Britannia Hotel Edinburgh

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Reviews

1. ELLEN JOHNSTON ★☆☆☆☆

   DO NOT STAY HERE. This was one of the worst hotel stays I’ve ever had. The room felt extremely outdated — peeling paint, no window, and an unpleasant smell throughout. We were placed in a basement room at the very bottom of the building, which was incredibly disappointing. To make matters worse, there was no housekeeping at all during our stay. The coffee station wasn’t even restocked. Absolutely unbelievable. There is zero effort put into the upkeep or charm of this hotel. If you can find any alternative accommodation, take it — avoid this place at all costs.

   almost 2 months ago
2. Emma Hazelton ★☆☆☆☆

   booked this hotel for a short city break. it’s in a close enough location to city but we haven’t had the best experience. had to change rooms as we got put in a basement with no windows. the toilet looked like it was flooding every time it flushed. they had the water off for an entire day and didn’t let us know in advance so we couldn’t brush our teeth or shower. when the water came back on it was yellow. damp smell throughout hotel. we had one pillow each. heater smelt like burning. no complementary body wash shower gel etc. staff didn’t look happy to be there at all. people can see into the rooms as they are walking down the hotel. no charger ports beside the bed they are all across the rooms. tv was in another language. no cleaners came to clean room or give fresh towels. the lights where very faulty as light switches did not work. heard screaming at 3am and shouting and people walking down the hall with black bin bags at 3am. tried to use the iron to go out for a night out and the iron started smoking and near went on fire( massive safety hazard) not pleased at all with this hotel. definitely won’t be back and wouldn’t recommend.

   almost 3 months ago
3. Eugene ★★☆☆☆

   If you are a tourist and haven’t been to Mary King’s Close yet this hotel can be a good alternative, yet more expensive of course. And if you don’t see any windows on the pictures of the room - that is for a reason. There were none in my case. For €178 euro for 2 nights I have got a lovely room in the ground floor with no windows, and a bit broken shower. And on the (literally) bright side, the emergency exit lamp was so bright that I was not scared to sleep in this cave. To be fair, the staff were nice and friendly, and provided early check-in (really appreciate it).

   almost 3 months ago

1. Ash ★★★★☆

   For the price, I was not disappointed. I don't have high expectations for hotels that I spend 30gbp on, like some others in these reviews. I didn't expect front desk to be beaming, they answered all my questions and were helpful. The bathroom was not moldy, the bed was comfortable, the room was decent in size. I found this hotel to have some quirks, like placement of outlets and mirror and a room in the basement. Did not bother me at all. I spent a total of 16 hours in this hotel for sleeping, the rest was out and about in Edinburgh. Not exactly central, but I didn't expect it to be. It's close to Dean Village and there are some great cafes within walking distance. Notably Nomad and Dean Cafe. I didn't have the breakfast there, so I can't comment on that

   almost 4 months ago
2. li xiao ★★★★★

   I’m a uni student studying in London, on a two-day solo trip to Edinburgh. I originally booked a 4-bed dorm in a hostel for two nights (£15 a night), but had to cancel the second night—there was someone coughing loudly, another person praying at 5 AM, and the lockers didn’t lock. I ended up booking this hotel last minute the next morning (£45 a night). I was so pleasantly surprised and comfy after checking in! I’d been dreading it because of the bad Google reviews, especially since I got the cheapest basement room with no windows. But it was quiet, spotlessly clean, and the front desk staff were really helpful. First big plus: 24-hour reception. I looked at other places around the same price, but they were all Airbnbs/homestays that needed a confirmed check-in time upfront. As a solo traveler, I had no idea what time I’d roll in, so 24-hour reception was a total lifesaver. Second win: location. It’s right near the Water of Leith Weir, and only 2km from the Castle—an easy 30-minute walk for me. Half the walk’s through leafy residential areas with loads of churches, the other half along busy roads leading to Princes Street. Getting to see two totally different vibes on my way back to the hotel was such a nice touch. All in all, even the cheapest room here is miles better than the hostel. 100% a 5-star rating from me!

   almost 4 months ago
3. Martin Griffiths ★★★★★

   I don't normally write reviews to be honest but on this occasion I thought I had to due to amount of negative reviews. I stay at this hotel on a regular basis with work up to 3, 4 times per week and cannot fault the stay. For the price and location it does exactly what you need. I think people need to be a bit more considerate on reviews. The staff are always welcoming and friendly. I've probably stayed here 30 plus times and I will continue to use.

   almost 2 years ago

1. Eduardo Saqueti ★☆☆☆☆

   1 star hotel, the only good thing is the location and service. The staff are very polite. However, I booked a room with a double bed and a window and was given a twin room without windows. When I went to complain in the reception they gave me another room with two single beds together saying it was a double bed and without windows again, we were so tired from the trip that we accepted it to be able to sleep. When we turned off the light in the room, we noticed something extremely unusual and uncomfortable. There was a green emergency light inside the room that did not turn off. The room's bathroom was tiny, and none of the vents worked. The room was like a dungeon, low ceiling, no windows, and no ventilation. It was the worst hotel experience we had. I don't recommend it to anyone.

   almost 2 years ago
2. Aber ★★★★★

   Just don't. The building is next to a river. Its just super moisturized. Everything is molded even the rocks outside. I let my drunk friend choose the hotel and here I am trying to make the morning at the reception and outside at 4 degree Celsius. Just because i arrived at midnight. Had no other option for the night. The room they gave us is just impossible to breath inside. When ask the reception for a solution he just went to look for a fan and couldn't find it. Later I found the fan inside the locker in the room in end of December. They are already aware of the obvious problem but they just don't mind to rent those rooms and make some more cash. I don't know if these hotels getting inspected or the inspectors doesn't care about the moisture or they find a mutual way. If you don't need asthma or tuberculosis in your life just book somewhere else. Note:1- I am not furious with hotel its my drunk friend's fault. If you re not drunk skip 2- I do not have any lung problems. Problem is you really can't breath. Edit: 1- the guy said till 10 we cannot do anything, but it just another lady tells you she cannot do anything till the guy comes back. They re just stalling till you give up. 2- i had whole 6 hours to investigate, somebody actually puked on the bed and they just changed the bed sheets and left the rest. That was the actual smell.

   almost 3 years ago
3. Neil Hilton ★★☆☆☆

   It is very closely bordering on being a hostel, the staff are all very matter of fact and not particularly friendly. The room we had was minimal and the bed was the most uncomfortable bed I've ever slept in but was grateful we could get a hot shower, we was woke up every night by other residents as the walls seem thin, the additional charges for the Internet and car park which is very small didn't help either. The only good thing was the 15 minute walk into town and Edinburgh itself which is amazing.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Rhea ★☆☆☆☆

   We are very disappointed at the service and stay at Britannia Hotel. As I mentioned to the receptionist at the time, the accommodation was very unsatisfactory in the following ways. Firstly, there was no proper ventilation, no windows. The room in the Lower Ground Floor was uncomfortably hot. We kindly asked the receptionist if they can do something about the situation. She mentioned the hotel was fully booked so we couldn’t be moved to a different room, which I fully understood. The receptionist then mentioned they can bring a fan to the room to help us be more comfortable. We waited for an hour but no one came to the room. This was late in the evening. I had to go back up to the reception and followed up on it. To my dismay when I spoke to the receptionist again she reported there wasn’t any fan at all. My issue with this is of honesty and credibility. Please just be honest and do not offer customers something you do not have and expect them to wait and get it because we do follow up on it. Secondly, there was no proper communication in between. We weren’t informed and were just waiting there. Additionally, there wasn’t even a phone in the bedroom. Any concerns raised in that room, we had to go back and forth to the reception. Thirdly, we found that many things were broken. The towel rack was broken. The toilet roll rack was broken. The towels had stains in them. It was a mess and a disaster. Please see photos I have provided. I do would like to commend Peter, the morning shift receptionist, who displayed professionalism and dedication to his job. However, we did not receive the same attributes to the 3 night shift receptionists. It was an implied term of our contract that the accommodation provided would be of a standard of cleanliness and quality reasonably to be expected from this type and price of hotel. It was honestly a very upsetting experience in Britannia Hotel Edinburgh. I hope you can take steps to make sure this does not happen again.

   almost 3 years ago

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