We know that accommodation in Edinburgh can be expensive! Below we have put together some options for making your trip more affordable.
ELX Hosting Form
If you have the capacity to host, please help a fellow dancer out and fill in the form below! You will receive our everlasting gratitude. You can also apply to be hosted via the form.
ELX Hosting Group
Connect with dancers in our official Facebook group
We ask that, if you can host a dancer, please post some information about yourself and your space. If you would like to be hosted, please provide some information about yourself in return.
Although we can’t guarantee that everyone who wants hosting will find a suitable host, we’ll try our best to get local hosts into the group so that you can chat to each other and make arrangements.
Community Fund
If you are only able to attend the Edinburgh Lindy Exchange if you receive hosting, please fill in our community fund form.
We will try our best to play match maker and find someone to host you. You can also contact us on booking@edinburghlindyexchange.co.uk
Venues
The venues for the Edinburgh Lindy Exchange are in the central Edinburgh area, no more than 12 minutes’ walk from Waverley train station! This means that you can stay both in the centre of Edinburgh and slightly further out and still have easy access to all the dancing!
Find more information on our venues here
Staying centrally
We have put together a list of hostels within 30 minutes’ walk of our venues (don’t worry though, Edinburgh has great bus connections, and you can likely be around much faster than that!).
The lists below were created in June 2026, for the ELX 2026 dates, 25th – 27th September. The prices may vary when you come to book! The earlier you book, usually the cheaper accommodation will be, yet another reason to get your ELX ticket now!
Under £30 a night
- Safestay Edinburgh Cowgate Hostel (from £24 per night)
Under £50 a night
- Kick Ass Greyfriars/Kick Ass Grassmarket (from £46.50 per night)
- Argyle Backpackers (from £40 per night)
Under £75 a night
- St Christophers Inn (from £61 per night)
Under £100 a night
- a&o Edinburgh City (from £77 per night)
- CODE (from £84 per night)
Staying further out
If the hostel life isn’t for you, staying slightly further out can reduce the cost of accommodation.
Edinburgh has a great bus network, with regular night buses. Consider saying on the outskirts of the city in areas like Leith and Murrayfield.
Hotels under 30-minute bus to ELX
- Ardmillan Hotel (from £99 per night)
- 4 Friends House (from £87 per night)
- New Town Rooms (from £88 per night)
- Adelphi Hotel (from £98 per night)
- Musselburgh Links B&B (from £100 a night)
Trains also run to and from Edinburgh until around midnight, if you’re not one for staying up too late (or don’t mind taking an evening taxi), you could look at staying slightly further afield in Edinburgh Park, Livingston, Falkirk or Queensferry.
Websites to find accommodation
Disclaimer
All accommodations mentioned above are not affiliated with the Edinburgh Lindy Exchange. The Edinburgh Lindy Exchange accepts no responsibility for the accommodations mentioned.
Edinburgh dancers, we need you!
Some dancers who are coming to ELX will only be able to come if they are hosted. Can you offer a spare bed, sofa or floorboard?
Guests don’t need much, a hot shower and a cup of tea. They can bring their own sleeping bags etc. if required. Most will arrive on the Friday and leave either on the Sunday evening or Monday morning.
Hosting is a fantastic way to meet new friends who have a common interest in dancing.
Both hosts and guests should consider the following:
- Are there pets in the home that would make a guest’s stay uncomfortable? If you have allergies etc, please do consider this when being matched.
- Would you like to take your time and not necessarily arrive at each ELX event for the very beginning? Would you like to be there until the very end of each event? Are you hoping to be out beyond our ELX events and party that bit longer? It’s important that both the host and guest have similar expectations to enjoy their ELX to the fullest and if you can match on these, the better booth of your weekends will be.
Top tips for being a great…
Host
- Offer a warm welcome!
- Provide a clean space with a comfortable place to sleep and guest essentials such as soap, a fresh towel & bedding, WIFI details and a working light. If there are any basics your guest should bring, let them know in advance.
- Be clear about whether you are offering a bed, a couch, or floor space.
- If possible, a set of keys for your guest to borrow for the weekend will make things simple.
- Give a tour of where things are and explain any basic house rules or quirks.
- Give details about the best way to get from your home to the venues.
- Help your hostee feel at home.
Guest
- Be considerate of your hosts and their homes and please treat them with respect. Clean and tidy up after yourself, contain your things. It is a very generous offer to open your home to a complete stranger.
- Bring your own toiletries, phone charger, and items to keep you warm if you tend to get cold. If you’re very particular about things like towels and bedding, bring your own.
- Please do not assume your host will cover meals unless this has been arranged by agreement and you are willing to cover any costs. If you have specific dietary needs, ask your host if there’s somewhere nearby you can purchase what you need.
- Don’t bring friends home, unless specifically invited by your host.
- Don’t assume that you will spend all your time together. Respect that people have different needs/expectations of how much time they want to spend with their host/guest.
- Consider how you are going to get to your host’s address or the ELX venue. This is up to you to arrange and not your host.
- Be sure to show gratitude to your host before you leave; however best suits you. Some people like to leave a thoughtful note, a small gift, or simply some kind words of appreciation.