The Scotsman Hotel

Very disappointing stay – not the standard I expected from The Scotsman! I have stayed at The Scotsman many times over the years and have always held the hotel in very high regard, with many particularly meaningful memories there with my mother. Sadly, this stay was a significant disappointment. The condition of the room was simply not what I would expect from a hotel of this reputation. The bed base appeared to be little more than a basic wooden slab and was extremely uncomfortable. There were also several obvious maintenance and presentation issues: chipped wood around the window, a large mark on the upper wall, substantial marks on the floor behind the TV, exposed wiring and an open utility cupboard revealing further marked and unfinished areas. There was also a noticeable unpleasant odour around the entrance to the room, which appeared to have been masked with strong artificial room fragrance rather than properly addressed. These aren’t tiny details that you only notice if you’re looking for problems — they were plainly visible and gave the room a tired and poorly maintained feel. Taken together, they are difficult to reconcile with the standard and price I would associate with The Scotsman. What made this particularly disappointing was that I was staying with my mother following a recent bereavement. We chose The Scotsman because of the memories and trust we have built with the hotel over many years, expecting a comfortable and special stay. Instead, I was left wondering whether this is now the standard being offered. The location remains incredibly convenient, particularly for easy access to Waverley Station, and the staff were reasonably accommodating and pleasant. Those positives are worth recognising. I have photographed the issues and raised the matter directly with the hotel. Given my previous experiences, I genuinely hope management takes the feedback seriously.

Location is its best selling point located right on the bridge with walking distance to everything. Service is not much to speak of- no help with luggage up the stairs as the receptionist was busy serving food in their cafe!, no conciergie to speak and honestly no greeting or anything. Room was adequate, not luxurious but neat and clean with all adequate amenities.

I enjoyed my stay at the Scotsman! Alan was very helpful and gave us some great recommendations around Edinburgh

Stayed in this fabulous hotel for a night after our stay in the Highlands, absolutely superb! Management and staff very attentive and welcoming. Our room was spotless, and the view stunning.

My second stay at The Scotsman and it was not a good one. The room we were assigned was horrendous, it overlooked the Scotsman Steps and the wall behind it, had zero privacy and sound insulation. People going up and down the stairs can literally look into the room which meant that we had to keep our curtains closed all the time. The noise problem extended beyond street noise and we heard loud bangs, toilet flushes, door slamming and every other noise known to humans throughout our stay, day and night.