I was looking forward to my stay at the Southside Guest House. My son is at University in Edinburgh, and the #1 (at the time) B&B according to TripAdvisor was the closest one to his apartment. How could I go wrong?

The good things first: great location - close enough to walk to the middle of town, restaurants close by, ATM just three doors down. Nicely decorated. The one breakfast I had was delicious and the server was very attentive. DVDs and books available to the guests.

Now the not-so-good: For two of the three mornings I was there, my schedule prevented me from having the breakfast. When I let my hosts know about this, they both separately said, "What a shame that you will miss breakfast." Based on my own experiences at other B & B's (twenty years of experience, on three continents) and a review I had read on TripAdvisor from another Southside guest, I expected a different response - the previous guest's review stated that she had been offered a tray in her room. That would have been wonderful. Alternatively, the cold buffet would have been an acceptable solution, as well.

I came back to the room at noon on a rainy day to deposit my souvenirs and dry off - the maid did not want to give me access to my room. I had to insist that she allow me to go in. That made me feel unwelcome.

Overall, I feel that the Southside Guest House is a nice place to stay, but if you are looking for a flexible atmosphere, this is not the place to choose.

We had a lovely stay at the Southside. It looked plain and unassuming from outside but once you enter the hallway you realise what a special place this is. We were in the Mackintosh room which was very welcoming. Lovely stripped floorboards, four poster bed, DVD player and wi fi access. There was a book and DVD library on the landing with a good selection.

I must admit, I had the most sleepless night ever though, due to the noise levels outside. The road it is situated on is a main thoroughfare and is incredibly busy with traffic. A whole night of buses, horns, ambulence sirens and to round it off a the cleansing vans in the morning. This wouldnt have been such a problem perhaps at the back of the building. Also because it was old fashioned sash windows (which looked great) rather than double glazing which could have blocked out the sound to some extent.

Saying that, the surroundings of the guest house MORE than made up for that (and I like my sleep!). The breakfast has been mentioned as outstanding and it is. A lovely atmosphere in the breakfast room, with soothing music played. Selection at buffet was fabulous - cereal,s, spreads, nuts, breads, cheese, yoghurts, pancakes...oh and the bucks fizz! Cooked selection fabulous - most beautifully presented fry up i've ever seen!.... and tasted out of this world. Even got a choice of beef or pork sausage - and mustard to go with the beef one! Can't praise breakfast enough. Girl who served us so attentive and pleasant.

I'd thoroughly recommend the Southside to anyone who appreciates the finer things in life - just take some ear plugs if you're a light sleeper!

Convenient, comfortable and superb breakfasts. This was a charming place to stay with lots of kind personal touches. We will certainly go back.

We stayed for 2 nights in Southside in the 4 poster suite room. The room was clean, tastefully and artisically decorated in William Morris style with every attention to neccessary detail such as mineral water, and tolietries, dvd player, and free wireless access, but without being decadent or over the top.

The guest house itself is small, peaceful, in a classical style and you are uninterupted in your enjoyment of the facilities. The breakfast (we are veggies) was fab. Lots of fruit, bread and cheeses, juices etc and the cooked breakfast was exceptional in both presentation and taste. This place has all the style and touches of a large plush hotel ,combined with all the personality and individualism of a small guest house. It is well located for a short walk into Edinburgh. The parking is secure although it is a little walk away. We parked up and just left the car there for the whole stay. I really enjoyed my stay at Southside and would absolutely recommend it.