Grosvenor Suites

We knew these suites were cheaper than anywhere else in Edinburgh and weren't expecting luxury. We've had a lovely stay so far, with clean, tidy rooms and comfy beds. The family suite is huge, with two double beds, and had everything we needed. It got very hot, though, with no clear way to turn the temperature down. Turning off all the radiators and opening the window helped more. They'd left a fan, which was temperamental but eventually worked. The junior suite upstairs was fine too. There's no lift, as the facilities listing clearly said, so be ready for plenty of stairs. The location is great, quiet but an easy walk to everything. It's about half an hour on foot up to the castle, and close to Haymarket for trains, trams, and Open Top Bus tour stops. There was tea, coffee, a microwave, hob, fridge, and small freezer. If you get a room at the back, it's super quiet. Before arriving, I emailed about leaving our luggage before check-in and got a reply saying we could leave it at the other apartment block, where reception is, a two-minute walk from the suites. It all worked fine. The woman there was helpful and friendly. When we returned shortly before check-in, she told us one of our two booked Junior suites wasn't available and that the room had been upgraded, which was fine with us. She'd also emailed me about the change. I did notice on arrival morning that we hadn't received check-in details or codes. They replied promptly when I emailed, and since we were going to reception anyway it wasn't much trouble. Do ask for the door codes before you arrive. Looking at earlier reviews, maybe we got lucky, since there seems to be a tendency to cancel bookings at the last minute.

We stayed for two weeks, and everything was as shown. Our ground-floor room was next to a beautiful backyard and got cleaned every day. Check-in was smooth. The kitchen had a microwave and an induction cooktop, but no oven. We checked in outside the usual hours and the boiler wasn't working properly. A quick call got it sorted after about an hour.

We felt misled by the accommodation. The room we got was much smaller and less comfortable than the one advertised on Booking.com, and it lacked the listed features: a comfortable armchair, two bedside tables, and a table with two chairs. The advertised room was larger, all on one level, without a separate kitchen downstairs connected by stairs. After contacting staff, we were promised the correct room for one night and £100 compensation. Neither happened. Nobody apologized, and our calls went unanswered. We felt cheated by the dishonest service and were extremely disappointed. We wouldn't recommend this place, and would advise future guests to find somewhere more pleasant and trustworthy.

The location was great for Haymarket station and the surrounding area. It's a nice street and building, and the price was decent. Bags could be left just around the corner, which was handy. I was downstairs and don't think I got the best room. It had an impressive entrance, but could have been cleaner and was lacking a bit in attention to detail.