Grassmarket Hotel

This hotel worked perfect for our group. With an offer of double, triples and quads. Nobody was left out and we all had a great night's sleep. Rooms were clean, beds were comfy and the shower was lush. Great service and we could step through a door into the pub. Thank you for looking after us!

Apex Hotel Grassmarket truly lies in the Heart of Edinburgh right beneath Edinburgh Castle and allows a spectacular view on Grassmarket and onto the castle itself. The room and the whole hotel was really tidy and clean. The staff was very nice and welcoming and treated us very polite. We used the pool once and the water had a nice temperature. The breakfast was outstanding, since you can either choose from a menu or take something from the buffet or both. The room itself was very clean and the beds comfortable, but a bit small for four people with 4 baggages.

We struggled to find the hotel at first. But its actually in a great location, very near to the castle (which was amazing!) And the royal mile. Staff were very helpful on the front desk and looked after our bags until check in. Room very small, bed against the wall and no space either at the side or foot of the bed, so I struggled to get out to go to the toilet in the night without waking my husband. Huge tv at foot of bed, weirdly disproportionate to the size of the bed and room. Bed was however, very comfortable. Feature wall (not shown in photo) very busy, not very relaxing. The hotel looks tiny from outside but its a tardis inside, its very deceiving! Breakfast... In the pub next door - we only ate there 1 day but had paid for 2. It was AWFUL, actually inedible and I didn't eat mine. Service was shocking too! There was only 1 other couple in there and lots of staff who were busy cutting lemons/limes rather than serving, replenishing butter, tea bags, sugar, milk, and attending the barely luke warm water machine for tea. We had to ask several times for all the above. We went out for breakfast from then on, food in cafes near the hotel was great.

Such a lovely hotel. Staff were so friendly and nice, giving us ideas on where to go and things to see. Such a shame I didn’t get their names as they need a raise!! Room was amazing, even had built in Bluetooth speakers in the celling. If you’re looking for a place to stay I very much recommend

Me and my friends had a lovely stay at the Grassmarket hotel this weekend. The room was clean and tidy and very spacious . The only thing we wasn’t expecting was its connected to a very lively pub , this is where you have breakfast if you have it included . It wasn’t the best , very basic. Live music 7 days a week but it didn’t disturb us through the night! Location is perfect! Didn’t get a uber all weekend , everything was in a 15 minute walk! Would definitely stay here again but wouldn’t get food so we could avoid pub . The pub wasn’t shown when we booked through easy jet so was a surprise to us. Staff were lovely and helpful.

I have stayed at Apex Grassmarket before, I enjoy the atmosphere and have always found the staff to be friendly and welcoming, the complimentary mulled wine and mince pies are a real ice touch. ||The location of the hotel is good for exploring Edinburgh and there are plenty of dining options in the vicinity. Rooms are comfortable and clean and the bar area is perfect for an evening drink if I don’t feel like venturing out.

Grassmarket hotel was situated in a very central location. Staff were friendly and helpful. Room was very comfortable. The only thing that I felt let it down was no table on one side of the bed. Bathroom was very spacious and had a desk looking out onto the street. ||The bar next door was very spacious. Breakfast was good and included in the price of the room

A great stay in a funky hotel right in the heart of Edinburgh! Staff couldn’t have been nicer and the food in the pub was delicious. I would definitely stay again.

This was the perfect hotel for a two night stay in Edinburgh. It's super centrally located and well priced. We were able to drop off our bags at 7 am and the room was ready by 12:30 pm. One of the major benefits for me is that they let you borrow a straightener from the front desk. My hair was so grateful!! The rooms are tiny but that's to be expected in Europe! The WiFi wasn't fantastic either but we really didn't need it much.

This hotel is located in the Grassmarket area of Edinburg. It's just steps away from Old Town and the Royal Mile. Edinburg Castle is about a 15 minute walk. There is a restaurant in the hotel but there are a LOT of restaurants within walking distance. We had asked for a room with two beds thinking they would be single beds. (Our last experience with hotels in Europe was not a great one. We had a tiny room and a tiny bed,) When we got our room it was bigger than we expected. It had two beds-one was a king and the other a queen. What a nice surprise! There is no air conditioning in most hotels in Europe. With the windows open and a fan I was quite comfortable because the temp was around 60° the three nights we were there. The hubby who likes it much colder said it was bearable. The staff was friendly. The hotel was clean. I don't remember if breakfast is included in the price. There is a buffet breakfast or you can order off the menu. The last morning I ordered the smoked salmon, poached eggs, and sourdough toast off the hot menu. It was delicious. Had to have smoked salmon before I left Scotland...wish I would have ordered it sooner. Yummy. Would have given it 4 stars but with the lack of ac and having to climb several sets of stairs before you get to the elevator I'm giving it 3 stars. In all fairness, on occasion I did use the hotel ramp to get into or leave the hotel but that entailed walking through the rain. It did, however, lead you directly to the elevator.

We arrived a bit after noon and were able to leave our suitcases at reception, enabling us to catch lunch and start being tourists. When we returned about 2, our room was ready. We were initially concerned that electricity didn't work, but it turned out the room key card, left in a slot near the door, turns on the juice. Huh, never saw that before! We had a corner room with busy views of Grassmarket and Victoria street. I was afraid that street noise might be an issue overnight but it wasn't. The mattress and pillows were superior to that of most hotels. The room decorations were so much fun--Dandy comics all over the walls, and a magnificent magnetic map of Edinburgh on the wall! The room offered great storage with a shelf of wooden bins. The room's desk was so full of useful things that there wasn't much empty space to use it as a desk, but the window sills were wonderfully wide and worked as extra tables. There were several plugs around the room, from the desk to behind the bed, so it was no problem to keep our phones and tablets charged. We were here four nights. Our room was serviced daily without our belongings being disturbed. We appreciated the new Tunnocks left for us each day. Our one issue with the room was the shower; it's fancy standing shower with a very thin lip to hold back water. The hair catcher in our drain caused our shower to almost immediately start to flood onto the floor, but removing that catch solved the problem. Also: the shower knobs can be tricky, especially with soapy hands. I only felt I had the system mastered on our last night. The lobby is staffed 24 hours a day. We were greeted each time we went in and out, everyone pleasant and helpful. There's a fridge with beers, ciders, and other drinks for sale at the counter, as well as extra Tunnocks for 50p. We direct-booked our room and earned a free bottle of Prosecco that awaited us in our room. We were encouraged to trade it in for a cold bottle when and if we wanted one--we did just that! Then there is the hotel's location. It's right in central Edinburgh. We found it easy to walk everywhere from Waverly Station to the Royal Mile and into New Town. If you have accessibility issues, do note that the city is very hilly with uneven pavement and cobbles, especially in the vicinity of this hotel. We would happily stay here again.

NO! don't book this hotel if you want sleep at night. loud music from the bar beside it. air conditioning does not work, wifi does not reach to the rooms and the tv has about 2 channels and the wifi does not work on it either. and the beds are terribly uncomfortable! and the window does not open. it also has only 2 wall outlets in the whole room. went to the front desk about the wifi and the tv no help.

I genuinely am glad I booked this hotel! Long review coming your way: I booked through hotels.com and it was super easy. I actually contacted the hotel through instagram about whether or not they had a hair dryer, and European/Us outlets, and they responded within a day, I was impressed! I love that they actually use their social media as a way to get more people to stay with them. I will admit, knowing that they posted pictures regularly showcasing their hotel helped me decide to book here, and because their price was unbeatable. I tell you, social media DOES work. I booked the basic room, and let me tell you, it is basic. I laughed because as I was arriving to room 312, I felt like Harry Potter heading to my closet under the stairs. This room is PERFECT for one person, and I was glad it was just me. A couple could make the room work, but I suggest getting a bigger room if that's the case. You are getting exactly what you pay for, a bed, shower, and the amenities for comfort. It had just what I needed, without any frills. I say that because it's true- is the place fancy? No, because I didn't need fancy. It was like a cute little eclectic hotel for people who just need a room. It's not a dump, mind you, but for the price, you will be happy with what you get! It's SO close to EVERYTHING. I was so grateful everything was within walking distance. Check in folk were all very friendly and helpful. The room I had didn't have a window that opened, which was okay. I'm not claustrophobic, but I was thinking how fresh air would have been nice. I had a little hot water kettle with tea which was an adorable touch, I totally used it each morning. The tea/chocolate/misc was refilled each day, along with towels. I plan on coming back to Scotland eventually, and I'll be sure to book with this hotel again. If anyone has questions, message me and I'll be happy to answer!

I really, really wanted to love this place - but I'm afraid it just didn't live up to expectations. The first impressions weren't great. When we got in to our room it was filthy! The shower had scum in it that appeared to have been built up - not just lacking a good scrub after a traveller had left. The windowsill was dirty and the bed sheets stained. Even more so, the room was tiny. The double bed was butt up against the wall so one person would constantly be having to climb over the other to get out of bed. It felt more like a hostel than a hotel. I informed reception of the dirty room and they said they would move us. Luckily this was too a much nicer, bigger and cleaner room located on the first floor. We were much happier and pleased that things had been resolved. I'm a big believer that you can't complain without giving the hotel chance to resolve the issues. They did resolve this to my satisfaction. The housekeeping left a lot to be desired. Dirty bedsheets and towels left in corridors till 4pm (if not later), the quality of cleaning was too below standard. In the rooms as well as throughout the hotel. There were also many areas that needed touching up and repairing but nobody had put the love into it and bothered. The service was a bit lacking too. No pleasantries as you were coming or going - again something I'm not used to. Positives: - Great location - Quirky hotel/nice decor - Comfortable nights sleep - Nice rainfall shower - Good complimentary toiletries - Nice tea/coffee making facilities & free teacakes - Free WIFI - Amazing sound system - Box of chocolates on arrival (special occasion) Negatives: - Poor housekeeping - Lacking customer service - No telephone to call reception (expected to call from mobile - which would be very pricey for overseas travellers) - Some rooms are very pokey - Appalling air con and rooms too hot (had to get a fan for our stay) - Pub smell throughout hotel - Not disabled friendly This hotel has the potential to be great. It has all the right ingredients. The location is great, the building great - repair it, train your staff and hire better cleaners and I'm sure things would greatly improve here. Would I stay again if nothing changed... no probably not. But improve the above and I would. My long weekend was meant to feel romantic and special, but unfortunately the hotel aspect lacked the luxury that I had hoped for (and felt I paid for).

Perfect location and remarkable hospitality. They made us feel at home! We would definitely choose the Grassmarket again!

Great little hotel, with an even better location. Just a short walk to the Castle, shopping and the train station. The staff was super friendly and knowledgable of the neighborhood. We enjoyed going to Biddy's, the bar attached to the hotel. It was a great atmosphere, described as the best Irish Bar in Scotland. Although it was a little loud on Sunday night, as we had a floor 1 room. Our room came with a Sudoku puzzle on the wall. There were a lot of other cool features as well. The only thing that kept this hotel from a 5 Star Review was the bathroom door. It was a smoked glass door, with no latch or sound proofing. When walking behind it with the lights on, figures can be seen behind the glass. This was a bit awkward, as we were traveling with my mother. Over all, definitely a hotel I will book with next time in Edinburgh.

I really loved this hotel, and thought it was cheap for the quality. The decor is pretty fun, there's a plasma tv in the room with a lot of channels. The location is pretty good, as everything is a short walk away. The room has coffees, chocolates and tea, as well as kettle. There's a hair dryer. However the room is a bit small, and we had asked for a room with two doubles and received one double, which was separated into two singles. There is no wifi or phone in the room. We didn't have any issues with noise in the street, even though the room looked over the street. But a lot of taxi drivers told us this might be an issue; there actually are a lot of bars in the area.

I would highly recommend this hotel. The room was small and quirky, but very clean and comfortable. The staff was nice and let us leave our bags at the desk even the day before we were due to check in. They gave me a free espresso, left chocolates in the room and we were able to check in early. The shower, AC, tv all worked great. My favorite part was there were gigantic plush white towels instead of the normal sub par hotel towels. The bath products were also fun and smelled great. The only disappointment was we did not get the daily puzzles on our wall. The street right outside IS LOUD but that's expected right in the heart of the city. The map of Edinburgh on the wall was awesome and extremely helpful! I would definitely go back if ever in Edinburgh again. Thanks Grassmarket hotel!

Outstanding location, fantastic price and terrific food spots around. Excellent for single travelers and people needing a base in Edinburgh. TV is good, water hot, room clean and staff friendly. Beds comfortable and clean. Everyday room is serviced and trash removed. Highly recommended!!!!

I loved this place! The rooms and, most importantly, the beds are very comfortable! It is quirky and full of life and charm. It has air conditioning and a nice tea set up in the room, complete with a couple of goodies for weary travelers.the staff is very friendly and accommodating. It is in Grassmarket, so bring earplugs. It gets lively outside. This hotel is my kind of place! Five stars!

I'd recommend staying elsewhere. If they don't tend to a leaky toilet in three days, what other maintenance are they neglecting?

A cheap deal from a last minute (dot com) website found us with a room, for the last night of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for less than £100! I wasn't quite sure what to expect for that price but I was very impressed with the room and the service. A nicely modernised hotel, with some cute quirky touches, a massive bed, great shower (if a little on the low side for us taller folks!), it is definitely somewhere to use again! Bonus points for providing Tunnocks teacakes with the complimentary tea and coffee, and for the Dandy comic covers as wallpaper! No issues with noise despite the location, and the the staff were friendly and very helpful (we had a lack checkout and the electronic key was disabled too early, was sorted out in minutes).

So, like any place, this one has its pros and cons. Pros: great location, very inexpensive Cons: sort of rough interior, unsecured bag storage, curt staff I found this place on the internet and ended getting a really amazing deal. The location is really ideal for seeing all of Edinburgh. It is easily within walking distance of everything you would want to see, including the Royal Mile and the Edinburgh Castle. There are lots of cute shops, bars and restaurants around as well. So, location gets an A+ The hotel itself looks sort of rough and worn down. The atmosphere is more like a hostel than a hotel. The rooms were pretty small and there werent a lot of amenities, but it was perfectly adequate for a comfortable stay. I did love that our room had a HUGE bathtub and a heated towel bar which seemed strange in comparison to the rest of the room and hotel. The staff were really curt and nonchalant. I was being very friendly and all I got back were blank faces and one-word answers. It was a bit odd. Also I wasnt too happy with their baggage storage. They gave me a key to put my luggage in a large upstairs closet that had everyone elses bags in it as well. There was nothing to stop me or anyone else from rifling through others peoples bags while I had the key. Not cool. Overall this is a great place to stay if you are looking for somewhere on the cheap in a perfect location in Edinburgh and you dont mind the staff attitudes or lower-market accommodations. Personally I was more interested in the city itself than where I stayed, so it was great, but if you are looking for a bit more luxury and friendliness this probably isnt the place for you.

Location was great, room was what I would expect from a 2 star hotel (marks on walls, pealing paper, smelled like sewage at night etc). There is no AC, was told that if I wanted the room below 22 deg C to turn off the air and open the window.... The guy at reception during the day was super friendly and helpful. However, I checked in late in the evening and checked out early in the morning so I got to meet Maximus- hands down the worst person I interacted with traveling across Europe for the last month. When I checked in he asked me to write down my credit card info- I asked if I could get that slip back when I checked out so there wasn't a random piece of paper with my personal info on it- he immediately got an attitude and told me not to worry about it (I came back in the morning and talked to the receptionist who had no issue with this ask). He then gave me my room key and walked away, for a room on the 2nd floor. I took the lift up to 2 but my room was not up there. Came back down and asked where it was and he had to show me- take the lift to level 1, walk down a hallway then up a set of stairs then another hallway. He then asked if him coming with me helped- no, what would have helped would have been explaining that a second floor room isn't actually accessible from the 2nd floor before I went up there initially. Then when I came to check out, I placed the key on the counter and said I needed to check out- he took the key without saying anything and as I zipped up my bag I heard a video on his phone start. He was sitting there watching a show- I asked him if there was anything I needed to do or a receipt or anything and he looked up, shook his head no, and went back to his show.

I finally get to write about this! First of all here is the honest truth: the room was small and the bathroom had a frosted glass door. Which is weird because then there is no privacy. BUT get over it, the the staff is remarkable, the style is engaging, the details are great (tea/wifi/maps), and the location ... LAWD have mercy! ... the location is unparalleled. You are located in the historic part of town, with access to ANYwhere you need to go. And the food within a 2 minute walk ... from the front door ... is great. There is so much personality and history in this location. Follow them on twitter and ask questions. They are so personable and down to earth.

We stayed here during the fringe and found it to be a very pleasant and quirky experience. Hipsters will love it. Whilst the location is very central the soundproofing of rooms is excellent and only a low hum of activity can be heard. My only negative about this experience was the price per night which was north of £250. Whilst this may not be a lot for Edinburgh hotels, I thought it was a lot for the type of hotel (non-luxurious). Prices may have been inflated also because of the fringe/ tattoo madness. Other positives were the great staff who were pleasant and informative, the location (right in the centre) and the comfort levels in general. I would stay again, but not during fringe/ tattoo season.

A great night stay in lovely old town! Firstly this part of town is really special. Home of lots of independence shops. Lovely food, ales and whiskey. Friendly people and creative minds make this area special. The hotel follows the same guidelines it's a very friendly place... The room are cheap for the area and have everything you'll need. The hotel is very quirky from comic book wallpaper, a fun welcome guide to the very modern design. Staff are lovely, it was my birthday weekend so they got me a card and a box of chocolates in my room to match the 4 beers (paid by us) all ready when I walked in. Would return.

Superb decor awaits from the moment you step through the front door. It's all in the details in this trendy little hotel in the heart of Edinburgh: the lift reads "up, up, up & away", the reception is emblazed with dozens of old keys, the walls are covered with old comic books... if you are looking to stay in a place with style, look no further. The only negatives were that our double room was too small for the price and it didn't have wi-fi.

From check-in to check-out, this hotel was excellent. Breakfast in the pub next door was delicious, staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and the room was totally cool (and clean!). I loved the location, too. It's central and easy to find. A great hotel.

Wonderful, wonderful hotel. Chris, the manager, is a complete doll. Very concerned about making sure you're comfortable and well taken care of. Very fun, sweet little hotel at the foot of the castle. Bathroom is very modern, great amenities. Beds are comfortable. Loved it here!

This hotel is in the perfect location but I'm glad we weren't there for a long stay. I think this is more of a bachelors hotel, the toilet seat was thin, it was like sitting on the ledge of the bowl. I'm not a connoisseur of toilets but it was so uncomfortable that we both mentioned it. Also, The room never got warmer than 60 degrees and the sheets were stained. In the morning after we took our long steamy showers to warm up, we saw a bug crawling up the wall which prompted us not to use the open can of sugar cubes in our rooms and go out for coffee. This place has so many great ideas but it isn't being well executed.

Its location is ideal for recreational trips into Edinburgh. It is also centrally located for travelling within Edinburgh as well as points more distant: within 15 minutes walk is Waverley Station and all the transport options it provides. The single room I booked was cozy but well appointed: tea service, hangers and drawers were ready for use and quite convenient. Temperature regulation and fixtures in the washroom all worked perfectly. As well, the staff were efficient and helpful even with my ignorant tourist questions. The next time I'm in town the Grassmarket is on my short list.

Great location, clean, ultra-modern and trendy. There is even a place to put your mp3 player in the wall to tune into built-in speakers. I did not like the comics on the walls. But this is in the middle of wonderful Edinburgh. An amazing location in one of the most amazing cities of the world. The staff was fine. All in all, it was a good and clean place in an excellent location. I do not know how we could have done better for the price.

My friend and I stayed here over a weekend. I loved it. The decor is quirky and fun. It has a sketch/chalk drawing and comic book theme with lots of colorful details. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting Edinburgh!

I don't think I have ever stayed at such and interactive and imaginative hotel. It was cheap,easy to find and over all fantastic. My only grievance would be that the room was slightly cramped. But for the one night it was fine. The wallpaper was defiantly my favourite part it was very innovative and a great idea to get people coming back!

Nicest staff, great location, funny decorations and a great price. Loved staying here!!!

Overall this was a brilliant hotel. Great location, lovely eccentric feel to it. Rooms are definitely small, but cozy to be sure. No wifi in rooms yet, but free in the lobby, and the lobby is a nice place to hang out. Draughts, chess and Scrabble to pass the time there along with the wifi. Staff were friendly and helpful. Enjoyed a lovely chat with a night clerk after a concert. Not without quirks, though. No phone or clocks in rooms. Still and all, I would definitely stay again when in Edinburgh.

The Grassmarket Hotel is lovely. When family come to stay we always recommend that they stay there. It is situated beneath the castle so offers beautiful views plus it is right in the heart of the city. It is warm, friendly and cosy. The staff are very friendly and the breakfast is really good value.