close the window in the room and we have a central heating which is thermostat controlled. Our breakfast is continental style with a choice of cereals, bread, jam, chocolate spread and butter, coffee, tea and milk this was included at no extra in your total price of £8 for the night if booked directly through our website. Of course, you are more than welcome to top up yor breakfast with fruits and veg from one of the supermarkets around. A pleasure to read you enjoyed our central location, a minute walk from both train and bus station and all the attractions Edinburgh has on offer. Glad to see our team was up to your expectations, we love what we are doing and we'll take your suggestions into account, hopefully you'll get the chance to visit us again. Kind Regards, Yann
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Siti Raihanah wrote a review Jan 2020
Singapore, Singapore77 contributions14 helpful votes
So I was on a solo trip and only stayed here for 1 night because of my travel plans. The hostel is located on the 3rd floor of a building with no elevators, just spiral staircase. So decide on your choice of luggage wisely. Anyway, I booked a bed in a 3-bunk bed room. You need to pay a £10 deposit when you check-in btw. It will (supposedly) be returned to you upon check out. So, i got the top bunk as there were already 2 other guests in the other two. Bed was alright although if you're a tall person then you're bound to bang your head a few times. Locker was big enough for me to keep my 60L backpack so that's great. Toilet & shower is alright too. No complaints there. But I was disappointed with how the management handled my situation. When I checked in, I enquired about the possibility of leaving my luggage with them for 2days as I was heading to another part of Scotland & only needed to bring a small bag. The guy(1st) said it was okay to do so and it will cost me £5/day so it would be a total of £10 for me for the 2days. I told him I'd think about it and inform them upon check-out. The next morning, upon check-out at about 7-ish, I told the guy (a different person, 2nd) at reception that I wanted to leave my bag for 2 days. He told me it costs £10 & I paid him accordingly. BUT, I DIDN'T RECEIVE MY DEPOSIT MONEY UPON CHECK-OUT LIKE I WAS SUPPOSED TO. I was also in a rush and forgot about it until I was a distance away from the hostel. I thought I'd just settle the deposit issue with them when I return for my luggage. Unfortunately, when I returned to collect my luggage 2 days later, the guy at reception (a different person again, 3rd) couldn't find my deposit money in their stash. I explained the situation to him but there was a misunderstanding in which he seemed to think my deposit was used to pay for the luggage hold and informed me that it costs £5/day. I explained again to make it clear that I actually paid £20 in total - £10 fo deposit + £10 for luggage. So 3rd guy made a call to his manager and they spoke for awhile. When he hung up, he came up to me & said that his manager told him THERE WAS A MISTAKE & IT ACTUALLY COSTS £10/DAY for you to keep your luggage with them. I would've accepted that explanation if the 'mistake' was made by 1 staff. But I encountered 3 different staffs and they essentially told me the same information for the luggage hold - £5/day. 1st, 2nd & 3rd guy at reception all said the same thing. And then when the 3rd guy spoke to the manager to rectify the issue, it suddenly became £10/day? I find it hard to believe to be honest. Yes it was partly my mistake for forgetting to get my deposit back but isn't it their responsibility to give it back to me without me having to ask for it? They lost my deposit money and instead of owning up to it, they came up with an excuse. No regrets from them at all. Wouldnt you question the integrity of the staffs and the management if this were to happen to you? £10 might be a small amount to some people but to me, it could pay for a nice, hot meal. This incident left a black mark in my experience with Haystack Hostel. Otherwise, it would have been all good.
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from hosteloperator, Manager at Haystack Hostel
Responded 6 Jan 2020
Dear Ctrhnh, Thank you for your review, sorry to read there have been some confusion regarding the deposit and the luggage storage, I can confirm we had kept your deposit aside until you were back and you paid with it upon you returning towards the left luggage service. I can also confirm we charge £10/day for luggage storage, although we keep the bags for free before check-in time and after checkout time. Please believe me we are not coming with any kind of excuse, all the deposits are always being returned and we are happily rectifying our mistakes when we make one. I also agree £10 is quite a sum, for a meal or a bed in our place. Here, as I recall, you were happy to pay for the bag storage this way. Glad to see you enjoyed the hostel nevermind the confusion. Hopefully, you are still enjoying your trip in Scotland and hopefully we'll see you again sometimes. Kind Regards, Yann
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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PRICE RANGE
£36 - £145 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Haggis Hostels
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandEdinburghNew Town
NUMBER OF ROOMS
36
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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HAYSTACK HOSTEL - Updated 2024 Prices, Reviews (Edinburgh)

Frequently Asked Questions about Haystack Hostel
Which popular attractions are close to Haystack Hostel?
Nearby attractions include The Real Mary King's Close (0.3 miles), Escape Hunt Edinburgh (0.3 miles), and ScotBeer Tours (0.3 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Haystack Hostel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and laundry service.
What food & drink options are available at Haystack Hostel?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at Haystack Hostel?
Yes, parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Haystack Hostel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Makars Gourmet Mash Bar, Howies Waterloo Place, and Burgers and Beers Grillhouse.
Is Haystack Hostel located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.1 miles away from the centre of Edinburgh.
Are any cleaning services offered at Haystack Hostel?
Yes, laundry service and a clothes dryer are offered to guests.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Haystack Hostel?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Czech, and Hungarian.
Are there any historical sites close to Haystack Hostel?
Many travellers enjoy visiting The Real Mary King's Close (0.3 miles), Palace of Holyroodhouse (0.7 miles), and Gladstone's Land (0.3 miles).