Eastgate Backpackers Hostel, Inverness > Reviews (1)

This review was written in May 2011

Eastgate Backpackers Hostel may not have much to offer but it's great considering how cheap it is. It was only £9 per night. Alright, you have to share a room with strangers and people come and go at all hours but I really didn't have much to complain about.

My room, which could accommodate six people, had a sink, individual lockers for each guest, 5 electricity outlets (plenty to keep my laptop and phone going, although 4 were hidden) and a big window, although the view wasn't too good. There was also a communal kitchen, lounge and toilet/shower facilities.

The people in my room were really friendly. Over the four days I stayed there was a young couple (a man and a woman, despite my having booked a male only dorm), two backpackers, two men up from England, one of whom had to attend court, and an older gentleman who was up in Inverness working. I particularly liked the older gentleman - he offered me a beer. Obviously, being 17, I declined but he was very friendly and helpful.

I never actually used the kitchens because I prefer to go out when I'm on holiday, and I don't like socialising with strangers so didn't go into the lounge. The communal toilets were often left in a disgusting state which led to me using the facilities of the Eastgate Shopping Centre, which is just across the street. There was a high demand for the showers and on two occassions I had to leave in the morning without showering because I had bus or train seat reservations so had to get to the station in plenty of time. This was despite getting up about an hour before I had to leave most days.

As a student of computing, I like to take my laptop with me wherever I go in case I have some spare time to do some programming. I picked Eastgate hostel out of the many in Inverness because it's website said it offered free WiFi. And it did... To an extent. I was there for four nights and five days and I think I was able to use the WiFi three times for no more than 15 minutes each time. It kept cutting out and Windows kept telling me there were problems with the access point. My laptop has bluetooth on it so I was able to use my phone as a modem and connect through it, so I did have access to the internet, but if somewhere offers you free WiFi they should make sure it works.

Size

For six people, the room wasn't very big. In the morning, I'd little room to get ready the night the room was full. Also, the ceilings were too high which meant the room took ages to heat up and the radiators weren't kept on for long.

Cleanliness

The rooms were cleaned daily but the bins weren't emptied every day. As it was a small bin and the room had a capacity for six people, the trash piled up.

Features

I was able to keep my laptop and phone charged and I brushed my teeth at the sink in the room (I wouldn't have risked taking my toothbrush into one of the bathrooms, with the state of them)

Room Condition

The room was kept reasonably tidy. The beds didn't look like they were in the best condition, though, and one of the lockers was broken.

Bed/Mattress

It wasn't that comfortable and I had a hard time getting to sleep the first few nights.

View

We had a wonderful view of a tree and some concrete slabs. It wasn't much to look at. The rain trickling down the windows was more interesting.

Ambiance

The hostel had a very friendly ambiance about it. All of the guests were very nice and talkative, although I wasn't too keen on talking to strangers.

Lobby Atmosphere

The lobby was unremarkable really. Just what you'd expect to see.

General Condition

Although it was cleaned daily, the hostel didn't look that well kept. Apparantly there were several broken appliances in the kitchen, the toilet seat was completely missing in one of the bathrooms and it just had an unclean feel about it.

Front Desk

The man at the front deak when I checked in was not very helpful at all. He could barely speak English and acted as if my spending money staying at his hostel was inconveniencing him in some way. He also asked me to sign something and wasn't eager for me to read through it. As it happens, it was just a list of charges should I break anything but I still like to be able to read what I'm signing.

Staff (Friendliness/Service)

Appart from that one man at the desk, the rest of the staff were lovely and were happy to help, although they were unable to help me with my WiFi problem.

Location (City)

The hostel is located right in the centre of the city, close to all the main attractions.

Transportation Connection

Inverness train station is only 5 minutes walk away and the bus station is about 10 minutes away. There's also plenty of car parking around the city but the road in front of the hostel is a pedestrian precinct. Inverness Airport is also just a short bus ride away.

Shopping Opportunities

Eastgate Shopping Centre is directly across the road from the hostel and it has around 60 shops. There's also plenty of shops on the high street and two big supermarkets within walking distance.

Cultural Opportunities

All of the city's attractions are only a short way away.

Night Life

Inverness isn't as bustling as Glasgow or Edinburgh at night but there's still plenty to do. There's pubs and clubs all around the city.

Quiet Location

Despite being "the capital of the Highlands", Inveress isn't that noisy and you can't really hear anything from outside during the night. It's the other people in your room that'll keep you up.

This review is also published on trivago.co.uk under the same username