Branklyn Garden

Lovely room, very clean and generously sized. Bay window looked out onto the road and views of the Murrayfield Stadium. Unfortunately the whole room shakes whenever any bus or large vehicle travels down the road. Trying to sleep with a shaking bed took some getting used to. Breakfast was disappointing. I expected better with the additional cost. No Bananas or Apples, just a selection of sliced fruit. One morning, I asked for more yogurt but they had ‘run out’! It was 8.30am, it’s not as if I’d turned up late to breakfast. The cooked options were small and often didn’t come with what was described on the menu, however they did accommodate our Gluten Free requests. Staff were friendly but for me the hotel didn’t stand up to my expectations.

An historic building, convenient to everything on the Royal Mile. Also its lower level entry is super convenient to arrival from the train station, literally across an uncrowded Market Street. Wonderful rooms with sunlight, tastefully appointed. The timely limited access will soon be fixed by a second elevator being installed in the hotel. The staff was always helpful (though the laundry lost two of my dress shirts). I enjoyed my stay immensely.

This was one of the quietest city stays we’ve ever had, which was a pleasant surprise (especially since our room was right next to car park and service entrance). Rhiannon was very helpful: stowing bags, booking a taxi, answering our questions, and arranging an early check-in.. All the staff was very kind and warm. Anna was also lovely. We would not stay in the same room (220–The Skerry) again: it was so small that it was hard to open our suitcases AND move about in the available floor space, And the bathroom door is a very thin slider (zero privacy), the full size mattress was not only too small for two adults, but very firm (not in a good way). Worst of all, was the overpowering fruity scented Glade air freshener that made the room uninhabitable for the first few hours. Thankfully the window worked and we were able to air it out (and remove the noxious device from the plug). I guess we just imagined something classier. The view at reception was into a cluttered service area, which was a bit off-putting, as was the dust on the reception desk, and cobwebs on the stairs and in some of the corners in the lobby. Might be time for some spring cleaning. Still, we liked the location, garden, breakfast service, and bar area. We heard that dinner was excellent. We loved the classy lighting, real art work, oriental rugs, and soft chairs in the dining areas. We will try for a different room next time.