The Sheraton Hotel

Location and description of the Sheraton Hotel

The Sheraton Hotel is an imposing building with a honeycomb yellow facade in the West End of Edinburgh. The architecture is post modern and certainly not as impressive as the classical Victorian architecture of the Balmoral Hotel or the Caledonian Hilton Hotel at opposite ends of Princes Street.

The location of the Sheraton Hotel is very central and very close to the main shopping street in Edinburgh and all major attractions. The hotel, however, was initially supposed to be built on a plot beside Orchard Brae House on Queensferry Road which would have made it further away from the heart of Edinburgh. When the space on Festival Square became available the hotel jumped at the chance to take it.

At the moment, the Sheraton Hotel is located at the heart of Edinburgh's financial district, near Clydesdale Plaza on Lothian Road. Nearly all the buildings in the Sheraton Hotel's immediate vicinity are modern, tall office buildings which most locals more or less despise.

Interior of the Sheraton Grand

It's true to say that the modern buildings like the Sheraton Grand and Standard Life make this part of Edinburgh seem quite charactless. The stark difference from the exquisite architecture of the New Town and the historic feel of the Old Town makes the appearence of the Sheraton Hotel disconcerting to some extent.

While the building may not be as appealing on the outside as other Edinburgh hotels, the interior is housing a glamorous hotel and an office complex. The reception inside the Sheraton is elegant and somptuous, with a sweeping grand staircase. The decor is fairly traditional, with tartan furnishings and old prints of Edinburgh hanging on the walls.

The wide open space outside the Sheraton Grand is for pedestrians only and is stylishly decorated with trees and concemporary public art. A fountain and a globe shaped sculpture are the main focus points in the hotel's open space at the front. The Festival Square is often used as a Festival venue or for Christmas fireworks.

One Spa at Sheraton Hotel

Many guests choose the Sheraton over other luxury hotels simply for its famous six-storey spa and health club. The One Spa at the Sheraton Hotel is not only the best in Edinburgh but one of the best in Europe.

The Sheraton spa is a glass coloured building with access from the hotel via a passageway. Its most distinct feature is the outdoor hydropool carved into the rooftop which soothes the body wih millions of tiny air bubbles. If you're trying to decide for a romantic luxury hotel in Edinburgh then watching the stars from the hydropool would certainly make staying at the Sheraton Grand Hotel a memorable experience.

The spa has a gym, large swimming pool, an aroma therapy room, ceramic beds, a peppermint cold fog shower and many treatments to choose from. Guests at the Sheraton Hotel have free access to the swimming pool and gym but there is a £20 fee to access the other facilities.

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