Salisbury Court

We stayed four nights during the Fringe after a pretty disastrous experience in someone’s spare room last year. This was fine, as expected, and a decent base, though less polished than the photos. It cost just over £100 a night. The location was decent, around 15 minutes on foot to Pleasure Courtyard and 30 to Monkey Barrel. It was easy to find, had 24-hour entry and exit, and we found free parking nearby. Shared areas were clean and spacious, and the foyer, library and game areas were nice. The views over the other buildings were good, and having a kitchen helped make the Fringe a bit cheaper. The room itself was tiny. My husband is 6ft tall and his feet stuck out past the end of the small double bed. The bed size was made clearer before check-in than at booking, and the mattress felt like a bag of springs on a wooden base. Since these are mini flats, as many as 10 couples could share a kitchen. We could hear everything through the walls, including someone yelling in the corridor for half an hour one morning, as if they were in our room. The doors bang loudly, too.

Salisbury Court is decent value for the price. We stayed five days for the Fringe, and this modern place was well located for the city centre, with plenty of restaurants and cafes along the way. The area felt safe, and the room, hallway and kitchen were clean. Reception is staffed around the clock, and the staff were very accommodating. We got clean towels, but there were only two pillows for us as a couple, so I asked for more. It’s student accommodation, so there’s no TV in the room, just a bed, cupboard, study table, shower, toilet and power outlets. I loved the view from our room and would wake up to that relaxing sight. The one downside was the shower in room A, Building 3, Floor 3. It flooded, so I had to shower at the lowest pressure. Otherwise, I highly recommend Salisbury Court.

We booked an apartment for seven nights and were happy with the choice. It’s a nice place with nice staff, close to Edinburgh’s old town by bus or on foot. There’s no daily cleaning or fresh towels, as those are provided once a week, but everything you need to do it yourself is there. The only small gripe was that the bed was a little uncomfortable.

I checked in to a dirty room and told the staff, but when I came back nine hours later it was still dirty. The bed hadn’t been made and had used, dirty linen; the towels were dirty, the soap was used up, and the bin was full. I called reception before it closed and found one set of towels for a double room, two stained sheets and two pillowcases, but no duvet cover. At the prices charged, this was a total joke. I won’t return.