--- title: "a&o Edinburgh City vs The Hostel: which hotel is better?" description: "a&o Edinburgh City or The Hostel in Edinburgh? Compare guest ratings, location, amenities, rooms and prices side by side." url: https://stayversus.com/en/compare/a-o-edinburgh-city-edinburgh-vs-the-hostel-edinburgh/ language: en source: StayVersus (https://stayversus.com) retrieved: 2026-10-23 --- # a&o Edinburgh City vs The Hostel Both are in Edinburgh, 2.0 km apart. Here is where each one is stronger. Hostel · Old Town ## [a&o Edinburgh City](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/a-o-edinburgh-city-edinburgh/) - **Guest rating:** 8.0 · Very good - **Location score:** 9.3 - **Score by category:** 2 of 3 [Check rates](https://stayversus.com/go/1092815/agoda/?lang=en) Hostel · West End ## [The Hostel](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/the-hostel-edinburgh/) - **Guest rating:** 7.4 · Good - **Location score:** 9.0 - **Score by category:** 1 of 3 [Check rates](https://stayversus.com/go/2201719/agoda/?lang=en) The short answer ## Pick a&o Edinburgh City It leads in 2 of 3 categories. 2.0 km apart. ### Choose a&o Edinburgh City if you want - the more consistently praised stay (8.0 / 7.4) - to walk to the sights (550 m / 1.5 km) - a big hotel with more facilities (Rooms: 132 / 10) ### Choose The Hostel if you want - a smaller, quieter hotel (Rooms: 10 / 132) - a newer or recently renovated building (2014 / 2006) ### Why is a&o Edinburgh City better than The Hostel? 1. Higher guest rating (8.0 vs 7.4) (+0.6) 2. 950 m closer to the city centre (−950 m) 3. More guest reviews (1,799 vs 170), so the rating is more reliable (×11) 4. 24 more sights within 1 km (+24) 5. A larger hotel with more facilities (132 vs 10 rooms) (×13.2) ### Why is The Hostel better than a&o Edinburgh City? 1. Newer or more recently renovated (2014 vs 2006) (+8y) 2. Earlier check-in (13:00 vs 15:00) (−2h) 3. Later check-out (11:00 vs 10:00) (+1h) 4. A smaller, more intimate hotel (10 vs 132 rooms) (−122) ## All compared facts Every category is scored from 0 to 10 with the same formula for every hotel. | | a&o Edinburgh City | The Hostel | | --- | --- | --- | | Score by category | | Guest rating | 8.0 (+0.6) | 7.4 | | Location | 9.3 (+0.3) | 9.0 | | Public transport | 9.0 | 10.0 (+1.0) | | Ratings & reviews | | StayVersus score | 8.0 (+0.4) | 7.6 | | Guest rating | 8.0 (+0.6) | 7.4 | | Number of reviews | 1,799 (+1,629) | 170 | | Rank in Edinburgh | bottom 14% (+9%) | bottom 5% | | Location | | Location score | 9.3 (+0.3) | 9.0 | | Distance to the centre | 550 m (−950 m) | 1.5 km | | To public transport | 330 m | 140 m (−200 m) | | To the airport | 12 km | 9.7 km (−2.0 km) | | Restaurants within 500 m | 150 (+8) | 142 | | To the nearest food shop | 110 m | 110 m | | Shops within 500 m | 13 | 11 | | Sights within 1 km | 40 (+24) | 16 | | Rooms & building | | Rooms | 132 | 10 | | Floors | 6 | 3 | | Newest building or renovation | 2006 | 2014 (+8y) | | Listed amenities | 7 | 8 | | Policies | | Check-in from | 15:00 | 13:00 (−2h) | | Check-out until | 10:00 | 11:00 (+1h) | | Amenities | | Wi-Fi | ✓ | ✓ | | Luggage storage | ✓ | ✓ | | Breakfast | ✓ | ✓ | | Bar | ✓ | – | | Meeting rooms | ✓ | – | | Kitchen | ✓ | ✓ | | Blackout curtains | ✓ | ✓ | | Laundry | – | ✓ | | Smoke-free | – | ✓ | | Coffee or tea maker | – | ✓ | | Which hotel suits you | | Business trips | ✓ | – | ## Live prices around both hotels Real nightly rates from booking partners for the dates you picked above. Tap a price for the offer. [a&o Edinburgh City prices by month](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/a-o-edinburgh-city-edinburgh/prices/) ## Location 2.0 km apart a&o Edinburgh City: city centre: 550 m, nearest station Transpennine Express: 330 m, Edinburgh Airport (EDI): 12 km, 150+ places to eat within 500 m, 40+ sights within 1 km. The Hostel: city centre: 1.5 km, nearest station Haymarket ScotRail: 140 m, Edinburgh Airport (EDI): 9.7 km, 142 places to eat within 500 m, 16 sights within 1 km. ## Weather in Edinburgh [Edinburgh weather: 15-day forecast](https://atlasofseasons.com/en/united-kingdom/scotland/edinburgh/weather) ## a&o Edinburgh City or The Hostel: common questions ### Which is better, a&o Edinburgh City or The Hostel? a&o Edinburgh City leads in 2 of 3 categories, including guest rating, location. The Hostel is stronger in public transport. ### Which is cheaper, a&o Edinburgh City or The Hostel? Prices change by date. Pick your dates above to see both nightly prices side by side. ### Which hotel is closer to the centre? a&o Edinburgh City is closer: 550 m from the centre, against 1.5 km for The Hostel. ### How far apart are a&o Edinburgh City and The Hostel? The two hotels are 2.0 km apart in a straight line. ## More match-ups - [a&o Edinburgh City vs Royal Mile Backpackers](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/a-o-edinburgh-city-edinburgh-vs-royal-mile-backpackers-edinburgh/) - [The Hostel vs West End Hostel](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/the-hostel-edinburgh-vs-west-end-hostel-edinburgh/) ## Compare now Updated 6 Oct 2026. Data: Agoda, Overture Maps, OpenStreetMap, OurAirports and hotels' own websites. We may earn a commission from partner links; it never changes the comparison. [How we score](https://stayversus.com/en/about/) --- Source: https://stayversus.com/en/compare/a-o-edinburgh-city-edinburgh-vs-the-hostel-edinburgh/. Facts are compiled by StayVersus from partner data (Agoda), Overture Maps, OpenStreetMap, OurAirports, public Google Maps listings and hotels' own websites. Scores use one formula for every hotel. Methodology: https://stayversus.com/en/about/