Following on from our Edinburgh Adventure series, after a glorious night in the absolutely stunning Glasshouse Hotel, we packed our bags and moved over to the West End of Edinburgh to the Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor, located a short jog away from Haymarket station.
When we reached the street the hotel is based on, we were slightly confused. There were two signs for the hotel. One in front of us on the right, and the other a good walk away on the left. It was 50/50, and we decided after a long walk to just go to the closest set of door. Fortunately we chose well, as both our room and reception was located within this side of the building.
Check in
Check in was pretty simple and standard. A friendly girl took the name, sorted out a key-card and asked if we wanted a newspaper or wake up call. She also booked us in the restaurant for that evening. We declined both and booked in at 7, and were then pointed in the direction of the room - past the lobby, just before the restaurant and up one floor in the lift. No one offered to take our bags so we carried them ourselves.
As the hotel was once a series of old town houses, there are odd steps here and there, as well as wonky walls and creaky floorboards in the hall. It's quite charming.
The room
As you can see below, the room looked stunning. We had the luxury of a corner room with a lovely double bed, a large seating area and the telly and coffee-making station all the way over to the left. Our first impressions were really good. High ceilings dominated the room, the windows had their old shutter features, and the character of the town houses had been retained, which is always a plus for this history fan.
The bathroom was dated, a shame really when you consider this is a Hilton, well renowned for their luxury. But the bathroom was clean and the range of toiletries on offer was the best I've seen, with beaded facial scrubs and gorgeous body polishes.
On closer inspection, things were a bit tatty around the edges. The net curtains were ripped and grubby. The bed had suspicious looking stains on the sheets. And on the very last day, after double checking we'd left nothing behind, we were surprised to find there was a half-full bottle of Sprite under the bed, which was alarming.
With a few tweaks, and more attention to detail, this would be a gorgeous little stop off for exploring the city.
Saying that, we had a good sleep on a comfy bed, and woke up refreshed in the morning.
The meal and breakfast
The room we had booked had a meal and breakfast included, which added up to an extra £50 - not too shabby really. When we got downstairs for dinner were were greeted by a super polite waitress and shown to a table in the middle of the restaurant. It was fairly empty, with only four or five other diners dotted around.
We were handed the special amended room menu, before being informed no drinks were included in the package. Tap water it was for us then. For a Hilton, we thought this was pretty stingy and would have even been satisfied with a glass of cheap red. We had a two course meal, with a choice of three starters, mains and desserts. The food itself was presented beautifully, and we loved the free potato cheese appetiser, but being totally honest, it wasn't anything spectacular to write home about.
If you're staying at the hotel for business, definitely book in the restaurant. It's quick, simple and easy. But if you're in Edinburgh for pleasure, I'd suggest only spending on a room rate and forgetting about the meal all together. There are so many places nearby which offer more traditional cuisine, and you're only a short taxi ride away from the more upmarket restaurants, if that takes your fancy.
Breakfast was a standard buffet but it looked like there was lots of choice. And this is where it trumped the Glasshouse's offering. We peeked our heads in, but after a manic weekend spent exploring we decided it was back to bed and gave breakfast a miss.
Overall
When you think of a Hilton hotel, you think of something a little bit special. And in some ways, this hotel has it - the service was great and the rooms (on the surface) look gorgeous. But when it boils down to it and you look a bit closer, it's not what you'd expect when you hear 'Hilton', so definitely go in with no expectations of luxury. If the bathrooms were refurbished and the little tatty edges were smoothed over, then it would be definitely worth a stay, and with room rates starting from £85 (Sun, compact double) it's not massively expensive. Wifi is charged at £15 per day which we think is extortionate, so if you're planning on using a laptop check your mobile carrier as you may be able to tether cheaper for the month.
What we liked
Location
It's a stumble from the station and buses to the airport, a taxi ride from all the main sights and sounds, and if you love walking, then then it's great base to explore.
Breakfast
It's great to start the day right, and we were impressed with what was on offer.
Room sizes
Does what it says on the tin. Ask for a corner room if you can, they're light and airy and some look over the green.
Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor Hotel | Grosvenor Street, Haymarket, Edinburgh, EH12 5EF | 0131 226 6001
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