During our first stay in Edinburgh, we stayed at Code Hostel – The Court. At this time, Chris and I met up here before our Isle of Skye Wedding. This accommodation is located in the city centre and was a great base for exploring Edinburgh. The unique history and atmosphere initially drew us to book, but here you’ll discover what made us happy to stay.

Type of Stay: Hostel (Shared and private options)

First Impression: 

I was excited to see the central location. Inside, the common areas were bustling, with a social, youthful atmosphere that felt welcoming to new arrivals. The hallways to the rooms lean into the former jail’s history. This design grabs your interest and makes you want to explore and learn more about this history. If you arrive at night, you’ll get a bonus first impression with the twinkle lights draping the hostel’s exterior.

Pretty Rounded Snapshot

🕯️Cozy Factor – The social aspects of the common spaces gave a cozy feeling of gathering. Overall, it felt more modern and understated in the rooms. We had a basic double room, but it seems the superior and family rooms have a bit more of a cozy factor with their styling.

💫Character – The Court is housed in a former court/police station/jail built in the 1600s. They put in a lot of thought into this hostel by leaning into the building’s history. They even call the private double rooms “cells” as a nod to their former use as holding cells. I thought this was a wise move that added to the character.

🌈Uniqueness – By using the history and the theme to their advantage, Code earned a lot of unique points in my book. It’s not every day that you get to sleep in a former holding cell. Additionally, you’ll have a unique experience if you choose to stay in the dormitory environment, with individual sleeping pods rather than bunks.

🥐Amenities – Amenities include a shared bathroom, laundry room (which I used, thanks to an abundance of stinky hiking clothes from my West Highland Way adventure), shared kitchen, waffles in the morning, tastings, and other events hosted.

Staff – I had a wonderful experience with the staff here. I stupidly left my DSLR camera on the bench outside. Thankfully, it was turned in, and the front desk staff asked identifying questions to be sure they were returning it to its rightful owner.

🛣️Location – If you want to be in the heart of Old Town and the Royal Mile, you can’t ask for a better location. CoDe is smack dab in the center of Parliament Square. This makes it easy to walk anywhere you need to go.

😴Sleep Quality – The bed was comfortable, and the room stayed cool, making sleep quality no issue! We did get some noise from late-night partiers in the alley behind us (as well as a noisy bird in the morning who took a shine to us). Our room was private, so I’m not sure how the shared dormitory pods compare.

🌄Views -With our private room being a former cell, it did not have any views. The window was too high and narrow to really look out.

💰Price – Code Hostel is very budget-friendly, even for the private room option. This was one of our major reasons for choosing this spot, aside from location. In the private pods, you can stay for around $43 per night. Private rooms range from around $122 to $220 per night, depending on whether you book the basic double, ensuite, superior double, or family rooms. If you’re in a large group, you can even book full dorms.

This is the Perfect Stay For…

Code the Court is the perfect place to stay for young couples, solo travelers, and groups of friends. Therefore, if you aren’t too picky about where you sleep, but would like a more elevated hostel to lay your head, this is the perfect option.

Would I Plan a Trip Around This Stay?

No, I wouldn’t make this stay the central focus of my trip, but if I am planning a budget-friendly stay in central Edinburgh, this spot would be a top contender.

Pretty Rounded Rating

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The Court offers budget-friendly accommodations in a prime location just off the Royal Mile. Instead of transforming the building into something completely different, the property leans into its history as a former courthouse and jail. This gives the stay a distinctive character. Its central location puts you right in the heart of Edinburgh. Here, you’ll be within walking distance of many of the city’s most iconic sights.

Have you stayed at Code Hostel? What type of room did you have? What were your thoughts?

This post is part of Pretty Rounded Finds, where I share little snapshots of places I’ve stayed, sipped, and read. All in the quest for that warm, cozy feeling.