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Reviews of The Baxter Hostel

2 out of 5
The Baxter Hostel
5/2 West Register Street, Edinburgh, Scotland

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 60 out of 136 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 50 out of 136 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 19 out of 136 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 5 out of 136 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 136 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

5.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Never again.
Poor, poor service - no accountability from management.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Hazel

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Shower room was too small
Overall was ok. The room was small for 9 people. Three level bunker bed was kinda off. The shower room was clean but no place to hang your clothes. So I suppose you either let your clothes wet from the shower or get naked before going into the shower room (just kidding).
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hostel
It was amazing knowing Edinburgh and have stayed at The Baxter.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Adrian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cool place
Really nice vibe and friendly staff! They cook you some eggs and toast for breakfast which made me feel like I was at home and mom was making breakfast. Super cozy! The shower area was lacking space and privacy. That was a big dissapointment but otherwise clean and nice.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness
So so Hostel
The staff were super helpful and friendly, and the breakfast that’s included was better than many others in the UK that you have to pay for. However, especially for the price, the level of cleanliness and quality of the bathroom was questionable. Additionally, a woman in another room got badly bitten by bedbugs during my stay.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

6/10 Okay

Mahboobeh Laura

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

Chris, Bristol

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice friendly welcome on arrival and smooth check in process. Dorm room was functional with allocated bed & lockers. The bed was adequate for my 2 night trip to Edinburgh. The main kitchen area was very nice with breakfast provided in the mornings (cereal, toast & scrambled eggs, orange juice, tea and coffee provided) by the Baxter Hostel Team. The showers are literally the shower tray with 2 sets of doors so can be a bit tricky with logistics but manageable. While I was there 2 of the 4 showers were closed waiting to be repaired. Even so didn't need to wait long for any of the facilities on either morning. Overall a nice hostel, met some interesting travellers and the Baxter Team are fab and friendly. Will consider The Baxter Hostel if I'm back in Edinburgh.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

JZ

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff very friendly and helpful. The location is great. Free breakfast!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019

6/10 Okay

Katherine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Mattress hurt, room too hot
I’m not sure what was up, but the radiator in one of the rooms was UNBEARABLY hot, so I ended up not getting much sleep. And my mattress had this well-worn groove in it, so that turning over was difficult and painful. Aside from that, it was quite pleasant. I’ve stayed here twice now, and have had pretty good experiences both times (except for the heat and the mattress)
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

GLORIA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very good service
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Probably the best backpackers I’ve been to yet. Clean and friendly
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Evan, Singapore

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed in the "largest room" they have, quoted from the staff during check-in. My first experience there is great. Four small showering cubicle, shared with everyone in the hostel.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Joanne Alice

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice service
Very friendly towards disabled and lgbtqi people
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

ALTHEA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A great hostel.
Enjoyed staying at the Baxter hostel. Staff very helpful. Great breakfast.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018

6/10 Okay

Michelle, Anchorage

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
For a hostel is was very nice. Small area but nice. Not a lot of room if you need to change in private or repack your luggage. Some people were repacking in the hall. There was heating issues going on with the building that made it really hot. Especially at a specific time of day.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
very hard to find the entrance, need to climb to the 2nd floor. noise from common room at late night is obvious even with earplug. 9 people room is hard to sleep. Ladder is too high and room is hot even with window open. Staff and breakfast is very nice though.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Emily

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would stay again!
Really comfortable beds and awesome location.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Ana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Spaniard girl at the reception was amazing, Am sorry I don’t recall her name, she was very friendly and helpful. The atmósfera was like being at home, the location was perfect!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018

8/10 Good

Pascale

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place, great perks
The only hostel that serves free hot breakfast! So stylish, absolutely AMAZING location, and clean enough in the actual space. My only gripe with this place (stayed here twice) is the height of the bunks. The bathrooms have very little space for getting ready, and with the numbers of beds to showers/sinks/toilets, you dont want to impose on all the other people, but there really isn't much space beyond the beds to sort yourself. I hit my head a lot trying to pack my bag! But, the place is wonderful, the staff is so kind (especially Kinnaird!!!!!), and for the price and location, it was a great find! Been there twice, would go again!
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018

8/10 Good

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Monday Night in April 18
Smaller hostel, dead centre of Edinburgh. Staff friendly and welcoming. 12 person room and window onto a side-street, so bed early and up and out. Ideal for me.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
SO QUIET!!
In the heart of the main area in town, very quiet, great facilities, comfy beds, very clean, lovely staff. Breakfast included.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

Bryan Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2018

6/10 Okay

SI WENG

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
For short stay
Overall, it's good. Just the ventilation in our room is not very good. And as we open the window, we saw mouse outside.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017

6/10 Okay

Edgar

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing staff
Amazing staff!, specially the Italian girl, she just was so kind and helpful. I’ve really had a good experience at this hostel. I would come back at this place.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Nice but tight
The Baxter is in a great part of town. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The common room is well designed and has great style. The only thing that I didn't love was the size. It's tiny. Too many beds are crammed into small rooms and you have really no space to open your suitcase. The bathroom is equally small. The sinks are about the size of a water fountain and they lack counter space or shelves to place toiletries on. If tight, crowded spaces bother you, The Baxter is not for you.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Conveniently located, helpful crew, beauty inside
Very conveniently located! Beautiful hostel once you are inside. Find it by the address -- I did not see a Baxter Hostel sign outside. Entry hall is shared with Backpackers Hostel on higher floors, and also as an exit for the Voodoo Rooms and other things in building. Hallway is grubby, dingey, dirty. Baxter is beautiful once you get inside. If you leave luggage, it is securely locked. Staff is very pleasant and helpful. Bathrooms are compact and space is used well. (Tiniest sinks I've ever seen!)
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

2/10 Terrible

Cody

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hot and crowded
The room was so stinking hot. They were constantly having plumbing issues the entire time I was there. And there is no space to just sit down by yourself. Introverts beware!
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2017

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Confusion inside
Worst part about my stay here was the room mates. I was in the 9 bed dorm - 3 bunk beds that were 3 beds high - I've never seen such a thing. The workers were really friendly, but the room mates were not. There was no talking to a couple of them. Glad I didn't spend any more time than necessary in the room. Just as a tip, it's hard to find in the building. They need some signage saying to ring the bell or you end up hauling your luggage all the way to the top of the building only to bring it back down.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

Sara, Thousand Oaks, Ca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing! Highly recommend!
I wish I could have stayed longer. The staff was friendly, they make your bed EVERYDAY!, the place was incredibly clean, the free breakfast in the morning was really good (they make you scrambled eggs right there and more!) the beds were really comfy, the lockers a bigger size than I anticipated and the location is phenomenal. I can't say enough good things. I will 100% go back.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2017

6/10 Okay

jeff

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great breakfast, very cramped
The space is quite small overall. The staff and the breakfast are top notch, though!

8/10 Good

JK, Aberdeen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Not quite
Hard to find the entrance of the hostel. There is a club behind this hostel. Noise street can penetrate via the window and there is man people from that club make noise all night. I can hear the voice from people who stay in the next room, hallway and common room. I comment this point because at first time that I saw the information of this hostel that is quite and comfort before I decided to chose this hostel.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was my first time in hostel And after this time i will quit taking expensive hotels. Friendly people amazing staff ! Im left surprised how profesional and caring they are :)

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A comfortable stay.
All the staff were friendly and helpful and serving breakfast every morning.

8/10 Good

Cassandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Hesitant to stay there again
The staff were friendly and the facilities were clean and very tidy and what you see in the photos is what you get in the hostel. However, the rooms are absolutely not worth the £25 per night that I was charged for an all-female 6-bed dorm. The communal area is combined with the small kitchen area and there aren't any sofas or quiet areas to escape to unless you're happy to stay on your triple-bunk. This would be ok except that to accommodate a triple bunk, they had to cut down on head space and you can't actually sit up in your own bunk even if you are at the top. The pillows were way past their best and even two pillows equaled one very hard and deflated pillow which made for an already difficult evening as sleeping on the top bunk of a triple has the added disadvantage of being in the line of sight of the bright green emergency exit sign - which does not bode well for a good night's rest. To top it all off, you can hear everything from the communal area from your bunk. Glasses being washed, food being cooked, loud chatter and the doorbell ringing all echoes down the short passageway. There were 4 showers of which only 2 were working, with only 2 toilets for everyone sharing the communal bathrooms. The bathrooms were unisex, which is fine if there are enough facilities for everyone, but I found it crowded and not private going to the loo. Overall it was ok, but I'm not keen to stay there again.

8/10 Good

Yan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cute wee hostel with excellent service
Positives: Small, cosy, and comfortable. Best staff I've come across in a hostel in a long time - and I've been in close to a hundred. Wifi is super fast (200Mb) but only works in the common area and 1/4 of the bedrooms. Great beds - custom built triple bunks, bolted to the wall so no shaking or creaking. Lockers for everyone. Well equipped kitchen. Decent breakfast. Fairly small and cosy. Well organised. Negatives: No laundry facilities, no window shutters, curtains, or blinds. A bit noisy, which you can't really help when you're one corner away from the busiest street in town. Would not recommend for light sleepers. Bring earplugs. Zero wheelchair accessibility. Extra daily charges for padlocks and towels, which can add up to more than the cost of buying your own over a few days.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service

10/10 Excellent

Jason, Leicester, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best Hostel ever
Stayed at the Baxter for one night while in Edinburgh. I have stayed at a few hostels around the world but nothing as good as this place- if im travelling to Edinburgh alone again then I would rather stay here than at a hotel. Staff are great and cook eggs + toast for your breakfast which was a nice surprise. It is very clean and looks recently decorated, very trendy :) It has a central location and a car park is 6 mins walk away. Wifi worked in the room, beds were solid and didn't move when someone climbed up. Ovelall very good Thanks.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Thomas, Minnesota and California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great if you're adventurous, flexible and community minded and like meeting new people. common cooking area and informality of the staff was great. Do not stay if you want a luxury pampered hotel. The international and young walk-about clientele was great to hang out with, but you need to be OK with people coming and going.

10/10 Excellent

Stef, Minot, Nd

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Close to Edinburgh Castle
This was a great hostel, very great interior design by the beds are a bit shietb

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel location is quite good and staffs are kind and have good manner. In addition, reasonable cost for stay. I want to visit again.

10/10 Excellent

Greg, Perth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Well worth a visit
Great spot, wonderful staff, well-equipped kitchen, all areas very clean and what value for money! Some noise from the street in the morning (bin day?) but except for that pretty quiet. Not much space to hang around the bedroom except for your bed, but the common area is nice. There's an option to rent a padlock to secure your allocated locker if anybody wonders. If I ever need to stay in Edinburgh again I will definitely go back there.