6-8 Douglas Gardens, Edinburgh EH4 3DA Bus 13 Tel (0131) 225 6209 Websitewww.hoppo.com/belford/
BUG Review
The Belford Hostel occupies the site of an old church, which gives it plenty of character. It features a big common area with a bar (3am licence) with pool table plus a kitchen and TV lounge. There is also a nice courtyard with a barbecue.
Price Dorm bed £14-17.50 Double room £45-65 Prices are in British pounds and are inclusive of all taxes.
Reception Open Mon-Thu 8am-3am; Fri-Sat 24 hours; Sun 8am-3am
The fact that it was in a converted church was really cool. The kitchen/common area was also really nice. However, it was really loud at night because of the open ceilings in the rooms so remember your earplugs. The bathrooms were also not very clean and while the location wasn't too bad, there are other hostels located much closer to the Royal Mile.
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(Review ID: 4715)
Great Place to stay, March 31, 2005
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Anonymous
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The following description is as the hostel was in Sep 04. We came to this hostel because we heard that it was an old church. It was a great place to stay. Our room had a big stained glass window which caught the morning light. The common room is massive, with a bar, pool table, plenty of table space, a projector and screen for the big games, and board games, books etc. There are excellent cooking facilities (best I've ever seen in a hostel) with 2 range/ovens and about 4 fridge freezers, and plenty of prep space. There is also a separate tv room with dvds. There is a computer with internet, but it is expensive (like it is at all hostels). Security is excellent as the main door is code entry, and you get a door code when you arrive. The main dorm area is quite dark during the day, being in the main church room. The space is divided into dorms with wall partitions that are open to the main ceiling of the church and so sound carries from across the other side. This is the one down side of this hostel, but it can quite easily be overcome by wearing earplugs (which should not be strange to hostel goers as defence against the obligatory snorer). It means that you can't stay up talking in your dorm, but that's what the common room downstairs is for. The beds are the standard bunks found in hostels everywhere. Clean, with sheets and blankets provided. The showers are a wee walk from the dorms but are large, clean, hot and button operated. For those looking to live in Ed, the hostel has a job notice board, and I believe even offers free board in exchange for sweeping the floors etc. There are plenty of flyers, events magazines, pinups etc for tourists as well. The staff are brilliant and helped us in any way they could. They can hold any valuables you have behind the counter in a safe for a small fee (50p a day or something). The hostel is about 10 mins walk from the west end of Princes street. but it's a lovely walk through a quiet area and over the river. The atmosphere was great: there were plenty of antipodeans and other tourists; in fact I think the manager is a kiwi. There is no lockout or curfew. Neither my wife, nor I, nor anyone we met there had problems with bedbugs; the preceding referee who mentioned them must have just been unlucky. We are moving to Ed in a few months, and will probably stay here again while we look for work and a flat.
3 of
3 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4716)
bedbugs, September 7, 2004
Reviewer:
niceplace
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I can live with the cubicles without ceiling. I can live with the half an hour walk to the Royal Mile. I can even live with the fact that I got bedbugs... - but I can't live with the fact that they haven't bothered to answer my complaint. (I have written to them twice).So my guess is that you will get bedbugs too, will you chose this hostel.
5 of
7 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4717)
Loved it, April 2, 2004
Reviewer:
KiwiRob
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I've stayed here twice and have never had a problem with it either time. Both times have been at hogmany so it had a pretty festive vibe going on. The staff are great, the manager was a kiwi so you couldn't go wrong. I like this place and would recommend to anyoneHowever staying in a church is pretty cool, and it's also pretty cold in winter. So if you can try and get one of the rooms downstairs.
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(Review ID: 4718)
friendliest place in the world, March 14, 2004
Reviewer:
Amalie
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I have been to the Belford a few times now, and my latest stay there lasted 13 months. This is the perfect hostel for anybody staying long term in Edinburgh. It is not luxury accomodation, but the hostel has the great advantage of a very large rec.room, bar, kitchen and seperate tv-room. The atmosphere is relaxed and very friendly. So even though more luxurious accomodation can definetely be found I still vote 4 stars. 1 for staff, 1 for guests, 1 for location, and 1 for the atmosphere!!!So are you going for a long time or just a weekend: Go check this place out!!! It could be the greatest experience of your life!!!!!!!!!!
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(Review ID: 4719)
Home, March 4, 2004
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Lykke
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When I first moved to Edinburgh, the Belford Hostel was recomended to me by my employer. I had only counted on staying there for a couple of weeks, until I found a flat, but ended up staying there for 5 months! The hostel is not that great, but the staff and the people who actually live there makes it something special. The entire ambience makes it feel like home.
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(Review ID: 4720)
Crazy Church, September 3, 2003
Reviewer:
Jen
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We spent a week in Edinburgh during the festival which is pretty nuts. The Belford Hostel was about a 10 minute walk from the busy Princes Street and in a quieter area where we could relax after a day fighting the crowds. The staff were friendly and genuinely tried to help us with any questions we had. Everything was tidy and clean, and we had a great time.
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(Review ID: 4721)
Must have been timing, August 9, 2003
Reviewer:
Brian
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This was probably the worst hostel I ever stayed (or didn't stay) in. It is very cool that it is in a church, but other than that, it was very disappointing. It was 25 pounds for two people in a 6 bed dorm. There was only one computer and it didn't work. It was quite far away from the Royal Mile and the castle, as well as most nightlife and pubs. However, the main reason this place gets a bad rating from me is that when we were there, it was ALL young kids. I think we were the only two people over 17 years old. The kids were screaming and making a bunch of noise most of the evening. It was such a problem that we ate the 25 pounds, walked all the way across town, and paid to stay at Castle Rock for the night. It might have just been bad timing, but for us, this hostel was definitely dissapointing.
6 of
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(Review ID: 4722)
Cool converted church in the centre of Edinburgh, July 30, 2003
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Anonymous
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I was suprised to find the Belford Hostel was a converted church, but it was a really great place to stay. You can lie in bed and stare at the awesome ceiling and stained glass windows. The dorms also had about 4-6 beds which was good and the onsite pub was also a great place to meet other travellers. It was really central and we could walk to all the local attractions in next to no time.
