On a business trip to Edinburgh during late August and the Fringe is on means hotel prices in the city go crazy. This led to me seeking alternatives and this is how I came to be at the Hilcroft Hotel (a £40 taxi ride from the airport). This proved to be a pain as the taxi fares started to build up over - this is a good base if you have your own car, but I wouldn't recommend it if you don't.

The initial impression is not good. Whitburn has a reputation for being run down and maybe a little rough and the surrounding area is a large council estate. In fairness this does not impact on the hotel itself but makes for a poor first impression.

Inside, the hotel is in need of modernising and the corridors were in the process of being redecorated during my visit so this could be the start of this. The rooms are quite dated and I felt that for £75 a night it was no better than a Premier Inn type location. It was comfy but the room I was in (27) was directly next to an extactor fan than was on from 6pm through to 9pm. This would not be a problem if you were planning on being out during this timeframe, but it was impossible to work in the room even though I had the free WIFI available.

As a family run location, they have clearly invested in the restaurant side of the hotel as this was excellent. The food was of a high standard, good quality and good value for money. This standard also extended to the breakfast. I found the staff to be friendly and helpful throughout and clearly care about wanting to make the restaurant an enjoyable place to be. It was busy each night with a good mix of residents and local diners.

It was also great to see that chivalry is still alive - Ladies Only parking by the front door!