KICK ASS GRASSMARKET, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Waverley station is about a 15-minute walk, and the Royal Mile is a short stroll. Several restaurants, pubs, and cafés are within a few hundred metres. The airport is 8 km away. The Airlink 100 bus stops at Shandwick Place, a 10-minute walk from the hostel. The area is central and walkable, with many sights reachable on foot. Rooms facing the street can be noisy due to nightlife and traffic, and the corridor doors are heavy and slam shut, which can disturb sleep. Earplugs are recommended for light sleepers.

Pod beds have a privacy curtain, mood lighting, a reading light, power socket, USB plug, a shelf, hooks, and a combination-lock locker underneath. Standard dormitory bunks do not have curtains. Room sizes range from small 6-bed dorms to large 22-bed dorms. Private rooms can sleep up to 6 people and some have a castle view. Rooms on lower floors near the street or stairwells can be noisy. The building has no air conditioning; pod rooms and dormitories can become very warm, especially in summer, which may make sleeping difficult. The pods have no ventilation, so some travellers prefer to sleep with the curtain open. Central heating is available in colder months.

Breakfast is served from 07:00 to 11:00 and includes pastries, fruit, cereal, toast, yoghurt, coffee, and juice. It is a buffet-style continental breakfast, not a cooked meal. The breakfast area can be busy. The on-site restaurant opens for lunch and dinner, offering international cuisine with vegetarian and vegan options. A bar and snack bar are also available, and the hostel has a shared kitchen for guests who prefer to cook their own meals.

Evening entertainment includes free movie nights, a pub quiz, whisky tasting, and a pub crawl (some events at an extra charge). There is a lounge with a TV, a shared kitchen, and a communal area. Board games are available. There is no gym, pool, or spa on site.

Wi-Fi is free in all areas. The 24-hour reception allows for late check-in and early checkout. Lockers are available in the rooms and in a separate luggage storage room for a fee (approximately 3 GBP). Luggage storage is accessible before check-in and after check-out. Laundry facilities with a washing machine and dryer are available on site. The property has a shared kitchen, a drinks and snack vending machine, a safe deposit box, and key card access. CCTV is in operation for security. The hostel is adults-only (18+). No lift is available; some rooms are on the third floor. Bicycle storage can be arranged.