Alba Hills Guest House

We stayed at this guest house from 25 June to 20 June 2023, since it was a 10-minute walk from my conference venue. The room was spacious but basic, with no kettle or other amenities. The location was really good, with several bus routes serving it.

For one night in Edinburgh, my room was clean and had what I needed, including tea and coffee. It’s not right in the centre, but town isn’t far, around a 15-20 minute drive. Self check-in went smoothly. I only got the instructions on the day, though, and had to email and call beforehand to chase them. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a relatively good-priced place near Edinburgh.

It’s close to the train station, which made the location convenient. The room was decent enough, but the temperature couldn’t be adjusted and it got pretty hot in the evening. There’s no in-person reception, and I had to ring the Ring doorbell twice to reach someone. The listing says parking, but it means street parking. Luckily, we found a spot not too far away. There were only two fairly flat pillows. A decent place for an overnight stay if you’re without a car. It’s near the city centre, with lots of public transport around.

Poor experience overall. The room was clean, which is a basic standard, but the check-in was confusing. I spent 15 minutes speaking to a Ring doorbell because nobody was on site. They told me to collect a key from a lockbox, but it was empty; then I got another code and finally found the room key. They say there’s parking for two cars, but in reality it fits one. If you drive there, you probably won’t want to move your car, since the space would be gone quickly. The room was okay, but I couldn’t open the windows or control the temperature. I wouldn’t recommend it or come back.