I think I chose to go to this hotel at the wrong time - Christmas, myself and family went for Christmas lunch. I was impressed by the interior and the food served, however this was greatley let down by the service, or lack of it. They really could have benefitted by having more staff serving as we waited more than the expected time between courses. A-ok for Christmas lunch, but probably not worth the money paid and will be looking elsewhere for our lunch this year. read more

This review is for the restaurant and bar only, not having stayed there. Eat and drink here. It looks like it would be a tourist trap but it's a lovely pampering and delicious treat. I would absolutely return here over the Witchery and even the Castle Terrace, two other restaurants not really in my price range that I can't believe I ate at. The whiskey recommendations were sound, the waitstaff was sweet, and the food was delicious. I ordered and/or poached from my friend the smoked salmon appetizer, the haggis, the dry aged beef with whiskey and cheese sauce, and the cheese plate dessert. Amazing. Seriously, eat here. I can't wait for my next opportunity to do so. read more

The Grand Cafe at The Scotsman has eye-catching coffered ceilings & majestic columns. The staff was welcoming. The atmosphere was lively with happy chattering customers. The location is also perfect as it's easy to get to. Now, as a gluten-free vegan, I've become an expert on food since I cook most of it at home. I checked the menu prior to going to this cafe and to my luck it met my requirements "ROAST SQUASH SUPERFOOD SALAD (VG)" I was perfect. The dish presentation was beautiful & colourful. But served COLD. The rice was under-cooked & the dish was bland, flavourless & dry. It didn't aid in satiating the palate. It was tasteless and didn't have that zing to awaken your taste buds. I had to ask the server to warm it, I also added some salt & pepper to improve it. I don't know if the salad was old, it tasted stale. While my servers were incredibly kind & accommodating. However, when I inform the host and server about the food, they didn't do anything to rectify the issue. The host simply uttered, "Sorry, I had it before & it was good." I ate all the vegetables except the quinoa & the red wild rice as I was hungry. Presentation 5 stars, & texture, spices & complexity 1 stars. One of the pluses, it didn't have any onions. I also, order the vegan blackberry cheesecake. It was better, a bit too sweet & its texture was too much like whipped cream. It didn't have a that hard texture as cheesecake does. Presentation 5 stars, & texture, spices & complexity 3.5. read more

Location is great but hotel dated. Robe at 2' long tear. No attention to detail and aside from Bell Staff, everyone else was rude.

An excellent restaurant which we visited as non-residents. Been here as residents some 5 years ago, but the layout has changed. 2 adults and 3 kids under 8 for lunch. Went in the wrong door and into the restaurant - all quite whispers and posh Edinburgh when we wanted the bar and some snacks. Fantastic service and kept in the restaurant as we were too many for the bar area. Chose a selection of tapas style starters which were of excellent quality, taste and variety. Everyone was very happy, and with a couple of glasses of excellent wines the parents were happy too. We used to like to sit at the windows on the bar stools watching the world go by, but that is only possible in the bar area (the left hand door) now. Not cheap but not ridiculously expensive, and certainly value for money. Dress code: smart of you want to fit in, but the staff are much less bothered than the other customers. Noisy kids would probably be unacceptable at lunch time. read more

Great for a civilised drink, I had wine but the people next to me ordered giant club sandwiches which looked excellent, great relaxing but smart atmosphere, love it read more

A traditional hotel based just up fromPrincess Street. It's quite old school and definately worth popping in and having tea there if you are passing and not staying. It has a great Cowshed Spa which offers many traditional treatments. read more

Although we live in Edinburgh we spent our wedding night at the Scotsman. The service is second to none, we were treated line royalty. We got our bed turned down both nights (although we didn't know what that meant at first! Lol). The rooms have flat screen TVs, roll top baths, stunning views, huge comfy beds and a well stocked (expensive!) mini bar. Room was very spacious, cosy and inviting. The spa suite was stunning with a stainless steel pool and wonderful arctic showers! We had breakfast delivered to our room with delicious pastries. They had no issue with us coming back late from our wedding. We were able to deliver our bags the day before. Our only issue was the staff that came to our door were ALWAYS looking for tips. It was really pressing and made us feel pretty uncomfortable. The rooms vary in prices and if you're mega rich you could stay in the penthouse! We didn't eat in their restaurant but we enjoyed Bella Italia a few doors down! We have very happy memories of our stay in the Scotsman. read more

My husband and I stayed here for our anniversary. The lobby is gorgeous, we were given a complimentary taste of whiskey, and since it was our anniversary, they sent up 2 glasses of champagne as well. The room was beautiful, large lovely bathroom, and breakfast in the morning was so above and beyond the traditional continental breakfast. Staff were courteous, helpful and friendly. Lots of shops nearby as well as the castle. Discounted car park available. read more

Having recently attended a small wedding reception at the hotel in one of their function suites I had to write in a review as the hotel was fantastic. The reception room, despite being downstairs and at the end of a long corridor, was lovely and opened up into a small yet private courtyard area. The food was by far the best food I have had at an event. The quality of the food was in line with what you would expect in an expensive restaurant, presented beautifully and cooked to perfection. The staff were great, attentive but not lingering and they couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating when organising taxis home (on a very wet night during the festival!). I have previously enjoyed cocktails in the bar but have not yet eaten in the restaurant, which I am hoping to do shortly due to the fabulous dining we experienced at the reception. read more

Very disappointed with our experience in the bar. Sat at the window, and had to continually swat small flies away from our drinks. (apparently this can only be dealt with AFTER customers have gone!!!?) My friend and I inadvertently left initially without paying (for 2 wine spritzers in total), and were reminded, with some humour, to return. No problem, until we received the bill - £19 - FOR 2 drinks!!? This was rectified after we queried it, and was amended to the correct price - £17!!! Not planning to go back. Definitely not recommended!! read more

the scotsman is an overpriced branded company! I personally worked there as a spa therapist and has put me off working in a spa for good, it's a rip off what clients pay! That full body scrub you paid what? £60-£70 it's a big tub of salt mixed with grape seed oil you can buy at a supermarket for like £2! they treat their staff horribly and pay them very very late half way into another month may I add. Anyone who pays to use this spa, I'm sorry get your money refunded read more

I stayed at the Scotsman for 4 days/3 nights in October 2017. I loved coming "home" to my room at the Scotsman! It helps that I keep one newspaper from each of my travels and having a newspaper delivered to my door every day made me giddy. The room came with two complimentary drams of whiskey as well-- my kind of hotel! All fun aside, I stayed at the Scotsman as a solo female traveler and not only did I feel that if I had questions or needed help that I had a reliable resource via the hotel staff, but the Scotsman also made me feel very safe alone in a new country. I have such fantastic memories from my travels and the Scotsman is a great part of that! The hotel was very clean and stylish. The building has its own charm and character. Best of all, the room was so quiet and came with a fan in the closet (I am a light sleeper and it does wonders to have some white noise). The view of the old town from my room on the 8th floor was outstanding! read more

Wonderful rooms, spacious bathroom in editor suite. Pleasant and helpful staff, met every request. Dining was the only non-5 star because they were a bit overwhelmed by the size of the crowd, but the staff was pleasant a tried their best to accommodate everyone. The food was well prepared and good quality. I would still give the North Bridge Brasserie a 4 star rating. Excellent location to old and new town attractions. Would highly recommend with anyone who would be spending the Christmas holiday away from home. I only wish the spa hadn't been completely booked during our stay because I'm sure it is wonderful as well. read more

Scotsman Spa not a five star experience. My mum-in-law was staying with me and my husband for Christmas, and booked us a spa day on Boxing Day as a treat. We were very much looking forward to a day of luxury in this five star hotel. Unfortunately we were let down. First of all, we had trouble finding the spa within the hotel an unsmiling member of staff directed us, without offering to show us the way. The greeting at the spa reception was similar, if not less friendly, than the one I get at my local council swimming baths. The man behind the desk paid little attention to us (we had to repeat our lunch order several times) and didn't seem to know what he was doing. Not a great start! We were given robes, towels and slippers and pointed in the direction of the changing rooms. My treatment was booked first, but I hadn't been told where to wait for my therapist. After sitting by the pool with my family, I went back through to reception to ask where I should go luckily my therapist was already there trying to find me! This is where the five star service started. Kayleigh took me up to a beautiful treatment room, and gave me the most fantastic facial I've ever had. She was professional, thorough and very friendly. After my treatment I was tucked up in the very cosy relaxation room, with a cup of herbal tea and a big duvet to lie under. After my treatment I joined my family, who had been having a swim, for lunch. Time for the five star service to end. We had pre-ordered lunch so that it would arrive at 2 p.m. It was served at 2:20 p.m., lukewarm, and incorrect. I had to sit there with nothing to eat while my meal was remade. The gentleman from reception came over to apologise for the delay in my replacement meal, explaining that they didn't know where the chef had gone! The drinks we were given were room temperature, and they were out of ice. (I don't know how a five star hotel runs out of ice, but seemingly they do.) All three of us had chips with our lunch but we were only given one tiny dish of ketchup between us I had to ask for more, which took nearly ten minutes to arrive. When my meal finally arrived, my family had finished their lunches (having left some of their meals, since their club sandwiches were dripping with way too much mayonnaise) and had to sit there while I ate mine. I had a swim and some time in the jacuzzi while my husband and mum-in-law had their treatments. The pool was crowded and I found the industrial, low-lit area somewhat depressing, but the jacuzzi was lovely. Unfortunately the shower in the changing room, although claiming to go up to 40oC on the dial, never reached anything more than cold. Not very relaxing! There are so many things which let this place down. Nothing, apart from the spa treatment, ran smoothly. I have been to a few five star hotels and this place comes nowhere close to the service I've experienced. It's simply not five star very disappointing. read more

My favorite hotel in Europe after a monthlong stay. We had an editor's suite and it was a huge room. Two rooms large rooms actually. Large bathroom. Excellent service, great location. Very nice pool. Loved everything about the place! It is nice but not stuffy. Hope to visit again one day! read more

Never again What would you expect for 420 GBP (= 563 EUR!) per night just for the room? Such pricing builds up some expectation. Alas, after having arrived by car no valet parking was offered. I was forced to search for the car park which took 20 minutes to get there due to the general traffic in the town centre at this time of the day. No discounted rate for hotel guests was offered. I was told about it after I had left the hotel by writing. The walking distance to the hotel is about five minutes. Next the room. The air conditioning did not work. A knob in the wall besides the bed lettered with cooler warmer had apparently no function. It was a sticky and unpleasant atmosphere to be breathed. The problem was masterly solved by opening the window and by fetching a fan which was put on the desk opposite to the bed. Great idea worth a five star hotel. The bed itself was one of poorest constructions I ever lived (except may be the one in a Tunesian hotel). The elastic springs of the mattress were almost unbuffered by an interlayer like a rug or something else. That really hurted. As if this would not do the situation turned unbearable because of the construction site just beneath the window front towards the bridge. The heavy works continued even at midnight causing much noise which could not dimmed despite fully closed windows. On April 11th, 2012 another couple reported in Tripadvisor: We stayed in this hotel in march and to be honest I felt really upset at the attitude of management. During our stay there were heavy engineering works right beneath our window and I mean heavy it was the type of thing that you hear about on holidays from hell; which woke us up early each day. On the final night the works went on through the night. Basically we got about 2 hours sleep. So the hotel management must have been be aware of this intolerable situation since long and nevertheless it puts people at a price of 563 EUR per night in such rooms. What a bloody greediness. This was by far not a five-star-lodging but a *-nightmare. This cannot be compensated with a good will gesture of an upgrade on a future visit as I do not want to stay here ever again. It is shame how the hotel is operated as it has an undoubted great historic atmosphere and charm. read more

Small room; not terribly clean; no hot water for morning showers about which the mgmt was aware but did not notify us or offer compensation until we asked for it. Still costly even with the reimbursed meals. Retrospectively not sure if room ever has hot water. read more

Recently stayed at the Scotsman Hotel on holiday and had the most wonderful experience. The location is perfect, and the rooms are clean, large, and well put together. In the restaurant we enjoyed delicious food and fun drinks. What struck me the most was the attentive, extremely friendly, and helpful staff. They certainly do customer service well read more