edinburgh hospitable hostels!
Edinburgh’s accommodation stock has grown by around 1,000 beds with the recent opening of two modern hostels, aimed at the 5-star “hosteller”.
Smart City Hostels Edinburgh is the first of a number of high quality, branded hostels designed to meet the needs of the expanding market for young people in key destinations throughout Europe. The brand proposition for young visitors relates to a central location – therefore easily accessible and with entertainment and visitor facilities nearby – and a quality of facilities and services not usually found in a hostel environment.The 132 room hostel can accommodate 620 in the peak summer period.
Smart City Hostel has several innovative characteristics:
• It aims to be at the top end of the star quality rating and is working with VisitScotland to gain 5 star rating – the business model reconciles high quality standards with modest nightly charges.
• All rooms have en-suite facilities; high quality furniture and fittings, internet access, bistro style restaurant, self catering kitchens, laundry, secure and cycle storage.
• Security and safety will be a major feature of Smart City Hostels with electronic door entry and CCTV systems adding to the security provided by 24 hour management and portering, key card access to floors and rooms.
The Smart City Hostels concept has been developed as a first for Scotland and is far ahead of its game in the rest of the UK. This is a contemporary hostel environment with a licensed bistro bar – it’s cool and confident, very secure, and the quality standards not only meet indie travellers’ needs but also those of the group market and older travellers, who want to avoid the prices that 3 star or limited service hotels might charge. The business model is itself an innovation with a 20 year lease to Edinburgh University guaranteeing income in shoulder months from 81 student study bedrooms. In fact groups have enjoyed having “local” people to talk to and point them in the right direction too.
Staff at Smart City Hostels enjoy telling guests that there are no chores for them, there is no curfew, they’re never too old and they don’t need to be members.
Other innovations – apart from its sheer scale – relate to its segmentation of the market, with facilities for groups, families, “Smart City Girl” packages. Staff are recruited from hotel environments. Tour operators have been impressed by the quality of the facilities and are regularly booking in groups. Advance sales say it all.
Scottish Youth Hostels Association opened their £10m flagship gateway hostel on Leith Walk in Edinburgh some 9 months ago. This 300 + bed city centre hostel offers accommodation and facilities of the highest standards including: all en-suite rooms, seminar facilities, café/bistro, restaurant plus traditional self catering facilities, Internet access, a travel information desk and 24 hour access.
Projects like this and other ongoing investments emphasise that as SYHA celebrates its 75th year, it remains committed to the continued development and modernisation of its diverse network of almost 70 hostels in
some of the finest, most sought after locations in Scotland.
The youth market remains largely unresearched, and TiG is not aware of formal collaboration within this niche, which involves accommodation, tour operators, activity operators, food service and entertainment.
Please contact us if you’re interested in this area.