The Principal Edinburgh, Scotland

My review of The Principal Edinburgh Hotel in Scotland.

With everything planned for my three-day trip to Edinburgh, I was getting really excited to visit the capital of Scotland for the first time.

When I started looking for accommodation, the two things that I considered most important were location and value for money. A hotel close to major tourist attractions, of good quality and value for money, would be ideal.

Among a myriad of hotels that I saw, The Principal Edinburgh George Street Hotel, a four-star luxury hotel, was the best option.

The four-storey charming building was constructed in 1780 and is located on the prestigious George Street, the most important street in the early development of Edinburgh’s New Town.

It’s just a few steps from Waverley Station and a plethora of attractions including the famous Castle, Princes Street and Calton Hill.

Principal Edinburgh George Street Hotel

The Principal Edinburgh Hotel was recently renovated and is sumptuously decorated with luxurious materials such as leather, oak and marble, combined with neutral colours, creating an atmosphere of a luxury boutique hotel.

With an elegant reception area, characterized by stylish furniture and divided by impressive columns, it is impossible not to feel welcome when you arrive at the hotel. In addition, the staff is very friendly, helpful and efficient.

The hotel offers four different kinds of rooms: guest, superior, deluxe and suite; all are beautifully refurbished and combine the perfect balance of taste and comfort and have the four-star amenities you would expect.

I booked a Guest Room (Double) in the Townhouse. It is 13sq.m and has stylish décor and lighting, a large and very comfortable double bed, a safe, LCD TV, an iron and ironing board, a table with chairs, an extra seating area for reading and complimentary coffee, tea and cookies.

The room was very clean and well laid out, and despite facing the busy George Street, it wasn’t noisy.

The bathroom was a great size, with fine toiletries, plenty of towels, a shower and a superb bath that was so relaxing and which I enjoyed a lot, especially after spending the whole day sightseeing. I just missed some bath salts and bombs. I know this is not a spa hotel, but this is what you expect when you see a bath…

The Principal Edinburgh Hotel is regularly sought out for conferences and weddings. It also has a popular trendy restaurant, The Printing Press, which has a nice atmosphere and uses Scottish seasonal products.

I didn’t have dinner at the restaurant, only drinks in the bar on a Friday night, which had a DJ and really good music.

There is also a coffee place called Burr&Co, which is open from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

One of the things I don’t like is that breakfast is not included in the room rate, and it costs an additional 12 pounds.

Breakfast is served in the Printing Press restaurant and there’s a buffet with a great variety of fruit, yoghurt, pastries, sausages, eggs, etc., and a la carte dishes.

The staff is good, however, the tables in the restaurant are too close to each other. The pastries are not very tasty and there are just a few cheese options.

I believe the price is reasonable considering the variety and amount of food you can have.

There is a turn-down service at the end of the afternoon, which can be annoying for some guests, however, I think it’s an extra hospitality touch because you know that someone is knocking on your door to verify if everything is OK and whether you need something else.

Unfortunately, the hotel doesn’t have parking spaces on site, and the facility they offer at a discount is a 15min walk from the hotel. This is not far, but it can be inconvenient on rainy days.

I stayed at The Principal Edinburgh Hotel for three nights and paid 346.8 pounds, an average of 115.6 pounds per night, including VAT, but without breakfast. This is a good value for money for a four-star hotel.

Overall I had a pleasant stay at The Principal Edinburgh Hotel, the staff was fantastic and I was pretty excited to go back to the hotel after exploring the city because I knew I would find a clean room, a nice bath and a comfy bed in which to rest and relax.

When I go back to Edinburgh I will definitely stay there again, especially because they offered me 10% off for my next stay.

You can make your reservation at The Principal Edinburgh Hotel by clicking on the picture below.

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