Yotel Edinburgh

The location worked well for us: close to pubs and restaurants without being right in the centre, and surprisingly quiet despite the main road. The room was clean, the bed comfortable, and the TV was useful. We got a bar voucher for skipping the room clean, but it had to be used before checkout during that stay. The price was decent for the area, though I’d look elsewhere next time because the service felt poor. On arrival, the receptionist didn’t greet us or smile. The booking.com photos also didn’t make the bathroom arrangement clear: the toilet and shower are separate, with frosted glass, and the sink is in the room. The bedroom lights also light up the whole room if someone uses the bathroom at night. Our TV kept turning itself on overnight. It took two days to address, and afterwards it lost some functions. When we first reported it, staff gave no apology and only offered to turn it off for us, which wasn’t ideal. The next morning they were more apologetic and said they’d fix it while we were out. They did sort it, but the whole response was disappointing.

The room was clean and tidy, but cramped, windowless, and confusing to operate, with too many harshly bright lights. The TV remote wouldn’t connect to the TV either. During my two nights there, I didn’t speak to a staff member: reception never greeted or acknowledged me, and the staff seemed more interested in scrolling on their phones at the desk. I hadn’t known what the chain was like when I booked the Edinburgh trip, and this was a Black Friday deal. I wouldn’t pay full price. If this is where hotels are headed, count me out. I know it’s an ultra-modern concept and that human contact is becoming less necessary, but I won’t stay at Yotel again.

When we stayed in December, I proposed to my girlfriend and had arranged a few things with the hotel ahead of time, including flowers and Prosecco in the room. Matt was fantastic in helping make it happen, and made the whole occasion even more unforgettable. I’m very grateful for everything they did. The room was lovely, tidy, and fairly spacious, and the location is great. We’d choose this hotel again if we return to Edinburgh.

For the price and location, it’s good value. The rooms are spacious, lighting is good, the check-in machines work smoothly, and staff are friendly. The bar prices are reasonable, and the shared coffee machine comes in handy since there’s no kettle in the room. A few things weren’t ideal: the motion sensors switch off the lights and AC, the bathroom is all glass, and housekeeping ignored the do-not-disturb sign. It was fine, just not perfect.