I had a bad experience at this bed and breakfast. I would not recommend anyone to stay there. I travel approximately 100 nights a year and have never been treated so poorly at any accommodations.
First the pros:
-This is truly a lovely house
-Good proximity if you're going to hike to Arthur's Seat
-Breakfast was nice, and served by Jim, with his dry Scottish wit. Jim was also funny in our emails before the stay
-We had an early flight when we left, and they packed a breakfast for us the night before.
-Wifi was good.
Now the cons:
-This is clear on the map, but it's not very walk-able to the Royal Mile. We took ubers as that's what we're used to at home. Be cognizant of the cost upper.
-We were there the first few days in July and it was cold out, but also cold inside. The heaters are on a timer, and I woke up once in the night because I was cold.
-The water pressure in our room was abysmal
-Toilet didn't work very well. Very tricky to get them to flush.
-There are a lot of limitations and rules that make this not a good option for those needing flexibility. We did arrive after hours and didn't have a problem, but something to consider. Breakfast hours were also more limited than other B&Bs I have stayed in. (8a-9a only)
-The breakfast that they packed the night before included egg salad sandwich. Nothing says food poisoning on a transatlantic flight quite like un-refrigerated egg salad.
The real issue with our stay was with Olive, the hostess. We initially found her to be sour and not as warm as the other B&B owners encountered on my 2.5 week trip. When we went to settle our bill, I double checked my email and the rate I had previously been given was £130 for two nights. My original booking was for a single, but when my friend was able to come along, I asked if I could add another person. I was told "OK if you can share a double bed." - no mention of an increased cost. When I asked Olive in person why there was an increased charge she said "WOW - do you really expect something for free?" in an incredulous manner, and I felt very attacked. If she had said something along the lines of "Oh, Jim should have mentioned that when he told you it was no problem to add another person. It's an extra 15 pounds per night for an additional person for breakfast and use of the facilities." I would have paid happily and we would have parted on good terms. However the conversation devolved into contentiousness with her unwilling to communicate pricing structure with us at all. (Communicating what you're paying is an essential requirement of a proprietor!). She ultimately retreated to the private area, refusing to resolve the situation or explain her pricing.
To state again, if that's the way their pricing structure was set up, I'm fine with paying the extra fee for the extra person - but the pricing structure was unclear for single vs double occupancy in their emails, on their web page, and in the print-out she eventually left in the room. Even if I was trying to get out of the extra fee because of Ard-Na-Said's unclear communication, she was downright mean and hostile and we were very uncomfortable staying there.
Following the stay, I reached out to Olive trying to explain that I was simply trying to verify there was no mistake being made, offer some constructive criticism on improving communication, and ask for their perspective on the situation before I wrote a review. They have so many good reviews, how did it go so wrong with us? In their response they were sticking by their assumptions and were still miffed and not listening to what I had to say. I asked for an apology, but instead was told "I am at a loss to the sourness you received and am upset that you think this as at no time was any intended." I was given a £30 discount back to my credit card. This is not what I was after, but I will still take it as an olive branch and bump them up from 1 star to 2 for trying to do something to remedy the situation.
I have seen on other reviews that they respond dismissively to any bad reviews. I am happy to share the email communication chain with anyone wanting more information and to see their words for yourself. If you're staying here and make any changes, make sure you get your rate in writing in advance.
They also told me they will be retiring in September, so there won't be many people that I have to warn off. read more
