I would never have guessed that our booking at Gerald’s Place would lead to so many lovely memories and a life-changing event. I went on Trip Advisor saw, he was #1 and contacted him to book 6 nights. I promptly received a wonderful email from Gerald with information on the Edinburgh area and noticed that he mentioned his B&B is located near the Civil Marriage Office in Edinburgh. What followed was the beginning of the most wonderful friendship with this extraordinary man who planned our entire elopement and served as our witness. He handled everything from my hair appointment to the newlywed dinner – even getting a friend to take the photos. Everything turned out perfect because Gerald is perfect. He prepared us a lovely wedding lunch, organized a wedding play-by-play itinerary and had left us a bottle of champagne when we got home from dinner. It has taken me awhile to post this review because I didn’t know if I started if I could ever stop writing my praises for Gerald and his Place. But here I go:

We arrived at Gerald’s after an extended tour of England & France and by this time had become experts on B&B’s. Gerald’s Place was our final destination and is in my opinion THE BEST B&B OF ALL TIME!!! It was great to arrive at a place that felt like home…actually the gigantic beds are cozier than at home with 400 thread count cotton sheets. The big beds are so comfortable and the rooms are dark and quite at night. Gerald offers guest all the Edinburgh information they will ever need. He has endless booklets, tour books, maps and catalogues (Gerald has actually bought the tourist book at each site so you can have a heads up before you go). He has the very best recommendations on where to go Edinburgh, he knows his stuff and his advice made our trip unique and helped us avoid tourist traps. Gerald had wonderful restaurant advice and taste which our bellies greatly benefited from. His restaurant savvy is current and immense. He takes the time to buy fresh flowers and puts a lovely rose in each room. He prints off the weather forecast each day so you know what to wear. He provides big umbrellas for walking in the rain. He has a laptop for guest to use for email and in our case announce that we had run away and been married in Edinburgh! The laptop saves you wasting your precious vacation time trying to find an internet café. I have never been to a B&B that has offered it's patrons a personal laptop! He provides his guests with every comfort imaginable – we didn’t want to leave. The B&B’s location is central and better than perfect. It is directly across from a park so it is very quite, it is not in a touristy area but in a posh neighborhood…so you can pretend to be a wealthy local. It is a unique curved shape street so it is easy to spot of maps and easy to find your way back to. He is steps away from all the top sights and sounds - without the annoyance of hearing all the sights and sounds while you are trying to sleep. You can walk to all the main attractions not having to spend on a taxi or bus. He is very close to all the major entry points to Edinburgh. We arrived by train and only spent £5 on a taxi – we could have walked easily but I had bought way to much stuff while traveling. He stocks the best UK fashion & gossip mags…so you can relax in your room after a hard day sightseeing and catch up with what Posh and Becks are up to. We had a TV with great channels and DVD player. We also had a mini fridge in our room which was excellent to store snacks and drinks for day trips or leftovers. He serves an amazing hearty totally yummy organic breakfast. Gerald’s pièce de résistance is his warm grain of the oat & cinnamon concoction which Gerald refers to as “groat” – it is kinda like oatmeal but much tastier. I am a veggie and ate like a queen and my husband is a meat lover and was fed eggs (done just the way he likes), sausages, bacon, haggis and black pudding. Oh I almost forgot to mention Geralds yummy bread!!! It is made locally and is sooo good with local jams and butter. The breakfast was the best and I got excited each morning to enjoy it all. He usually had a surprise feature like smoothies or potato cakes. We were truly spoiled. The B&B only has 2 rooms so you eat breakfast at a round table with the other guest(s) and share travel stories. Plus as an added bonus Gerald eats with you…so you can enjoy his company, wisdom and wonderful humor. You can tell that Gerald deeply cares about you and that you have a wonderful stay. I am glad I did not miss the opportunity to meet this fantastic man and stay in his B&B I would have missed out on much more than a great B&B but also on dear memories.

Meeting Gerald changed my life and gave me the crazy elopement of my little girl dreams. I will be back to stay with him not only because it is such a wonderful B&B but because I miss Gerald!!! I love this man and refer to him as my angel. I am forever grateful to everything he did for us out of the kindness of his heart. He is generous with his time, knowledge and home and that is why he is #1. I don’t think he can make a dime off his B&B because he treats his guests like royalty and does not cut any corners! He has won Trip Advisor’s top 10 B&B in Europe many years running and he does not disappoint. Thanks soooo much Gerald we love you!!!

My husband and I are pretty savvy travelers and very light sleepers. We have traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and America and Gerald’s Place is forever in our hearts as #1 in the WORLD.