Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate, a vibrant hotel near the Royal Mile, offers a tranquil garden to unwind. Stay connected with in-room WiFi and enjoy easy access to St. Giles' Cathedral and Grassmarket.
Edinburgh (ZXE-Edinburgh Waverly Train Station) - 7 min walk
Edinburgh Waverley Station - 8 min walk
Edinburgh Haymarket Station - 25 min walk
St Andrew Square Tram Stop - 11 min walk
Princes Street Tram Stop - 13 min walk
Haymarket Tram Station - 26 min walk
Restaurants
Deacon Brodies Tavern - 5 min walk
Frankenstein - 4 min walk
Luckenbooths - 4 min walk
Eve - 3 min walk
Balcony Cafe - 4 min walk
About this property
Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate
You'll be in a fantastic location at Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate, just a 5-minute walk from Grassmarket and University of Edinburgh. A terrace and a garden are other highlights. The property is just a short walk to public transportation: St Andrew Square Tram Stop is 11 minutes and Princes Street Tram Stop is 13 minutes.
At a glance
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Hotel size
230 rooms
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Arriving/Leaving
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out time is 10:00 AM
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Special check-in instructions
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
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Required at check-in
Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
Government-issued photo ID may be required
Minimum check-in age is 18
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Children
No cribs (infant beds)
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Pets
Pets not allowed
WIFI
Internet
Free WiFi in public areas
Free WiFi in rooms (speed: 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices))
LOCAL_PARKING
Parking
No onsite parking
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Other information
Smoke-free property
Property amenities
Services
24-hour front desk
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Facilities
Garden
Terrace
Lockers available
Accessibility
Upper floors accessible by stairs only
Room amenities
Home comfort
Air conditioning
Sleep well
Bed sheets provided
Freshen up
Shower only
Hair dryer (on request)
Stay connected
Laptop-friendly workspace
Free WiFi (speed of 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices))
More
Daily housekeeping
Fees & policies
Optional extras
Towels are available for an extra charge of EUR 4 per person, per stay (or guests may bring their own)
Policies
This property does not have elevators.
Long-term renters welcome.
Guests can rest easy knowing there's a fire extinguisher on site.
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards. Cash is not accepted.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard
Also known as
Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate Hotel
Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate Edinburgh
Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate Hotel Edinburgh
Frequently asked questions
Are pets allowed at Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate?
Sorry, pets aren't allowed.
Is parking offered on site at Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate?
Sorry, there's no onsite parking at Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate.
What are the check-in and check-out times at Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate?
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime. Check-out time is 10:00 AM.
What is there to do at Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate and nearby?
Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate has a garden.
What's the area around Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate like?
Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate is in Old Town Edinburgh, a short 7-minute walk from Edinburgh (ZXE-Edinburgh Waverly Train Station) and 6 minutes' walk from Royal Mile.
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Reviews
Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate Reviews
7.0
Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
7.0
Cleanliness
6.4
Amenities
7.2
Staff & service
6.6
Property conditions & facilities
Reviews
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 11, 2026
I do recommend this hostel. It is in old town, Edinburgh, and it was awesome. The location is good. You will really enjoy it. The only thing I didn’t like is the way the showers they were facing the wall a very hard to get wet.
Lina
Lina, 4-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 28, 2025
Great location, perfect hostel for City Stays
Pleasant stay at the hostel. Having our own dorm was great and made it affordable for three people meeting up, visiting the City and just having a catch.
Great location and close to the Cities parkrun that takes place on Saturday
Darryl
Darryl, 2-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
Sep 23, 2025
Over all a comfortable stay. It could definitely use some renovating and the stairs are strong concrete but molded oddly in certain areas. But the staff was extremely helpful and the area was very convenient for walking old Edinburgh.
Solange
Solange, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
May 16, 2025
Felt safe and clean. Will definitely stay again if ever in Edinburgh.
Jerilyn
Jerilyn, 3-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 29, 2025
The only small hiccup was the shower water pressure, it felt a bit weak. Other than that, the place was clean, central, and the staff were friendly. overall great!
Vineeth
Vineeth, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
Jul 11, 2025
The location is amazing. Staff is very nice. The shared bathroom was not perfectly clean and a bit smelly, that's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
Elisabeth
Elisabeth, 2-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
Jun 29, 2024
Very friendly staff
Anne-Marie
Anne-Marie, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Aug 1, 2024
Can’t say enough good about this place. Our second stay here. Staff and management are wonderful!
melvin
melvin, 3-night trip
Verified
6/10 Good
Jun 20, 2024
Beds and toilets were a little rickety, but otherwise it was pretty good. Convenient location, good staff, easy to get to places around it, and quite affordable.
Hannah
Hannah, 2-night trip
Verified
6/10 Good
Jul 20, 2024
If you need a good nights sleep, you won't get it here. But! It is clean, and I (solo female traveler) felt safe.
Lisa
Lisa, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 12, 2025
Great experience, exceeded my expectations over value for money. The bunks have privacy screens around the head and feet of the bed, which made sharing a room feel less invasive. Music can be heard from the bar around the front of the building (it’s summer, so we had the windows open) but it wasn’t an issue, my days were so packed with walking and exploring that I slept really well! I found the bed comfy. Showers did the job, I brought my own towel. Would recommend bringing a padlock for your locker if you are concerned about valuables, but it would better serve not bringing ‘valuables’ (if possible) in the first place.
I love Edinburgh and a place like this really encourages me to visit more regularly. Thanks Safestay!
Melanie
Melanie, 2-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
Jul 30, 2025
The hostel was very close to the heart of the city, so it was near shopping, food, and activities. We didn’t need public transport for anything except getting to the airport. The hostel is directly next door to an outdoor bar/music venue, so there was noise at all hours of the day. Since there is no A/C, the windows needed to stay open, so we were constantly hearing whatever was going on across the street. It didn’t bother us any, but it may bother you if you are a light sleeper and/or are traveling with children. My one critique of the hostel is that the bathrooms were quite dirty, and they smelled pretty bad.
Sydney
Sydney, 2-night trip
Verified
6/10 Good
Jun 22, 2024
Central but dirty
VERY much noise from the bar next door. The room was dirty. The beds were hard. Had to pay extra for towels and luggage storage. Friendly staff. Good location, very central. We stayed for four nights.
Monika
Monika, 4-night trip
Verified
6/10 Good
Jun 15, 2024
Staff friendly & helpful. Room clean. Bed allocation system chaotic. Breakfast Extremely limited. No wi fi. Bathroom door lock poor
STEPHEN
STEPHEN, 3-night trip
Verified
2/10 Poor
Jun 9, 2024
Not as advertised, expensive for not much
No hot water for the shower, no toilet in the en-suite I had paid for, no sanitary bins (communal mixed gender bathrooms even though paid for female ensuite room), no wifi or signal at the hostel which isn’t safe for solo travellers but also advertised as free wifi everywhere. No bar license yet so can’t serve drinks. Basically nothing that’s advertised is available, also charged double compared to what people in my room paid. Also randomly charged an extra £53 and not sure what for, noticed it on my banking once I got internet when in the city centre. Absolutely shocking. The guys on reception were helpful though at checkin.
Zoe
Zoe, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Feb 23, 2026
the rooms were spotless and the staff were courteous
James
James, 7-night trip
Verified
2/10 Poor
Apr 5, 2026
2 shops local as well as a lively night club outside rooms 132 / 232 /332,
Fellow guests pretty annoying with the sleep patterns & noise with lockers
Alan
Alan, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
Dec 25, 2025
Everything was good except the noise it was noisy till 4AM
OLIUL
OLIUL, 1-night trip
Verified
6/10 Good
Sep 1, 2025
It was a great place. Near by at downtown.
Rhojane
Rhojane, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
May 11, 2025
Really near market, castles, museum and compare with the price I’ll give it 10/10
SUTHASINEE
SUTHASINEE, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 11, 2025
Perfect place thank
You
Calvin
Calvin, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 21, 2025
Safe
ENRICO
ENRICO, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
Oct 30, 2025
good
Adam
Adam, 2-night trip
Verified
6/10 Good
Aug 9, 2025
clean, spacious room and toilet. Not enough hanging hooks. Windows MUST be changed, loud music comes from the pub in front until 3 A.M !!!