The Penthouse at The Royal Mile

We paid £60 extra for bringing our dog to a “dog-friendly” room at ibis Central Edinburgh, but the dog amenities were frankly insulting. The bed was barely big enough for a chihuahua, and the bowl was so tiny it seemed more suited to a cat. If the hotel charges a substantial premium and advertises dog-friendly rooms, the basics ought to work for dogs that aren't handbag-sized. We ended up buying our own bowl after raising the issue at reception, and our dog had to sleep on the bed because there was no suitable alternative. When I asked to speak with a manager, both managers on duty, Dean and Florian, refused despite repeated requests. Faith, the front-of-house staff member, wouldn't pass on a message or escalate it, and I was effectively told to go away at the desk. Charging £60 for a service and then refusing to engage when it's clearly inadequate is poor customer care at best, and misleading at worst. “Dog-friendly” should mean more than taking the money and hoping no one challenges it. This isn't a minor oversight. I wouldn't recommend the hotel to anyone travelling with a dog, and I'm deeply unimpressed that management wouldn't address a straightforward, reasonable complaint.

The staff were great, and being in the city centre meant we could walk everywhere, which was a big plus. But the room was hot with no ventilation, and we were uncomfortable. The mattress was hard, and the price felt high for the room and experience. There were addicts hanging around behind the large church just outside the hotel. City-centre location has the usual pros and cons. Parking isn't free, and they didn't tell us. They also gave no directions to the garage, so Google Maps took us to the top of the parking garage, at the wrong place. Staff didn't explain how to leave the garage or use the validation ticket either. Knowing what we know now, we'd have stayed on the outskirts and taken a bus into town.

Breakfast was a good buffet, and the hotel is only yards from the Royal Mile and close to St. Giles' Cathedral. Check-in was quick and easy. Our room was very compact and did the job, but it wasn't especially comfortable. There’s no parking at the hotel; the NCP garage is a seven-minute walk away, with only a small discount on parking. The area has lots of pubs and clubs, and the daytime drunks were loud and hard to miss. 8/10 feels generous.

The location and service were great. We stayed in two different rooms. The first was better than the second, which had a bit of a smell. Both were standard ibis rooms, efficient but small. Otherwise, it was classic ibis with the usual standards.