V-Flyer

Hi

My hubby and I are planning a brief trip to Edinburgh in the week before Easter and are in need of inspiration to help us chose a hotel near/in the city centre. You know how it is - so many hotels to chose from and so difficult when you have no idea what each is really like.

Any suggestions and personal recommendations greatly received...

Many thanks

Jane

cheap & functional, if you just want a room- The Ibis. http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-2039- ... ndex.shtml
Depends on Deals & what you want out of your accommodation at the end of the day.
Best to be in walking distance of the Old town & Royal mile and you'll not go wrong, as loads of eateries/ bars etc etc
As you say, loads of options and budgets. But suggest location is the key, as you'll not want to be commuting in/out.

If you've not been you'll love it..

I've not stayed there personally, but there is a Malmaison hotel in Edinburgh. All the other 'Mal's' I've stayed in have been very nice and I would not hesitate to return. (Particular favourite is the Oxford one - the old Prison!)

I assume you've tried the likes of http://www.tripadvisor.com ? Sure, you can get some dodgy reviews on there but it does generally give a good feel for what a place is like.

James

quote:Originally posted by Kraken
I've not stayed there personally, but there is a Malmaison hotel in Edinburgh. All the other 'Mal's' I've stayed in have been very nice and I would not hesitate to return. (Particular favourite is the Oxford one - the old Prison!)

I assume you've tried the likes of http://www.tripadvisor.com ? Sure, you can get some dodgy reviews on there but it does generally give a good feel for what a place is like.

James


Yep the 'Mal' is nice, stayed at the Manchester one last month, as a product they are slightly unusual in a nice way.

Thanks both - yes I have looked at Trip Advisor and this is useful; but as always personal recommendation from a 'reliable' source such as V Flyer is even better!!!

Malmaison looks great - thanks for that.

Kind regards
J

The Mal is in Leith though, not really walkable from town, a bus or taxi ride away.

I like a nice hotel, but for my last trip, I stayed in an apartment, here. Was quite nice, and just off the Royal Mile.

Hi 'locutus'

Malmaison does look great but we really want easy walking distance to city centre so the apartment options sounds good.

Thanks
J

The Hilton at the end of the Princess Street is pretty nice, and if you get the right room you have a nice view of the castle

Apartments are great places to stay! More room, a kitchen, a living area all for the same price or less then a basic hotel room. Ok so you don't have daily housekeeping or onsite services such as a bar, but I can get over that.

Mat

quote:Originally posted by gingerflyer
The Hilton at the end of the Princess Street is pretty nice, and if you get the right room you have a nice view of the castle


This is the Caledonian Hilton; it's been my home during the week for the past year.

Upsides are location, grand staircase for doing the Norma Desmond thing, great castle view if you get the right room and whisky bar.

Downside is price (though Hilton is doing some deals on weekends at the moment, see the Hilton website) and variability of room standard.

Don't be tempted by the airport Hilton; it's a way out of town and not the best example of the brand. The Hilton Grosvenor is closer to town - a 10 minute walk into the centre.

Our client uses the MacDonald Roxburghe and a couple of colleagues who've stayed there say it's fine. The Sheraton Grand on Festival Square is a good location too.

I believe some V-Flyers have used the Balmoral - the other, Waverley Station, end of Princes Street from the Caledonian - but that's a bit out of my expenses policy.

Paul

I'd advise on the Malmaison, or the Hotel Du Vin (is it open yet...?!) also Tigerlillys is very very nice indeed in a good location.

Try the Balmoral - I always get good feedback on that one

The Calton Hotel on North Bridge is also not bad. Good location, plush common areas; only downside is the guest rooms suffer from that problem many 'established' (read, 'old', like most on Park Lane in London) hotels do in that they could do with a really good renovation.

We recently stayed at The Balmoral and would highly recommend it.

Thanks to all who have taken the time to reply - much food for thought with some excellent suggestions...

Jane
x

I stayed in the Radisson SAS on Princes Street, really a lovely hotel, very close to everything, staff are lovely and a nice restaurant too.

Hope you have a good trip,

Dominic

FWIW, I have travelled to Edinburgh with work almost more times than I've had hot dinners. I've tried perhaps twenty or so different hotels and the one I keep returning to (if the rate's good) is always the Balmoral.

As has been mentioned, the Malmaison is a bit out of the way, unless you like your Michelin * food, where it's less than crawling distance to both Martin Wishart's and Tom Kitchin's places. Also although the room was well decorated the bathroom was very strange, being very utilitarian and nowhere to put you stuff as there were no shelves or surfaces, so I've never been back. Assume a cab ride to where ever else you choose to go.

The Scotsman is in a great location across North Bridge over Waverley Station from the Bal but I found it was one of those larger hotels that uses the word 'boutique' in a rather strange manner. Rooms are a bit interesting, and the showers are great, but there's something not quite right about a place of this supposed stature that bolts the bath gels and shampoos to the wall. The gym is too full of beautiful people, so I felt rather out of place I'm afraid.

The Roxburgh in the New Town at the Charlotte Sq end of George St used to get me popping in when deperate, but the rooms can be teeny tiny shoe boxes, and to be honest it's hardly the most luxurious of places although the location is nice.

The Glasshouse is most certainly of the boutique variety but in a bad way. I have an instant disdain for style over substance and this has it. From the honesty bar (ie, crap booze) to the earpieces in the black attired staff, something's not quite right. You'd think with a small number of posh rooms and a price tag to match exclusivity you'd get personal service, but no. Add to that, there's no on site restaurant so you end up at the adjacent cinema multiplex for a Pizza Hut.

Of course I have to tell you about The Howard. This self describes itself as a boutique five star joint. If ever trading standards gets its act together, that'll change. I'm afraid that it's little more than a three star town house hotel.

The Sheraton is OK, but it's a modern place with low ceilings, so like many chain hotels once inside there's so little character you could be anywhere.

Regarding the Radisson I think that used to be called something else: if it's the same place, it's a modern building attempting to fit in to the locale by appearing externally like a castle. But inside I remember low ceilings, and like the Sheraton, once insode you could be anywhere.

The Caledonian is OK, but to be honest it was a merely bed for a night the one time I stayed. I am sure there are others on this forum who have a far better insight than I do. Along with the Scotsman, it plays second fiddle to the Bal in my view I'm afraid.

Back to the Bal: I used to stay here very regularly until about five years ago when it went down hill quite badly when the old Forte empire lost Rocco. I lost interest and went elsewhere. Then when Rocco took over again, it was returned to its former glory, including the fast flowing slightly brown bath water that I look at with some endearment. And then there's the Bolly bar, not that I remember much about that. I am a firm believer that it's a tough one to beat, especially if you can glean a good rate.

Cheers, Howard

Oh, and Hotel Du Vin opened a few weeks ago, getting some good reviews already it seems

Link

The Balmoral is my hotel of choice and we always stay there apart from the one time when we stayed at The Witchery - a 'must stay once' place, verrrrry romantic.