The Caledonian Edinburgh, Curio Collection by Hilton

We stayed at The Caledonian Edinburgh, Curio Collection By Hilton (it used to be a Waldorf Astoria) twice in late July 2025, and our second stay was an outright embarrassment for a Hilton hotel claiming to be five-star. When we walked into Room 251 on July 28, the entire room smelled strongly of urine. We reported this to Georgia at the front desk and requested to be moved, but were told the hotel was fully booked and no other rooms were available. She also stated there were no maintenance records for that room. It was around midnight and we were left with no choice but to stay in the room. The next morning, we observed cracks and a stain on the ceiling above the bed, appearing as though there had been a leak from the room above. We photographed the damage and again spoke with Georgia, asking whether there had been a prior leak. She reiterated that there were no maintenance records. We suggested that perhaps a toilet above had leaked at some point, and that moisture in the drywall could be causing the odor. We also asked whether the mattress might have been affected, but she assured us it would have been replaced if that had happened. We informed her we would be out for the day and asked that the issue be addressed while we were gone. She assured us that maintenance and housekeeping would investigate. When we returned around 11:00 PM, Georgia assured us that maintenance had found no problem, but housekeeping had sprayed the room to neutralize the odor. At that point, the smell was gone, so we stayed the night. By the next morning, the ceiling was literally leaking onto the headboard, pillows, and blankets. There were dark specks—possibly mold—on the base of the headboard. This wasn’t just unpleasant; it was a health hazard. We immediately called the reception desk and spoke with Joseph, insisting on being moved to another room—even though we were checking out that day—because we still needed to shower before catching an early train. He initially refused, saying no rooms were ready and none would likely be available until the afternoon. We stressed that the situation was a health hazard and that we did not want to spend another minute in that room. We requested to speak with the manager. He said the manager, Catherine, was in a staff meeting and could not be disturbed. We insisted the severity warranted immediate attention, but he still refused to interrupt her. After further insistence by us, Joseph called back and said we could use the spa to shower. We quickly packed, showered in an empty massage room, and then went to the lobby to speak with Catherine who was finally out of her meeting. She was appropriately alarmed, apologized, confirmed the room was unacceptable, and told us we would be refunded for both nights. She also removed the room from service immediately—something that would never happen in peak tourist season unless the room was genuinely unsafe. Despite that, we have only received a refund for one night and were told to contact our booking provider, American Express. American Express has since sided with the hotel despite us being customers for 25 years, saying they can only go by what the hotel reports. But if the room was supposedly fit for guests, why was it taken out of circulation at the height of tourist season? That decision alone makes it clear the room was not safe for guests, exposed us to an unhealthful environment and fully justifies reimbursement for both nights. It’s the equivalent of returning a clearly defective product and being told you’ll only be refunded for half of it. For a hotel that charges luxury prices, the experience was anything but. A room that smelled of urine, an active ceiling leak, possible mold, dismissive front-desk responses, and a promise of reimbursement that wasn’t kept—this is nowhere near five-star service. Obviously, we would not recommend this hotel to anyone who values their health.

I booked this hotel to celebrate my mums 70s birthday. The staff were all lovely especially the reception staff who made my mum feel really special. We used the spa, had drinks and breakfast here. All food/drink and facilities were excellent. The location is ideal next to plenty nice cafe, bars and restaurants. It is also right next to the Christmas market and we had views of the castle from our hotel room. The only issue was there was only 1 elevator working during our stay but that really didn’t affect us much. We would love to stay here again.

I visited Edinburgh with my children and we were welcomed with fantastic hospitality by every single member of staff. My room was also upgraded at no extra cost; with a brilliant view of Edinburgh Castle and the City. My children especially enjoyed the breakfast buffet. I highly recommend anyone visiting Edinburgh to stay at the Caladonian.

Very good experience, the hotel is stunning the scenery is immaculate, this really amazed us, The food is out of this world, I really wish i could stay here forever, The young lady at reception on the evening shift is very charming and professional, she is the upkeep of the hotel, Will visit again as soon as possible.

We absolutely loved the interior decorations and especially the view of the entire castle outside. We also loved how spacious our room was, with a seperate section with the sofa and the other with the bed. The staff were very lovely to us and we felt very welcome. James handled our bags and Issac was our kind receptionist, they made everything very easy for us. I loved the reception, the details of the decors and the lovely decoration for christmas, with the t-shaped stairs as well as the court and especially the gorgeous bar. Delicious breakfast!! Overall, the experience was incredible and felt luxurious :) Thank you, would love to visit again.