It's central, and it's cheap. You can't really ask for much more in a pub. It's right on the corner of the Royal Mile and North Bridge, so it does get it's fair share of tourists in, but as it's part of the Student Recommended chain it also gets its fair share of the younger crowd in too. The décor is surprisingly elegant and classy, it's all dark oak and polished metal, but my one criticism of this place is it's size. I've never been a big believer in the whole 'good things come in small packages' thing, and this bar isn't exactly huge. In fact, the freestanding bar in the middle of the lower section takes up more room than anything else, but at the same time it makes it almost impossible to try and catch the bar staff's eye to get served. There are more tables upstairs which are great for people-watching, but the stairs are really steep which isn't a great combination when you're trying to get down them in 5 inch heels to buy the next round! Still worth a visit though. read more

Bank Hotel - courtesy of http://www.festival-inns.co.uk/bank.html - Hotels Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Located on the touristy (and often over priced ) Royal Mile I was surprised by how affordable the drinks were at this place.(and despite the name-pun as well!Sorry couldn't help it!) We obviously had come an perhaps the wrong night as there was a stag and hen party going on at the same time. Watching middle aged women in very tight polyester tube dressers seductively (aka as drunkenly) pursue the middle aged men who swaggered with a I'm-Daniel-Craigs-sexier-brother attitude , provided plenty of entertainment for us. But despite its surprisingly clean and well decorated interior nothing else made it stand out as a bar. It's central and affordable and won't break the bank. (Sorry!) read more

Bank Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The Bank Hotel bar is in an excellent location for those beginning their night and intending to head on to the Cowgate. The drinks are relatively cheap with pints costing no more than £3 and the interior feels classy. The first time I was in here was at New Year and my flatmate was headbutted in the queue for the bar, however, this could happen anywhere and I doubt it's reflective of its normal atomosphere. Since then I've seen several stag and hen parties in the pub and its very popular with locals which is, of course, always a good sign. Although it isn't my first choice for beginning a night on the tiles, The Bank Hotel is certainly the first port of call for some. Further, it has outdoor seating which would make a great place to meet with friends for a drink on a warm summer's day. read more

Bank Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Its dingey, its a bit dark, the overall decor isnt great but I like it. Was there last night with some friends and there was some live music, man and his guitar doing some modern rock classics! MAde for a great evening! Well stocked bar, nice staff and quite good for hanging out! read more

My stay at the Bank Hotel was flawed in only one real way...it was too short! Next time I'm in Edinburgh...I'm there for a week not just a couple of days!!! The rooms are quirky and comfortable and the staff is helpful to the Nth degree! The hotel is centrally located...literally...you are right in the middle of the Royal Mile! The train station is but a few blocks away (albeit a few blocks UPHILL on the way to the hotel...be ready!) so you don't need a taxi or anything. When I was there, someone had stolen the modem so there was no WiFi, but there is a very nice Starbucks just a few steps away. Nothing major and actually it was nice to unplug for a few days. Now...one thing to know about Edinburgh...it seems that people like to drink there! My last night I was um...serenaded by a herd of singing Germans for several hours. I was just about ready to open the window and shout "OI! Shut it!!" but they moved on just in time (which was good because I did NOT want to get out of bed!). I'd have been ok with a bit of it, but until 4 am was pushing it in my book! But, I expected some noise...the rooms are above the bar and it is Scotland, so while it was annoying it wasn't horrible. The rest of the hotel experience made up for it! I also had a burger in the bar...and the breakfast as well...very nice food and seemed like a nice pub to hang out in. When I move to Edinburgh someday...I'll probably be a semi-regular there! read more

For a place I'm not exactly keen about, I come here quite a lot. I come for the music - Sunday nights at the Bank used to be at least a bi-monthly event on my social calendar. Not only is the music awesome, but the people watching is absolutely epic. There is something magnetic about this place, the drunkest and craziest of them all flock here in droves and perform for the amusement of all around. The best night was when the mental women started stripper-dancing to the music, second best was the woman dressed in leather who started in on the air guitar. BUT - I came here for the first time in ages about a week ago. I paid £4.25 for a Magners and £3.70 for a bottle of Corona. Flabbergasted. I know, inflation and recession and all that but those prices are criminal. read more

This is one of the nicest boutique hotels I've ever stayed in, and not too pricey. The rooms are beautiful and unique - lots of dark wood, deep reds and greens, and artifacts related to the famous Scotsman the room is named after. I stayed in the Alexander Graham Bell room, which had antique phones, and antique switchboard, and a large mirror etched with a quote by the man himself. The bathroom in my room was amazing. Far larger and more modern that what I expected based on what I'd heard about European hotels. The shower was large, had plenty of hot water and good water pressure. For some reason the shower curtain didn't extend all the way around the tub, which was weird - but aside from that it was great. The bar/restaurant downstairs was nice. I usually had breakfast there (which was excellent) but otherwise didn't spend much time there. It seems like most of the other reviews are just for the bar, so you can learn more there. I did have dinner there on my last night, and while the food was good the service was slow. The bar was crowded and it seems like they may have been a bit overwhelmed. The overall service at the hotel was great. We were exhausted from our overnight flight and overwhelmed by being in a foreign country when we first arrived, and they took great care of us. When I realized I'd forgotten my jacket in the States, they recommended some places I could go to buy one. The staff were always friendly and always helpful. The location of the hotel can't be beat. It's right in the middle of High Street/Royal Mile. Niddry Street, where some of my favorite bars are, runs right along side it. You have a short jaunt down the hill to the Cowgate if that's your thing, or a bit longer walk in the other direction to Waverly Station and then on to the fancier shopping areas. Personally, I can't abide "shopping" as a vacation activity, so I'll stick with drinking. The only downsides to this hotel were the stairs and the keys. There was no elevator, so every time I wanted to go to my room I had to climb several flights of stairs. This makes you *really* reconsider running upstairs to grab your jacket or charge your phone. The rooms have old fashioned keys which means that to lock your door at night you're essentially locking yourself in the room. This is an insane fire hazard. What's worse, each room only has one key. So either my wife or I could carry the key, but if we wanted to split up or if one person wanted to stay in the room while the other went out we were screwed. read more

This is a convenient place to meet up with people. I have been here several times and one thing I can vouch for is the slow service. I don't like the atmosphere and it feels a little derelict - open wires, holes in the wall. The toilet looks unfinished and cleaning materials are out for all to see (but are they used?) I like their outside space though, "people watching" from here with a pint in hand and cigarette in another is great! Apart from meeting here to somewhere else I cannot recommend an evening out here. read more

In the past, I have avoided bars on the Royal Mile like the plauge - I really dislike places that are so geared to tourism that they forget about the locals. The Bank Hotel was one of them. However, I was recently here as part of a group of friends, and I have to say, sitting outside the Bank Hotel on a sunny day was rather pleasent, even with the huge amounts of tourists and traffic roaring past. Inside is quite nice, it is classy and smart, a mixture of wood and polished metals with tables and areas to sit split across two floors. The bar isnt huge, nor are the seating areas - but its always crowded in here, so the feeling of claustrphobia is quite intense. Overall, this is a nice place, but its amount of customers and small size really dont do it any favours. read more

Bank Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Looking significantly bigger from outside than what it actually is, the cramped exterior of The Bank isn't really a problem during summer as you'll likely want to sit outside anyway. As far as pubs in this part of town go, it's fairly standard, and a bit less overtly Scottish than most nearby. Bearing in mind it's right on tourist central, and near enough to the Grassmarket to attract sex-starved hen parties, don't expect to be rubbing shoulders with Edinburgh's big hitters. Nevertheless, it's great for people watching and pretty inexpensive. read more

12 Year old Scottish Whiskey for £3 on the Royal Mile , a great cruising patio out front, and super nice bar help that enjoys chatting about the various blends available. I'll be back to try the 18 year old whiskeys next time around... read more

If you're looking for a small, high quality, quirky, uniquely Scottish hotel (as opposed an international chain where the nondescript rooms remain the same in any country) with reasonably priced rooms and a great breakfast, this is the hotel for you! Each of the 9 rooms are themed to reflect some of Scotland's greatest figures such as Robert Burns, James Watt and Charles Rennie MacIntosh. I stayed in the fantastically original Alexander Bell room which had a glamorous bathroom complete with roll top bath. The other rooms look equally amazing. The hotel is in a great position, on the Royal Mile, above the Logie Bairds Bar. Breakfast is served on the balcony of the bar and it can be quite an awakening if you're the bleary eyed sort first thing, to see hard core punters propping up the bar at that hour! Superb place! If I wasn't now living in Edinburgh I would stay there every time!! Highly recommend it! read more

Bar set right on Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Bar was quiet when we went in for a drink but were served straight away , good choice of beers etc and food was also good value although not oustanding quality. Cheap deals for students and has live sport on all day but gets very busy when big games on. read more

All pretty standard here folks. Drinks - tick Food - tick Live music - tick Bad (really loud) karaoke - tick Quiz night - tick Oh, one thing that sounds quite cool that does set this place apart is hotel rooms themed around famous Scots. Never stayed as never needed to but intrigued to say the least. They also do a full Scottish breakfast which I am yet to sample - never awake that early! Has an upstairs area too which is quite cool but all-in-all my experiences at The Bank Hotel have been missing a defined 'vibe'. Is it ever happening? Perhaps...just not when I've been there (is that saying something about me or the hotel?!) read more

From the traditional appearance on the outside of this hotel one may not expect the very modern interior of the bedrooms. Further renovations were going on at the time of my stay which meant no restaurant and a makeshift front desk (the only reason I am giving them 4 stars rather than 5). The location of the hotel is prime- right in the heart of Edinburgh and within walking distance of all the sights. I loved my bedroom with the wood floor, big screen television, very comfortable bed, in-room safe, digital temperature control, and very cool shower. The woman working the front desk was exceptionally helpful and provided excellent customer service. Other than the lack of facilities due to the construction that was going on the only possible drawback for me was the noise level outside coming from local students as they enjoyed the nearby bars/nightclubs during the wee hours of the night. I will definitely stay here again on any future trips to Edinburgh! read more

Started a pub crawl here, it was pretty nice and right on the main street. The set up inside the bar is nice, seats along the wall while the bar is in a U shape in the middle. Outdoor seats which are nice when/if the wind stops. read more

I'd read about the Bank Hotel in a magazine, and loved the idea of having each room named after a Scottish legend; Rabbie Burns, John Logie Baird and Alexander Graham Bell to name a few. I like the exterior of this place too, its grand and beautiful and definitely inviting. I had a few drinks in here one afternoon, after lunch. We didn't realise the bar did food otherwise we might have eaten here but I did see a table sending a dish back so maybe it was lucky we didn't! The interior is lovely, and the drinks are surprisingly reasonably priced. A nice bar in the City Centre, beautiful inside and out. read more

Now that we're in daylight savings, summer is approaching and the weather here in Edinburgh is...well, tolerable at best, it's nice here sitting out on the patio. The bar itself is relatively charmless, although the labyrinth you go down to get to the bathroom reminds me of being backstage on some kind of set. Oh, funny moment. A man who was, let's say, "challenged" who I'd seen lurking in Edinburgh's pubs that week turned up on a Friday night. I see him walk over to a regular cupboard which looked to have some fire equipment in it, reach in, and pull out a box of cornflakes, and then proceed to eat them standing directly in front of the band which was playing. For once, he was the only man in the room who didn't look confused. read more

There's actually rooms above the bar! Plus side - very central as noted by others, big clean rooms with two beds (a large kingsize and a smaller twin), big clean bathroom. Minus side - no elevators and they are pricey. You have to schlep your stuff up some steep stairs to your room. We ate at the bar and recommend not doing that. Drinks are great and reasonable but they need to stop serving tartar sauce out of plastic packets with fish and chips. read more

Went in for a drink a few weeks ago with the good lady, and was fairly impressed. The service was quick and friendly, the place looks quite nice inside - only minus point is that the bar itself is quite large, which means it doesn't take many people to fill the place up. The night we were in there was live music in the form of Acoustic Dave. That was the highlight of the night (Scotland had been humped 4-0 earlier on). Note: Due to excessive alcohol consumption before entering the place, my memories may be a little off - but Acoustic Dave was still brilliant!!! read more

Went to The Bank Hotel the other night to meet some friends. The bar area looks quite impressive but it doesn't take many people to make it look busy. I found the bar staff pretty poor, there were only two on but they seemed to forget that there was more than one side to the bar so I stood for ages waiting to get served. Another down side was the fact that there was only one real ale available. I would say that its OK for one beer but not worth hanging around. read more

Clean bar with a good selection but fairly expensive :O If I was around this end of town I might pop in for a pint... Food is good and they have good deals. read more

monday evening in edinburgh. they were open and serving 'til well past midnight in a pleasant environment right on the royal mile. open, serving and semi-full on a monday? a-ok. read more

Crowded bar on the Royal Mile has a decent atmosphere and often has live music. The back nook behind the bar is a cozy spot where you are able to have a conversation with friends. read more