Stay at the Tigerlily Hotel
How Good Is This Chic Boutique Hotel in Edinburgh?
Are you considering a stay at the Tigerlily Hotel in Edinburgh? You will not be alone as the Tigerlily is one of the best-rated hotels in Edinburgh, a cool, contemporary boutique hotel, where the in-crowd meet for informal drinks in glitzy surroundings before heading down to the resident nightclub. It is certainly a glamorous venue for a trip to Edinburgh but is it a better choice than other five or four star hotels there?
I've read hundreds of reviews from guests who have stayed at the Tigerlily in the last 3 years and the following is a clear and unbiased summary of what these guests really thought of their stay at this hotel.
What's special about the Tigerlily Hotel?
- Tigerlily is unashamedly cool, contemporary and trendy, perfect for the party crowd, with open plan public areas perfect for socialising and the premier nightclub Lulu in the basement - just ideal for young singles and couples.
- The 5 storey Georgian building has won numerous design awards such as the Scottish Hotel Design Award 2007 and the Scottish Hotel Bar Award 2007.
- The spacious, modern bedrooms are luxurious and equipped with super-comfortable beds, mood lighting and an iPod pre-loaded with over 2000 tracks.
- Location: Guests loved the central location in upmarket George Street (New Town), in the heart of the city centre and close to Princes Street and the main tourist attractions.
Read Tigerlily Hotel reviews or check for discounted room rates.
What do guests really think?
The majority of guests rate the hotel as excellent and have nothing but praise for the high level of service and buzzing atmosphere. Tigerlily certainly seems to have exceeded many people's expectations.
- Tigerlily is a chic, hip boutique hotel, well designed and with all the amenities you would expect from a four-star hotel. However, with the emphasis firmly on 'cool', some guests would have preferred a more traditional hotel and others felt that it tries too hard to be trendy.
- The Hotel is ideal for groups of girls and there were several positive reviews from ladies who had attended hen nights - indeed the hotel even offers special Girls Weekend Packages.
- Guests loved the luxurious rooms and appreciated the level of detail and comfort, with several reviewers mentioning the extras such as mood lighting and iPods.
- The atmosphere and clientele are decidedly lively and the bars and nightclub are full of people enjoying themselves until the small hours. Whilst this is perfect for the majority of guests, others would have preferred a quieter hotel.
- Some of the rooms seem to have a noise problem from the nightclub, although many guests also reported that they could not hear any noise from their rooms. Some guests also reported that the outside noise levels are unacceptable, particularly towards the back of hotel.
My Recommendation
With most reviewers firmly of the opinion that the Tigerlily meets and exceeds expectations, the hotel does seem to possess the wow factor and management and staff seem to be making a huge effort in all respects. For those looking for a cool and hip hotel with a lively and fun party scene, then Tigerlily seems perfect.
I would not, however, recommend it for those in search of a quieter or more traditional experience. From the various comments on noise, I would also recommend that you request a quiet room and preferably one with a view.
Book the Tigerlily Hotel or find other luxury hotel deals in Edinburgh.
In Depth Review of the Tigerlily Hotel in Edinburgh
Stylish and cool boutique hotel. Central location in upmarket George Street.
Lively hotel bar and nightclub. Average room price per night: £125-£204 ($196-$321)
What is the Tigerlily Hotel like?
Tigerlily is part of the Montpelier Group, yet it is a unique and glamorous establishment, with the nightclub, bars and restaurant being popular venues for local people. For many hotels the eating and drinking facilities are almost incidental to the hotel itself, but here they are an integral part of the overall experience.
Building and room design
- The design of the hotels public areas is modern and glitzy, with mosaic mirror tiles, chandeliers and bright decor and furnishings, yet it retains many of the Georgian features, such as ornate cornicing.
- The public areas are a series of semi-open plan spaces, stylishly decorated, including a cocktail bar with bright pink leather seats and a huge mirror ball, courtyards and a sunny cafe area outdoors. Most guests appreciated this quirky arrangement, however some guests do not like having to return to their rooms through crowds of partying people, as there is no separate entrance for guests.
- There are 33 bedrooms, including Georgian suites, which have 4 poster beds and gas flame fires . Almost all of the reviews rated the rooms as modern, spacious and functional, with flat screen plasma TV, romantic mood lighting and exceptionally comfortable beds. There is also free Wi-Fi and DVD players. Some reviewers reported however that the lighting system was extremely difficult to use and often unpredictable and also that the air conditioning was very noisy. These points did not seem to detract from their overall experience though.
- The decadent Black Room stands out among the rest with a distinctive black and white decor right down to the black toilet roll.
- Some rooms have excellent views of the Firth of Forth, but some guests were not happy with other views, as some rooms are overlooking buildings.
- The bathrooms were reported as being spacious and clean, with large wet rooms, fluffy towels and White Company toiletries. A small percentage were disappointed that there was no bath, although they are available in some rooms, so if a bath is important to you, make sure to ask at the time of booking.
Staff and level of service
- The vast majority of guests had nothing but praise for the staff, who were frequently described as friendly and charming and for whom nothing was too much trouble.
- A couple of reviewers were not happy with the service, mainly the time it took to fix things in the room, but these were in the minority.
Food and drink
- The loud and lively Tigerlily Bar is famous for its cocktails prepared by award-winning professional mixologists and is the perfect party scene, but it does not seem to be the place to go for a quiet drink.
- Many people praised the quality of the breakfasts and special mention was made of the haggis and also the fact that breakfast is unusually available until midday. A small percentage of the reviewers were not so happy with the quality of the breakfast or the service.
- The varied seating areas and arrangements of the eating areas is very versatile. Whilst many of the reviews were extremely positive about the quality of the food, which is a fusion of Modern European and Asian, there were some for whom it had been an average experience and some people did report that the prices were high.
Location and parking
- Tigerlily is located on George Street in the New Town, one of Edinburgh's top streets for designer shops and bars and very near Princes Street. It is also perfectly situated for tourist attractions, such as Edinburgh Castle which is only 500 metres away.
- It is a 10 minute walk from Waverley train station and a short walk from the Airport express bus stop. The airport itself is approximately 20 minutes away by bus.
- The hotel does not offer parking, but there is short term paid parking nearby and an NCP car park nearby, for which the hotel offers discounted rates. However many guests feel that this is still expensive.
Nice touches
- Small lambskin rugs are placed at the foot of the bed at turn-down time.
- Many ladies loved the fact that there are hair straighteners provided in the bathrooms.
- There are iPods in each room, pre-loaded with over 2000 songs, with the songs changed on a regular basis by the resident DJ at the Opal Lounge nightclub.
- All guests receive free entry to Lulu Nightclub and receive priority entrance so there is no need to queue.
Book the Tigerlily Hotel or find other four and five star hotels in Edinburgh.
Staying at the Tigerlily, Edinburgh - Web links
- Great Places to Eat in Scotland - Tigerlily, George Street, Edinburgh - RampantScotland.com
- Tigerlily, Edinburgh: full review - Telegraph.co.uk
- Tigerlily Review - Hotel Review Scotland
»Back to Places to Stay in Edinburgh or Hotels in Edinburgh City Centre
Staying in Edinburgh City Centre Hotels
- Hotel Accommodation in Edinburgh City Centre
- Comprehensive guide to Luxury Hotels in Edinburgh
- The Top 10 Hotels in Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Hotel Comparison Tool
- Edinburgh Hotel Reviews
Romantic and Boutique, Unusual and Designer Hotels
- Most Romantic Luxury Hotels in Edinburgh and Small and Intimate Hotels in Edinburgh
- Best Boutique Hotels in Edinburgh
- Unusual Edinburgh Hotels with Quirky Features and Cool Designer Hotels in Edinburgh
- Luxury Spa Hotels or Hotels with Swimming Pool in Edinburgh
Serviced Apartments and Good Accommodation Deals in Edinburgh
- Compare the Best Serviced Apartments in Edinburgh
- Good Value Hotels in Edinburgh
- Cheap Hotels on Princes Street
- Top Secret Edinburgh Hotels
- Train and Hotel City Breaks to Edinburgh
Where to Stay in Edinburgh?
- Hotels on Royal Mile, Royal Mile apartments near Edinburgh Castle
- Best Princes Street Hotels including 5-Star Hotels on Princes Street
- Accommodation near transport hubs: Edinburgh Airport Hotels or Hotels near Edinburgh Train Station
