Destiny Student - Holyrood

I wouldn't choose to stay here again, though I could recommend it to someone after a tidy, friendly, low-budget place. The staff really are as good as the reviews say, the room was spotless, and the amenities were decent. The on-site laundry was easy to use, reasonably priced, and came with free detergent. It's a quiet spot despite being a bit out of the way, in a working-class neighborhood that didn't feel negative at all. The rooms are tiny, typical dorm rooms, and the bathroom was barely bigger than an airplane washroom. The windows only open a few centimetres upward, so almost no heat gets out. Free fans were appreciated, but sleeping with one blowing over you while you're on top of the covers made for a rough night. The temperature was wild. The price also felt high for what you get, though that's an Edinburgh issue and was probably affected by our visit during Oasis week and Fringe. If they can get the temperature under control, this could be great. This is a tough one to review. Somehow it was one of the worst hotels I've stayed in and one of the most honest.

The shower-room extractor was so loud and ran for ages. When I woke in the night to use the loo, it kept me from getting back to sleep. The heat was another issue. I don't cope well with it, though I guess the building is designed for the eleven months when Scotland gets no sunshine. I didn't realize fans were available until checkout, when I saw one being offered to someone else. I hadn't thought to ask, but reception could tell people about them at check-in. For the Fringe, I only needed somewhere to sleep for three nights, and the room was clean with a comfortable bed. It is small, though, and I worry about the students living there during term. I think I'd go stir-crazy in a room that size. The uphill walk to many Fringe venues is about twenty minutes, so expect sore legs and blisters if you're not fit. I knew when booking that this wasn't a hotel. It cost less than the other options, so I could afford an extra night compared with booking a Premier Inn Hub. I'd read lots of reviews before writing mine, and if I'd seen them before booking, I might have been put off. That would've been a mistake, since I found little wrong with the room. It was a good place to put my head down, but I'm not sure I'd want to stay longer.

Not great value for a night. Reception was a long trek from the room, which wasn't easy with luggage. Inside, it was too hot, with a very narrow bed and desk, and the bathroom door wouldn't lock. The towel wasn't clean, the shower didn't have a proper head, and there was neither a fan nor a hairdryer to borrow despite the website suggesting those were available. They told me everything had already been taken, which made it hard to sleep or dry my hair.

My fifth-floor room was claustrophobic, with windows that only opened a crack. The first night it felt literally about 45 degrees, and I told reception I couldn't stay in it. They gave me an air-conditioning unit, but I woke up with no voice, and I was due to sing in a choir later that day. The weather cooled a little after the first day, but I couldn't live in that room!