Edinburgh Metro Youth Hostel - Syha

A summer accommodation created out of Edinburgh Universities dorms. Single rooms are of dorm quality, but comfortable. Full kitchen in the flat is a benefit. Located a short walk away from the center of Edinburgh.

Poorly managed hostel. Better cleaning, improved customer service and more honest pricing required!

Lot of issues with this hostel……

1. In all my years of travelling from top hotels to backpacker hostels, I’ve never encountered anywhere with check-in beginning at 4pm!!! Seriously?!
You might understand if check-out was late and the cleaning was excellent, but check-out is 10am (!!!) and the accommodation is not very well cleaned. A 12noon check-out costs an extra £10.

2. This hostel is student accommodation which becomes a hostel during the University holidays. Rooms are self-contained with a shared bathroom(s) and kitchen. The entire hostel seems to be run by students – because of this you’ll find that customer service is not very professional at all and the accommodation is not well cleaned – you cannot expect students to clean the rooms as well as professional cleaners. The dirt and grime I found in the bathrooms and underneath my bed was disgusting. Management cannot be doing any checks - this is very poor.

3. Why does this hostel provide ben linen but then charge all guests for a towel? Seems like 99% of guests hire one, so just include it in the price!

4. This hostel doesn’t seem able to provide hot water in the flats – it’s warm, but not hot. I can’t believe students put up with this year throughout the year, so you have to assume this is a money-saving effort during tourist season.

5. A lot of the rooms face towards many late night bars so can be very noisy especially during festival season. I requested a quiet room (i.e. not facing the road) and this was completely ignored.

6. Rooms are not cleaned each day, before you arrive and after you leave. And even then the cleaning is not good - sticky surfaces, dirty carpet etc.

7. This is hostel so you don’t expect a hotel, but I think you should expect more than this hotel provides for what it charges. Edinburgh has lots of budget options so shop around!

Other things you’ll need to know include:
> No shower gel or shampoo are provided – bring your own!
> No safe storage in rooms. Leave in reception area at your own risk.
> One pillow and a couple of hangers are provided – you can request more from reception.
Without question, the issues with this hotel must be blamed on the poor management.

Positive things:
> Wi-Fi is excellent throughout.
> Centrally located (but because of this, depending on your room location, it can be VERY NOISY!)

To be honest there is not much to be positive about with this booking. Firstly, the information on the property failed to mention some important aspects that deeply impacted on my stay due to a disability. I usually have no problems with accommodation but had I know my room would have been up ten flights of stairs I would never have booked it. The bed was not very comfortable, the bedding was very cheap and the pillow very thin and uncomfortable. There was an incredibly busy bar that had a terrace outside below which was so loud it made sleep an impossibility. On top of this the floorboards need replacing and you could hear every footstep of the other guests throughout the apartment, there was no hot water which made shaving an uncomfortable experience, a weird blue light attached to the heater that was so bright it made it difficult to rest in the dark, the toilet did not flush so you were often greeted by a little brown present in the morning which the very loud cleaning staff talked about in great detail without actually doing anything about it. The staff were apathetic and their main concern was to make their jobs as easy as possible. Sorry, but the rooms were not cheap and vastly above normal hostel prices - I do not expect to have to make a trip of ten flights of stairs to ensure the bedding is conveniently placed for you. My advice to any traveller is to walk the extra five minutes or pay the extra ten pounds for a proper hotel- this place was a nightmare and verging on a scam. An absolute disgrace to the hostel industry.

Ideally located basic accommodation for the festival. Lack of lift means accessibility is difficult for those with mobility needs. Some rooms overlook Cowgate which means it can be noisy but for price and convenience I'd definitely go back again.

Clean room and central location are great. The noisy bar directly below was not. Certain rooms should come with discounts and warnings. Bargain accommodation, including full kitchen. Shower was not very functional.

A bit of a strange smell in the room can be noisy. But i recommend if you in Edinburgh on a budget and out for the night life.

Great value for money

Visited over the weekend during the Fringe. Great location. Dropped bags off before check in, but be aware they are just left on the floor in a corner and not secured. Check in was ok but took a bit longer than expected. Main desk have towels and shower gel for rent which is useful. Rooms are basic, which is fine, but the bed and floorboards both make a lot of noise. Also, as there is a pub very nearby, it can be loud late at night.

Cheap place to stay during the Fringe, but not without it's tradeoffs.

The location of the hostel provides good pedestrian access to Edinburgh and the train station. The rooms are well sized, and have some furniture much as a desk and draws which can be locked with a padlock.
The beds are comfortable and the overall pricing for a room is very good, conditions such as deposits for the keys are standard and also reasonable.