This gem of a bed of breakfast is ideally situated at the hub of transport in the West End of…read moreEdinburgh. This establishment is in a quiet residential street and you are guaranteed an excellent nights' sleep, despite it's situatation so close to shops and transport. The rooms are warm and comfortable, with Freeview TV and good lighting. The breakfast room is bright and airy and the fresh home-cooked breakfasts set you up nicely for the day. You are given your own keys so you can come and go as you please, and the number 27 bus stop (which takes you right through the city to Silverknowles) is immediately outside the front door. Other bus routes round the corner take you to Princes Street and the main shopping centres. Tollcross nearby boasts an excellent selection of restaurants, pubs, cinemas and theatres as well as a handy convenience store. We return to the Armadillo again and again whenever we visit Edinburgh - such a lovely place and such a warm welcome.

Located right in the heart of Bruntsfield is a delightful little guest house, Albyn Townhouse. You…read morecan find it right at the end of Hartington Gardens, which comes off Viewforth, meaning that it has a very quiet location. My parents stayed here last year when they came up to visit, and they spoke highly of it. The guest house itself has 10 en-suite rooms that includes singles, doubles and twin rooms. It offers a full Scottish breakfast that I remember hearing was much to my father's enjoyment! The female owner of the guest house was very pleasant, and I saw her a couple of times. She was always ready to engage in conversation, and taking great care to look after her guests. With a small capacity, and the quality of the guest house, this is bound to be a popular place to stay. It is well worth considering if you are thinking of visiting this area of Edinburgh. My parents would stay there again, and I count that to be as good a recommendation as any!

I was looking for a place to rest my head for a last minute, first visit to Edinburgh and the good…read morereviews tempted me to check out Albyn Townhouse. At first I was a bit disappointed that the only room free on my chosen dates was a single (I was travelling alone but an usually happy to pay the extra for a more comfortable room) but I needn't have worried. OK, there wasn't any 'cat swinging' room to spare, but there was an extremely comfy double bed and en suite shower room. The famously friendly owners were out of town when I visited but the lady left in charge was a treasure, full of helpful tips and just a few moments away if needed. There were a few good breakfast options available, from a 'right on' fruity granola to the 'full on' Scottish (like English with black pudding and haggis). The decor was very 'boutique', there were lovely finishing touches like cotton wool balls for the ladies, free wifi, the best welcoming info folder I have EVER seen in any establishment, and providing you book ahead there are a few private parking spots. It's not budget prices but you could get a lot worse for a lot more. This will definitely be my first choice for my next visit to Edinburgh.

Historically comfortable, a little worn around the edges. Small quiet rooms on upper floors,…read moreprivate baths, excellent breakfast and a very good location make this a fine place to stay at the right price. Was quite reasonable in October but will be dear during the Fringe festival! The Valentine is housed in the first three-door four-flat building in Edinburgh from about 1813 and sports a "B" conservation rating, which means the local council is consulted for nearly every repair, never mind alteration. Uneven floors and odd wiring can't be avoided, however I'm not entirely certain the council requires shower heads that fall randomly from their mounts! In the morning get the full Scottish of blood pudding, baked beans, eggs and bacon if you like, or stick to tea, toast & muesli. All the coffee you can drink. Extremely friendly and fast service in the beautiful front breakfast room too. Don't take the "city centre" part of the name too seriously, but there is plenty of life (pubs, restaurants & shops) close by. Walk 10+ min up to the castle or to the Grassmarket district. If you'd rather not walk, it's brilliantly served every 10-20 min by Lothian bus lines 10 and 27, a stop is literally at the front door of the guest house, for £1.50 you ride straight in to new town or old town as you like. Free wifi was occasionally fast, sometimes nonexistent, mostly usable. Reception is not staffed around the clock, but no worries bcos a key can be left in a lock box out front for late arrivals. Very much enjoyed talking with Rob the proprietor about his place, the council and the city. Beware any third-party web site that uses the word "king" in describing the beds here (you know who you are, hotels-dot-com). Any U.S. visitors should take note that a British "king" is only 20cm or so wider than a "double," and further that the double-twin-sized playground so often found in big hotels on those foreign shores is known as a "super king" in the (still) United Kingdom. Our room had a perfectly comfortable "double," we usual American-king snoozers just had to adapt and pretend we were 20 years younger and many pounds lighter lol. Plenty of towels but no washcloths. Our bathroom was unfortunately the least likable bit, obviously fairly recent work but had much painted wood (some rotten) where stone or plastic should have been used, a temperamental on-demand electric water heater with alarming cracks and holes in it, a failing clasp for the shower spray, and zero towel bars/hooks. We hopped in & out as briskly as possible. Credit accepted, or bring cash for a modest discount.

This place was fantastic! Visited 15 years ago. Friendly, helpful, fun. It was super clean and very…read morehip! I'd say it's still awesome.