DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh - Queensferry Crossing

The food was good, but the service was slow and staff didn’t seem to notice much. We had to remind them about our beers each time, and the last drinks sat on the bar for nearly 10 minutes until I went to collect them myself. Plates and drinks from the previous guests were left on nearby tables for over 30 minutes. We were there for lunch before an evening event in one of the function rooms. The chef had to press the buzzer three times before the food was brought over from the hot plate.

Sorry, I left feeling deeply upset and humiliated by how I was treated. I have difficulty walking, but no one offered help. Staff repeatedly passed my table and served drinks elsewhere while I was left without service. I couldn’t tell whether guests were meant to serve themselves, since there was no sign and staff gave me no clear answer when I asked. I was the only guest who seemed expected to take my own glass, and it felt unfair and discriminatory. I also saw staff laughing and looking at me with a friend, which made me feel unwelcome. I tried to get a female staff member’s attention while she stood with a male colleague, because I wanted her to see the glass. I was clearly waving, but no one came over and they walked away. After I had to walk to get the glass myself, it slipped from my hand and broke. Only then was a new glass of wine brought to my table. It was visibly dirty, with water droplets all over the outside and obvious stains on the bottom where it sat on the table. It looked freshly washed but not dried or properly cleaned. That felt deliberate, like mistreatment or retaliation, and was deeply insulting. Is that really the service standard at a world-class hotel brand? I felt looked down on and disrespected, and the whole experience left me feeling discriminated against because of my disability. I’ll share what happened in a public review so the team and management know.

The room view was the one good part of the stay. At breakfast the sausages and bacon were very poor quality, and I overheard a guest start to complain about “the sausages…” before the server finished with “…aren’t that great, we know.” If staff already know they’re poor, why keep serving them? Check-in was also frustrating. I arrived at 12:30 for a 15:00 check-in and was told to come back at the proper time, so I had lunch in the hotel restaurant and returned by 14:00. Several people who arrived after me were checked in before 15:00, but when I asked about getting in early, I was told my room wasn’t ready. We were sitting in the lounge right in front of reception, yet nobody called us at 15:00. I had to ask again at 15:10 and was told it still wasn’t ready. At 15:20 they confirmed it was. It felt as if they were delaying us on purpose out of spite because we’d asked earlier. That evening I couldn’t get through to room service to ask for water. Reception transferred me, then I sat on hold for 5-10 minutes before the call dropped. This happened three or four times, so I gave up and filled water myself from the dispenser in the gym. I was also charged twice for the room even though I’d prepaid through a third party, and had to call customer services repeatedly to get a refund. Very disappointing, apart from lunch on the first day and the view. This was my first stay at a Hilton property, and I’m afraid I can’t recommend it.

The room had a fridge, which was handy, but there wasn’t even complimentary water. Tap water would have been nice. The sheets were good quality, though the pillows were flat and awful. Firmer ones were provided on request and were a little better. The view was of unkempt bushes, and there was a fire alarm test in the middle of the day with no warning. It’s a great hotel, just below what I’d expect for the name and price. More attention to detail would help.