Starting with the good. The staff was friendly and helpful. We had a great view from our room. The not so good. So many stairs, which probably not good if you're disabled in any way. I have a hard time with stairs. When you enter the hotel, there are several stairs. When we arrived in Edinburgh, we walked from the Princes tram stop, a little bit of a hike with our luggage in tow. So having to lug our suitcases up the stairs was not welcoming in the least. After we went up a few stairs, we saw a buzzer that you could ring for assistance; which we did. They came out and brought our suitcases up the stairs. Our room wasn't ready but they stored our suitcases till the room was ready. Once ready and we retrieved our suitcases, we had a few more steps to get to elevator. There wasn't anything special in the room. There were 3 single beds. My friend pushed 2 of them together, I took the 3rd single. There were hardly any electrical outlets. My friend unplugged the TV, we weren't planning on watching TV. I unplugged the desk lamp. I didn't understand the shaver outlets in the bathroom. I just basically needed something to charge my phone and back up charger. The bathtub was tall. I am short. First night, I took a shower. I actually tripped getting out of the tub. I couldn't quite get my leg up high enough, ended up falling on the floor. Luckily I didn't get badly hurt or bruised. I took a lot of precautions after that. The hotel was located in an area that was walkable to so many things. So that's a plus. read more

Old Waverley Hotel - Old Waverly Hotel: view from our room - Hotels Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I hope to age as gracefully as the Old Waverley Hotel. Not that I want to live to be over 150 years old, but it's in remarkable shape, all things considered. Beyond having a rich history, I thoroughly enjoyed the creaky, tilted central stairs, the free high-speed wi-fi throughout the property, and especially the spectacular views from my room of Scott Monument and the Edinburgh Castle. They do, however, need to reconsider the furniture configuration in the rooms: there's no room to fit a chair under the work desk because the bed is simply too close. In order to work, I ended up having to straddle the edge of the desk. That's -not- an attractive look, let me tell you. Also, kudos to the exceptionally efficient staff at the front desk. They may be brusque, but they will get you checked in/out in record time! That's kind of how this hotel goes: it may not be glitzy, glamorous, or the newest, shiniest hotshot on the block... but it'll get the job done. Like 'wham, bam, thank ya ma'am' done. And that, good readers, is a respectable thing indeed. read more

The Old Waverley Hotel is conveniently situated on Princes Street, just across and down a bit from the Waverley train station, around the corner from the pubs on Rose Street on the edge of New Town, and facing Edinburgh Castle and Old Town just a quick jaunt away. The hotel is historic, and you immediately feel the old world charm as you walk in. Check in at the front desk on the plush carpeted floors, and you'll notice the bar ready to quench the thirst of you weary travelers. Plenty of scotch whiskeys on hand, as well as British beers such as the English Boddington's or the Irish Guinness, but you're in Scotland - have a Tennent's. The bar's seating area is comfortable with high backed chairs, and a door connects it to the restaurant, Cranston's, where they'll serve traditional Scottish breakfasts, or lemon-battered fish and chips, or elegant three-course dinners for £25. I was in northern England on business, so Edinburgh was a rough halfway point for me to meet a friend working in Aberdeen. She was catching a flight on Saturday, so we got a fairly inexpensive room for the night at just 35 pounds apiece - though there are pricier rooms for the luxuriant travelers. It was cozy and comfortable, with porthole windows that looked out on the gardens and the Sir Walter Scott memorial below. The Old Waverley Hotel makes for an exquisite stay in beautiful Edinburgh, and one central to all the sights and sounds. Brilliant! read more

Old Waverley Hotel - The Old Waverley Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Location was great. Parking was not convenient, had to lug our cases uphill through a construction site, I get that it's not the hotel's fault but it still takes away from the experience. We stayed two nights here and the elevator was down the whole time. We were on the third floor, not the worst thing ever but still not ideal. It did get a bit warm in the room, I wished the windows opened more because it was so nice outside and very stuffy inside. Luckily we didn't spend much time in the room. read more

Old Waverley Hotel - The view from our room, you could faintly hear the bagpipes on the street. Very cool. - Hotels Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

My parents and I chose to stay at this hotel just before I moved into university accommodation, as it's extremely central, being situated on Princes Street. The decor also looked quite rich and characterful, and when we arrived, we weren't at all disappointed. The hotel is very nicely presented! However, we came with a lot of luggage and the staff weren't that helpful in helping us lug them up the stairs to reception. We felt lucky to be placed in a top floor room overlooking Princes Street, especially as most of the sound could be blocked out by closing the windows. However, the bagpipes were NOT blocked out and promptly woke us up every morning around 9! I'm ashamed to say I had murderous thoughts of sniping the fellow just to get some shuteye, and have since lost any affection for the bagpipe I may have had. The hotel is reasonably priced for it's location, but it did seems it was just a few adjustments away from being a real luxury hotel. Just make sure your hotel room is facing AWAY from Princes Street..that my warning! read more

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This review only relates to my Hot Chocolate Quest and NOT the Hotel itself. I returned to this lovely hotel after having attended a fine Yelp event. My friend visited such I wanted to surprise him with cake and coffee and lovely views onto the OLD town of Edinburgh. The views are amazing and the furniture very comfortable. The Hotel lounge deserves a 4* no doubt. The service was accomodating. I ordered a HOT CHOCOLATE and a scone with cream and jam. The hot chocolate was not freshly made and far to sweet. I was not able to drink it. The scone seemed very hard and warm and mostly like had been pre-heated after having been de-frosted. The cream on the scone melted like butter (due to the scone being so warm) and was dripping. My friend ordered a sandwich and a beer and both were fine. I definitely will go back for a drink and nice views. Not for a Hot Chocolate so :-D read more

Tis was the time for the Last Elite Event of the year and the Old Waverly Hotel had the glittberball spinning! It's a beautiful ballroom. It has the features that alot of hotel don't. 1. Kept the cornice on the ceiling. 2. a stunning view of prices st gardens and the castle! The buffet was delicious and the macarons were pretty awesome too! Scones were pretty tasty too although I like mine Big! Staff were friendly too. read more

The thing I notice more and more about Edinburgh are the rising prices. Whether it be Edinburgh rock, bus fares, a pint or a curry, because of the popularity of the place, proprietors think that the rise in price is justified, and it really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That's why I love The Old Waverley so much. In a prime location on Princes Street, this historic hotel has everything to offer; location, quality, hospitality and most of all, value for money. I had the pleasure of staying here as my family who live in the Heymarket area of the city hosted a party in Edinburgh City Centre. Rather than make the expensive taxi trip home to Motherwell, all 8 of us set up camp in the Old Waverley, which was just fantastic. From the minute we walked in the doors, we felt at home. The proprietors were lovely, showed us to our rooms and let us know they would be there to help us with any queries. Our double room was lovely. The decor isn't like the Hilton or the Raddison, it borders on the more traditional and homely, with patterned curtains and bedsheets which made it feel much less cold. We even had a lovely wee tartan chair which I would have taken home if I could have gotten away with it! For the room we paid just over £100, with a view of Princes Street, which I found amazingly good value. We could come and go as we pleased and were offered dinner at a reduced rate of £25 per head but we weren't going to be around for that. Upon leaving, we made sure we told the receptionist how fantastic our stay was and that we would be back! We most certainly will! read more

Old Waverley Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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You can't really fault this place for location. It's secondary to none, and is the basis of my 4* review! As a tourist this is probably the best place to stay in the city. It's right in the middle of Princes Street and has brilliant views of the castle and the city gardens. The hotel itself doesn't look like much, but don't judge a book by its cover. Up some stairs (or elevator, whatever) and you are in the Waverly! It's nice enough, really traditional and still has a Scottish twist. As highlighted before me, the prices are brilliant too. So overall, for your value for money and location, you can't really go wrong! read more

Extremely disappointed in the lack of customer service. My train from London to Edinburgh was unexpectedly cancelled ten minutes prior to departure so I had to modify my check-in date at the hotel. Despite the fact that the situation was out of my control the hotel still told me I had to pay for the evening I wasn't going to be there. The situation was very disappointing - I have never been a guest in a hotel that has not been amendable to offering refunds to customers when things like this happen. I was already paying over $300/night - it was not worth it. I will not be recommending this property to my friends and colleagues traveling to Edinburgh. read more

I stayed here for six nights while touring Scotland. It was very basic but nice. Just off the train station which made getting into the city/out of really easy. It was walking distance to everything in the city and a great rate for the time we were there. It was worth the price as we hardly spent any time in the room. read more

The location of this hotel is what drew us to stay here. It is directly across from Waverley train station on Princes St. The staff is kind and the rooms aren't as small as a lot of other European rooms. Shower is spacious. Bathrooms are modern, but bedrooms look like they haven't updated the furniture and decorations in a long time. There is no refrigerator or microwave in the room. There is only one very small lift for the entire hotel, which ensures that you'll be waiting a while to hop on unless you want to cram in with a few other people. There are also a lot of stairs you have to go up to get to reception. Thankfully, there's a bell at the bottom where you can call a staff member to come help with heavy bags. read more

This is the place to stay if you want to walk everywhere...and never mind the construction on Prince Street it is their equivalent of Boston's Big Dig, it's not going to end soon. Think old hotel...retrofitted with tiny elevator, winding hall ways. Remember to get a room facing Prince Street or otherwise don't spend anytime in your room. Don't spend any time in your room anyway...just go out and enjoy the city. read more

I stayed here with my bridesmaid on my hen night as it was teh best rate I could get on a Friday night in Edinburgh. Even then it was pretty steep and we had a tiny wee room right at the top of the hotel. But it was a nice enough twin room with the usual tea/coffee facilities and a nice-sized ensuite. Our rate included breakfast which was a buffet style affair in the restaurant and I wasn't overly impressed with it, althought we did come down later on in the service. It just had a range of toasts, yoghurts and what appeared to be tinned grapefuit pieces. Still, it was free. The building itself is a lot smaller than you would think and it only has one lift which is tiny and takes an age. It is a good hotel to stay in if you are only needing a place to rest your head. read more

My partner booked a table for us under a 5pm.co.uk deal: £19.50 for a three course meal and a glass of house wine for free. We'd never tried the hotel (as we live in Edinburgh) and its restaurant before. The first impression was very good. A beautiful entrance leading off from Princes Street - lots of shiny warm marble gave it a luxurious feel. Narrow stairs lead to the hotel's lobby and the restaurant. The staff were friendly and welcoming, but we were disappointed that we were not allowed to have a window seat (and overlook Princes St Gardens) as they were quote: 'already booked'. It was 19:30 and apart from one middle-aged couple, we were the only diners. The restaurant itself was classically and tastefully decorated - an elegant room with original high ornate ceilings, tables not too close to each other, and crisp white table linen. Unfortunately the food was less than impressive. My partner and I both ordered a creamy tomato soup as a starter. This was not too bad and the serving was very generous. Next was the main course: I'd ordered a broccoli rissotto with cheese sauce (only vegetarian option), my partner a fish dish (can't remember what it was). Big mistake. There was more cheese sauce on my plate than risotto. The strong cheese flavours completely drowned out the flavours of the broccoli risotto. A real shame. My partner's fish was ok but nothing special. For dessert my partner choose a chocolate mousse and I decided for the chef's mystery dessert. Both were nicely presented but too sweet, and as a result we only managed to finish half of the dessert. Although the staff were lovely and the room atmospheric I won't be back as the food was aweful. For the price we were paying I expected more than that. Also there weren't many other dinners (except for two elderly couples) so the place felt a bit dead. read more

Not sure what to fault. As others have noted, the location is brilliant. If you are coming in by train, this is a dream. It is rightadjacentto the principal attractions, I.e. The castle. The service is friendly, the rooms are surprisingly spacious. The decor is upscale though not ostentatious and the prices reasonable. You may not wow your friends but this is a quality place at a fair price in a perfect location. read more

Edinburgh: "They have a nice castle." This is where to stay to see it. Location: it's within a stone's throw from the train station, across the street from the Sir Walter Scott Monument. The Hop On/Off buses line up across the street by the station. Sainsbury's is around the corner (make friends with that store--it's a traveler's companion). High Street is just a walk up a steep hill where all the action is. I could see the majestic castle from our window, shrouded in the regal, romantic rains of Edinburgh. We did hear street traffic and crowds at night, and the mournful bagpiper at 9 a.m., but it was okay. (Too hung over to care. Might have wanted my Enfield for the bagpiper if sober.) Cleanliness: an excellent staff kept our room very tidy. Decor: pleasantly outfitted with modern furniture but with a slightly old world feel. Internet access: they offer it free, but it is not always dependable. They offer faster, better Wifi for a price. See front desk for pay rates. I was very happy when it was working for free. Access: You'll need to be able to climb a flight of stairs to get up to the front desk. Then up 3 more steps to get to the WEE, SLOW elevator. If someone in your party is disabled or looks like Fat Bastard from " The Spy Who Shagged Me," this may pose a problem. Staff: efficient, friendly. Just the best. Facilities: They've a lovely lounge in there, and a restaurant, the Cranston. Didn't try the lounge, but the restaurant was very nice. Scottish breakfasts complete with potatoes, haggis, and black sausage. The 25 pound dinners were very elegant--loved the rack of lamb. Price: I thought it was reasonable for what they offered. Weather: It was August, but people were wearing coats and sweaters like it was winter. I ended up really liking the cool, brisk, mild climate since it's perfect for all the walking you're going to be doing. But when it rained, it sucked . . . sucked . . . sucked. The relentless moisture clings to you like a stray dog humping your leg that you can't shake off. The only remedy is to drink a couple pints of Guinness and hope it goes away. Dress appropriately for rain and shine. synopsis: it's a nice hotel, great location, with a great staff. Enjoy. read more

Situated near to transport hubs for buses, trains and eventually trams! The hotel is neatly tucked between businesses on the shopping mile. When you go wandering up a winding beautifully decorated staircase to reception to find their bar or foodie venue, listen for the distant sound of the lone ghost piper. At the bar discover beers around £4, and ample selection of whiskies, liquor and all sorts of beverages to satisfy any palette. I thought the bar has a cosy pre-theatre venue feel to it. Good start if your going to the nearby Playhouse or Festival Theatre each less than 10 minutes walk. From velvet curtains, large armchairs and prints of Ye' old town adorning the walls the sparklers in your cocktail completes the mood. Ambient lighting in the right places with corners to snuggle into, mixed background music playing instrumental doh-whop jazz, or Scottish sounds in abundance will make any visitor to Edina feel welcome. I heard the bar food is to try, but with half hour left for serving, maybe next time. If you find yourself sitting at the back or to the left of bar, then look out the windows. You will get a grand view of the touristy Walter Scott Monument, or to some, the large spiky thing on Princes Street East. This is also the area where you also might glimpse a real live Scotsman playing his pipes, sticking out of a bag; that some say the noise created is used to attract and capture haggis in the highlands? Great chat with bar staff, who are friendly and know their stuff around the alcoholic chemicals. Since Waverley didn't have any Innes&Gunn I almost tried another dark bottled beer name Edinburgh Ale, but what was off putting was the price for half a pint. So thought I'd indulge into a pint of the amber nectar instead. In all nice drink and half hour chill out time. I didn't stay here though as just passing through! The haggis smelt nice also, thanks to the pipers of Scotland!? read more

Charming, comfortable and a great location. My only complaint is insufficient wifi. Need to work while on vacation and it was challenging. Other then that very comfortable and staff was great. read more

Our first time in Scotland. We arrived at the hotel to learn that we no longer had a room or reservation. I had called and spoken to Kevin. He told me to cancel my booking with Expedia and book directly through the hotel so we canceled our Expedia reservation. He then confirmed that we had a room for the 4 nights we were planning on staying. After a long flight we arrive at the hotel to learn that he never confirmed our booking and we were left without a place to stay. I can't tell you enough not to book with this hotel. read more

I have never been in The Old Waveley before and it was actually a very nice establishment for a function. Very Central...infact i dont think you could get a better location. Nice and Bright. I must try afternoon tea here sometime! read more

Lovely hotel set in the heart of Edinburgh. Princes Street is so close to everything and anything you wish to do is just on your door step. The staff are very friendly and accommodating and the rooms are clean and comfortable. As Princes Street is one of the main thorough fairs of Edinburgh if you are a light sleeper - ear plugs would be a necessity! read more

This hotel couldn't be better located - you are able to do everything by foot. The staff is very efficient and welcoming. The room and bathroom were very clean and the bed was extremely comfortable! I did not have breakfast in the hotel as I found it a little expensive - £12 per person - considering there were many other cheaper options nearby. read more

I would not recommend this place to anyone. The manager needs to learn what actual quality customer service looks like. He was immediately dismissive when we walked in, telling us to have a seat until our turn. This was after walking 10 minutes with our bags in downtown Edinburgh because the hotel doesn't have parking and doesn't provide a shuttle service. You're left to carry your bags across busy streets and hope they will hold your bags or tell you your room is available early. No one tells you this on the phone when you book. Or even later when you are calling to ask about parking. Their credit card system failed while we were there causing a back up and slow service. The room was fair. The next morning I took a hot shower and it steamed up the bathroom. I looked for a vent above and noticed one trying to work but doing nothing. I later noticed that it was clogged with nasty fuzz. I got dressed and opened the bathroom door. About a minute later, the fire alarms for the whole hotel went off. That same manager came up to our room as we were throwing on clothes to investigate. He told me it was the shower but that we all had to go out anyway. All of the guests were standing outside when he comes out and says, "it was a hot shower in room 109". I'm holding my key, and I'm the only one with a towel on my head. It was very embarrassing. Afterwards, I asked him if there was something I was missing about the situation because it seemed like a flaw in their room design(this was before I saw the clogged vent). He just kept saying to keep the door closed if it's steamy. And then explained that there are very specific rules for where to place the alarms. Not once did he apologize for the incident. In fact, he made me feel like it was my fault. Since he embarrassed me in front of everyone, I won't be having the breakfast I paid for. And now I have to go down and stand around forever while he checks us out. All around, an unpleasant experience. read more

They have a confusing, fundamentally dishonest online booking system that only offers one option for a non-refundable reservation. Their customer service is unresponsive, and incredibly rude. Terrible experience with this hotel. read more