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.

When visiting Edinburgh I've noticed casually dressed Americans coming out of The Balmoral (it's by the station so I seem to pass it a lot!) The doorman looks smart though!

I am also easily impressed then :)

I would recommend it - I mean it was a very brief (and drunken) 1 night stay - in what must have been the master suite - but I really liked the room and the bed was big enough for me to fall asleep wearing my ginormous wedding dress in - there was even enough space left for my brand new dh :)

How I long for that bed now - we're currently on holiday and have an unsettled 14 month old ds wedged between us because he's not impressed by the cot - how times change!

The Rutland Hotel, I'm telling you!

I did try but the The Rutland doesn't have space for my dates PaulAnkaTheDog The same with The Balmoral, but thanks anyway BettyTurpinHotpot (love your name btw!)
I've had more time to spend on it today with DS1 at school this morning and DS2 at nursery, so I could actually contact them and check availability, which has immediately ruled a lot of them out. wish I'd been able to look into it sooner as, in going over half term, rooms were always going to fill quickly.
BearFoxBear on a totally different note, thank goodness I've finally found someone else who had black out wedding night rather like mine. I had what seemed like a thousand grips in my hair too, which I couldn't pull out for lack of balance when both hands were in my hair, rather than holding on to furniture to steady me so I gave up. What I woke up to was a sight to behold and my brand new DH made sure there was photographic evidence so I've never lived in down. We had a lovely looking 4 poster bed in a forest hotel (we live near Southampton), but it was so short, as much of DH stuck out the bottom as was in it!!
Sorry about your cramped night, hope it gets easier!!!

We stayed at 21212, which is actually a Michelin-starred restaurant in a Georgian townhouse, where the two upper floors are four rooms. The room we had was lovely, on the top floor (no lift, lots of stairs), large enough to have a separate sitting area. Luxurious, and being just four rooms, it feels quite special.

Stay at tigerlily in George street

Castleview Guest House, without a doubt.

21212's website states "Each room is elegantly and uniquely decorated and features an en-suite bathroom with free-standing bath and walk-in shower or a specially designed en-suite bathroom with a shower", so you'd have to check with them that your room would have the free-standing bath. Our room didn't.

The Howard Hotel is lovely. A nice boutique hotel, very central.