Backpacker Hostel UK

Corran House, Guest House and Independent Hostel is situated on the harbour front of Oban, only a short walk away from the town centre, fish’n’chip shops, pubs and the popular ferry terminal from where you can set sail to the Inner Hebrides. Oban in north-west Scotland is a charming seaside town worth visiting.

The posh Victorian town house which is run by the owner and her family boosts elegance and style with a relaxed atmosphere at great rates. Families, couples, independent travellers and groups of all ages are well catered for. The double rooms are all ensuite, the other 3 and 4 bed rooms have communal showers/toilets on each floor.

At time of booking the friendly receptionist explained all available options. The well stocked self-catering kitchen provides enough fridge and storage space for everyone. There’s even a stack of self-help breakfast/snack supply at a generous price, which you deposit in the “honesty-jar”. As the next supermarket is a wee bit further away this is a great idea to make sure your guests don’t have to leave empty-bellied in the morning. The owner is a friendly lady who takes time for a chat and travel advise. The house is very spacious, charming, well decorated, quiet and clean. The bunk beds are 2 meter long and 1 meter wide! We highly recommend staying at this great place!

Friendly receptionist Well-equipped kitchen Breakfast & snack shelf Very spacious, charming house Clean Large bunk beds

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	Beds from £12.00 Book here >

Portree is the main town on Skye offering a good base to explore the largest island of the Inner Hebrides in the north-west of Scotland. Rated as one of the world’s greatest islands by National Geographic, Skye’s natural scenery is truly spectacular and rarely found anywhere else in the world.

Portree Independent Hostel is well situated in the middle of the town, only two minutes away from the main bus stop. A supermarket, various restaurants and the snug harbour front with its insider tip seafood eatery won’t leave you hungry. Charming village pubs with friendly locals and an information centre are all in walking distance.

The hostel can accommodate up to 60 travellers, mainly in 4 and 6 bedded rooms, larger groups can make use of the two 10 and 12 bedded top floor dorm rooms. There are three mixed bathrooms (shower, sink, toilet) in the house with a further two toilets on the ground floor. The small reception area includes comfy sofas where you can relax, read a book or even watch TV.

The well equipped kitchen provides plenty of space and is a good place to meet fellow international travellers. All rooms, floors and walls are painted with bright colours, creating a friendly and warm atmosphere. What stands out is the unique carpet on the ground floor with a local tartan pattern. The rooms, fitted with carpets and curtains, are cleaned daily. However, if it is fully booked (as it is most of the time), it can get a bit crowded and at peak times you may experience a short queue in front of the bathrooms.

Well equipped kitchen Bright colors & warm atmosphere Rooms have carpets and curtains Located in town centre Comfy sofas & TV

Can get crowded Bathroom queues

	Beds from £21.00 Book here >

The SYHA Youth Hostel Glasgow is situated in Glasgow’s hip West End and is housed in a huge, posh Victorian building which overlooks Kelvingrove Park with its unique selection of European and Tropical plants.

The hostel offers 110 beds in total, some with ensuite facilities. The beds are sturdy wooden bunk beds with proper spring core mattresses. The rooms are fitted with carpets and good curtains. There’s enough storage space in lockable wooden cabinets inside the rooms. The ensuite bathrooms, toilet plus sink and shower in two separate rooms are newly fitted and nicely decorated.

Besides a self-catering kitchen, there are two main lounges to hang out in. One provides the weary traveller with big comfy brown leather sofas and a glimpse of Kelvingrove Park through huge Victorian bay windows. The other one is aimed at players of all sorts, with a nice pool table and retro board games.

SYHA Youth Hostel Glasgow is a friendly house with extremely helpful staff, loads of space and privacy outside the bedrooms. A victorian setting with great amenities, and an interesting mix of travellers from all walks of life. All over the house you find a huge selection of brochures and information leaflets to give you a good idea of what to do in Glasgow and Scotland. Well maintained building and general cleanliness everywhere in the house. However, the carpets, although cleaned regularly and without stains, give the rooms a dusty smell.

Friendly, helpful staff Interesting mix of travellers Lots of space & info material Well maintained Pool table Clean

Smelly carpets

	Beds from £18.00 Book here >

The Torquay Hostel London operated by LHA London Ltd is located not far from Hyde Park, just a few minutes walk from Royal Oak station on the Hammersmith & City line, and about 15 minutes walk from Bayswater station on District & Circle Line.

In short, this is one of the worst hostels we’ve ever stayed in the world. One would expect this kind of unhygienic rooms, toilets and facilities in developing countries in Asia, North Africa or the Middle East – but not in London. Everything is filthy, rooms, carpets, toilets, showers, kitchen – everything! An exception is the common room with TV downstairs in the basement, where a free breakfast is being served every morning from 8:00 to 9:30am. The breakfast at least is OK, the chinese lady very friendly. Some dorm rooms even have a dirty bathroom with a dirty shower attached, and even a small dirty kitchen. But there are no pots, pans, cups, plates or cutlery to use it. In front of the window there’s a noisy elevated highway that you can hear during the night even with windows closed (there’s a hole with a fan in the wall as well). Long queues in front of the reception are common – it is unattained very often for too long. However, staff in general is friendly, even they seemed a bit clueless sometimes, moving people around for no reason and not knowledgeable about the city. To use the free WiFi you need to register your name (linked to your personal details) with the reception – giving you personalized login details. This is weird and leaves room for speculations. The photos below were taken in a dorm room with attached bathroom costing 15.50 GBP per night, that’s in total 62 Pounds per night for this dirty 4-share room! For 62 Pounds you can easily find a nice shiny hotel room somewhere else in London. What a rip-off! Disgusting…

Free lockers in room Some dorms have bathroom attached Some dorms have small kitchen with tap Nice common room with TV Nice staff Free WiFi Free breakfast

Rooms very dirty Carpets/floors/hallways filthy Bathrooms/Showers disgusting Extra charges for small things WiFi requires PERSONAL registration Kitchen in common room is just for staff Kitchen has no pots/pans/plates/cutlery Reception often unattained (queues) Elevated highway in front of window Full of long-term stayers looking for work Definitely lacks character Much too expensive (given low value)

	Beds from GBP 12.50 Book here >

Hatters Hostel Birmingham is located near the Jewelry Quarter of Birmingham, an area with countless of jewelry shops and manufacturers, about 10-15 minutes walk from the city center. Walk along the train line to your right, then you must take the underpass. Upon your arrival, the receptionist will give you a brief summary of the city and recommends a walking route through the city which includes the most interesting sights. It’s advisable to follow this route to make the most of your stay, finding all the hidden treasures in this area (like the little jewelry museum and the haunted cemetery). The dorm room is quite big and has a small bathroom with shower attached. It’s generally clean, also the common room in the basement. This has a few tables with benches, a nice little TV lounge with sofas & a separate toilet, and there’s even a gaming room with console games plus a very well equipped kitchen. The free breakfast is VERY good, even includes yoghurts, fruits, juices and the usual toast, jams, coffee and tea. There’s also free WiFi, but unfortunately the signal is too weak in the room and can therefore only be used downstairs in the basement.

Clean rooms Card access Quiet location Excellent breakfast Very nice communal areas Very helpful & friendly staff Bathroom ensuite Free WiFi

WiFi signal too weak in the room

	Beds from GBP 12.50 Book here >