Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate

I stayed at Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate from Sep 10–12, 2025. The location is excellent, right in the city center, and the staff were polite and helpful. For budget-friendly accommodation, it offers good value. However, there are a few areas where the experience could be improved: Beds: The bunk beds were quite loose and made a lot of noise with every movement, which disturbed sleep. Lockers: It would be much more convenient if lockers had an integrated pin-lock system. Having to buy a separate lock just for a short stay felt unnecessary. Noise at Night: Dorms can naturally be noisy, but there was excessive disturbance from snoring. On the second night, someone knocked on the door very loudly at 3 AM. Since all guests have electronic key cards, this should not have happened, and it was unsettling. Bathrooms: Cleanliness could be better. One of the toilets wasn’t flushing properly, and overall maintenance was lacking. Housekeeping: Fresh sheets were only provided after 6 PM on the second day, despite check-in being from 3 PM. This timing could be improved. Amenities: Providing simple slippers for bathroom use would be a small but thoughtful addition. Check-in/Check-out: Check-in at 3 PM feels quite late, while check-out at 11 AM feels early. A little flexibility would enhance the stay. Breakfast: Breakfast was fine for a short visit, but for longer stays it becomes repetitive. Overall, the hostel is a good choice for short, affordable stays in Edinburgh, with friendly staff and a great location. With a few improvements in facilities and guest comfort, it could easily deliver an even better experience.

Clean, decent service, good facilities. Hard to sleep with the amount of children apparently staying here and yelling.

Nice place

I stayed at Cowgate during the Fringe in a 6-bedded room for 4 nights with 5 friends. The rooms were comfortable and clean, but the shared bathroom (with 4 other rooms) was constantly smelly and this spread to the corridor outside. We told reception, but nothing changed. The other issue was the noise from the 'The Three Sisters' music bar across the road. This continued til 3am every morning and was LOUD. There was no mention of this in the hostel information before booking. I definitely would not have booked if I had known this. I told reception that it should be mentioned but she just said she wasn't in charge, and as it was Fringe the bar was open every night. So MANAGEMENT PLEASE NOTE. To avoid angry clients please put this in your website information. Your place is great for those who don't mind a loud bar half the night, but If you want to sleep well, avoid this hostel at all costs