Originally, this place got a 4* rating from me, when I first stayed here as a 20 yr old. However, it became a 3* rating after trying to stay here again this past January. \n\nWhen I first stayed here, I thought this place was one of the best hostels I've been in in Europe. Clean common areas. Clean rooms. Pretty clean bathrooms. The cleaning lady came in religiously everyday to clean all rooms. I stayed in a mixed 6-person room. If I recall correctly, they have this locker-type thing to put your belongings in. Which was also great. The staff was pretty friendly, although I didn't interact with them much. I went to school a few hours away in Lancaster, so I wasn't too clueless about being in the UK.\n\nWhat really makes this hostel stand out in my mind from the others, is their bar downstairs. It's a slightly small, cozy little bar. Where the clientele is mainly the backpackers staying upstairs. What a great way to make even more money! It's great, because, aside from the common room, where people can be super quiet/awkward, you can also chat up people from all over at this bar. When inhibitions are lowered with every sip of your (insert drink here). They had drink specials too. We met a group of guys who had their 'reunion' with their uni friends at that bar every year. They bought us about 20 shots called \"cock-sucking cowboys\". it was this crazy yellow viscuous thing. And pretty gross and sickly sweet. Needless to say, I did not leave my bed to see any sights the next day. \n\nNow, years later, i had fond memories of Edinburgh (minus the cock-sucking cowboy shots), and Budget Backpackers Hostel. So even though I had more money than I did as a uni student, I wanted to stay here again to relive it all. Sadly, they told us that they were filling up there rooms and a mixed room would have costed us 50% more than a normal hotel. Which was kind of ridiculous. They wouldn't bend at all. So we end up at a really nice hotel instead for less money, with 2 beds and our own bathroom.\n\nThe bar was still great though. We went on New year's eve, and it was a hoot. They had a live band. And the same kind of mixed crowd (travellers and scots). One group of scottish boys wore kilts in freezing weather with no underwear! They also tried to get us to put our hands underneath their kilts.....my friend did it, which is how we knew they didnt wear any pants.
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