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Adam Drysdale House – reviews, photos

42 Gilmore Place, Edinburgh EH3 9NQ, Scotland
Hotel amenities
Adam Drysdale House
Ranked #202 of 428 Edinburgh B&B and Inns
4.0 of 5 stars 24 Reviews
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24 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Brighton, United Kingdom
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“List of disappointments”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

List of disappointments
1. As mentioned in a previous review of this B&B we also had to wait for 10 minutes when we arrived. Landlady claimed that she was told a later time but we knew what time we specified on the phone to the booking agency she works with earlier in the day. Miscommunication between the agency and the landlady is not our issue.
2. Again as mentioned in a previous review we did not get the room we booked. We booked a double en-suite room and we got a big room with a double and a single bed (we clearly did not need that space) with a private bathroom on the hallway of the B&B. That was the first thing that was mentioned by her that it is still a private bathroom as we had the key for it. Our issue was more about having to go in and out of our room any time to use the toilet and shower. The bathroom was opposite (under the stairs) this involved us walking across the hall in full view of the clear glass front door and therefore, in full view of the public outside. We did not make an issue out of it thinking that we will obviously pay less as we did not get what we booked. The room we booked was given to someone else already staying at the B&B who wished to extend his holiday. The last day that we had to pay the remaining amount the landlady did not mention charging us less so we had to say it and the response was that she could let us pay £1.20 less! Yes £1.20! It would get us nowhere to argue further as the excuse used for the overpriced non en-suite room was that it was the biggest room she had! The point she missed was that we did not book that and therefore, did not have to pay for it.
3. The private bathroom we had was not even cleaned and prepared for us, she had to go and ‘freshen it up’ as she said. While cleaning the bathroom she broke the washer of a tap, she apologised and reassured us that she will replace it first thing the next morning but until we left (3 days later) it was not replaced.
4. There was a used toothbrush left on the floor of our room during the first night of our stay that fortunately disappeared the next day.
5. While cleaning our room our clothes where moved. I have worked as a housekeeper in the past and I was never allowed to move customers’ personal belongings. The rooms should be fully cleaned when the room is empty.
6. Too much noise in the mornings, door bell ringing and we had to get up and answer the door in one instance.
The best thing about the B&B was the breakfast; we got an early breakfast as well as we were going to leave early one day . She also recommended a really good pub.
Overall we would not trust the landlady for future booking and therefore, we will never visit the Adam Drysdale House again.

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  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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saintandrewEdinburgh, Owner at Adam Drysdale House, responded to this review
25 January 2012
Quite an opening, extremely vindictive, which has at once shocked and saddened me. Shocked because you seemed so happy and relaxed throughout your stay and saddened that you chose to say nothing throughout your stay and only mentioned your en-suite disappoinment on the morning of your departure when paying.
Anyway,
1. you or I do not communicate verbally with the agency you booked through. You yourself physically insert the arrival time in the online form you fill out, which was 17.30.
2.As you stated the change of room was not an issue at the time and you appeared pleased with your beautiful big room. There are dressing gowns supplied for you also to use the private facilities. As for expecting a reduction on the £25 per person per night you paid to me was nothing to do with the size of the room but shock that after appearing to enjoy your self so much that you expected it when already paying a very fair price.
3. As mentioned above you ETA was 17.30, I returned at 17.00 to finish preparing for your arrival but you were already in the house, on a normal day this would have been done in the morning with everything else so I do accept responsibility for that because sometimes guests do arrive early or late for whatever reason.
This is a 200 year old house and sometimes thing do break. The washer which holds the tap in place beneath the sink did indeed break whilst cleaning and the tap did wobble. The following day I made several attempts to replace it but had to wait till Monday, your day of departure, for a plumber merchants.
4.The toothbrush, used for certain aspects of cleaning, had simply fallen out the cleaning box.
5.We always do our best to make the room tidy and welcoming for guests returning everyday. Some clothes on the sofa were piled neatly on the sofa to allow room for you to sit down. If you do not want your room serviced you only have to say.
6.This is the first you have said of this and I would like to know who you answered the door to.
I am greatly saddenedby this review, the recurring use of the pronoun "she" is very negative coming form someone who exchanged fond farewells and was all sweet and lovely.
That not getting a reduction on your bill has prompted you to write this review , knowing it can have such a detrimental effect on a business really does remind me that money can make some people do the oddest things.
Trip advisor should really be a last resort for a complaint when you have not had satisfaction from the service provider. To say nothing and post this type of review I find either vindictive because you did not get your reduction, or cowardly that you seek to display it on a website but do not have the courage of your convictions to mention the many or indeed any of the complaints you have posted here.
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scotland uk
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“A Home From Home, with the most Welcoming Host!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 January 2012
2
people found this review helpful

My self and my Husband Stayed here for New Year. The House is about 10mins walk from city centre with newsagents ,takeaways and restaurants all within 5 mins walking distance. The Host Karen is such a lovely welcoming lady, who cooks an amazing fry up! This House is such a homely place and was an enjoyable relaxing all round experience. Will deffinately stay here again!

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Suffolk
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
“Best host yet!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 October 2011

Myself and 2 friends had the triple on-suite room. To be perfectly honest the house needs some money spending on it, BUT, and this is a big BUT, Karen the host out ways the negatives. She is so friendly and helpful. The breakfast is very good and always served with a big smile and all the information on Edinburgh you could ever need.
The location is good, Castle and Royal Mile is about a casual 20 minute walk. If you want up market chic accommodation then don't stay here. But if you want down to earth friendly hospitality, then this is the place.

  • Stayed October 2011, travelled with friends
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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burton on trent staffordshire
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
“dissappointed.......”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 September 2011

the owner not available on arrival, key left behind door, no instructions given til morning and not even then really, breakfast way too late, treated terrible, attitude of proprietor was insulting, we didnt get the room we asked for upon booking, it was cold,no light bulb in room, stairs difficult to negotiate due to chairs being on the small landings. we wished to settle our bill before breakfast and were told to wait until after breakfast service, which wasn,t all that fast, one morning we waiting over half an hour for our cooked breakfast, and we were the only ones in the room at the time. we had a long journey home, and didnt want to wait until way past 9.00am to settle our bill, we were insulted by the owner, and i put the money in her hand in an envelope left the keys on the side and promptly walked out.

if you expect to eat before 10.00am dont bother booking in here

very dissappointed we were very upset at our stay which was made very diffucult, and it certainly was not worth the price we paid for our stay.

  • Stayed August 2011, travelled with friends
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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saintandrewEdinburgh, Owner at Adam Drysdale House, responded to this review
22 September 2011
These two poor ladies, mother and daughter, did not enjoy their stay sadly but I would suggest that is more to do with their disposition than the reasons given here. On my return from a 2 day break I contacted Scottish Accommodation through whom they had booked. They keep records of all correspondence and they informed me of the exact wording of all communication with Hazel Barret. There was no mention at all of any disability or heart conditions or even that they required parking. People always inform at the time of booking any special requirements they may have which we endeavour to accommodate. On informing the daughter of this her prompt retort was" what are you doing going away for the weekend anyway!"
I had been informed by my son, who was overseeing the business in my absence, that the ladies had been very bad mannered and rude saying to him to "take these flowers away we have allergies" without a please or a thank you referring to the fresh flowers in the dining room and their bedroom. After being very kind and respectful to the ladies they then informed him of the heart condition but as we were full he could not change their room unfortunately.
If a light bulb had gone out it would have been replaced immediately and in the case of the heating due to it being Aug it is not generally required however because the ladies were saying they were cold their request was addressed and heat supplied.
On the first morning of my meeting the mother I said good morning you must be Hazel's mother and was completely ignored! The lady then ate breakfast with her jacket zipped up
.
The next and their last morning they arrived in the dining room whilst we were in the midst of organising breakfast at 7.40. I informed them breakfast didnt begin until 8 am and would they mind waiting. They told me they needed breakfast early as they had a 5 hour drive home to Burton on Trent. Maybe I shou;d have allowed them to take breakfast early as I have done on occasion with some notice but I fear it may have been orchestrated to make a point. The ladies then left and I must admit it did make breakfast a more normal and pleasant experience for my guests and myself.
They may have had to wait for breakfast as we take orders at breakfast, not the night before, and cook everything from fresh as it is asked for. This system is prefered by most if not all guests and has never before illicited a negative response, it is in fact the opposite extreme to all the feedback we receive.
I believe it always best to have some humility when things dont always go your way and you find that even the toughest of problems can be resolved.
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New Westminster
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Karen makes Scotland”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 September 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We stayed at Adam Drysdale for 7 days in August 2011 and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Karen is amazing! She cooked a great, fabulous, large breakfast, entertained us with stories, engaged all guests so we all felt comfortable and provided local tips to restaurants and events to ensure we had a great stay. Adam Drysdale is close to a park, great for relaxing, close to the Royal Mile and 10 minutes from the city centre. Highly recommended.

  • Stayed August 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about Adam Drysdale House

42 Gilmore Place, Edinburgh EH3 9NQ, Scotland
Price range (per night):* INR4,369 - 7,841

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