Royal British Hotel

, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Royal British Hotel

, Edinburgh
2 star

Rooms: 72

20 Princes Street - Edinburgh - Scotland - EH2 2AN - United Kingdom | 0131 556 4901
295 Traveller

Reviews - Royal British Hotel

8/10
Exceeded expectation
Submitted by: deb in 02/04/08
  • Age Group: 18 - 25
  • From: United Kingdom
  • Traveller type: Budget Traveller
Check in time 2pm. check out time 12pm noon
I first booked a room from this hotel on first impression and ideal location from the details given on the hotels website, then I decided to read the reviews....

The more I read about this hotel the more I wanted to cancel.

But, I can honestly tell you this hotel is located above the Disney store right out side the main bus stops on the famous princes street (which is known for its shops).
This hotel has the perfect location to be in edinburgh, just across from princes mall, right by waverly train station, close to the castle, a short walk to the royal mile and haymarket.

The hotel it's self. when you first walk in there is a huge stair case but if you follow the corridor you will be taken straight to a lift (the corridor smells like damp so hold your nose).
Reception and all staff our very friendly welcoming and helpful.

The rooms, I would advise you to stay in the advance en suit double bedrooms as they are very spaceous,
clean, mordern great sized bathroom, with sink, toilet, bath, shower, and mirrors. towels included plus soap ect..
you have a fully furnished lounge, with a tv, dresser, and kettel including coffee, tea, sugar (look inside dresser to find) .
the actual bedroom a big double fully furnished room with wardrobes, dresser, hair drier, and tv. room serivce everyday at 10am.

You could have a continental breakfast either bought to your room or you can go down in the resturant to eat same as with other meals you might want to eat, room service avalible, menu in lounge area of room.

I would stay here again.

Summary:

Good points:
-Location
-staff
-room
-cleanliness
-spacious
-variety of food.

Bad points:
-decor a bit dated
-smell of damp on ground floor to lift
-noise of the traffic/sirens on main roads (ask for a rear facing room)
Check Rates and Availability for the Royal British Hotel
1/10
Threw Away Personal Property with No Compensation
Submitted by: Edward in 08/01/07
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Mature Couple
After spending 5 nights at The Royal British Hotel, a cleaning person threw out a bag that was on our desk in the room that contained my prescription sunglasses. Even after the cleaning person confirmed to the hotel management that yes she had thrown away the bag from the desk, the hotel still showed no interest in providing any compensation. Neither the hotel nor its parent company, The Cairn Hotel Group, has taken any responsibility for throwing away a customer's personal property or providing any level of compensation.
5/10
Breakfast
Submitted by: Elaine Allan in 14/11/06
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: United Kingdom
  • Traveller type: Family Traveller
We were greeted in the dining room by the breakfast waitress with a gruff "How many?". We presumed she meant how many people, and replied two, and were then told to "sit there". Our cooked breakfast order was taken quickly. We were enjoying the first part of our breakfast, that being fruit, when our cooked food arrived. It was clear that we were not ready for this part of our breakfast, but the food was left anyway. We ended up skipping the remaining fruit and cereal, rather than letting the food become cold.
4/10
Central
Submitted by: amjohans@hotmail.com in 13/06/05
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: Sweden
  • Traveller type: Business Traveller
The hotel keeps a good scottish standard and have a very central location where everything is within reach.
6/10
Well located
Submitted by: John in 28/04/05
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: United Kingdom
  • Traveller type: Business Traveller
The hotel is very well placed, being at the top of Princess Street, and is handy for all the major tourist attractions and the train station. It is clean, comfortable and the staff are friendly, but don't expect luxury.
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Historical Traveller Reviews of Royal British Hotel

Good Value - But Noisey

from David-Wendy
A value for money hotel in a very good position, right on Princes St. close to the railway station, and only approx 300yds from the Airport shuttle bus stop on Waverly Bridge.
Room was clean, modern and warm. A really good breakfast (juice, fruit, cereals, croissants and a nice full cooked Scottish - or continental) - pity some of the breakfast waiting staff a bit grumpy!!
Only real critism = room at the front has great views of Princes St gardens, Scott Monument, Castle etc. BUT SO NOISEY!!! Old wooden sash type windows did not stop any of the traffic noise at all.
Would stop at the Royal British again - but ask for a room at the rear, and just enjoy the views from the bar and resturant.

Affordable

from wabbit1
Booked this hotel online through [--]
When we check in we were a bit early, but the reception were happy to take our bags for us at no extra charge.
The entrance is a bit bizarre and I thought there should be a porter or security staff at the actual entrance as you have to walk up a flight of stairs to the actual reception.
The lobby has a warm feel to it and the bar and restaurant have fantastic views over Prince's Street towards the castle.
Our room was a mini suite which has a small lounge area a bathroom and a bedroom with two single beds which connected to make a double.
The decor in the room was old but very clean and the room was fantasticly quiet.

Capital Disappointing

from A TripAdvisor Member
This should have a been a special day for our mum - it was a very special birthday. However, the standard of both our rooms was of an inferior nature ie: no heating, no hot water and no double glazing. Surely these basic requirements are an absolute must for an alleged 3 star capital city hotel. We would not consider staying here again nor would we recommend to any friends or family, unless this prime site hotel had a major refurbishment.

Central Location.

from savvy911
We stayed here for 3 nights at the end of July, a triple room with 3 single beds, was more than adequate for our needs (2 Adults, 1Teenager), the beds were comfortable & the room clean, bathroom a fair size, with lovely hot water! TV, & complimentary drinks tray, were nice to have when returning in the evening.
Breakfast was very substantial, good choice of cooked menu or cereal, toast, juices etc. Our only critiscism was the 'highly inflated' prices for drinks in the bar!
The location was ideal, right on 'Princes Street' shops literally on the doorstep, opposite Waverly station & a good choice of buses across the road, if coming from the airport, the link bus No. 100 runs every 10 mins & is very convenient & cheap.
The castle is in walking distance although up a hill, so maybe get a 'sightseeing' bus ticket, then you can hop on & off at your leisure, & the Edinburgh Dungeon is just across the road if you like a scare, quite fun for teenagers!
The staff were polite & friendly, & for the price & location We would definitley stay here again.

There is nothing Royal about this dirty, shabby place...

from Duxbury
I was so disappointed with this hotel!
In the first room, the bathroom had stinky mold in the shower and a smoky smell came from who knows where and stunk up my room. The room was really hot, but I didn't feel comfortable keeping the window open while I was sleeping, because it shared a balcony with other rooms. My room overlooked Prince's Street which was pretty noisy, especially when the window was open to combat the heat! I asked for another room, and after the staff tried to convince me the mold was "just discoloration," I was given another one.
The second room was somewhat better, but when I went to shower in the morning, I had absolutely no water pressure. I couldn't wash my hair and was really frustrated.
This hotel is extremely shabby and poorly maintained. The location was central but not worth the extra money. If I went to Edinburgh again, I'd prefer to stay on the Royal Mile over Prince's St., because there are more restaurants and things to do on that side of the bridge.

Could do better

from A TripAdvisor Member
Booked this hotel online via British Airways.
We were on the top floor overlooking Princes Street. It was very noisy, but we needed the window open as the room was very stuffy. Smoke from the lower smoking areas drifted up to our floor, as did the noise which only stopped about 5am - not appreciated! For early in the season, peeling wallpaper and a generally shabby appearance did not bode well for the rest of the summer season.
We will certainly not stay here again.

Great location, average hotel

from PeteLythamStAnnes
Stayed in this hotel weekend of 20-23 May 2005 for Heineken Cup Final, 2 mid 40's males in twin room. Location is excellent right opposite Waverley Train Staion on Princess St ( main street ). Rooms were a little dated and tired looking. Staff were friendly, polite and efficient. Reception and bar, restaurant pleasent enough. Breakfast excellent and staff attentive. If you are looking to spoil wife, girlfriend or both then probably not the place for you. However if you are looking for a comfortable base with pleasent staff in ideal location then you cant fault it.

Friendly, helpful and great location

from A TripAdvisor Member
We got to the hotel and were told that there was no booking. We had booked through an agency on the internet and had forgotten to print out the voucher and it had been so long since one of us had even looked at it that we couldn't remember who the agency was. The hotel staff were so friendly and understanding and managed to call all the agencies they deal with and eventually found our booking. Luckily they found us another room, even though it was the weekend of the Heinekin Cup Final, so it turned out fine. Thank you to them! The hotel is a dated but it is clean and the location cannot be falted. I have been to Edinburgh many times and every one of them goes with a memory of lack of cabs and long walks at early hours of the morning in freezing temperatures. So for the rate you pay for such a prime spot I would definitely stay there again.

Great location, OK hotel

from A TripAdvisor Member
I was on business in the UK and traveled to Scotland for the weekend on my own dime. So I chose a low cost hotel.
The hotel as most have indicated is in an ideal location on busy Princes Street. Most attractions are within walking distance. The location is safe during the day and night. Waverly train and bus station is across the street so there is easy access to the airport.
I did not eat at the hotel so I cannot comment on the food. No car, so cannot comment on the parking. McDonalds is nearby and that is where I ate breakfast.
I had minimal interaction with the staff as I was out all day, but I found them to be friendly and helpful.
My bathroom was antiquated and the water for sink and shower ran at a slow rate.
The front lobby is a bit run down and my single was not very attractive. Unless I saw better rooms I am not sure that I would bring my family for a stay.
As for me, a single on a weekend stay looking for a place to sleep after a full day exploring lovely Edinburg, it was ideal. If I traveled there alone again I would look around for a different hotel, but if the price was right I would stay again.

Enjoy good scottish hospitality at the Royal British Hotel

from A TripAdvisor Member
I have absolutely no complaints about the Royal British Hotel. I had read quite a few mixed reviews from past travellers and was a bit apprehensive about what I was going to find. Thankfully, all of my fears were unfounded.

The staff were more than helpful; my room was clean and had a nice view out onto Princes Mall; the hotel itself could not be better situated in Edinburgh.

One tip I would give anyone taking an airport bus to the centre of Edinburgh - when the bus driver indicates a bus stop on Princes Street DO NOT GET OFF AT THAT STOP! Do not make the same mistake that I did or you will find yourself dragging your suitcase, for what seemed like miles, up Princes Street. Stay on the bus right to the end at Waverley Bridge; cross over to the right hand side and walk to the top of the bridge. Princes Street runs along the top of the bridge and Royal British Hotel is literally across the road and to the right of the bridge.

I would have no hesitation in using this hotel again and I wouldn't think of staying anywhere else when visiting Edinburgh again, which I hope to do at a later stage this year.

Top Local Tips for Edinburgh

Airport bus to city There is a great bus connection between Edinburgh airport and the city centre (Wverley Station). When you leave the airport, turn to your right and you will see the blue Airlink busses. A single ticket is 3 pounds and a open return ticket is 5 pounds. The bus goes every 10 minutes and takes about 25-30 minutes. You can find the routemap on www.flybybus.com. If you like a direct shuttle service to your hotel, there are also minibuses which cost about 8 pounds single fare (you will see them directly at the exit of the airport)

Edinburgh Moonwalk People should really do this great event. It is very tiring but its all in aid of breast cancer and its a fantastic way to see all of Edinburgh!

airport bus bus stops only a mins walk away from hotel

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Other names for Royal British Hotel

  • royal british edinburgh
  • hotel royal british
  • Address: 20 Princes Street - Edinburgh - Scotland - EH2 2AN - United Kingdom
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