Cumberland Hotel

The staff were warm and quick to help, and they let us leave our luggage for a few hours after checkout, which was handy. I stayed for two nights and found the location convenient. Most main attractions were a 40-60 minute walk away, and the £6 daily bus ticket made public transport easy. Breakfast had cereals, juice, and fruit, plus a main dish you pre-order from the menu, with choices like continental, traditional, and vegetarian. The room was mostly clean, though the WiFi was weak. It was cold the first night, but after I mentioned it, they fixed the problem and the second night was much more comfortable.

Adam, the manager, deserves a mention. He was professional, attentive, and clearly cared about making guests feel at home. Everyone was welcoming from the start, and the hotel had a calm, relaxed feel. It was spotless, and our room was surprisingly spacious for the price. We also loved the lounge for unwinding after exploring the city. Transport into the centre was easy, too. A lovely boutique stay in Edinburgh, and I’d gladly come back and recommend it.

The bed was comfy and the bedding was great, so the room itself was comfortable. But there were a few cobwebs, and we spotted a couple of spiders as we were checking out. The bathroom let things down: the toilet roll holder was broken and kept dropping the paper, the towels started ripping when we used them, and the shower hose was grimy and greasy. Water pressure was very low, and adjusting the temperature was difficult. Fine for a cheap night, but I’d look elsewhere.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the location worked well for us, with buses and trams just down the road. Room 14 was noisy, though. Staff were coming and going outside it until late, the kitchen backed onto it and we could hear conversations, and every footstep from the room above came through the very creaky floor. One window looked onto staff as they went in and out, so we had to keep the curtain closed, even though it was hanging off. The windows were also hard to open. There was long hair in the bed that wasn’t ours, and the shower head was dirty. The traditional breakfast was just okay and I wouldn’t have it again. Milk for cereal was left out and had gone warm.