A CITY ESCAPE

Felicity Donohoe discovers the best of both worlds at the Marriott Courtyard Edinburgh West, at Heriot-Watt University

Afour-star Edinburgh hotel might conjure up images of a bustling reception in a busy city, full of shoppers, traffic and tourists. In fact, the Marriott Courtyard Edinburgh West sits on the outskirts of the city, nestled in the peaceful surrounds and leafy avenues of the beautiful Heriot-Watt University campus. Bright blue skies and stunning early autumn colours greeted me as I found a parking space outside the main entrance. Looking about me, the place felt quiet and serene. There was no traffic, no horns, no busy streets — just a light breeze and quiet birdsong among the old pine trees.

Check-in was quick and the first thing that caught my eye was the modern and stylish decor. Built to cater for researchers, sports professionals and a business clientele — as well as city visitors — the Marriott West has an

upbeat vibe with eye-catching murals on the walls reflecting Edinburgh’s sporting history, and a bold colour palette that matched the informal dining/bistro/bar area.

Heading up to the room, the contemporary theme continued. The room was as clean and comfortable as you would expect from the Marriott Hotel brand, with a small

Scottish-themed welcome gift of Tunnocks and Irn Bru waiting for me on the coffee table for good measure.

It’s a great room for business travellers. There were plenty of USB ports, as well as standard plug sockets, well located for charging and working at the desk.

Even better, the room — with large windows — was private and quiet, overlooking a vibrant display of mature autumnal trees and bark-path forest trails.

The university is a world centre for sports and environmental research and I was keen to see what the surrounds had to offer.

I popped on my running gear, pulled up Google Maps on my watch and set off before the sun dipped.

I couldn’t have picked a better evening. The campus was well signposted, with secluded trails and routes through the trees, past the

THE LEAFY PEDESTRIANFRIENDLY CAMPUS IS A GENUINE HAVEN FROM THE CITY

Pelican Lake, with swans paddling lazily close to the shore and ducks snuggled together on the edge of the water, through The Lawn and beautiful Millennium Gardens.

On the way back past the students’ union, I saw the well-known Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre, which the Scottish Rugby Union and the Scottish Football Association use as a training facility.

Since I had access to its gym with my room key, I popped into the building, which was packed with sports students. Some were playing basketball in the huge glass-walled courts that lined one side of the corridor while others hung out at the food courts and cafes.

I headed up to the gallery to watch the training of Scotland’s next top footballers, pitches laid out with cones for drills (Hearts also use the centre for first-team training) as the girls and boys of the academy were put through their paces by top athletic coaches.

The gym itself was state-of-the-art and, I’m glad to say, it wasn’t all turbo-fit youngsters putting me to shame, with a mix of ages and abilities, and some excellent instruction and guidance from the knowledgeable assistants.

A half-hour workout later and it was time to head back for food. Luckily, the sports centre is right across the road from the hotel and it wasn’t long before I was showered and down for dinner at The Avenue bistro.

The service was quick and polite. On the recommendation of the waitress, I opted for a light falafel starter and a spicy green Thai noodle main, both of which were excellent.

One of the interesting aspects of the hotel was the clientele. Smartly-attired business

people mixed with smaller groups of visitors in sports club tracksuits, and overseas visitors conversed via Zoom in the business cafe area, providing a convivial atmosphere for dining.

The next morning, after a tasty veggie buffet breakfast, I decided to head into Edinburgh on the number 25 bus, which conveniently left from outside the hotel and deposited me on Princes Street around 30 minutes later.

I took in the Surgeons’ Hall Museum and a quick snack at the Malt Shovel Inn on

Cockburn Street. It really was quite pleasant to ditch the car. However, there is plenty of parking at the hotel and EV chargers at Edinburgh Airport 10 minutes away by taxi (around £10), avoiding all main routes, too.

Although a super locale for business travellers, the hotel is also perfect for parents with children reluctant to tackle a busy city street on their doorstep. The Pentland Hills are just a short drive away, too, and the leafy pedestrian-friendly campus is a genuine haven from the city. With lovely walks, good food and peaceful surroundings, it really

has the best of both city and country.

FRESH AIR: Although the hotel has easy access to the city, you are also only a short trip from the Pentland Hills.

The Surgeons’ Hall museum makes for a fascinating visit if you head into the city centre on convenient public transport.

The hotel has a contemporary feel and enjoys a peaceful location.

The sports facilities are world-class.