Destiny Scotland New Town Apartments

Check-in with Destiny Scotland was the worst I’ve ever experienced. They advertise on major sites but leave out important booking information. They say a deposit is required, but don’t explain how they’ll follow up to arrange it. If you’re travelling internationally or have no service in transit, you might arrive to find more steps are needed while the offices are closed. The deposit email we received gave two different amounts, and the after-hours number connected us with several people who couldn’t give accurate, consistent information. Once we reached town, it took over an hour and several calls to get the correct address, door codes and unit number. We were given an incomplete address, the wrong building code, a floor but no unit number, and then the wrong code for the unit itself. They even told us to try the same code on multiple doors, including units rented to other people. When we finally got in, the non-smoking room smelled of cigarette smoke. By then, management seemed barely able to get us into the unit, so we didn’t think reporting it would help. They didn’t seem equipped to deal with problems. Be careful with their luggage storage, too. People can walk in and out of the office without anyone checking who they are or which bags they’re taking. Staff barely looked up from their computers. My wife dropped off our bags without me. Later, I walked into the office and luggage closet alone and left with four bags, and nobody asked who I was or checked what I took. We told Destiny Scotland about the many problems that affected us, but they didn’t address them properly and put all the blame on us, the travellers.

The apartment was extremely clean, and the check-in was easy, with the code sent in advance. I can’t say enough good things about Destiny Scotland New Town Apartments. We’ll definitely stay with Destiny Scotland again when we return to Edinburgh.

We stayed for three nights in Flat 7, on the third floor. There’s no lift, so it’s definitely not accessible. The New Town area is quiet, with several good restaurants nearby, and buses make it accessible even though it’s outside the old town. The top-floor slanted attic ceilings weren’t our favourite. We’re all short, but still nearly bumped our heads several times in the bathroom and living room. The beds are comfortable and the flat is generally spacious, though the low ceilings made it feel much smaller.

The entrance is down an alleyway, but I felt safe. The apartment was clean and comfortable, with great amenities, and it was nice to have an apartment rather than just a hotel room. Booking staff communicated well. Many main attractions are within a five-to-fifteen-minute trip.