a&o Opens First UK Hostel in Edinburgh

Introducing the brand's 40th hostel in Europe: a&o Edinburgh City

• a&o Edinburgh City opens 1st July 2021
• 131 rooms centrally located in the Scottish capital

Scotland's capital is the location of a&o's 40th European hostel - the first a&o in the UK. Centrally located in the old town, 131 rooms are now available for guests. (Photo credit: a&o).

1 July 2021 - Launching today, the new a&o Edinburgh City hostel is opening its doors and is already in high demand. This is the Berlin-based budget chain's first hostel in the UK and the 40th hostel across Europe. With 131 rooms and 610 beds, a&o Edinburgh City is the start of the brand's expansion in the UK.

Located on Blackfriars Street, close to the famous Royal Mile, a&o Edinburgh City has been fully renovated to the impeccable a&o standards that have become synonymous with comfort and value. Each of the bright and modern 131 rooms offer a spacious stay for both backpackers and families and have private bathrooms. Budget-concious travellers can choose between single, double, family or multi-bed rooms for up to six people. With free, fast and reliable WiFi, sleek design, high-quality fittings and a round the clock reception, a&o is leading the way on what budget stays look like for future travellers. The new Edinburgh property also boasts a central courtyard with a bar for drinks and refreshments for guests as well as a 24 hour snack bar.

CEO and founder Oliver Winter commented:

"Edinburgh is the perfect location for our launch into the UK and we are delighted with the new hostel as it aligns our a&o promise of affordable stays in central locations. Despite recent challenges brought on by the pandemic, we are confident that travel will return and this is a huge milestone for us as a brand. In this, our 21st year of operations, we now have properties in 24 cities and nine European countries and have ambitious expansion plans and are looking at multiple locations across the UK and Ireland. We are delighted that we already have bookings at our first UK property and our friendly team are looking forward to many more.“

First Climate-Neutral Budget Chain By 2025

Converting existing properties is a key pillar of a&o's sustainability strategy and 85 percent of the 40 propertis uphold this pillar. By 2025, the a&o aims to be climate neutral; with CO2 emissions at less than six kilograms per overnight stay, a&o is already setting high standards for the industry.

For more information visit www.aohostels.com/en/edinburgh/edinburgh-city/

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Notes to editors:

a&o was founded in 2000 by Oliver Winter, and currently operates 40 hostels in 24 cities and nine European countries. The a&o guest mix is diverse: backpackers, solo travellers, families, business travellers, school groups and clubs. Three new locations were opened in 2020: a&o Copenhagen, a&o Warsaw and a&o Budapest. With around 28,000 beds and 2.5 million overnight stays in 2020, a&o recorded sales of around

€64 million (2019: over €165 million). The goal of a&o is to be Europe's "zero-emissions hostel chain" by 2025. American investor TPG Real Estate has owned a&o since 2017.

For further information about a&o Hostels, visit: https://www.aohostels.com/en/

For media enquiries, please contact the team at Finn Partners   Melissa Donnelly, Amy Skelding or Jasmine Harris-Stephens E: a&ohostels@finnpartners.com