The Scotsman Hotel

Here's a tip about room and bed types - they call things differently in some countries. I learned this, and now I will ALWAYS check with the hotel directly. Even if you've booked through Booking.com, it makes sense to check directly with the hotel independently. And be specific about what you require. They may not understand that you're expecting a certain type of bed arrangement, even if it is listed as your preference - the words have different meanings. And you shouldn't have to pay an extra amount for a different type of bed. All it requires is a little direct communication to understand fully. I'm not faulting Booking.com on this, but I am hopeful that descriptions could be amended to reflect the reality of a situation.

The reception, the Grand Cafe, The picturehouse and the room itself were great (with the exception of a poorly presented ceiling in the shower)

The non disclosure of the extensive works to the North Bridge which obscured the view from what is a stunning room. The breakfast room and service on the Sunday was much to be desired in a luxury hotel (staff were much more attentive and engaged on Monday) but surrounded by uncleared tables was not pleasant. The cleaning and standard of the carpets and skirting boards in all corridors and lifts was very poor with debris on the carpets for the whole of our stay.

Without question the best hotel I have stayed in Edinburgh. Beautiful decor, superb rooms and great staff. Check-in was super straightforward and they have 24 hour hot chocolate in the reception area which is really a nice touch. They even have an in house cinema. Scottish luxury at it's finest!

The staff were really friendly and helpful throughout the stay; the building has some beautiful features; we slept very well because the bed and pillows were perfect, the blackout curtains worked very well and our room was very quiet; the breakfast choices were varied and delicious; the location was ideal for trips to The Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle.

It was very disappointing to be given a room without the pale wood panelling shown in the photographs on booking.com and on The Scotsman website, especially as I had booked the hotel almost a year in advance for my husband's 60th birthday. Had I known that I was not to be allocated one of the beautiful light and airy bedrooms shown in publicity photographs, I would not have booked.

I had a wonderful time when I stayed here a while back. The Scotsman is pricier now than it was then, of course. As a journalist, I love its history as the former home of the national newspaper. It overlooks Princes Street and gardens, the brightly lit Balmoral, and more. Waverly train station is at the foot of the Scotsman. A secret elevator deposits you at the entrance to the station. And the Scotsman stairs that take you from the hotel down the Waverly are fantastic. Even if you choose not to go up or down this many-storied spiral staircase made of local stone, check it out!

The breakfast area was bleak. More like what you’d find in a Motel 6 than a luxury hotel. The staff at the main restaurant seemed disorganized. As a single female diner, I sat unattended for too long. The lobby and welcome desk were too small in my opinion, yet it didn’t affect me directly.

it’s a beautiful property, the location was great. all staff were very friendly and helpful except there’s was no one available to assist with luggage

the street at the front entrance to the hotel has construction and we were warned but the instructions were simply to go to the back entrance on Market St. We were driving and had never been there before so it was a so confusing. they should give an address for the back of the hotel to GPS. I called the front desk to ask if someone could assist with luggage but they never came so we just spilt up, one parked the car (there’s also no valet) and one went to check in with the luggage. the bathroom in our room (708) had a mildew smell which you could smell right away. the bathroom fan was running when we checked in and we had to ask to have it turned off as there wasn’t a switch so maintenance accommodated right away.

The location was excellent. It was across the street from the train station and on the Royal Mile. The room was large and spacious. The mattress was firm but comfortable. The staff was very responsive to my requests.

One night I could hear the neighboring room’s tv. However, when I called the front desk about it they sent someone up right away and the noise was no longer a problem. Also, we ate dinner in the Grand Cafe and were not impressive by the wait staff or the quality of food. Wait staff are different in the UK than what we are used to here in USA because they don’t rely on tips. We asked for drink refills that never came and the wait staff and hostess were not particularly friendly. This wasn’t exclusive to the Grand Cafe, however the food we ordered was not tasty enough to make me recommend anyone bother with eating there.

The Hotel was facing us as we exited Waverley train station, the staff were stood at the door to greet us and show us to reception and help with our bags. The rooms were spacious, bed was comfortable with ample bedding and the room clean and well organised. Temperature of room was easy to adjust if necessary. The bathroom shower was spacious & very easy to work and kept at an comfortable temperature. Fresh towels available and bedding changed every 2 days of your stay.

There was nothing we didn’t like about the hotel, however we had breakfast on the first day and I think we arrived half an hour before service ended and I would say unfortunately the hot food was very dry, uncuttable in fact. Having said that the choice of pastries, cheese, cold meat and fruit was outstanding and delicious.

The staff on hand were extraordinary. Particularly, Stephen, Virginia, Will, and Nejdet. Traveling overseas is stressful and complicated sometimes, and when you have locals who understand and offer patience, service with a smile, and consideration to go above and beyond, it shows. Of course, you must be an equally understanding traveller, and give them the benefit of the doubt that they are working to help you to the best of their abilities. I planned my trip for one year, and thought I had made all of the best decisions. When it became obvious I needed to correct something, Virginia assisted me by contacting booking.com directly. Every hotel encourages you to book directly with them, while booking.com insists that you're going to save money by using their services instead. An informed traveller will consider all options. The moviehouse in the hotel is beautiful. Highly recommend. And the Grand Cafe is picturesque in ways that words can't capture. If you remove your sense of entitlement as a world traveller and related to your wait staff on a human level, you're going to enjoy yourself so much more than someone who makes demands. I wish I could live there year round!

The outside construction is not ideal, but this hotel has no control over that and when it eventually concludes, the north bridge will be accessible. My understanding is that the road construction has been going on for more than a year, and the hotel is coping with it in magnificent ways. Despite the construction, I did not hear too much noise from it nor did I experience any inconvenience from inside the building. Only challenges were when outside the building.

Water and hot chocolate in the reception area is a nice touch. There's good quality furnishings in the room, bathroom and throughout the hotel. Love the shower gel, moisturiser and soap provided. Adore the comfortable, large, sound proof rooms and I definitely appreciate ghd straighteners and the welcome whiskey being provided. Breakfast is fantastic and great choice. The location is absolutely perfect. Staff polite, friendly and helpful.

Disappointed with the tea and coffee facilities being instant. When we've paid for a hotel room in this price range, coffee machines are usually provided so coffee isn't instant from a packet. I don't like or expect instant coffee in a hotel of this standard