Royal Mile Balconies by the Castle

We had a comfortable and enjoyable two-night trip with my daughter. There’s no reception desk, but the hotel gave us clear, helpful check-in instructions. The room was clean, facilities were well maintained, and getting around for sightseeing was easy. Thank you.

We ended up booking somewhere else because the problems were too much. Check-in was complicated, and when the links in the emails to the websites didn’t work, there was no way to speak to a person for help. The listing was misleading about access. We had to climb 70 steps with our luggage, while the only mention of stairs was buried in the “Fine Print” and didn’t say how many there were. Our requests for a full or partial refund went unanswered. Strongly avoid.

The location was ideal, right around the centre of Old Town, with attractions and places to eat only a few hundred metres away. I enjoyed my four-day stay with my partner. The room suited a couple on a short trip, was clean and well kept, and the owner’s instructions made access easy enough. Some of the reviews here seem harsh to me. It had what we needed for an Airbnb-style stay, including a kitchenette and a heated bath and shower. I’d recommend it for a short visit to Edinburgh city centre.

We booked two nights, but a medical emergency meant we couldn’t travel on the first day. We emailed the property to explain. They refused any adjustment, full or partial refund, or deferral, and gave us a harsh no with no room for discussion. The room was extremely pricey, so one of us still decided to travel down for the second night rather than lose the money. On the way to Edinburgh, we received an email saying the property had cancelled our booking because we hadn’t shown up. We phoned, explained that we had emailed, and were told they could cancel without a refund because we hadn’t arrived and they supposedly didn’t know why. The room was still free and prepared for us, so we asked them to uncancel the booking and let us stay in what we’d paid for. The person on the phone was rude again and wouldn’t put us in touch with the actual owner. Thankfully, booking.com’s customer service understood and offered us a full refund. The property’s customer service was the rudest I’ve dealt with, and the family-run business showed so little empathy. A horrible experience, and it’s put me off the image of Scottish people. I don’t recommend it.