Star Stays
Yotel, Edinburgh
THE LOCATION
Queen Street is a five-minute walk from Princes Street, the main shopping stretch. From Waverley train station it’s a short stroll to the hotel through the pretty streets.
THE PROPERTY
Check-in is fast and simple thanks to tablets you can use yourself. Just pop in your reservation surname and you are away. No waiting for a receptionist to do the deed, although they are on hand to help.
THE ROOM
We stayed in a fifth floor “cabin” which was fresh, modern and full of spacesaving designs.
The bed, the hotel’s famous Smartbed, is basically a futon which converts to a comfy queen-sized bed with the push of a button, and there was a pull-out bedside table which allows you to make maximum use of the space when moving about.
There was plenty of hanging space and good lighting. The shower cubicle was spotlessly clean and featured both rainfall and handheld shower heads. The sink and vanity unit had a clever, dimming light built into the mirror – perfect for applying make-up.
A big flat-screen HD telly, with Chromecast, was wall-mounted opposite the bed and there were plenty of plug points and USB charging points for all your tech too.
The window in our end-of-corridor room was a floor-to-ceiling, but two pull down blinds meant there was not a peep of light to wake us up in the morning.
THE FOOD
Komyuniti is the bar where you can grab a drink or order some bar snacks. Try the cajun chicken flatbreads and the Yakitori – Japanese chicken skewers with a yummy sweet soy glaze.
Alternatively you could pop into Kohi, a café and coffee bar where you can grab a caffeine fix, salads and a sandwich.
There is a handy vending machine in the lobby which is stuffed with a variety of snacks from Japanese wasabi nuts to cans of juice and chocolate. However, we found it only takes cards and didn’t like to give up its contents. We used it twice and had to have a staff member to rescue our Kettle crisps on both occasions.
THE FACILITIES
An extensive gym and two meeting rooms.
THE BILL
Queen rooms start from £60, family rooms from £90, first class kings from £110 and VIP king suites are priced from £160. yotel.com
Overall, this is a great option for a weekend getaway in a prime location at a very reasonable price for the high standard of rooms. I would certainly use Yotel in the future when visiting Scotland’s capital city. Coronavirus restrictions mean the hotel is currently closed.