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Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate

2.5 star property
City-center hotel within walking distance of Royal Mile

Choose dates to view prices

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.

Reviews

6.8 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Free WiFi
  • Air conditioning
  • Laundry facilities
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Non-smoking

Main amenities (9)

  • Daily housekeeping
  • Terrace
  • 24-hour front desk
  • Air conditioning
  • Garden
  • Vending machine
  • Self-serve laundry
  • Luggage storage
  • Lockers available

Feel at home (4)

  • Garden
  • Terrace
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Laundry facilities
The current price is $73
$88 total
includes taxes & fees
Jan 11 - Jan 12, 2026

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 17 of 17 rooms

View all photos for Bed in 4-Bed Female Dorm Shared Bathroom

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 4-Bed Female Dorm Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 2 Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Bed in 4-Bed Female Dorm Ensuite

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 4-Bed Female Dorm Ensuite

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 2 Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Bed in 4-Bed Mixed Dorm Ensuite

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 4-Bed Mixed Dorm Ensuite

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 2 Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Bed in 6-Bed Female Dorm Shared Bathroom

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 6-Bed Female Dorm Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 3 Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dorm Ensuite

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dorm Ensuite

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 3 Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dorm Shared Bathroom

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dorm Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 3 Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Bed in 8-Bed Mixed Dorm Shared Bathroom

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 8-Bed Mixed Dorm Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Bunk Twin Room Ensuite

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bunk Twin Room Ensuite

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Large Twin Bunk Bed

View all photos for Bed in 4-Bed Mixed Dorm Shared Bathroom

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 4-Bed Mixed Dorm Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 2 Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Bed in 6-Bed Male Dorm Ensuite

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 6-Bed Male Dorm Ensuite

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 6 Twin Beds

View all photos for Bed in 6-Bed Male Dorm Shared Bathroom

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 6-Bed Male Dorm Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 6 Twin Beds

View all photos for Bed in 2-Bed Female Dorm Ensuite

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Bed in 2-Bed Female Dorm Ensuite

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 1
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for 8-Bed Private Room Shared Bathroom

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

8-Bed Private Room Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 8
  • 8 Twin Beds

View all photos for 6-Bed Private Room Shared Bathroom

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

6-Bed Private Room Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 6
  • 6 Twin Beds

View all photos for 6-Bed Private Room Ensuite

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

6-Bed Private Room Ensuite

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 6
  • 6 Twin Beds

View all photos for Quadruple Room Ensuite

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Quadruple Room Ensuite

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 4
  • 4 Twin Beds

View all photos for Quadruple Room Shared Bathroom

Laptop workspace, free WiFi, bed sheets

Quadruple Room Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Air conditioning
Renovated in 2024
Daily housekeeping
Laptop workspace
  • Sleeps 4
  • 4 Twin Beds

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7.6 out of 10, Good, 1,000 reviews
The price is $89
$107 total
includes taxes & fees
Dec 21 - Dec 22
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About the neighborhood

Map
94 -116 Cowgate, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 1JN

What's nearby

  • Royal Mile - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • St. Giles' Cathedral - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • University of Edinburgh - 4 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Grassmarket - 6 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Princes Street - 6 min walk - 0.5 km

Getting around

  • Edinburgh Airport (EDI) - 31 min drive
  • Edinburgh (ZXE-Edinburgh Waverly Train Station) - 5 min walk
  • Edinburgh Waverley Station - 6 min walk
  • Edinburgh Haymarket Station - 26 min walk
  • St Andrew Square Tram Stop - 10 min walk
  • Princes Street Tram Stop - 12 min walk
  • Balfour Street Tram Stop - 26 min walk

Restaurants

  • ‪Bannerman's Bar - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪The Piper's Rest - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Salt Horse - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪The Royal Oak - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪The City Cafe - ‬1 min walk

About this property

Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate

When you stay at Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate, you'll be in a fantastic location, just a 5-minute walk from Royal Mile 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 10 minutes and Princes Street Tram Stop is 12 minutes.

At a glance

DONE

Hotel size

    • 230 rooms
DONE

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
DONE

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
DONE

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
DONE

Children

    • No cribs (infant beds)
DONE

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
DONE

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.
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 Edinburgh City Centre, a short 5-minute walk from Edinburgh (ZXE-Edinburgh Waverly Train Station) and 4 minutes' walk from Royal Mile.

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Reviews

Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate Reviews

6.8

Good

6.8

Cleanliness

6.0

Amenities

7.2

Staff & service

6.6

Eco-friendliness

6.4

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

6/10 Good

It was a great place. Near by at downtown.
Rhojane, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

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, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Perfect place thank You
Calvin, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Really near market, castles, museum and compare with the price I’ll give it 10/10
SUTHASINEE, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

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, 2-night trip

8/10 Very good

Felt safe and clean. Will definitely stay again if ever in Edinburgh.
Jerilyn, 3-night trip

8/10 Very good

Value for money except minor complaint.
Ganesh Pandian, 1-night trip

6/10 Good

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 !!!
Nadia, 1-night trip

2/10 Poor

I liked the closeness to pubs and clubs & the smoking area. I hated the bunk beds & the noise of the people in the room with me. I didn't sleep at all
Big reception area was good but the room was awful. I couldn't sleep, the bunk beds are noisy & uncomfy.
Colin, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

The property was easy to find ! The staff are all lovely and helpful ! Excellent location walking distance from everything ! A lot of toilets and washing facilities. Clean beds and lockers for your stuff ( bring your own lock ). Would recommend ear plugs because it’s right across from three sisters and they play live music until like 3 am but that’s no fault of the hostel at all! I was prepared by the reviews so I brought earplugs, eyelash and had a good night sleep. All in all good place and did the job 😁
Three sisters from the window
Hostel essentials !
Reygina, 2-night trip

6/10 Good

An ok place to stay if you love to party

The biggest thing that made my stay not so enjoyable,is that the bar across the street was so loud you heard the music in the room. Therefore it made it a bit challenging to go to sleep at night. Also outside of the hostel in the smoking area, the ashtrays were full. I asked the staff where I could empty the ashtrays. The staff said they would empty the ashtrays and they finally emptied them a day later.
james, 2-night trip

2/10 Poor

I asked for an early check in and was not available on arrival. The staff were rude in regards to this. No customer service skills at all. We then came back around 4pm, got in our room with no electric. No pre warning even though the electric had been off since the previous day. We were told they couldnt do anything until someone arrived to fix it. Bare in mine we had 3 children. We then got given an extension lead under the door and a lamp. We had to get ready in the shared bathroom. When the electric was fixed our light bulb needed replacing. All this made us late for a reservation. We had no apology at all. We also had the worst sleep ever. People shouting, singing and running up and down corridors as well as music till almost 3am. Non of this was monitored. No signs to keep quiet or anything. Then at 3am i needed to use the bathroom and to my disgust someone was having sex in there. This is not family friendly in any way shape or form. Absolutely shocking.
Claire, 1-night trip

6/10 Good

The only downside was the noise from the doors outside our room banging, and the conversations being had outside our room late at night and early in the morning. But for £40, what would we expect? We'd stay again, though.
Stephen, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Very friendly staff
Anne-Marie, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Can’t say enough good about this place. Our second stay here. Staff and management are wonderful!
melvin, 3-night trip

8/10 Very good

For just one night the hostel was ok. The only thing that bothered me was the large group of people who were together and talking very loudly and with music playing late at night.
Liliane, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

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, 2-night trip

6/10 Good

It was clean but everything is a money grab, 5£ here 6£ there. It felt like I was going to get asked to bring my own toilet paper
2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

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, 2-night trip

6/10 Good

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, 2-night trip

6/10 Good

Duvet was very small
Muhammad, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Good
Donald, 4-night trip

2/10 Poor

Would not recommend staying here, rude staff and constantly felt very unsafe in the building.
Jess, 4-night trip

8/10 Very good

The bunk beds were rough. Saturday nights are noisy but other nights were quiet.
Karen, 3-night trip

6/10 Good

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, 1-night trip