FlightNurse

Just booked Points and Cash here for an Exce room with lounge access, from reading the reviews I might want to change... We are only at the hotel for two days, as our third day we are moving to a hotel close to the airport. I like the location of this hotel but the reviews here have me second guessing my choice.

gav0106

I stayed there recently for the first time. I really liked it. Great location, staff very nice. The lounge was really good, small but nice and the staff good. I had early breakfast but was very nice in the main restaurant, popped my head into the lounge and the staff told me the same breakfast there and you can order hot items. I would recommend it.

wizla

Yes, I quite fancy a stay here too....... I’ve been looking for an excuse to get to Edinburgh since last year....... I think a road trip might be in order.

FlightNurse

Thanks, I'll have to decided now what to do.

lmwong1977

Just to add to the positive experience, although I stayed last May so maybe things changed later that year. Anyway, I booked with points and got upgraded to one of top corner turret rooms facing the royal mile (across from the Bella Italia) - You can see it in cjd's image a few pages back. I booked when I was a diamond member, but was only gold at check-in. Not sure if that mattered or if it was because it was a Tuesday. Like the others reported, there are some long hallways that undulate slightly up and downhill and a step down to my door for me. The room layout's a bit spread out, but plenty of space for just me. The doubled up windows made things look a little blurry when looking outside and you can't open them. It's about the only thing I'd complain about. I didn't hear much noise (I do sleep like a rock so YMMV), there is the evening bagpipe guy, random drunks and the sirens. Besides the bagpipes - it's what I hear every night in SF.

1) Facing the door was a desk area - immediately to the left was the door to the bathroom. 2) Closet with auto light and minibar - electric kettle/teabags and coffee pods behind the cabinet door (behind the whole thing is where the bathroom is) 3) bathroom - the towel rack above the toilet was heated!



4) Off the bed was a little sitting area (I just dragged that table to the bed as I like working in front of the TV) 5) bed and night tables.


One of the crazy long hallways along the way to the room. Mind you it's because the room was at the far corner of the building.


Not the best of the lounge pics but you get some idea of the evening offerings. It's not like the Hilton Bankside with tons of space to actually lounge. It's pretty tiny, enough room for maybe 20 people. Weekdays were pretty uncrowded, weekend was pretty full during the food times.

1) low tables facing door to the lounge, 2) Bar level longish table (facing the computers/printer area), 3) the booth-like table area is in the background. and 4) There's also the usual cheese, crackers, grapes and sliced meat which are just off screen to the left of the pic, the alcohol is off to the right.






I overslept and missed breakfast one day due to jetlag (or just exhaustion as I walked up Carlton Hill the other day) and popped into the lounge to get some juice. There were some pastries from breakfast (saw the same type in the breakfast buffet in the restaurant the next day). There was yogurt is in the refrigerator. Plus Mars bars, granola Bars and little package of nuts. So one can cobble together some healthy-ish or unhealthy breakfast if you oversleep.

Breakfast buffet in the restaurant

wizla

Nice little review there, many thanks for coming back and telling us....... it seems like a large hotel yet the lounge is small, I bet that does get very crowded at times.......great pictures!

chrism20

At a guess the lounge will seat approximately thirty two although that would make it extremely cosy. There also isn't much standing space in there

Dax1956

Can anyone tell me if they serve afternoon tea in the executive lounge please?

gav0106

Not when I stayed. Just cereal bars and biscuits.

Dax1956

Ok thank you.

hugolover

I stayed here recently. A few thoughts:

Positives:

Upgraded to a suite in the new wing, to reach it, take the elevator upstairs, walk up by the restaurant, then carry your bags down a small staircase (there's a disabled lift) then take another lift down to the room. I was escorted by the FOM which helped finding the room.

Suite was quite nice, coffee machine, but no bath. The most curious thing was the a/c, the management have locked out the possibility to independently control it, you can't turn it off or adjust it more than a few degrees without calling reception. They were really reluctant to turn it off at night. My SOP is to blast the room cold then turn it off.

Regrettably:

The lounge is really poor. I would not recommend paying the upsell. There was soup, cheese and some deep spring rolls. They barely meet the brand standard. There was gin and Fever Tree which was okay.

Food is stopped at 10PM at the bar which caught me out so ended up with room service. Unfortunately the food arrived tepid, not a surprise given the faff to get to the room.

I found breakfast to be OK, poached eggs took a while in a quiet restaurant and I thought they had forgotten. I felt a bit uncomfortable asking for an Espresso coffee. I noticed the night before that the MPW restaurant was really empty on a Thursday evening.

All in all I was left with the impression that I was glad my travels take me to Glasgow and not Edinburgh. The DT Glasgow is just a much better hotel.

If we are to believe a hierarchy of brands, and considering this hotel is not a legacy property still called "Hilton" but a new opening as a Hilton, then I would say it is more a DT than a Hilton.

The WA Edinburgh keeps getting cheaper whenever I check it, when I return to EDI, I would seek to stay at the Caley.

Winniesbestfriend

Thanks for the review, I’ve got a stay coming up here in a couple of months and I’m really worried now. My SOP with the a/c is exactly the same as yours so I’m really concerned if it’s the same in all rooms. I do remember the breakfast room being freezing last August when I was there for the festival even though it was freezing outside.
I found breakfast pretty poor too and service very slow.
Have you ever stayed at the Doubletree in Edinburgh?

hugolover

Yes the DT on Bread Street is quite nice if you get an upgraded room. Also consider the Queensferry for a night or so.

Maybe call and ask them about the a/c?

lifetimeblue

I had a 1 night stay at the Carlton last Thursday.

Booked a King room on points & cash. Pre upgraded the day before arrival to a King Executive room. I had asked for a specific room on the 5th floor in the booking comments and was allocated to it. It's a really cool room with not one, but two turrets! Separate bath and shower.
The aircon in all of the rooms I've had have here has had the usual controls, though I haven't had a room in the new section.

I only had time to grab a G&T in the Executive Lounge, so can't comment on the food on this occasion. Generally I would agree with hugolover, the lounge food isn't that great. DT Glasgow is far better. It's such a small room, too!

We came back to the bar at around 11pm to find it was basically closed. I felt like the bar staff were doing me a favour getting a drink before they closed up.

Breakfast in the morning was better than it has been here in the past, it has been ropey. I ordered from the menu which came in decent time. Buffet looked good and was well stocked.

The Carlton is still my go to in Edinburgh, the DT always seems fairly pricy for what it is with no lounge. Similar thoughts on the WA.

hugolover

I wonder if the suites are actually smaller than some of the exec's? Did you room have a sofa bed?