The hotel was ok. I got a budget deal and got what I expected. However, a few things I was really unhappy with.
Two of the receptionists I encountered were friendly and helpful, the third one was awful. One day a foreign customer was trying to check in. He was told there and then that he couldn't have the room because it was being refurbished (hello? did they find that out that day and not tell him?). He was THEN told he could go to another hotel "a 10 minute walk away" and try there, though the receptionist gave him neither instructions nor a map.
When the guy asked if he'd definitely have a room there, the receptionist just shrugged and said he'd have to try. This is NOT service, this is having a laugh.
I took one of the maps which were lying about and marked the hotel for the guy. I then asked the receptionist to at least call and make sure that there was a room for 3 people available before the party went there. The receptionist said, a phone book lying JUST BEHIND HIM, that he didn't have the number. Now what's that supposed to be?
When I pointed out the phone book he slammed it on the table and said "go look it up then".
This is appalling behaviour, I would have asked to speak to the manager if I hadn't been in a rush, but I suspect that the management approves of that kind of practice.
Apart from that, the room was small but ok, the lift was ancient but worked. My other qualm is that there were not enough seats in the breakfast room and the staff were unable to keep a supply of food, plates, cutlery etc and clean the tables in time.
I paid 25 pounds a night, so it was ok for me, but be ready to make further arrangements if you arrive late and you might be the ones who were overbooked and informed that your room was being refurbished.

Not a very nice hotel by any standard! I would not be the fussiest of people but this place needs a good clean and refurbishment.

Firstly there was a mix up with reservations so I only had a room for one night instead of two. Thankfully I was there with a group so I could just stay in their room on the second night. Reception staff are not the friendliest by any stretch of the imagination. The room on the first night was tiny. There was a double bed that took up the whole room. I could not lie my suitcase on the ground as there was not enough space. It was under street level and was hot, dark and stuffy. Also the window did not open. The bed was old and worn with a few springs needing replacing!

The hotel is full of stairs and half stairs. There is a lift but it is old and dodgy, we got stuck in it a couple of times. Once someone opens the door the lift jams even if it is in motion. Also it is tiny. The second night I stayed in a quad room. The corridors to the room stank of chip fat, it was disgusting. This room was just inside a fire exit that opened onto the street. This fire exit door was left open constantly so anyone could stroll in off the street and be at our room. The room itself was spacious and the bathroom was clean. Very rickety windows though and sunken matresses. The carpets in the halls are dirty and worn. The doors were held open by bits of newspapers being stuffed between the door and the carpet. Smell of grease is filtered all around the hotel.

Good points - towels and tea/coffee sachets delivered on a daily basis. Location is fantastic for all sights.

I found the hotel bearable but be prepared for how rundown it is. If you want to sightsee and stay on budget then the Osbourne will do the job.

Stayed 2 nights in a quad room. Desk clerk insisted on payment up front for two nights and I insisted on paying upon check-out in cash. I pointed out they already had my credit card information for the reservation so they were covered. He insisted on seeing my credit card, which he promptly swiped through his machine, creating a charge for the total amount. After I asked to see a manager, he cancelled the transaction. A discussion with the front desk the following morning yielded an apology, attributing it to "bad English" skills. I believe it was "selective English" skills.

The room was very large and accomodated us nicely. The beds, however, were grim with worn out mattresses. A small investment in bedding would have made a big difference. Were it not midnight, we might have gone elsewhere. The bathroom was satisfactory and appeared to be recently updated.

We were in a street-level room above a chicken take-out. The convoluted hallway to the room had several half-flights of stairs, was very warm and smelled of fried chicken. The odor did not permeate the room, fortunately. Street noise was a constant as was a certain sense that privacy and safety could be easily compromised. The lock on the door was a joke and the windows could not be locked.

Breakfast was adequate and service marginal.

Location was great for the sights in the center of the city.

We're far from hotel snobs, but the Osbourne we came very close to "we're outta here" at check in. The thought of wandering the streets at midnight looking for an alternative tipped the scales in their favor. I guess you get what you pay for.

stayed for 2 nights. Asked to pay the full price up front. soon found out why. The extended part of the hotel we stayed in was behind a takeaway and the smell got everywhere. the rooms were boiling and the breakfast inedible. Edinburgh definately worth a visit though!