Sandras Backpackers

James and his wife Sandra are very interesting folk who have travelled in India extensively. They are tuned in to what a backpacker needs and appreciates

Stayed here twice while traveling with my 88-year-old mother. The owner was consistently rude, unwelcoming, and unresponsive. We were left waiting outside with our bags as the office was closed with no prior notice — just a note saying he was at the swimming pool. When questioned, he responded aggressively. The hostel itself is basic, with steep outdoor stairs, but the real issue is the owner’s attitude. Check how he responds to negative reviews before booking — it says a lot.

When we got there, the room was freezing. It was 9 degrees C outside and the window was open and the heat off. The mattress was so old, I could feel springs in my ribs. Most of the floor grout was missing in the tiny bathroom with coffin shower, and the fan never came on, it just made a sort of click-click noise. The toilet didn't even like to swallow liquid. There was all kinds of crud on the floor so we dared not go barefoot. We were not provided towels and were told they were in the dryer and would come to the room in 20 minutes. Over an hour later we phoned again for towels, and he said he was in the supermarket. Another hour later when we came home from dinner, they were piled up outside our door on the floor. And they'd been line dried, not in the dryer! Security was lax, with the outside door constantly open. The linens were fairly new and pretty. The promised seating area turned out to be a small window seat. The breakfast was self-serve and generous, though the seating in the kitchen was crowded. We went to a hotel for our second night even though we'd already paid for this place. We couldn't do it if we didn't have to.

An older-style backpackers, for the budget-conscious. Great service - James, the owner and host, was very friendly and helpful. Helped us find a taxi, VERY late at night, for the following morning, and helped us with other transport issues. A mine of info about the town and region, & in general great to talk to. Very cheap washing and drying service in-house. Good stuff!

I called and make a long term booking, where I was told that the booking would be cancelled if I didn't show up unless I called ahead. I called ahead in order to inform them I wasn't able to check in that day and everything seemed fine. I then had my train cancel on me the next day, where I then called again, and was informed that my booking was cancelled no matter what if I didn't show up even if I called ahead. They then said there was another customer and hung up on me. I waited 20 minutes to call back just to confirm that I had called before and ask why that wasn't taken into account? I was not allowed to speak over the minor shouting coming from the person on the phone. I tried to call one more time, asking to have a conversation, where I was told, "if you show up here I will headbutt you". So I would not recommend going to this place, as the staff seem to have problems communicating with customers.

Sandra Backpackers in Thurso primarily aimed to backpackers looking for a hostel. En-suite rooms are also offered, but they clearly have hostel character. Demands on a hotel are not fullfilled and correspond to the low price - our mistake!