I've been to dinners/balls here twice now, and I have to say I'd probably choose the Roxburghe if…read more I needed a venue for a swanky party. The venue itself is gorgeous, it really epitomises all the Georgian glamour of the New Town with the opulent décor and grand high ceilings. The staff are really friendly too - if i worked in a fancy hotel the last thing I'd want to have to do would be to wait on a load of students having their end of year balls, but if the staff here thought that they did an excellent job of hiding it. The other thing that struck me was how nice the food was, considering they were catering for a huge number of people the attention to detail and consistency in the quality of all 3 courses was commented on by several people at our table. The drinks prices at the cash bar were a bit excessive though, although I suppose it's only to be expected oin a nice hotel. And I guess you do have to treat yourself every once in a while! It may not have the same reputation as The Balmoral, but I'd say this place is batter hands down.

I liked my stay here, I thought the room was well lit, no icky smells, and good room service. I…read morenoticed a good solid wall, thus an early bird could sleep at night (so long as neighbors aren't blasting music or tv). The people at the reception area are very polite and not in a snotty way. It is just their lifestyle and I think its rather cool how they speak and treat people. I would come down for breakfast with my jogging sweats and bad hair, and I was treated just as well and courteous as people with suits. THe place overall looks well kept and it is in a good location as well. I like the workout facilities and sauna too. Plus they had the lobby well decorated for Christmas. Yeah the music during breakfast was a bit out of place but no one is perfect. Just want to also mention they do have wi-fi and is fast. And the bathroom had this mirror that lights up and can magnify every cell (or just wrinkle) on your face if you have any. For a backpack traveler like me I found it fun to poke around with it.

The Balgeddie House Hotel is reasonably priced and is a Best Western Property. We stayed in the…read moreGarden Rooms, which had a nice little back patio that faced the Garden, with French doors that open out. I only took one picture, out our doors as the weather was amazing and many of the standard room pictures can be found on their website. For the price, I would stay here again, but honestly there are no frills with this hotel. It's merely a simple and relatively clean hotel near Falkland. The location worked well for us to St. Andrews and Falkland.

As the previous review quite rightly says, The Counting House is a function room located above the…read moreThe Peartree House pub. Climbing the stairs from street level, you enter into the main function room, which is nearly square in shape, with a bar off a corridor on the right hand side. There are also toilets on the same floor. I've been in the building a number of times for two different occasions. One of these was as part of the Edinburgh University Tango Society, which used the venue for tango lessons. The room was perfect for this, with a wooden floor and plenty of space to accommodate all of us as we danced. The other was for a pub quiz event put on by the Edinburgh University Christian Union. Whilst the room was perhaps a little cramped at this event, the availability of the bar on the same floor was a huge plus, for providing 'oil' for the brain. Judging from the website, the venue is aiming to cater for a high calibre of events. I think it will quickly rise for a venue of high status, and I can imagine that when kitted out for a wedding reception or ceilidh, it would look a picture.

I thought for ages that The Counting House was a pub, but it was only when I went into it that I…read morerealised that it was a function room for the Peartree House pub. Situated just around the corner from the main University campus, George Square, The Counting House is very localised and close to the city centre and so it is a convenient place to reach. I have only been into The Counting House once, and it was several months ago for a birthday party. The venue consists of a lounge, a ballroom and, my my favourite aspect, a bar! The ballroom itself is quite spacious, with a large wooden floor and it is very light inside as there is a huge dome glass ceiling, whilst the lounge is relatively small and when it gets busy, it can feel quite cramped inside. It has a full bar upstairs which stocks a wide range of spirits, ales and ciders. The Counting House cater for a wide range of different events including weddings, Burns Supper, Ceilidhs, Party's and Business Conferences. The large ballroom is also used during week nights for professional dance classes, which one of my friends goes to and she says the space is really ideal as it is big enough for their group. However, when I was in the ballroom at the party, it got pretty crowded when everyone was on the dance floor and it was difficult to move. The Counting House would be a great place to hold a decent sized party or event, however, if there were going to be a lot of people attending, I think this place would not be large enough to accommodate them all.

Can't say enough good things about my stay here - even extended it an extra night because it was so…read morenice. The staff members were all so friendly! Special shout-out to Ed who was so warm and helpful. The nightly hour for complimentary drinks and snacks in the lobby was a real treat, and there were great local books to peruse in the library. Loved the Scottish ciders and the varieties of crisps on offer. It's a prime location, easy to reach from the airport and close to the tram. Walkable to nice dining options, Dean Village (dreamy!) and all major attractions. The room was spotless, and the kitchenette made for a great added bonus. Plus, a free bottle of wine for Expedia members upon check-in! I will be back!

This tour was surprisingly great! Took about 2 hours to go through. Easy to get there via tram or…read moreif your cruise ship is at Newtown or Leith. Better to get tickets from their website. I wasn't pleased about the tearoom experience. That was a 3 star experience. They could have done better. The server wasn't that pleasant, seemed to rush us. She might have been the manager. Scone was burnt and dry. Wasn't worth the cost of breakfast there. We got there around 10:30 am. No excuse for that to happen.

I was a fan of "The Crown," so I decided to get tickets to this attraction. The former royal yacht…read morewas in service from 1954 to 1997. It travelled more than one million nautical miles around the world to more than 600 ports in 135 countries. The entrance is through a shopping center. The tours are self-guided with an audio handset that is available in many languages. The average tour time is around 2 hours. Starting at the top, there are five decks to explore: Bridge & Top Deck, Royal Deck, State Apartments, Crew & Lower Decks, and Exit & Visitor Centre. Overall, I thought it was more interesting than I expected.

the belford hotel is located next to the 'water of leith' which is a small river meandering from…read morethe pentland hills through edinburgh into the river forth its smallish but comfortable although there is a fair bit of traffic noise as its on quite a busy road there is a nice peaceful lounge at the back of the hotel looking onto the water and surrounded by old tall trees - not especially handy for shopping or sightseeing - although it is near to 2 of edinburgh's finest art galleries (not the princes street ones) ... restaurant and bars are adequate and there is a small carpark - taxis will take you to airport in 20mins and station in 5mins - ideal for business customers

As a concert venue the Usher Hall is great. As London's Albert Hall has shown, the round shape is…read moreexcellent for acoustic music as it focuses the sound and minimises flutter echoes that you get with straight walls. More conventionally-shaped concert halls (like Glasgow's for instance) have to install complex systems of resonance chambers, baffles and drapes to mould the sound to their specifications, but being the grand old lady that she is, the Usher Hall relies on her basic geometry to provide a good sound wherever you sit. The disadvantage is that it is hard to adjust the acoustic to suit different requirements, whereas the modern halls can adapt their sonic characteristics at the touch of a button to spoken word, choral, acoustic or amplified music. Architecturally the Usher Hall used to dominate this part of Lothian Road, nestling comfortably against its equally grand neighbour the Lyceum Theatre; but then somebody decided it would be a good idea to obliterate half of the frontage with a glass bus shelter, which does absolutely nothing to enhance the building and completely blocks the view of the Lyceum down Grindlay Street. You'll have gathered that I'm not a fan of this this style of architecture - too many of our grand old edifices are having these glass boxes bolted on to them these days and I find them completely unsympathetic and unimaginative additions to these Classical buildings. There's no denying that it provides much-needed extra space for the foyer, box office and allows better cafe and audience mingling areas inside; but it just kills the appeal of the building for me, and I can't help thinking about the age of the old building and wondering if the glass carbuncle is going to last half that length of time.

I came here for my friend's graduation so I was excited to check it out cause I've never been and…read morealways wondered what the seating would be like. The hall isn't that big, pretty intimate so I can imagine this place being a good venue for a concert. There's the stalls on the ground floor and two tiers of sitting above it. From my stand point on ground level, it looks like any seating up in the top tiers have pretty good views. The aisles are wide and there are cool circle lighting on the ground that have letters to help you find your seat. The seats are pretty comfy and spacious. I didn't feel to cramp but than again I'm a small guy. The ticket box is connected to the hall so it's easy to get or buy your ticket and enter the venue. Parking is pretty much a free for all and can be a problem especially since it's in the west end and parking there can be a headache, but there is a parking garage nearby so that solves many issues... Just a bit expensive. This venue is really nice, small, and I think really good for intimate concerts.

I spent 18 nights in Apartment 2 during the last half of August 2023 and could not have been…read morehappier. I was booked up so solidly during that time -- mostly for the book fair but with some Fringe events as well -- that I sat down in a restaurant only once during my stay. I knew in advance that having a kitchen would be helpful but couldn't have guessed just how helpful. The location of the hotel is incomparable -- I walked everywhere with ease, and the street was quiet no matter how busy Grassmarket or Southbridge were. Just a short walk home to peace. There are Sainsburys every few blocks so you can pick up food easily, and don't miss Nando's for takeaway or dine in. The Edinburgh farmers market is just a couple of blocks from the hotel -- another reason to stay in one of the apartments if you'll be staying more than a few days. The bed was comfortable and the linens were high quality. Housekeeping was completely unobtrusive and thorough. All staff seemed to be as delighted to be there as I was. The bathroom was huge -- mine did not have a tub, but the walk in shower was luxurious and the toiletries smelled like heaven. The bath towels are thick and absorbent, and more like the size of bath sheets. If you will be staying here and are considering a massage during your stay, I strongly recommend the Lush Spa, just a few blocks away and a real value for the money.

Popped to the bar for a drink early on a Friday night. The space is pretty swank, but not snobbish,…read moreand we snagged a nice table with armchairs by a giant window overlooking the castle, lovely. The drinks are surprisingly affordable for such a swish place, and there were some intriguing cocktails. The service was fine. I hate to judge a place on its clientele, but I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Near our table, another group was already completely hammered (at ten at night) and shouting, singing, slurring their words, deliberately pouring beer on the floor (!) and the staff only reprimanded them after the girl climbed into the guy's lap and proceeded to eat his face. For all of their fancy appearance, the Rutland Bar doesn't necessarily attract the classiest clientele, and they'll allow them to carry on regardless of the other patrons, as long as they'll keep buying (even though they should have been cut off long ago).