Painter/Decorator/Basic Maintenance

United States

5

Working at the hostel was an amazing experience and extremely rewarding!! The staff and other worldpackers that I met were nice and helpful. I ended up becoming great friends with my fellow worldpackers and the staff. The hostel is located right in the middle of town and everything is in walking distance such as: Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat, Holyrood palace, etc! Hahahaha be prepared to walk up many hills and a ton of steps when you go out to explore. Unfortunately, I had to leave early because of an emergency, but I would love to come back!!! I would highly recommend!

about 2 years ago

Ryan replied

Thank you so much Isaiah, we wish you the best of luck in the future and hopefully we will see you again! :)

Colombia

4

The experience at the hostel was good. Hope is very friendly and flexible, most of the staff are too. It is a good opportunity to get to know the beautiful city of Edinburgh, you only have to work 7 to 8 hours, 3 days a week and you will have 4 days off, enough time to get to know Edinburgh or other nearby cities, the hotel is very large and you have a bar to have fun with the other volunteers, the location is excellent! thank you HOPE, you are a very good person

over 1 year ago

Lily replied

Juan - thank you! We loved having you with us, and hope we will see you again in the future! Best of luck with everything!! :)

United States

3

Overall, I had a good experience volunteering at the hostel. Ther location is super great and is very central. We only worked three days a week, so there was plenty of time to explore the hostel the surrounding areas. I ended up being sick the whole month, so that affected my overall experience a bit, but the staff was accommodating when I requested a day off. the hostel definitely has more of a hotel vibe than a social hostel vibe overall. It is the off season which may be why, but I would say that it is not ideal for meeting other solo travelers, other than the other volunteers.

over 1 year ago

Ryan replied

Thanks so much Josephine! Yes, the time of year really does impact our number of solo travelers but we are glad you enjoyed meeting our other volunteers! We wish you the best of luck in the future :)

Brazil

4

I spent two months volunteering at the hostel made a family there. I worked in the bar, at breakfast and in housekeeping as if I were part of the staff, they treated me as such and made demands of me as such. But I made incredible memories there and met wonderful people I worked 3 to 4 days a week, so I had plenty of time to explore the amazing city of Edinburgh, go out and enjoy my new friends. They also understood when I said I had another job and adapted my schedule. It was a good opportunity to work in a bar and gain experience for future jobs. Thank you the hostel team! I'll be back :)

almost 2 years ago

Poland

1

I felt that the management really didn't know what they are doing with the volunteers. From the first minute I arrived,I felt that there was disorganization and lack of order regarding volunteer attitudes.I felt that the work at the bar was so much more than just "helping out at the bar", you were left alone to serve drinks to sometimes huge crowds without any real training. Once after asking manager for help he answered "I already told you this". I felt lack of respect and patience to teach and orient.You can get exactly the same "job" in any other bar and have it paid. I def don't recommend.

about 2 years ago

Ryan replied

Dear Marta,

We are sorry to hear that you did not have a positive experience with our management. However, we take issue with the statement that we do not have a clear understanding of how to handle our volunteers.

While it is true that our volunteers are responsible for serving drinks to patrons, we do provide training and guidance for all staff and volunteers. We also have a full staff force of employed staff who are trained and work with our volunteers to ensure no one is caught short. We find that the best training comes on the job, so we do our best to ensure that all volunteers have the support they need when they first start.

Regarding your experience with the manager, we are sorry if you felt that he was not patient with you. However, we can assure you that our managers are trained to be respectful and supportive towards all of our volunteers. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your experience further and perhaps work together to find a resolution.

As for not being paid, the concept of world packers supports volunteering for accommodation. If this idea does not suit you, I suggest you seek employment during your travels in the future.

Thank you for your feedback, and we hope that you will reconsider your opinion of our business.

Sincerely,
Hope
a&o edinburgh city

Spain

5

Mi estancia en el hostel superó totalmente mis expectativas. Esta fue mi primera experiencia como worldpacker y no puedo estar más contenta y agradecida. Ryan y el resto del equipo se portaron genial con todos los voluntarios, siempre atentos y dispuestos a ayudar, haciéndonos sentir como uno más. El hostel y las habitaciones de los voluntarios también están muy bien y con una ubicación inmejorable. En cuanto al trabajo, trabajamos 3 días a la semana. Los turnos son muy llevaderos y normalmente los días libres son consecutivos. En general, recomiendo muchísimo el hostel, yo repetiría sin duda.

11 months ago

Spain

5

Ha sido el primer voluntariado que hago y sin duda super recomendable! Mi principal objetivo era pasar tiempo fuera de casa para mejorar el ingles y disfrutar tambien de tiempo libre para vacaciones. Se trabajan 3 dias, que suelen ser consecutivos. Por lo que tienes bastante tiempo libre en la semana. El hostal está muy ubicado y ofrece buenos servicios. Los trabajadores y el equipo siempre muy amables, desde luego gracias a todos. Por último, la ciudad es encantadora. Por lo que si estás buscando otro hostal o un voluntariado, te recomiendo encarecidamente este.

11 months ago

Spain

5

Es mi primera experiencia haciendo un voluntariado, y no ha podido ser mejor lugar para ello, Lily es encantadora, los trabajadores y los demás voluntarios hacen que siempre haya buen ambiente, el bar tiene eventos todos los días y el desayuno es magnífico. Se trabaja 3-4 días a la semana por lo que hay mucho tiempo libre, lo único pesado pueden ser algunas tareas de housekeeping. Recomiendo mucho esta experiencia!!

over 1 year ago

Mexico

4

Usualmente trabaje 4 días y se descanse 3 lo cual es bueno ya que puedes conocer la ciudad. Lily y Robbie fueron siempre muy amables. La habitación estaba MUY sucia cuando llegue No puede usar la lavandería las primeras semanas ya que no funcionaba y no nos daban las monedas para usarlas, al hablar con el encargado lo solucionaron. En housekeeping las tareas son pesadas usualmente somos apoyo de los empleado sin embargo en muchas ocasiones tuve la impresión de trabajar más que ellos, los cuales en ningún momento te piden las cosas “por favor”o te dicen un “gracias” Desayuno muy bien

over 1 year ago

Mexico

3

Sólo trabajábamos 3 días y descansábamos 4, 8hrs al día; las tareas no eran difíciles pero me habían dicho que los voluntarios éramos apoyo de un miembro del staff y nunca íbamos a estar solos (cosa que no pasó), la gente del hostal es muy amable; me quedé dos semanas y nunca conocí a la encargada de los voluntarios, pienso que falta un poco más de organización y comunicación,ya que no sabían qué día nos íbamos y nos llegaban a poner turnos en la semana. La habitación en la que me quedé estaba muy sucia cuando yo llegué y era incómodo quedarse ahí, junto con otra voluntaria logramos limpiarla.

over 1 year ago

Ryan replied

Hi Veronica! Thank you for sharing your insights about your recent volunteer experience. Your feedback is invaluable, and we are committed to addressing the points you raised.

We regret that the person in charge of volunteers was on leave during your stay. Rest assured, all managers collectively assume responsibility for volunteers, and we are actively working to ensure consistent support in the future.

We sincerely apologise for the condition of your room upon arrival. While volunteers typically maintain cleanliness, it appears the previous volunteers fell short. Internal measures are being taken to prevent a recurrence and ensure a welcoming environment for all.

Regarding your feeling of isolation during shifts, we recognise the importance of clear communication and role delineation. We want to make it clear you are never working without the support of other staff members, or a manager in house - even though some tasks are solo due to the nature of the work.

Your dedication to our cause is commendable, and we are committed to learning from this experience to enhance our volunteer program. Should you have additional concerns or suggestions, please feel free to reach out directly.

Thank you again, and safe travels in the future! :)

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