This is probably the most over-priced and dissappointing hotel I have ever stayed in. The hotel is run-down, and poorly maintained. There are scratches and dirt on the lobby floors and walls and in the elevator. The room was small, dusty, noisy, and hot. What a waste of money!

Centrally located, but don´t book it unless you can avoid it! We stayed there during the first few days of the Edinbourgh Festival. A supposedly 4 star hotel and what a disappointment! The minute we entered the room we realised how dirty it was. Hair on the carpet and the bathroom, stained towels, filthy bedcover and worn chairs, dirty windows and curtains, a really dirty place! We immediately started looking for another hotel, but in view of the Festival, everyhting was booked. We were forced to stay there 3 nights for 237 pounds per night (!!!) - worst spent money ever! We complained about the dirt of the room and the receptionist said she would inform the manager, but nothing happened! Some pills that fell on the floor were not vacuumed until the day we left. - like the hair of the people that stayed there before us! Top of it all, in our second night we return to the room to find that the pillows were torn with pieces coming out of the pillow case! We put them aside for the maid to see and the next afternoon we found them back on our beds! We complained and got two other pillows for our third night - what a great success! Conclusion: The hotel managers should be ashamed of themselves and you should AVOID that hotel unless you get it really cheap and you really don`t mind the dirt.

We have stayed at this hotel approximately ten times over the last ten years and have never been disappointed.Our latest visit was for only one night but as usual was excellent in every respect.
I cannot understand some of the views expressed in other reviews.e.g.' microwave meals and oven chips'.This is simply not true.One of the main reasons we visit is to enjoy the excellent food which has never failed to live up to our expectations.
The buffet style breakfast is always nicely cooked and the service in the restaurant has always been exemplary.(One small point- what happened to the tattie scones I always look forward to?)
The reception staff always show interest in the guests and have never been offhand
(go to London to experience that).
Well done The Carlton.We'll be back.

I was very disappointed.
In a hotel of this category and price one may expect that rooms are isolated aginst traffic noises etc. This is not the case. In my room (front, 5th floor) one could hardly sleep till three in the morning. A busy street, one-glass window: the hotel-rating is too high if this essential aspect for a hotel is not o.k. Furthermore the central heating made a constant abnormal noise.
The desk light, the tv and the ironer did not work. I delivered a note to the reception in the morning. At 18.00 nothing was done and I had to ask again. Only the bathroom was o.k. However signs of decay were everywere. For example a desk chair that was dirty.
I do believe a hotel of this rating may offer a more well-cared breakfast. One could use less fat in preparing the Scottish breakfast. Has anyone looked at the scrambled eggs? Not tasty and the way it is presented does not invite a guest to eat it. Fruit choice was hardly there. Very limlited choice of bread etc.