Pros:
The drying room and laundry
Cons:
The 6 million steps that have to be climbed to reach it
saoghalbeag
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(2)
After a traumatic experience at Bluesky Hostel and that Globetrotters Hostel, I ended up at SYHA because I knew I had a better chance of getting out of there alive than at either of the aforementioned places. After 3 years of overnight stops in Glasgow and trying out most other hostels, SYHA is still the only one I could recommend.It can be a fair hike out of the main part of town with a backpack. I thought I was going to pass out! I think the taxi was around 3 or 4 pounds from Buchanan Street and well worth it, at least to get your luggage up there! The place has burned down and been renovated since I last stayed there so can't really comment on the inside, although it was a nice old Georgian (?!) building, with great views of the city from the top floors.Downsides were: ensuite bathrooms in the rooms. Noisy fan and bright light VERY annoying when you have an early start! Mean cleaners not happy with people having a lie in! The kitchen could get a bit crowded, but this may have been changed with renovations!Plusses: reliability. After other bad experiences in Glasgow it was nice to know what I was going to get! The laundry was cheap-ish and the drying room was very quick (and hardly used so that was great!). Kitchen utensils - lots of.I'll stay here again when I go back to Glasgow.
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 5327)
Youth hostel or Brothel?, September 15, 2005
Reviewer:
Northern Girl
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
This hostel has a lot going for it, but it was such a disappointment. It is a pity as I think it has so much potential to be a great place. It is very well furnished - comfortable en-suite four bedded dorms with individual lockers (you need your own padlock) and proper bathrooms , it is in a Georgian townhouse, a beautifully preserved building with many original features, and it has many facilities. However, I have stayed in 18 youth hostels and it was my least enjoyable yet. The games room was dominated by a large schoolgroup, but that wasn't a problem. The TV room contained a couple lying on the sofa squeezed into an individual sleeping bag getting very physical with each other, and it was clear they resented the intrusion judging by the look the girl gave me as I walked in. The reception lounge area was also a courting zone. Is this place a hostel or a brothel? The lounge was quiet and comfortable, but I felt unrelaxed and ill at ease there. No one seemed to want to chat. I ended up going to bed as I felt so uncomfortable there. The breakfast is excellent value - for £2.40 there is an excellent buffet of cereals, juice, fresh fruit, cheese, meat, bread rolls etc. It is a fair way outof the city centre, but the neighbourhood is lovely. Kelvinggrove park, the university buildings, many musuems and some wonderful old preserved streets are around. I really don't recommend this palce for lone backpackers who want to meet other people, unless you like watching people engaged in sexual activity. There are cheaper and similar priced places around. They do have family rooms - and school groups -but I wouldn't like to bring younger children here. I would stay in Glasgow again, but I would find another hostel.
4 of
4 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 5328)
i liked it but..., September 14, 2005
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
can't see how the last reviewer encountered such bad luck - there are about 4 entire 5 burner stoves in a big kitchen and the showers were quite good by the time i got to this hostel. The building is huge and really comfortable (the library comment is probably appropriate), and the location is right between the main city center and the nice university suburbs in the west. It has great facilities, including a big drying room that is a saviour for quick washing.I found the staff to be generally quite friendly, though if you are having trouble with extending bookings or anything i recommend going back at the next change of shift as i must have caught some staff on bad days. On the whole I found them very helpful though, with lots of city information and the booking ahead service offered is great. yes, internet is expensive but it's the same provider as at every other hostel i stayed at in the uk and there are some good alternative places in the city.i really liked this hostel for its grand interiors, great location and facilities, however i already knew people in the city and didn't need to socialise within the hostel. from what i saw though i would back up the other comments about the sedate clientel and bookish nights in. My advice is find some locals, who would have to be the most friendly people i met in all my travels.
1 of
1 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 5329)
Big and Disappointing, December 3, 2002
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
Been travelling for 2 months, and so far the most disappointing hostel yet. Why? Too big which made it impersonal, staff not friendly or helpful for that matter, was very hungry and couldn't cook dinner because the only stove didn't work, no hot water for a shower, other guests staying there were never up for conversation. Very expensive internet, got kicked out of the tv room at midnight so 2 staff members could make out!! (even though we specifically asked to stay in there longer because we are night hawks). Seemed more like a library/museum than a youth hostel. All in all, bad experience. Could have been bad luck, but we think not.
8 of
9 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 5330)
Another vote for clean and unexciting, November 17, 2002
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
In some respects, this is quite a nice hostel, located in a large old Victorian house in a nice part of Glasgow. The dorm rooms are fairly clean, including lockers and ensuite bathrooms. There is a nice sized, well-equipped kitchen/ dining area, a pleasant common area with comfortable chairs and a TV room. The location is a bit far from the local bus line, but the neighborhood is a nice, residential area, on a rise with a decent view of the city, and is located within a comfortable 15 minute walk of the city center.But, as noted below, this hostel does seem to attract a rather quiet crowd, people seem to go to extraordinary effort to avoid conversation at this hostel. I've stayed here twice, and the circumstances were identical on both occasions; even the staff remarked about it. (This was one of those rare instances where the staff was more friendly than were the guests.) Fortunately, Glaswegians are such incredibly friendly people that you can easily find a social life outside of the hostel -- grab a pint at a pub, and you'll be sure to meet the locals, regardless.If your priorities include cleanliness and quiet, this is your place. If you wish to have fun with your fellow travelers, you should consider staying somewhere else.
5 of
5 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 5331)
Clean, affordable, but not very exciting., October 3, 2002
Reviewer:
Matt Werbin
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
This hostel was definately affordable, and the doom rooms were clean and all had individual wooden lockers which you only had to put a padlock through. Padlocks were available at the reception for 1.50 pounds I think. The rooms also had an attached shower stall and bathroom, which was nice. The location was very good as well, just a short walk from Sauchiehall St, and the downtown area.The only downside I found with this place was that the party atmosphere was zero. If that's what you're looking for, as I was, I would pass on this one. Most people were content to sit around reading the night away, not my style.But for everything else, this hostel was good.
