Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Edinburgh

The hotel facilities were decent, and the room itself was quite spacious. The front desk staff were very patient; upon check-in, I mentioned my preferred room location, and they patiently discussed it with me. We were on the second floor, though I imagine higher floors would offer better views. There's a large supermarket nearby. The bathroom had a bathtub, but the toilet area felt a bit cramped. The hotel was very clean. The main drawback is that it's a bit far from the city center. A taxi to Princes Street cost us around £8-£10, while a bus fare is a little over £2. For groups, a taxi is more cost-effective. The journey typically takes about 10-20 minutes. Breakfast was a decent English buffet, with options like bacon, scrambled eggs, bread, and juice. They offered both firm and soft pillows, which was a thoughtful touch. After checking out on the second day, we stored our luggage at the Scottish National Gallery. It cost £2 for a locker token, and you could store items until 5 PM. The locker was spacious enough for a 20-inch carry-on suitcase plus a backpack. The gallery is very close to the train station, which was very convenient as it meant we didn't have to return to the hotel to collect our luggage after exploring the city center.

We were a party of three, and the room was impossibly small – there was no space for our luggage, and hardly any room to maneuver. The bathroom wasn't thoroughly clean in some areas, and the poorly designed sink would often cause water to spill onto the floor, even when simply washing socks. Its location was quite inconvenient; despite Edinburgh's modest size, getting to the city center required a half-hour tram ride. Overall, my Edinburgh trip was a letdown, marked by crowds, cold weather, and the hotel itself failing to meet expectations.

My room, 114, was the first one right past the fire exit door. Every time someone closed the fire exit, it slammed shut with a loud 'bang.' To make matters worse, the room faced the street, with constant noise from trams, cars, and people's voices outside the window. It made me realize Edinburgh isn't as quiet at night as one might expect, especially since it's directly opposite the Edinburgh Playhouse. It truly felt like the noisiest room in the entire building. We were just stopping over for one night, so we tolerated it. However, I booked and paid for a twin room on Ctrip, but was given a double room instead. They then claimed I had booked a 'standard room' and that they had no twin rooms available. Whether they had twin rooms or not is one thing, but the real issue is why they didn't receive my correct booking information. On the plus side, the room wasn't particularly small. For luggage storage, guests had to push their own bags into the designated storage room. The breakfast also didn't include any fruit. This truly felt like a 3-star hotel offering nothing more than 3-star service. Abroad, a one-star difference in rating truly means a significant drop in quality, no exaggeration. In China, you might find 4-star hotels that feel like 5-star ones, but that's absolutely not the case overseas.

It's very close to York Station and within easy walking distance to Shambles and York Minster. While the room was a bit on the small side, it was impeccably clean. A good choice overall.

15 min walk from the hotels bus stop and about 20 mins from the airport. Room was clean. Dinner was good but expensive, the breakfast could have been better, however it was good considering this is more of a budget friendly hotel. Staff was courteous which is always a plus. They do have a 24/7 shuttle that will take you to from the airport which cost £2.50.