Nira Caledonia

Some aspects of this hotel are genuinely first class but it's let down by some serious failings. It's set among the outstanding architecture of Edinburgh's New Town which has its advantages and disadvantages. The area is quite quiet even in high season but being in a conservation area they're very limited as to what changes they can make to the building. There's no air conditioning and no lifts so it's not suitable for people who struggle to get up and down stairs. To be fair, they make this very clear on their web site. Car parking is very limited and extremely expensive so the options are to walk or get a taxi from the nearest train station or bus stop. The location also means it's within about half a mile of both Rose Street and Stockbridge, two areas renowned for their restaurants. We were made very welcome and they offered to carry our luggage to our room. We were very lucky with our room. We were able to open the window enough to get some air in (it would have been impossibly hot and stuffy otherwise) and we had a great time watching baby birds being fed right outside our window. The breakfast area is small for the size of the hotel so you may need to wait for a table (they ask guests what time they want to take breakfast, but then everybody just turns up at once anyway). Hot breakfasts are cooked to order unlike some "luxury" hotels where food is left to dry out on a heated counter. Although there's very little outside noise the bedrooms and corridors all have hard floors (and noisy self closing doors) so there can be a lot of noise from inside the hotel during the day. Squeaky bathroom and cupboard doors didn't help. One big concern was that the water temperature in the shower was very difficult to control. It seemed to take several minutes to respond when I turned it up or down and on a few occasions it suddenly got much hotter or colder without warning which could have been very painful. I also found that I could turn on the bath tap but it was almost impossible to turn it off again. For some reason the stairs to our room were carpeted and decorated in very dark colours and were not very well lit. This could be a real hazard to anyone who can't see very well. To make things worse the stair carpet didn't seem to be very well fitted. The hotel is branded as a "Small Luxury Hotel". It should cost much to put right the faults I've described but until they're fixed I'm afraid it doesn't merit this description.

We stayed here during the Fringe and really enjoyed our time in Edinburgh. Our room was on one of the upper floors and was quiet, comfortable and had a large bathroom (bath and separate shower). The stairs up however were many and twisty, so was a bit of a pain with luggage and shopping bags (although I'm sure staff would have carried if requested). Breakfast was included and good quality and variety - a la carte rather than buffet for the main. The ground floor lounge was nice to sit and have a drink in before heading out for the evening. Location was slightly out of the centre, but we walked most days to all the venues we planned on visiting, using taxi's in the evenings. Would happily stay here again.

Beautiful, quaint historic hotel Walkable to many Edinburgh attractions Respectful, professional, friendly staff Can get a room with lg jacuzzi tub Delicious breakfasts Quaint, cozy restaurant and bar onsite Only drawbacks: No air conditioning due to it being historic bldg No lifts, have to be fit enough to climb stairs to room. (There were 47 steps up to ours) Lovely stay

Very comfortable room and the hotel is in a great location - quiet but easy access to restaurants and town. Only downside was the hotel restaurant was closed during our stay although breakfast was excellent.

I booked Nira Caledonia looking for a luxury experience in Edinburgh. I reserved 2 rooms for a 4-night stay, which cost over $3,400 USD. While I want to be fair and say that the staff members themselves were very nice and highly professional, excellent hospitality cannot make up for the fact that I have never been more uncomfortable or miserable in my life. There is absolutely no air conditioning. We were placed on the 3rd floor, where the heat rises and pools, making the rooms feel like an actual oven. To make matters worse, you are completely locked into the suffocating heat because the hotel does not allow you to open the windows. I was told this policy is because someone unfortunately jumped from a window once in the past. As a result, you are trapped in a hot room with zero chance of getting a cross breeze or any cooler air at night. The staff provided a fan, but it did nothing but push around hot, stagnant air. This isn't luxury; it was pure torture. With temperatures rising in Europe every single year, this issue is only going to get worse. I will never stay here again. On top of the heat issue, the housekeeping staff took a stack of our personal green washcloths from one of the rooms. They were neatly folded and clean. The hotel's towels are white, and they don't even provide washcloths, so there is no reason they should have been cleared out. While management initially told me I would be refunded for the missing items, I didn't actually see a dime of that refund until I had to go over their heads and write to corporate to complain that the promise was never fulfilled.