Abbey Strand Apartments, at Holyrood

The apartment itself was lovely, clean, and beautifully furnished in a modern style. It had a kitchenette and a spacious living area, and we appreciated having fresh linen and daily housekeeping, especially after getting caught in the rain every day. There was no air-conditioning, but I believe that’s common in Edinburgh and most of the UK. The location was great, next to Holyrood House and an easy walk to the Royal Mile, Arthur's seat, and Calton Hill. The management and communication were the problem. The email on Agoda didn’t work, so my wife and I tried almost every property email we could find on Google before anyone replied. We were supposed to receive an apartment entry code before check-in, but none arrived until we’d all but harassed them by email. It seemed to be an ongoing issue: while we were there, we saw at least four or five other groups trying to check in without a code. One family was stuck in the rain until we let them into the sheltered common area. There was no staff on site, despite what was advertised, and reception wasn’t manned. If you leave bags there, nobody is watching them. The phone number provided actually reaches their other property at Old Town Chambers, and staff weren’t always easy to reach. We ended up walking over there to ask our questions during the stay. It’s a lovely apartment, but the management company needs to improve its customer service and responsiveness. Sending entry codes late and listing an unusable email address is really inexcusable.

We had a lovely time. The rooms are beautiful, the location is perfect, and the courtyard is really unique. You can see into the grounds of Holyrood Palace from the hotel, right at its gate. The heat was the only issue for us. It was a hot day, there was no air-conditioning, which is common in the UK, the windows didn’t open well, and there wasn’t a fan unless you asked. My husband and I roasted the first evening. 😆 Bring cool clothes, even if you’re visiting as late as September.

The apartment was much better than the photos, clean, well furnished, and with amazing views. It isn’t staffed, aside from the cleaning staff who come in the morning. If you want a quick getaway with easy, fast check-in, this is the place for you.

This is one of the best hotels I’ve stayed in on any of my vacations. The check-in staff were great, and housekeeping came daily and refilled the supplies. The hotel room is in a building with lots of character, inside and out, and it smelled really nice when we walked in. Everything in the room felt detailed and high-end. The counter-top stove and oven use Siemen. The vanity lights are made in England and fit the room nicely, and I’d never seen ABB light switches before. The walls had wainscoting, with exposed brick and stone on some sections, and a really lovely shade of green. The kitchen was fully stocked, including UK milk, which was a nice touch. Pots, pans, and utensils were all included, and the Nepresso coffee machine was really nice. All the bedrooms had ensuite bathrooms, and the master had a bathtub. The shampoo, conditioner, body soup, and lotion were high-end Made in Scotland brands. The mattresses were thick and comfortable. Everything was very clean. There were lots of windows in the living room facing the sun, plus plenty of couches and chairs and nice window seatings.