Thomas Bywater checks into the Edinburgh Grand
Getting there: Sat in the old Edinburgh headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Grand is just 100m from newly completed tram tracks leading from the airport. It is also directly above Waverley Station for guests arriving by rail — which is the only way to arrive in the Scottish capital.
Check-in experience: “Grand” is a fair description. The vaulted ceilings and imposing doors of the old bank give a formidable welcome, with a central cavity space raising the ceilings even further to the skylight. Although somewhere they had found a colossal Christmas tree to plug this space.
Room: The one-bedroom Capital Apartment. The tall ceilings had been put to good use in the suite. The area had been divided in two; the bedroom and first bathroom (!) was up on the mezzanine, with a kitchenette, second bathroom and living area below. The incredibly tall windows provided views though to the monument on Calton Hill.
Price: From $345 a night.
What's so good about this place? Location. It would hard to stay anywhere more central without being in Edinburgh Castle.
And the bad? The one thing that undermined the illusion of a private apartment were the notes, everywhere. “Valued guests” were made aware of the price of their Malin + Goetz toiletries (in pounds) and informed, should any shampoo go missing, it would appear on the bill. Bankers may no longer run the Grand, but the misers remain. What’s in the neighbourhood? The Grand is right in the thick of the central city. It’s an ideal location for festival-goers. The Cafe Royal next door is a slice of history and the Voodoo Rooms above are one of Edinburgh’s best cocktail bars and a Fringe Festival favourite.
Toiletries: Extremely well-equipped. Just don’t try to lift any!
Food and drink: On the ground floor is the Hawksmoor Restaurant: serviceable steak with more cavernous ceilings and bank partition booths. Elsewhere in the vaults you’ll find Lady Libertine. Well, her bar at least. Breakfast menu involves lots of flatbread with art-deco trappings — bacon, eggs and beans in a wrap, yours for $8. Up on the fourth floor you’ll find the Register Bar, recycling a lot of the bank’s old features. This includes a pair of oversized tables in the games room that have been turned into ping pong courts. Online: lateralcity.com
Bottom line: A far cry from the Fringe. The ultimate luxury central Edinburgh location for a city break in the United Kingdom that’ll make you feel like you own the place. Just don’t take any toiletries.