Fountain Court Apartments - EQ2

The reception staff were friendly and helpful, and gave us recommendations for local restaurants and bars. The apartment was fully equipped with the basics, and there was an iron and ironing board that worked well for several of my colleagues and me. It was clean and well looked after too. My company booked these apartments for a large group, and they were a fantastic choice. The place was up to a 5-star hotel standard, with plenty of room. Mine, like many others in fountain court, had an en suite bathroom off a large double bedroom, two more decent-sized double rooms, a big living room, and a good-sized kitchen. We also had a balcony overlooking a lovely little canal with lots of little canal boats. Five stars from me, thanks guys!

The rooms weren’t very nice, and there wasn’t much of a lobby, just a small office around the back where you check in. It didn’t feel like the star level they claim, three stars at best. We were first put in a room with a party across the hall. The front desk said the police were on their way, and they moved us after we asked because of the noise. There was no wifi, and the television didn’t work. One young guy at reception was great. The other seemed as high as a kite. The next morning we went down to speak with the manager about getting something for the problems. He didn’t know who we were or what we were there for, and breezed past with a scowl, without saying hello or good morning. Once he understood what we wanted, he avoided us. A nice woman at the desk said she’d have him call our room. He finally called just before checkout, offering a lower rate if we stayed another night, but it was still more than the online price. I asked for a reduction on the night we’d already stayed and he said, “no.” Nothing else, just “no.”

The staff were friendly, but the place felt very focused on charging for everything. We asked about a late checkout and were quoted £25, even after dealing with no hot water and a burn. The water was only warm, and maintenance seemed to confirm there was a boiler problem. They offered us the room next door to shower and said to run the bath slowly for hot water. At that rate, it would have taken over an hour to fill. I found that hard to accept in a fairly new building, especially since they didn’t seem willing to acknowledge the faulty boiler. There was another safety issue with the cooker. The controls got extremely hot when we used the oven or grill, with no warning, and I badly burned my finger and thumb using the grill. The rooms themselves were adequate. Would I return? No.

We had an enjoyable time in Edinburgh and would rent this place again if we needed to stay there. The location suited our plans and was close to what we came for, even though you could find nicer areas. The apartment met our expectations for this kind of accommodation in the UK. Of course, it didn’t have the American amenities, but it did the job.