The Hoxton, Edinburgh — Hotel in City of Edinburgh

Serial issues with our booking and we weren't the only ones.

Arrived multiple hours after our earliest check in time. Told the room was unavailable despite this. Overheard multiple other arrivals being told the same thing about their rooms

Get sent away to the bar and told that everything would be sorted in a few minutes. Half an hour later we return to the desk. Still get told no room is ready. A manager finally checks the room in person and checks us in.

Then the next morning we get woken up by housekeeping at 10am and told the room is booked early from 8am? (Obviously nonsensical) And can we leave. We've paid and planned for checkout at 12 so no, absolutely not. This wasn't even accompanied by some sort of apology or bargaining - having a manager visit and saying "we've arsed everything up but if you are able to help us out and checkout early we can give you x% off your stay" or something would have at least been a grown up and productive conversation, not having a housekeeping chap just try and guilt is into getting out.

And then just as a bonus the bathroom ceiling was growing a lovely orange mould. No toiletbrush (really guys? Other reviews mention this too, it's so easy to fix!)

The room itself had lovely large windows - facing directly onto the street at ground level with net curtains that were completely transparent. There was no privacy at all.

It's a nice building and the drinks at the bar were great (although they tried billing the drinks to our room after my partner had already paid on card at the bar) but the service and organisation was absolutely shockingly poor - especially at this price point. Even at truly budget hotels like a Travelodge or Premier Inn I've never had, and can't imagine the staff not having the room I've paid for, or try to have us leave early. Bougie incompetence another reviewer has written and that rings true for my experience.

To top it off just as we actually leave we finally get a half hearted apology for all this nonsense, and the offer we are given is "if you come back we might be able to give a discount". As if I'm going to want to give this establishment any more of my money at all, or as if they'll even be organised enough to follow through on this nebulous offer when they apparently cant even book a room out properly to begin with. (They didn't actually give us a voucher, offer a specific value, give us contact details or any way of actually redeeming whatever "discount" they spoke of). Just an insulting experience to be honest.

I simply cannot recommend staying...

My friend and I booked the Hoxton Edinburgh for a weekend. It was stylish and affordable. The hotel isn’t very close to Waverley Station (about a 30-minute walk, longer with luggage), but the location still made it easy to reach everything we wanted. The route is relatively flat despite Edinburgh’s hills and offers views of Edinburgh Castle, the National Galleries, and the Scott Monument. Princes Street has plenty of shops and dining, which made planning the next few days easy on the walk down.||On arrival, our room wasn’t ready—we were early—so reception stored our bags while we explored. When we returned, the room was ready. It was a little hard to find due to limited hallway signage, but once we did, we were pleased. Our cosy third-floor bunk room overlooked Grosvenor Street; we worried about noise but heard none during our stay.||The room was as expected: a bunk bed, TV, and a clothes unit with six hangers. The bathroom had a surprisingly large shower, and everything was clean and in good condition. A card with a QR code led to more hotel info, and a short survey was provided. The minifridge had complimentary water and milk, plus tea service and a hairdryer.||We did have a few small issues. The ceiling light was quite dim. We checked the dimmer, but it wouldn’t turn further, so nighttime lighting felt a bit low (daylight was fine, and the blackout curtains worked well). The room could also use more storage and surfaces. The lower bunk had a small seat that worked as a table, but the upper bunk had nowhere to place items—even with plug ports—other than the bed itself. A small wall shelf by the upper bunk would help. There was also unused space between the bed and the window that could fit storage or a seat; the only seat provided was a small pouffe.||On the first night, we found stains on the lower-bunk sheets. We weren’t too upset, assuming the room was turned over quickly since we arrived early. We called reception, and despite it being 11 pm, someone arrived quickly and changed the sheets without issue. Thanks to Amita for organising this and following up to confirm all was well. After that, we had no further issues, and the beds and pillows were comfortable.||Check-out was quick and easy, and we could leave our bags until pickup. We appreciated how promptly any concerns were handled and will keep the Hoxton in mind for future trips...

The room was beautifully decorated with gorgeous high ceilings and the staff were extremely nice and made a real effort. However, there are many problems.

It was extremely cold in the morning and the hvac only goes up to 24.5 degrees C and refused to increase further, but it felt like 14 degrees C in the room. I could barely detect a lukewarm flow from the vent. The blankets weren't wide enough, about half a meter less wide than the bed, and I was shivering as the cold air entered into my sheets. The large windows, while beautiful, are very draughty.

Second, the windows not only fail to insulate against the cold, but also the sound. The hotel is conveniently located by the tram lines but we could hear every single tram rumbling by.

Third, there are numerous small things that are imperfect. The bathroom door has a non-rotating door handle that makes it impossible to open and close without emitting a loud bang, waking up everyone. The curtains are dusty and a plume of dust is visible in the sunlight whenever I touch them. The ceiling trim was also missing a piece. There was a dearth of counter space at the bathroom sink and we struggled to find a spot to put our toothbrushes. There are no hooks or rails to hang towels.

Finally, the hotel is not very accessible since there are stairs leading up to the main entrance and there was only one lift. Upon ascending the lift, there was an extremely long, narrow, twisty, and terrifyingly dark corridor that we had to navigate for what seemed like ten minutes to get to our room. The doorways are so narrow that two adults cannot walk side by side, and you cannot walk with a suitcase by your side, even as a slim person. This is fine if you are traveling lightly as a young adult but it is not good if you have luggage or a family. Perhaps bring a flashlight too.

The location is in Haymarket, a diverse neighborhood with plenty of delicious Indian, Mediterranean, Italian, and Vietnamese restaurants. You can get to the main attractions by train or tram, a five minute walk away, or walk directly for half an hour.

Ultimately, while charmed by the decor and vibe of the hotel, I cannot say that it was a very comfortable stay, especially at the lofty price of over £310 per night, and I hope that they improve it...