I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Royal Mile Backpackers Hostel during my visit to Edinburgh, and I must say it was an absolute delight! From the moment I stepped inside the hostel, I was greeted with warm smiles and a friendly atmosphere that made me feel right at home. First and foremost, the location of the hostel is outstanding. Situated right on the iconic Royal Mile, I was within walking distance of all the major attractions and landmarks. Whether it was exploring Edinburgh Castle, wandering through the charming streets of the Old Town, or visiting the vibrant bars and restaurants nearby, everything was conveniently accessible. The staff at the hostel deserves special mention. They were incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and always ready to offer recommendations on places to visit and things to do in Edinburgh. Their passion for the city was infectious, and they went above and beyond to ensure every guest had an unforgettable experience. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and well-maintained, providing a cozy retreat after a long day of exploring the city. The common areas were spacious and inviting, perfect for socializing and meeting fellow travellers from all over the world. The hostel also offered a fully equipped kitchen, allowing guests to prepare their meals and save some money. One aspect that truly stood out to me was the vibrant and welcoming atmosphere of the hostel. The communal areas were always buzzing with conversation, laughter, and shared experiences. It was incredibly easy to strike up conversations with fellow travellers, making for memorable connections and friendships that I will cherish for a lifetime.

Very homey feel. Lovely staff and people there. Lots of activities in the evening, so if you’re a solo traveller it’s easy to make friends. Also super easy to get places as it’s very central, lovely views of Old town.

I was in Gotham city room, as the penguin. It’s in the corner and I consistently had people staying for the night who would leave all their things in front of my bed due to the location of the beds and their lockers. This resulted in me falling at one point. I think that if they moved the lockers to the other side (like next to the lockers near the doorway), people may be less likely to leave their stuff in the way. This isn’t on the hostel at all, just people having bad etiquette in the dorms. But I do think the lockers between the penguin bed and the ones to the right of it are badly placed

This is one of the best hostels I've stayed in. The rooms were spacious with comfortable beds and strong heaters. The kitchen and bathrooms were cleaned several times a day and were always spotless. Staff were very knowledgable and happy to help with any requests. There was an event on every night which was a nice addition. The location was excellent and close to everything. Great value for money and I will definitely return here if I am ever in Edinburgh again.

I only have one critique about this hostel - the heaters turn off during the day and are timed to come on in the evening, meaning the hostel is very cold during the day. I noticed a few other guests also asking the staff about this, but there was nothing they could do. I understand wanting to keep electricity bills low but when it's 0 degrees in the Scottish winter I think that we could probably make an exception and keep the heaters on...

Perfect location and fascinating view from the window that you will never forget, nice personnel, comfortable bed, lockers of good size, where I managed to put all my luggage (2 bags), relatively clean in the room, clean showers and toilets, small but cozy kitchen, where you will feel like at your friend's house, very tasty tea :) Free towels were also a pleasant suprise. I will recommend you to come here and enjoy the atmosphere and have rest after exploring Edinburg. And I will definitely come here the next time.

I was unlucky with having loud snoring man one night in the dormitory. But it's not hostel's fault.

Great location, great facilities, very comfortable, convenient Kitchen equipment, fridges etc, some communal food and sanitary products.

The only slight thing I would say I didn't like is that a staff member barged into our room at exactly 10.33am saying "are you ready to go yet?". There were 3 or 4 of us left in the room, putting our coats on etc, moments from checking out (checking out time is 10.30am). Yes, i understand we were technically 3 minutes late checking out, but I felt slightly uncomfortable with how he handled us. Other than that a great stay

Royal mile backpacker is in a great location in town. The place is always vibrant and full of guests coming here and there. If you like the lively atmosphere where you get to meet people, you'd love this place or if you just want to spend an affordable night there would be a great option too. I'd say at this price, the facilities are ideal, they provide free towel, hot water, tea, affordable breakfast, hair dryers. Plus, there're lovely character in each room [ like Hogwarts and Transpotting] The staff could give practical information and manage if there're any inconveniences. In my case, i misunderstood that i booked another type of room in my last night and that day i went off the city, the staff was accommodating to handle this mistake of mine and moved all my belongings into the next room, gathering them and putting them in a big plastic bag, including my Ipad in the locker, they put it in another locker safe and sound. After check out, I even forgot my glasses, and the staff let me in with no problem. [They may think what's wrong with this asian lady haha]. Anyway, I'd recommend this place with all mentioned details.

The check-in process. I arrived there around 12PM, but the check-in opens at 3, normally you can just leave the bag at the hostel and check in later, but in this case, you've gotta go to another hostel down the street and leave your belongings if you wish, which is not far, but if you carry the heavy backpacks for a while [ down the stairs and uphill a bit thanks to Edinburgh's landscape] from the train station, it'd be a bit tiring. This is a minor dislike anyway. Another thing is the plug socket in some beds doesn't work very well if you have certain types of universal plug.

Cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, spacious 8-bed room (free coffee + hot chocolate)!

I sound like such a drama queen and this is really nitpicky but although they offer free coffee and hot chocolate, the coffee and milk ran out at the end of my stay and wasn't replenished (I could have just asked but😅). The cleaning of bathrooms was also carried out at pretty peak times so several of us had to wait to take showers/brush teeth/use the bathrooms a few times (again, drama queen, I know!! But I just want to share some things that come to mind)!

The room - Gotham City was really spacious, so my friends and I enjoyed spending our time there. It wasn't cramped at all. On top of that, the staff were really helpful - they lent us a plug adapter when we needed.

The bathrooms were clean but sometimes got a bit crowded. One of the showers had rather low pressure and it was rather difficult to set the right temperature.

This is one of the best hostels in Edinburgh if not Scotland... The staff blend in with you to give you a real good vibe and credit to Kat for running a good house. Never a dull moment and plenty of things to do.. made lots of friends and felt sad to leave (stayed 4 nights) would definitely recommend and I will at some point come back. (But not yet guys, I'll give you a break! Lol) Thanks for a good stay. ❤️

I had to leave. 😔

Hostel has a great location right at The Royal Mile, so close to most attractions and to bus and train station. Personel is friendly and provides additional activities. They have towels inclided in price. It is a typical backpacker place with kitchen access. Place is not to big, but works fine for people on budget.

It is a typical cheap bacpacker place, so do not expect too much - it matches the price. The biggest minus is that there are only 2 toilets and showers - not big, plus additional 2 in mixed bathrooms - it could get crowdy, if more people are leaving at the same time. It is also not quiet - close to street, you will hear cars and people coming from bar crawls - just be prepared for that:)