I have been staying at the quality once or twice year for the last five years, while going to watch the rugby at Murrayfield, either with my wife or a group of friends. Until my last visit everything was fine, the only criticism has been that it is rather isolated, but it is ideally suited if you are flying from Edinburgh.
if you want to go into town, the choices are a taxi (£20+) or take the Airport shuttle and get a bus from there, you have to pay for the shuttle from the hotel to the airport (£1.50 per person), although from the airport to the hotel is free.
We always try to get a room at the front as they are slightly larger
Upon arrival I discovered that the hotel didn’t have my booking and indeed the booking I had made for three weeks time. They were very apologetic but did enquire if I had confirmed the booking, I hadn’t as a previous time I did confirm but was informed that was not necessary, I will in future.
The bottom line was that the agreed price could not be matched as there was only one room left for the Saturday night and I had no proof of the booking.
Jean the reservations co-ordinator was very apologetic and she did amend the Saturday night room rate down but it was still slightly more than was quoted at the time of booking, however, they were able to reduce the cost of the booking for Saturday evening in three weeks time so overall I gained, accept I was paying for this weekend and the costs will be shared in three weeks time.
The room was available although it was still before 11 we put our bags in the room. As I said before we asked for a room at the front of the hotel, overlooking the court yard, yes you do get a bit of aircraft noise but it is Edinburgh Airport so there are relatively few flights, and we do like the windows open.
The room is reasonably sized with two-seater settee, double, if small, bed, TV, trouser press, iron, ironing board, safe, desk and chair, bathroom with bath, shower, sink and WC and mirrored wall over sink. Everything was spotlessly clean.
The reception area has the bar and a lounge with seating for about 30, there is a PC for (payable) internet access, the hotel also has Wi-Fi, although I found this slow.
Food can be taken in the lounge or restaurant; we had lunch both days in the Lounge, the wife enjoyed the roasted butter-nut squash and sweet potato soup, I had a sort of Chicken club sandwich in ciabbatta and chips which was nice but on the expensive side.
The real problem came on Saturday morning at breakfast, we arrived along with another pair of gentlemen and a family of three soon to be joined by a family group of four a total of 11 people in the restaurant.
The family of three was the first to order then us, then the two men, I ordered the full breakfast with scrambled eggs and no tomato, the wife only wanted the continental breakfast.
The juices, cereals, fruit, savouries and toast are laid out buffet style with the customers helping themselves and only the cooked breakfasts being served to the table.
We were served first with two breakfasts both with poached eggs, these were for the two gentlemen as I heard them ordering it and I explained that. I also explained that I wanted scrambled with no tomato and the wife didn’t want a cooked breakfast at all, I was told these were for table 9, the waitress took the breakfasts back to the kitchen and not to the other couple.
Another two breakfasts came out again, this time with fried eggs, we again explained what I wanted and that the wife did want a breakfast, I think this was part of the order for the family of three.
The two gentlemen were then served a breakfast, one I think was mine, but they had seem what had happened so accepted it, at the third attempt the wife got a breakfast again and I got the scrambled egg it did include the tomato which I pointed and the waitress quickly resolved by picking up the tomato with her fingers and putting on the wife’s plate.
We accepted that as I had got what I asked for, however, whilst it didn’t matter the breakfast served to the wife was now totally overcooked, the sausage was burnt and the bacon overcooked.
Just after we were served the family of three who ordered first asked where there’s was.
While this had been going on I noticed two squashed chips under my table, these had been left from the previous night’s service. I mentioned this to the waitress and the restaurant manager came out, I did explain what had happened and she was very apologetic and said that cleaning was one of her issues as they cannot use a Hoover after service due to the bedrooms above the restaurant.
The restaurant manageress did offer us a complimentary sweet or wine with our evening meal if we were eating which we weren’t so she laid on a free drink in the bar and didn’t charge us for the mid-morning coffee and Chocolate.
Both the wife and I could understand not being able to use a Hoover late at night what we could not understand was that as it was a wooden floor where the chip was why they couldn’t use a broom or brush.
The Sunday morning was very different with ample staff in the restaurant including the manageress who again apologised and said that the waitress would be spoken to about using her fingers to remove the tomato from my plate.
Will we stay again, well yes it’s booked for three weeks time and the location is excellent for the airport that along with the ability to leave the bags in the hotel while we go to Murrayfield before returning to collect the bags in time for the evening flight home, however, if we stay the night of the match rather than travel home perhaps now is the time to consider a hotel nearer the town or Murrayfield
The hotel was full on the Saturday night and I guess the majority did not have the same issues as we did, but I suspect other had similar problems at breakfast on Saturday. There have been other comment about the lack of staff and that appears to have been the problem once again
I sent a copy of this review to the hotel prior to submission please find below an extract from the response, I have omitted the apologies which were profuse.
I am sorry to read about the reservation error and the issues in the restaurant during breakfast. To be honest, I am mortified that a team member in the restaurant literally picked up the tomato (with her hand) and swapped it to another plate AND that you found the restaurant not cleaned properly from the night before. Please know that our expectation is that the restaurant and lounge is hovered and cleaned thoroughly each night.
Room Tip: The rooms at the front are bigger
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC