Travelodge Edinburgh Central Waterloo Place

As a solo woman traveller, I felt safe and comfortable during my three nights here. The staff, from reception to housekeeping, were polite, welcoming, and helpful. Communication was good too. One day I needed fresh towels, and housekeeping had left them and replenished the supplies by the time I got back to my room. My second-floor room had tall ceilings and great views from the windows. The radiator worked, the bed was comfortable, and the hairdryer I requested for my stay worked well. The bathroom was clean, though the toilet sat rather low and had weak water pressure, and the soap dispenser seemed loose and broken. The location is great, and I had a strong data and WiFi connection. For the price, it was good, and I'd recommend it.

The thin walls meant I could hear toilets flushing, showers running, and noise from neighbouring rooms all night. There were also unpleasant characters wandering the hallways, adding to the sense of insecurity. I was especially concerned that there seemed to be no CCTV cameras in the building, so if something happened, there might be little or no evidence of what took place. The foyer was dirty, and the staff were rude and unhelpful. From the moment I arrived, the place felt unsafe and poorly managed. I strongly advise against staying here.

The room was spacious and clean, and the bed was comfortable. We usually book at the Holiday Inn, but Travelodge is a lot cheaper for not much difference, so I'll definitely book here again next time I go to the Auld Reekie. It's just 2mins from Waverley train station, right on the main street, yet I never heard traffic outside. The triple glazing works. Staff were professional and down to earth, happy to have a wee chat. The only downside is that you have to pay for Internet.

The location was good, and most of the staff were lovely and helpful. A helpful man at the desk understood why we were frustrated, and the lady and man both deserve thanks. But after this stay, I wouldn't choose the hotel again. We were three women on a girls' trip and got a lower-ground-floor room. There was no service at all down there. My mobile data didn't work, and WiFi is paid except for 30 minutes per day. A woman at the desk insisted staff didn't get free WiFi either and said there were no rooms to move us to, since all family rooms are downstairs. She said her own mobile data worked there, but none of us, on different providers, could get service. The paid WiFi was poor too. It may sound minor, but being able to contact people matters to three young women. After we asked for a top-up, we got clean towels but the beds weren't made. Even for a budget hotel, I think housekeeping should at least make the beds and replace towels. There was no bath mat. Our keys kept failing every time we returned, and we had to go back to reception repeatedly to have them reset. They told us to keep them away from phones, but they hadn't been near any phones. The hotel doesn't hold luggage. Unlike other Travelodge locations I've stayed at, we would have had to carry our bags around the busy city after checkout or pay to store them elsewhere. We saw a rate of £10 for 3 hours. This seems like a basic service, and Travelodge should consider keeping one room for luggage. This would definitely discourage me from coming back.