Premier Inn Edinburgh Cc York Place/St James Quarter

The location is fantastic, and the rooms have been quiet and comfortable when we've stayed before. They're quite small for a Premier Inn, but that hasn't been a problem for us. Edinburgh is very overpriced, so this hotel is generally reasonably priced by comparison. On earlier visits the staff were pleasant and breakfast was good, but we won't be back and I wouldn't recommend it after our latest stay. Everything was self service, including check-in and making our own room key. I didn't see any hotel staff. My husband had to track someone down because there was no toilet paper. He pressed the assistance button several times before someone came in through a door from outside. Breakfast was poor apart from the coffee. I only ate a sausage, which at least they can still get right. Most of the cooked food looked as if it had been sitting there ages, even at 7:30am, and was overcooked or dried out.

Kelly was incredibly helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. She worked one evening and was back again the next morning, and sorted out the extra towels we needed. The location is brilliant for Edinburgh and very close to Waverley Station. The building felt more tired than other Premier Inns I've stayed at recently, though, and the rooms could use some care. The room was cold because I couldn't change the temperature. The fan instructions were for a newer model than the one we had, and none of my attempts worked. Kelly kindly tried from the office but couldn't fix it either. Turning the fan off made the room comfortable in the end. There were no sockets by the bed, so I couldn't charge my phone, tablet or kindle overnight and keep them close. The bedside lamp switch also turned on the ceiling light, whatever combination I tried, which wasn't great while my partner was asleep and I was reading. The rooms weren't dusted well, and there was so much hair in the sink that the water wouldn't drain properly. I had to clear it myself, which was unpleasant. We like PremierInn Hotels, but this one needs attention.

At an average of £177 a night, this was very disappointing and the service didn't match the price. I wouldn't recommend staying here. Room cleaning wasn't automatic. You had to go downstairs and ask at the front desk every day, and even after that, there was no guarantee anyone would come. If you got back at night and asked, the usual answer was that the cleaners had gone home and it would be done the next day. The free Wi-Fi was extremely slow, so you had to pay extra each day for high-speed access. Signing up was a hassle too, with card details and several steps required every time. The hand soap dispenser button and the cups in the room were dirty. And while many hotels at this price have separate shampoo, body wash and conditioner, here there was just one all-in-one bottle.

Just an average hotel that does the job. The staff were helpful, and the location's good. If I booked again, I'd pick the one on princess street since it's even better placed. We didn't eat breakfast, but it seemed okay and was priced fairly at £11 per adult. Kids eat free.