We went to the lodge at 1030pm after booking weeks before in bristol and found our room was dirty and full of rubbish the bed had not been changed or made and had wet towels on it the toilets had no seats or paper and the showers had more slime and fungus than a mushroom farm We asked for our money back and were told no so we left and went to the holiday inn which was perfect - I have informed the Health and safety and trading standards and will be taking them to court myself.

We booked for 3 nights a double en suite room and when booking over the phone I had to pay for the first night giving them my credit card details. On arrival we had to pay all the rest, otherwise they wouldn't give us the keys. The staff was very unhelpful and inconsiderate, it was pouring down and we had to go look for a bank in order to get our things in the room.

The room was on top floor, very small and dirty, wallpaper and ceiling paper (!) hanging and full of stains. The bathroom was disgusting, we didn't take a shower in 3 days. The stairscases are dirty as well, and the whole place stinks. It is quite obvious that they do not clean regularly. Saturday night there were lots of groups and it was very noisy. The fire alarms went off at 2:30 in the morning and they didn't even find out what had caused it. The breakfast room is in the basement, dark and grim.

Do not go there, pay £10 more and go somewhere decent!! Staying here partly ruined our experience of Edinburgh.

Stayed at Palmerston Lodge for Hogmanay 2005-6. The entryway is nice looking, but the rooms were nothing like it. They were disgusting; gum on the walls, floor needed vacuuming, broken ladders on the bunk beds. Tried to avoid showering, as the bathrooms were even worse. DO NOT STAY THERE.

Decent location, very nice buuilding and full of character. If looking for a comfortable reasonably priced hostel in edinburgh this would be a great choice.