Stay at the Royal British Hotel
How Good Is This Three-Star City Centre Hotel in Edinburgh?
Are you considering a stay at the Royal British Hotel in Edinburgh? It's a tempting choice as this 3-star hotel enjoys a very central location on Princes Street itself, right in the heart of the capital and enjoys beautiful views over Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill. But is this is better choice than other value, 3-star hotels in the centre of Edinburgh and what do other travellers have to say about it?
I have been reading hundreds of reviews from guests who have stayed here over the last 3 years. This is a summary of those reviews, a concise and unbiased conclusion of the quality of service and room comfort.
What's special about the Royal British Hotel?
- It is ideally situated on Princes Street close to the shops, restaurants and attractions of the centre.
- The hotel restaurant, the Glendale, has stunning views of Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street and offers good quality, value for money food.
- The staff are friendly and pleasant, and they extend a warm welcome to their guests.
Read Royal British Hotel reviews or check for discounted room rates.
What do guests really think?
Over half of the reviews tended to be average or negative, although there were many who had enjoyed their stay at the Royal British Hotel.
- The majority of guests felt that the hotel is tired and jaded and is in urgent need of refurbishment.
- Some said that the only good feature about the Royal British Hotel is that it's a Princes Street hotel. They also felt that it was overpriced.
- Others felt that you get what you pay for, and some who had paid low rates for their stay said that the hotel represented good value for money.
- A few guests said that while the hotel is run-down, it is still a good base to explore the city from.
- While some guests said that they would be happy to stay in the hotel in the future, many said that they would not return as there are better hotels available for the money in the City Centre.
My Recommendation
Based on the numerous reviews that have been made, I would not recommend this hotel as a first choice for a stay in Edinburgh. However, you do get what you pay for, and if you are on a tight budget but want to be in the centre of Edinburgh, then this may be a good option if you can get a good discounted rate, especially if you are able to stay in one of the refurbished rooms. Once the refurbishments have been completed, the Royal British Hotel could become a good, value-for-money, budget city centre hotel.
Book the Royal British Hotel or find other discounted hotel deals in Edinburgh.
Stay at the Royal British Hotel in Edinburgh
Budget 3-star hotel in historic building. Located on Princes Street, next to the main rail station.
Average room price per night: £60-£118 ($94-$185)
What is the Royal British Hotel like?
The hotel's main selling point is its location on Princes Street and most guests chose the hotel because it's such centrally situated. From comments made by previous guests, it appears that apart from the fantastic location in Edinburgh City Centre, the hotel is seriously lacking in other areas. However, there is a refurbishment programme in place and many of the guests who had enjoyed their stay at the Royal British Hotel had stayed in the refurbished rooms.
Building and room design
- The general opinion of those who stayed at the Royal British was that the guest rooms were small, badly maintained and somewhat run-down, with worn furniture and dirty threadbare carpets.
- Some of the rooms enjoy fantastic views over Edinburgh Castle.
- However, some of the guests who had stayed in refurbished rooms had thoroughly enjoyed their stay and had no problems with the state of the rooms.
- Some guests complained that even the non-smoking rooms smelled of smoke.
- A few reviewers said that the rooms facing Princes Street were noisy, although others felt that the location and views made up for the noise.
- The lift only goes up to the third floor, so guests staying on higher levels have to go by the stairs, which some disliked.
- There is free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.
Staff and level of service
- Most guests found the staff to be pleasant and helpful, especially the receptionists.
- Many guests said that the cleanliness of the hotel was not up to scratch, with items left from previous guests and a general state of uncleanliness, although others said that their rooms were spotless.
Food and drink
- There is a restaurant, the Glendale, which many reviewers agreed was good quality and represented value for money.
- The views on breakfast were quite varied and ranged from delicious to average to terrible.
- There is a coffee house on the ground floor which some reviewers liked.
Location and parking
- It is situated right on Princes Street and most reviewers agreed that this is the hotel's biggest selling point.
- The hotel is directly across from Waverley train station.
- There is no parking on site but the hotel offers discounted rates at a nearby NCP car park a 5-minute walk away.
- The stop for tour buses is just 100m from the hotel which some found convenient.
Book the Royal British Hotel or find other 3-star hotels in Edinburgh.
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