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The Scotsman: Traveler Reviews

5.0 of 5
20 North Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1YT, Scotland (Castle/Royal Mile/High St)
Hotel amenities
The Scotsman
Ranked #36 of 142 hotels in Edinburgh
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959 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    511
    233
    107
    61
    47
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Families
97
 
Couples
512
 
Solo
55
 
Business
81
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    4 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    4 of 5 stars
  • Service
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Value
    4 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    4.5 of 5 stars
Date Rating
London
Top Contributor
60 reviews 60 reviews
49 hotel reviews
Reviews in 47 cities Reviews in 47 cities
40 helpful votes 40 helpful votes
“Very good although slightly let down by the restaurant”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed January 13, 2013

We stayed in the Scotsman over the Christmas break taking advantage of a Sunday night deal that included a three course meal. The hotel itself is well serviced with great staff (although not sure what is up with adding a service charge to the overall bill!!!) and the rooms are well appointed if a little plain. The seasonal winter flower arrangement was excellent.
The restaurant food was a little disappointing and I'd rate it 3/5 stars only. Location is fantastic and the period features of the hotel do add a certain element of olde worlde charm.

  • Stayed December 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Ask Bruski_11 about The Scotsman
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
TheScotsmanEdinburgh, Operations Manager at The Scotsman, responded to this review
January 18, 2013
Thank you very much for your review regarding your recent stay at the Scotsman. I appreciate you taking the time to make your comments, and would like to take this opportunity firstly to apologise as well as responding to the points you have made.

With regards to the service charge you have mentioned I would like to respectfully confirm that this is a discretional charge that we are more than happy to remove at our guest’s requests.

I must admit to being surprised and concerned by your comments regarding your rating of our food in the Brasserie; as you will see from the majority of reviews on sites such as Trip Advisor our Executive Head Chef has an extremely high reputation. This does not excuse that we were unable to meet with your personal expectations and I am sorry you did not enjoy your evening

I hope you will choose to return to stay with us again in the future and we look forward to possibly welcoming you back to the Scotsman Hotel

Kind Regards
Claire Thomas
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ballarat, Australia
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
14 hotel reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
“An amazing experience”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 10, 2013

We loved our stay at the Scotsman. It's a beautiful building- I quite enjoyed its history and its quirkiness- it's not a simple building in its layout. The staff were welcoming and helpful. We stayed in a Study Room, advertised at their smallest and whilst fitting 2 it is recommended by their website as ideal for one. As part of two people sharing the room it was perfectly sized. The decor is lovely (though whoever painted the room managed to get paint on the light switches) and the concierge was very helpful, taking us up to what could be a hard to find room and explaining all the rooms features to us. The bathroom was a highlight. A spacious room, it's not crammed into the room like in so many other hotels but is a seperate room in its own right with heated mirrors- no fogging! The mineral water left by turn down service is a nice touch, as is the monopoly board in the room. The location was perfect, a quick walk to any of Edinburgh's major sites and the hotel offers free wi-fi- a definite bonus. We ate in the brasserie and enjoyed good service, and delicious drinks and food. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this hotel to anyone!

  • Stayed November 2012, traveled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
TheScotsmanEdinburgh, Operations Manager at The Scotsman, responded to this review
January 18, 2013
Thank you for taking the time to record your positive comments regarding your recent visit to the Scotsman Hotel. As you will be aware, normally avenues such as Trip Advisor are utilised for the negative aspects; making your kind words appreciated that little bit more.

The Scotsman hotel was originally home to the famous Scotsman newspaper and we are very proud that when the renovation took place to become the hotel it is today, a lot of the traditional features were kept. We believe this adds to the originality and quality of our rooms and suites.
We like to deliver a truly 5 star “Scotsman” experience to our guests; our staff always endeavouring to be professional, friendly and offer the very best service at all times, I am pleased to see that you experienced all of these throughout your stay.
It is always a pleasure to read our guest’s reviews and to hear that you will be recommending us to friends and family is an added bonus

Kind Regards
Claire Thomas
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Malvern, United Kingdom
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
“Absolutely 5* Experience”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 10, 2013

As a young couple (my boyfriend and I were away celebrating his 22nd birthday at the start of the month), we were rather dubious at attempting to 'fit in' with what we thought was expected of guests at a hotel of this standard. However, as soon as we were greeted by Hanne at reception, we were received warmly - both looking a bit windswept and rabbits in headlights - and were instantly upgraded to a more superior room than the one we had booked. Starting to feel used to the 5* thing already, we were welcomed by Ivor, one of the concierges, who was the true star of our stay. Although I'm aware it's normal service for the concierge to take the bags and show us how things work etc, Ivor was full of extra information with a friendly and engaging manner, all too insistent on holding doors and making sure we were comfortable. If he glimpsed us leaving or returning from various trips, he would always approach us to ask how our day had been, even recommending routes and finding maps for a rather windy trip up to Arthur's seat, for which he also pointed us in the direction of a great pub for afterwards. It's always nice to be treated with courtesy as well as with genuine interest in how our first stay in Edinburgh was progressing. Additionally, Tony was also very efficient and polite when we realised one of our T.V. remotes was missing, and found us one in probably no more than 15 minutes after we mentioned the issue. Breakfast was also catered for well, and we were attended to by polite staff in the restaurant area. As we don't have huge appetites, we mainly enjoyed the continental selections and choice of alternatives to the 'fry-up' options (although the sausages were lovely to try). The spa was slightly confusing to get to, and I'm sure we scared a few people going to the car park when the lift doors revealed us in our dressing gowns! However, it was fine once we'd been there once, and the steam rooms etc. were nice to try out. All in all, we WILL be returning in the near future... after all it is my 21st birthday in April which is as good excuse as any to be aided by this wonderful set of staff again.

Room Tip: Rooms with bay windows tend to condensate if the heating is on - but if you lift the exterior window...
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  • Stayed January 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
TheScotsmanEdinburgh, Operations Manager at The Scotsman, responded to this review
January 18, 2013
Thank you for taking the time to record your positive comments regarding your recent visit to the Scotsman Hotel.
We always like to upgrade our guests where possible to add to their experience; I am very pleased to see that you were given the opportunity to enjoy one of our beautiful suites and that the standard was the high level at which we pride ourselves.

We are very proud of the fact that each and every one of our staff knows the importance of making our guests feel special and I am pleased to see that you experienced the team’s professionalism and friendliness.

Thank you for your kind compliments regarding Tony, Hanne and Ivor; they were all delighted by your review and I have also passed this onto our Front of House manager, Andrew Boe

I hope we can welcome you back for your own celebrations and look forward to you returning

Many Thanks
Claire Thomas
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Really fab place to spend Christmas”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 9, 2013

Booked 3 night christmas package. Staff very really friendly, helpful and made our stay really comfortable. Food is excellent and plenty of it. First time spending Christmas away from home, but was a really enjoyable experience, with many nice touches to the package including milk and carrots on xmas eve for those that had young children, to leave out for Santa!
The hotel is very clean, comfortable and high standard of service.
Great location with easy access to all that Edinburgh has to offer.

  • Stayed December 2012, traveled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask minniemoppins about The Scotsman
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
TheScotsmanEdinburgh, Operations Manager at The Scotsman, responded to this review
January 18, 2013
Thank you for taking the time to record your positive comments regarding your recent visit to the Scotsman Hotel.
I was delighted to hear that you enjoyed our Christmas Package and all of the little added extras that we believe truly makes the festive time of year for both the children and the adults with children in them.
We like to pride ourselves on our professionalism, relaxing atmosphere and service throughout the hotel; I am pleased to see that you experienced all of these and enjoyed your stay.
I hope you will choose to stay with us again and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Scotsman in the future
Kind Regards
Claire Thomas
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rochdale
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
14 hotel reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“Trying out a "posher hotel"”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed January 8, 2013

I thought I would treat myself to a change of hotel, due partly to the fact that they had a good offer going through Booking.com. The firdt thing you notice is the location, you do not get more central. I came by train and caught the lift from the groundfloor to reception. Sitting down to check in is a good experience. I was taken to the room by a porter and the room though old was very satisfactory. They have a hatch next to each door which is great when ordering room service as you do not have to get dressed again to answer the door. The food was among the best I have ever had when ordering room service and extremely reasonabl for a 5 star hotel. The bar is friendly and the staff are attentive. Would like to share this with my partner, she appreciates luxury much more than me.Took me a while to get used to the lights, and I had initial problem with tv, but got immediate attention after ringing reception from very courteous and well groomed staff. In summary I would recommend if you get a deal but had to say did not "blow my socks off".

Room Tip: I have only stopped in one, I believe they will make a special effort if it is a special occasion an...
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  • Stayed December 2012, traveled on business
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask BillCRochdale about The Scotsman
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
TheScotsmanEdinburgh, Operations Manager at The Scotsman, responded to this review
January 9, 2013
Thank you for taking the time to record your positive comments regarding your recent visit to the Scotsman Hotel.
We like to pride ourselves on our professionalism, relaxing atmosphere and service throughout the hotel; I am pleased to see that you experienced all of these and enjoyed your stay.
Our location is indeed a prime one being positioned on the edge of the Royal Mile and 2 mins walk from Prices Street and I was pleased to read that you found this to add to the enjoyment of your stay.
I hope we will have the opportunity of welcoming you and your partner back to the hotel in the future
Kind Regards
Claire Thomas
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
 
 
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Additional Information about The Scotsman

Also Known As:
The Scotsman Hotel
The Scotsman Hotel Edinburgh
Scotsman Hotel
Scotsman Hotel Edinburgh
The Scotsman Edinburgh, Scotland
Address: 20 North Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1YT, Scotland
Region: United Kingdom > Scotland > Edinburgh > Castle/Royal Mile/High St , Old Town
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Business Center Fitness Center Restaurant Room Service Suites Swimming Pool Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
#12 Romantic Hotels in Edinburgh
#23 Luxury Hotels in Edinburgh
#45 Family Hotels in Edinburgh
#46 Business Hotels in Edinburgh
Price Range: $$$
Hotel Class:5 star (5*)
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