Suggestions for an Edinburgh hotel for a suprise anniversary city break?

[MrsHelenBee]

Hi all,

I posted on here a month or so ago, asking for any general tips as I was planning a surprise trip to Edinburgh for my husband and I for our anniversary next month.
I've not had a chance to book the hotel yet, so I know many places are filling up or already full as it'll be in half term week, but in searching for somewhere lovely to stay I've found so many choices that I have no idea where to choose. Lots have amazing reviews but all have some crappy ones, ad I never know whether to trust sites like Trip Advisor and the level of authenticity of reviews.
I'd far rather go with people's actual recommendations for places they've stayed and loved. Ideally in the city so we're in the midst of everything to explore.
I want to spoil us after a crappy year so far but neither of us has an extensive uber-formal wardrobe, so I don't want to get raised eyebrows when we wear smart casual for breakfast!
My husband is 6'6", and not small, so a king size bed is a must, but queen size ideal. We don't have to have an amazing view I'm hoping we'll be out exploring during the day, it would just be a bonus.
Any recommendations? DH really deserves a special surprise from this.

Have you looked at The Glasshouse? It's quite central, just round the corner from Prince's Street. Lovely rooms, good facilities, very relaxed. We had 3 nights there a few years ago and loved it.

Seen and loved the look of the rooms, just found a number of bad reviews, which rather burst the bubble! Tired rooms, paying for a view but shrubs so big for privacy that they're all you can see, overcharging...
But getting another good review is reassuring, maybe I just have to go with it.
Probably not that much choice now as we're only talking 5 wks away.

Mmm, what about the Fraser Suites, just off the Royal Mile?

The glasshouse has gone a bit downhill I think. How about the Scotsman, Witchery, Caledonian, Apex Waterloo Place? I live in Edinburgh, have stayed in them all and they are all lush :)

look on the itison website....it is like groupon, but smaller and Scottish

they had a nice hotel in charlotte square on the other day, and as prices are usually great value, you can take a slight punt on reviews I think.

we have stayed in one of the APex hotels in grassmarket....good few years back but that was lovely, and there's always lots of places to eat in edinburgh...I have an excellent radar though for little foodie places, never been wrongfooted yet! :D

Witchery, and book in with the restaurant.

Is Prestonfield still going?

Heard of all of these, just finding it impossible to pick one. I feel rather spoiled for choice for the most part, hence trying to narrow it down by getting people's recommendations, rather than just looking at dozens of amazing websites.
I know The Witchery is full for the dates I want. The Glasshouse had space and seemed amazing, but then I found quite a lot of less than amazing reviews, so maybe fitting with your thoughts BearFoxBear The 'lush' reference with your suggestions makes me excited though!
Justmuddlingalong I found a good few SC-type places, not something I'm used to at all, and thy had amazing reviews, although I'm hoping to eat out so we wouldn't get to use the facilities they offer.

Not heard of Prestonfield Chchchchangeabout. Heard lots of good things about the Witchery but no space.

Bonham is nice, small boutique type.
Sheraton has an amazing but pricy spa with a rooftop pool.

Thanks irishe, not come across either of those yet. Spa sounds like heaven!

I can confirm the spa is like heaven! I could barely peel myself away from the pool. So lovely. Not been in the bedrooms at the Sheraton though.

Stayed at the bonham albeit some time ago. Had an amazing suite, split level with stairs running up side of room to bathroom, which had a standalone brass bath, very romantic. Think it might have been room 1? Memory is hazy though!

So many lovely hotels in Edinburgh, it is indeed hard to choose.

www.therutlandhotel.com/ amazing place.

Oh yes the Rutland is nice, good food too.

One to avoid is the Roxburghe - my sister and I stayed there a few months ago (a rare child-free night!) and the room was shabby. I accidentally left something in the wardrobe, realised and called a couple of hours later and was told that there was nothing there, I must have been mistaken. I bloody wasn't, I only live 10 minutes walk from I, so I only took 4 items of clothing with me!

Premier Inn on Princes Street, its okay, clean, informal and you couldn't get closer to the centre.

Prestonfield House is lovely - very decadent but a bit out of the city centre. Other places I would look at are the Scotsman, Sheraton and Caledonian. It's been a while since I stayed in the Balmoral and the rooms were a bit meh. Might be different now.

The Caledonian has recently had a lot of money spent on it.

Oh Bear that's a shame, I was going to recommend The Roxburghe! We stayed there just shy of two years ago, I really liked it.

I agree, that's a real let down BearFoxBear, and I bet it spoilt the whole experience. even in higher end places, I often wonder just how honest staff are. I use a safe wherever I go for personal bits - none of them with much material value, but they look nice and are of too much sentimental importance to risk me losing them to some unscrupulous cleaner or other.
cazzyg I found Prestonfield - several people had recommended it - but it's full for the dates I'm looking at. I called the Scotsman whilst driving on Wednesday and the gentleman I spoke to said he'd email the rates he was quoting me, but I've not received anything, so that rather put me off. they obviously have enough business to mean losing mine isn't a concern to them. Shame, it looked lovely.
I've had a few prices back from The Caledonian, and I've read they've had a huge refurb recently, but I'm still debating whether or not I can afford their prices.

I don't mind Premier Inn cdtaylornats and they are clean and reliable, but my husband's on the road a lot and his company use Premier Inn so, because of the work connection, I'm going to steer clear. He gets sick of them - not because there's anything wrong with them at all, but because he's forever in them. Thanks for the suggestion though.

It really did MrsHelen - it was must a cheap top, but the dishonesty really angered me.

I can vouch for the Caledonian's lovely refurbishment - my family did it!

I've now got two quotes, one from The Caledonian and one from The Apex Waterloo. Both seem to have some excellent reviews, and a few not so great ones.
The Caledonian is obviously serious money, but I can get a nice room and a complimentary upgrade to a room with a view. A five star, traditional hotel which has just had a total refurb does appeal.
The Apex has a variety of rooms available, and two suites. The best suite is comparable in price to the quote from The Caledonian. A four star hotel, but it looks very nice, and I don't want to get carried away, but I've never had a suite anywhere before.

So, I'm a bit spoiled for choice. Is it OTT to go for the suite? Really want to spoil DH and give the 'Wow Factor' but I really don't know which one to choose now.

Wow BearFoxBear, recommendations don't come much better than that. you must have some talented relatives!
Who cares about the cost, it's absolutely the principle of it. If doesn't matter if it was 5p, it's disgusting! What a bitter aftertaste to be left with.

The Carlton just off the Royal Mile, on the bridge (not Waverley bridge, but can't remember the name).

Perfect location as very central, around £80-£90 a night. Rooms have high ceilings and are old school but still modern / clean etc (it's an old building). Bit more upmarket than a PI but without price tag.

Car park about 10 min walk for £30 for the weekend (not Waiverley parking, a different NCP) or train station is 5 min walk.

Avoid the Thistle like the plague. We had a very bad experience there.

Oh that's a tough choice!

We stayed in the Waterloo suite on our wedding night and it's lovely - very chic and modern, with the biggest freestanding bath I've ever been in (fantastic for a hangover!) - I've never stayed in the Caledonian, but I've been for afternoon tea and dinner there. It has more wow factor I think.

That's interesting MI6Agent. I stayed in a Thistle in London years ago for a city break and it was such a let down, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Although I guess it's had 15 years to drag itself up to a better standard.
Not going to hire a car as so many recommended just sorting the hotel/airport transfer and staying in a central hotel so we can just explore the city on foot. All for it, love walking and need the exercise, but we can spend the money on a meal out!

I asked all the hotels I contacted to quote for a room with a free standing bath. We've lived in our current house for four years, and I've had two pregnancies in that time, but never used our bath. I used to adore a bath - I'd just adore the time for one these days, Lol!, but ours is the original bath in a Victorian terrace. Aside from the fact a previous owner has cleaned it with something so abrasive that enamel is gone and it's a horrible, discoloured and rough mess, it's also really narrow with a curved base. I slipped in it so many times having a shower when I was pregnant, I got paranoid about having a bath. Thought I'd get wedged in and have to call out the fire brigade....
So, after all that unnecessary info, I soooo want to go somewhere where I can have a lovely, long soak in a proper bath - loving that the one in the suite was huge. Not seen many free standing baths, and never been in one, so I'm easily impressed.
Would you recommend the Waterloo suite overall? I've been quoted for a Master Suite and a Duplex Suite. I'm assuming yours was the former as you didn't mention an upstairs. I'm not fussed about stairs, just overwhelmed by the novelty of any suite at the moment.
Was the bed big? My husband's a 6'6" rugby player and takes up an entire double bed, so we got a king size as soon as we moved in together, but I had an enormous bed on our holiday this year. I could near enough have waved to him on the other side, it was so big. Amazing. Loved it. Is this queen size though? Apex said all their rooms are king size, which is bigger than queen, but the one we had on holiday was listed as queen, so I'm confused. We need a king size, but whatever the huge bed is, would be dreamy!

Afternoon tea at The Caledonian sounds A-mazing. Probably wouldn't eat for the rest of the weekend.
The one nagging concern I have is that we're a bit too casual for somewhere so high end. I live in jeans - smart ones - and while I wouldn't dream of blatantly arriving at any hotel looking tatty, I'm a bit worried we'd make fools of ourselves. I only have a few formal items of clothing and we're planning to explore the city, so jeans and trainers were going to be the order of the stay, rather than my snazzy outfits.
I seldom stay in hotels so have no idea if they're likely to have a dress code.