Caledonian Hilton

We spent three nights at the Caledonian and really enjoyed its excellent location on Princes St. We walked almost everywhere we wanted to go. But when we needed a bus or a taxi, it was really easy to do on Princes. The building is a gorgeous old red grand dame. The staff was always pleasant and helpful.

The airport express bus stops just around the corner from the hotel. It's comfortable, comes every ten minutes during peak hours, and the roundtrip fare is just 5 pounds sterling.

But, the room was quite small and poorly lit. The bathroom was almost as big as the bedroom and it had two large windows so it was better lit - in the daytime anyway.

There is no central air conditioning and the room was always too warm in spite of the outside temperatures being cool - low sixties, I'd say. It was necessary to keep the windows open during the night, but there was a great deal of noise from some bar in the hotel. The laughter and shouting lasted past 2:00 AM on the day we arrived, a Saturday. Mercifully it was quiet a bit earlier other nights.

I read complaints from other reviewers about the squeaky hall floors and I did notice that as we walked the halls, but I think the noise from outside obscured the noise from inside!

The room amenities are good. The bed is comfortable, the towels are posh. But overall the hotel is definitely not the five star quality that's advertised in the lobby. Our rate ($277/night) didn't include breakfast, but there are so many restaurant options in the neighborhood.

We ate at the Wichery Restaurant next to the castle. It's in an amazing 16th century building, but the food is really bad. I paid $24 for a tiny lobster starter that was chewy, bland, and full of concealed bits of shell! I mentioned the problems to the waitress when she asked. She was sympathetic and said she would speak to her manager, but nothing more was said about it.

The roast pork entree reminded me of grade school lunch. The tables are lit by only a candle - no ambient lighting in the room at all - so one is literally guessing what's on your fork headed for your mouth. For me, too often it was a glob of pork fat. The sun-dried tomato bread was both dry and gummy. I'm not sure how the kitchen accomplished that.

Our stay at the Caledonian Hilton in Edinburgh was exceptional. The hotel is beautiful and the rooms much larger than what we expected. Check in was very efficient and the staff extremely accomodating. From the airport we opted for the shuttle which was only 3 pounds per person each way and about a 15 minute trip and the buses run frequently.

The location is nice as it is only an approximate 10-15 minute walk up to Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile, as well only a block away from Princes Street and great shopping!

The hotel was in a great location—just a short walk to Edinburgh Castle and many other sites. The room was modern and clean and there was a wide selection for breakfast in the morning.

Arrived on a friday night at the Hilton - it was just going dark - got to the hotel room and the view out of the window of the flood lit castle totally takes your breath away.

The staff were exceptional and the service was second to none, I truely could not fault anything,

The location was excellent and you at the shops within five minutes and some amazing bars and restaurants.

hilton breakfast takes some beating and food excellent in hotel.

We stayed in April 2009 for a weekend break in Edinburgh in the Caledonian Hilton. Although not so conveniently located vis-a-vis the old town as we had hoped for, it is certainly central with a great view of the castle mount and in a very nice building.

When we arrived our room was not ready yet - so we went to the bar. Staff were very friendly, both in the bar as during check-in we were made feeling welcome. We had a light meal in the bar - fresh and good quality at a reasonable price.

We had a recently refurbished room and got upgraded to a junior suite. Classic design and very nice and spacious. Quality of bed was very good and several extra pillows. The bathroom was large and modern. Two resonably sized flat screens. Since the room was only recently refurbished, the mini-bar was not yet working - but check-in told us, we could use the roomservice at mini-bar price, no surharge, which we did not use however. Coffee and tea-making facilities were quite adequate and we were provided with mineral water every day (it seemed everyone received it - not only HHonor gold tiers, not sure though).

Breakfast was very good with a good choice of savoury and sweet; hot and cold. Very friendly staff during breakfast - the only thing which was rather unpleasant was being informed 15 minutes before end of beakfast time that buffet would close at the end of breakfast. Not a biggie.

Health club was rather basic, with a small pool, but nice whirlpool - with a good view of the castle from the pool though. Friendly staff.

We would certainly stay here again as a result of the personal attention and the overall atmosphere.

We were in Edinburgh to attend a show and decide to stay at the Caledonian as we had been there before.

This a grand place with history and flair. The staff make you feel special and treat you like royalty.

The rooms are large with high celings though to be honest are undergoing a needed refurbishment. Some little bits are slightly tired. We had one which was just completed however the choice of matt, battleship grey for the walls was a little drab!

The food is fantastic and all tastes are catered for.

Use the grand staircase at least once - it is worth the walk.

Overall a great hotel in a great location.

Booked 3 nights at the prepaid B&B rate. Expected a room in the eaves. Instead got a very spacious room on the 4th floor. No view but lots of sunlight (yes, even in Edinburgh). Desk staff was friendly, helpful, and gracious. Breakfast is amazing! Two rooms of food plus cooked breakfast! An uphill, but not insurmountable, hike to Edinburgh Castle (a way to walk off the breakfast!). Bar staff friendly but not overbearing. You are clearly in a 5 star hotel but is comfortable not snobby service. Would happily stay here again.

Second time I have stayed here and again it did not disappoint. Really lovely de-luxe rooms, great location and friendly staff. First class breakfast. Good location for shops and attractions, really could not fault it.

I stayed with my partner for Valentines night. The room was purchased during a Jan sale and was apparently 50%, at £124 I classified it as still an expensive stay but worth it for Valentine’s day. Also the location was great, we where only staying in Edinburgh for one night and this got us right next to the castle. Unfortunately at the front of the hotel they were working on the new tram links but this didn’t really affect our stay. Our room was very nice, good décor and lovely bathroom. When we entered the room there was a newsletter advising Valentines dinner, unfortunately when we rang to make a reservation it was full. We went and used the leisure facilities, the pool is very very small, the spa was nice and we spent most of our time in that. They also had a steam room and Sauna. Breakfast was included in the price in the morning. There were a lot of people there when we got there. We had to queue for the hot food and when we got there some items were missing. We assumed that the hotel must have been very full with Valentine’s day. We were allowed to leave our bags at the hotel after check-out, and collected before our train home.

To conclude; I would recommend this hotel. But I would not pay what they classified as full price for it (£250). You are paying for a really good location. We walked from the train station – really easy.

My daughter booked this room for me and my husband and she certainly picked the right room. I thought the hotel was really nice and plush and all the staff were excellent. We had one of the deluxe plus rooms which was fantastic, especially the view of the castle. Didn't try the swimming pool so can't comment on that. The breakfast was lovely in the Pompadour Room but my only fault was that the breakfast was only just warm, although the choice was great. Would definately go back if I could afford it!

Stayed in this hotel for one night on Saturday 21st March 2009. It was expensive (compared to my usual hotel spend) but so worth it! I arrived at the hotel at 8:45am after an early flight and they gave me a room straight away. I was in a double-room on the first floor, the room was a grand size and nicely decorated and clean – there was a huge mirror on the wall. Bathrobes and slippers in the wardrobe were a nice touch. The bed was comfy and I slept very well.

The bathroom was nice and very clean with lovely Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries and nice extras like cotton buds and pads. The shower was lovely and hot.

The staff in the hotel, from the front desk staff to the concierges to the lounge staff to any of the housekeeping staff I met in the hallway were all extremely nice without exception and could not do enough for me if I asked.

I ate in The Caley Bar in the evening and the food was delicious. I had breakfast in bed, ordered for 9:30 – 9:45 and it arrived bang on 9:30. A huge tray with lots of food that filled me up for the entire day!!

The internet access in the bedroom was a bit expensive at £15 for 24 hours and it is wired, so you have to sit at the desk to use it. I didn’t use the leisure facilities while I was there.

All in all this is a great hotel in a brilliant location and I cannot wait to go back and stay there again – hopefully for longer the next time.

Stayed for one night and was so impressed by the room. Enourmous room. Great breakfast and very helpful concierge and front desk.

Check out the very grand staircase.

We got a really good deal at this hotel and we couldn't fault it. We booked a 2 x double bedded room which had recently been refurbed, the room was fabulous, it was right at the front of the hotel and overlooked Princes Street, the bathroom was gorgeous and you could hear the TV in the bathroom through speakers in the ceiling. The wallpaper was thistle printed and was amazing. We ate in the restaurant each morning and the food was great, the hotel was extremely busy when we were there so the service was abit rushed, but was understandable due to the volume of guests. We did have a small problem in the lounge when we had afternoon tea but this was sorted very quickly by the restaurant manager. The location of this hotel is prefect, it is within walking distance of all the major attractions and great for shopping. This hotel is excellant and we would definately stay again

We stayed here in on 28th Feb 09 for 1 night and had a fantastic time

When we arrived in Edinburgh we was early and went straight to the hotel and they let us check in about 5 hours earlier then normal with no extra charge, Which i thought was really good. The room was small but had everything you needed, we stayed in a duble delux plus room and had an amazing view of the castle. The room had a big plasma TV and a very stylish new bathroom.

The drinks are very expensive in the bar but you would expect that from a Hilton hotel. There is so much to do in Edinburgh i would suggest you do the open top bus ride that was very good and you can get off and on as many times as you want during 24 hours.

Overall i would say this hotel is excellent and would stay here again!

P.S. I would really recomend having breakfast in bed!

Got a B & B deal for £90 per night for a double which was very reasonable for this hotel.

The hotel itself is a fantastic old building with loads of character. Most rooms leading off from wood panelled long wide corridors. A sweeping staircase runs up from the reception area to the rooms (but there are lifts too!).

Stayed in a good sized, modern styled room (no. 272) with a very comfy bed. The furniture was modern and everything was clean and in good condition. Huge TV which worked well and little MP3 attachment for the clock radio was a useful touch.

Bathroom was clean, modern and the standard size for a city hotel - nice toiletries, towels and bathrobes also. Well stocked mini-bar and tea/coffee making facilities which were useful.

View from our room was of the car park, which wasn't great, but at least it was very quiet at night. For a few £££s more you'd probably get a far grander room with views of the castle.

Breakfast on Saturday was standard hotel fare, but that's not a complaint as there was a good, tasty selection. Sunday breakfast was less successful - we ate in the upstairs restaurant to avoid the queues on the ground floor and while the room itself was great the selection was more limited.

This isn't a 'spa-hotel' as such but we used the hotel pool, jacuzzi and sauna twice - facilities were clean, well looked after and not too busy.

The Caley bar is a good spot for a late night whiskey or two. Staff at the hotel were unfailingly friendly, helpful and professional.

Having seen the outside of the Sheraton which is just down the road (think 1980s job centre) I'm sure I made the right choice.

Would definitely stay at the Caledonian again.

On a recent trip to Edinburgh My Girlfriend and I I booked into The Ocean Room Spa for treatments (I had a deep tissue full body massage and my girlfriend had a lifesaving back treatment) Totally briliant!! We've both had lots of massages and would definately recommend. We had a drink and snack in the Caley bar after. A nice finish to our afternoon.

Booked a one night stay here at the end of January with my young daughter.

Staff friendly and informative - at one point I was going to take a taxi to Leith but was told it would cost at least £15 each way so they took me out to the bus stop and sorted me out with a bus which cost £1.70! :)

The room was very nice - large and airy, a great bathroom, fab widescreen tv etc.

We enjoyed the pool and the sauna/jacuzzi/steamroom a lot.

Have booked to go again in April - this time bringing my husband and son along.

Must also mention the breakfast was fabulous!

Just back from short break in this hotel . Its the second time we have stayed there . This time we had booked a suite and upon arrival were delighted to be accommodated in the Robert Loius Stevenson suite , very sumptous ! Two room suite with plush living room and very comfortable bedroom. Both rooms offering spectacular views of the Castle and Princes Street and Gardens . Was difficult to leave the rooms to explore the city . We had dinner in the hotel's Pompadour restaraunt which was very nice with very friendly staff . The hotel is in a fantastic location on Lothian Road and is within very easy walking distance of all of Edinburgh's attractions. Overall , good value for money , the hotel has that old world feel about it with lots of history in the hotel as well as that of the city surrounding it .

After reading some fab reviews and one or two bad ones, I was quite sceptical about this trip. As soon as we walked through the door we were welcomed by friendly reception staff. The room itself was lovely, warm and welcoming, I especially loved the toiletries. We stayed two nights and loved every minute. We were not around much to check out the hotel facilities but everything looked lovely and smell of hot toast in the mornings was just delicious.

I would certainly recommend this hotel and I hope you have a fab stay too.

Arriving at the Caley feels like going back to a different age. Its a piece of Edinburgh history with stunning views of the Castle and Princes Street. We have stayed before (when we were still Diamond Hilton members) and were lucky enough to have a huge suite, this time we knew that we would only get a standard room so were a little nervous. Last time having been so amazing - obviously the room was much smaller but it had bags of character and charm and a perfect view of the Castle and the Christmas lights along Princes Street and up the Mound. It was really beautiful. What really marks out the Caley though is the exceptional service and attitude of the staff. We specifically have to mention Alasdair - a true old school concierge who couldn't do more to help. Yes its expensive, yes some of the rooms are small but this is a piece of history that you won't get elsewhere. We loved it and will be back.

Stayed in room 216 for several nights in November. Absolutely fabulous. This is a large suite room with sitting area and two Queen size beds. The bath area was also just beautiful. The room was like having my own apartment and had a fabulous view of the castle. I loved sitting watching sunsets from my sitting area!

My dad was just down the hall in a King room. While much smaller, it still had a good sized bath area and lovely view. We ate at the hotel several times in both the prix fixe menu restaurant (Pompadour) which was very good. Chisholms was also excellent in menu, but the service was a little annoying.

Loved the server Andrew in the afternoons at the bar who was most helpful in suggesting whiskys for my dad and bringing out shortbread and tea for me!

For those wishing to stay here... understand they have recently renovated all the rooms & they are just beautiful. But you must also know that in a very old building there are a variety of types of rooms and sizes. If you are going to spend the money to go to a hotel with such a fabulous location and amenities you will most likely pay for that as well.

That said, I would highly recommend this hotel for those who are not on a budget. You won't regret it!

On arrival we were advised we had to pay a supplement for the children but were given an upgrade to a recently refiurbished room on the fifth floor.What a room or should I say rooms. The bathroom was huge, there was a seperate utility room and the bedroom was massive with 2 double beds, chairs ,desk ,sofa etc etc.. We used the pool and spa which the children really enjoyed. Staff were lovely and breakfast was to die for!!!. If I had lots of money I would come back regularly as it was a bit pricey but well worth it for a special occassion. Families wishing to visit should request room 539, fab!

The Caledonian Hilton is located at the head (foot?) of the Royal Mile (Princess Street is currently impassible due to on-going construction of a tram system.) A hop-on, hop-off bus stop is just across the street. The hotel seems to be a collection of buildings: a renovated railroad hotel and its station, and more recent additions (from the 1960s?). I found the service to be exemplary.

The hotel public areas have an understated elegance, and an 'old World' charm with a forest of dark, polished wood.. I was ungraded to a recently refurbished 'executive studio', which had separate seating and bed areas, connected by a hallway in which a ample desk and a comfortable chair were placed. The studio was completed by a huge bathroom with double sink, bathtub and shower. It had a towel warmer; I had forgotten how a hot towel could complete a hot shower or bath! The furnishings of the entire studio were remarkably comfortable and yet usable.

I ate evening meals in my room, and found the food to be delicious and hot, and service to be affable and efficient. With an half bottle of wine from the mini-bar, it was a most enjoyable evening meal. I had breakfast in the restaurant and found it to be just average. Service was always prompt and good, however.

I ate a dinner in the upscale restaurant and had an unique and enjoyable dinner composed of three courses, each of which was accompanied by its own dram of Scotch whiskey. There were only three tables with diners, which the two delightful young servers handled with ease. Only two tables have a view of the castle, so I had after dinner coffee in the salon to watch dusk settle over the castle.

I complemented the desk manager on the quality of my stay, and he really seemed to relish the complement.

Stayed at the Hilton for a long weekend and really enjoyed my stay. great location, excellent room- they gave us a very big room since we had our baby son with us. Excellent breakfast buffett. Location is so central that you may hear some of the noise from partygoers on the weekends.

Loved this hotel from the moment we arrived – 2 nights in Edinburgh for the Rugby final. This hotel excels at customer service all the staff were fabulous. It was very busy and there was a lot going on, but all the staff worked and attended to everyone’s needs. The location of the hotel is excellent as it is in the middle of everything. We booked via Expedia and got a special rate instead of £324.00 per night for a double guestroom plus we paid £162.00 per night and must say our room 511 was the smallest double I’ve every stayed in. A tight fit! So the one thing I would check before booking again would be the room you are going to get. That said the food, cocktails, décor and location was very good and we would look to stay there again.

My husband and I stayed at the Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh for one night and found us stepping back in time. The massive grand staircase is a lovely showpiece which you could miss if you took the lift. I loved the deco of the hotel, very opulent , grand and a sense of old glamour. The room was surprisingly modern, very comfortable and clean. The hotel is situated a little out from the Royal Mile but that way we didn't miss Princes gardens, walking through there is a fabulous view of the castle up on the rock. The gardens themselves are very tranquil and beautiful.

The breakfast had all the usual for cooked and continental dishes with a couple of traditional Scottish dishes added. I did like some staff dressed in the traditional Scottish costume. All staff were cheerful and pleasant from the moment you walk in.

The only negative was, we wanted to check out later than noon and we were told up to 1pm was ok, but any later we had to pay £10 per hour any additional time. We felt this was a little over the top considering it was a Tuesday and the room was not neccesarily needed. A little flexibility, without a charge, can enhance your stay. We could check in early , as requested though without any charge.

Stayed 7 nights over 2 weeks on a business trip. First week the room was small but had great views of the castle. Second week I got upgraded to a delux room which was fantastic and huge but did not have the views. Leisure centre was fine and pool never busy. Room service breakfast was very good and always prompt. Location is very good. Overall an excellent hotel and I am sure it would be very popular with tourists

Great location, easily accessed from ariport & bus stop. Very efficient check in. The hotel itself is very grand and regal, the room itself however, while perfectly fine, Ive stayed in nicer 4 star rooms. Perfectly ept however. the staff at reception and in the bar are great and ought to be treasured by management. The pool is nice, also had a massage and it was enjoyable, however I wouldnt go for a Spa day there, the 40 mins was enough. The gym is nothing amazing, could do with updating no tvs or music so if you plan on using it bring your own music player! All in all, no complaints but If you are used to top class luxury I would book elsewhere.

Stayed here as part if a group of friends - including children and a smoker. 3 rooms, 1 double non-smoking clean and smart, 1 double smoking that was in fact an upgrade and a very nice one at that (on 5th floor), 1 huge family room with huge bathroom large flat TV etc. We all swam during the weekend and found it to be quieter in the mornings before the kids arrive! Sauna and team room both the hottest I've ever been in. Breakfast was buffet, good selection,all food tasty and warm. The waiter went out of his way to get fresh waffles for the children. Check in/out fast and efficient. Internet expensive, £6 for 1 hour, £15 for 24 hours, obviously aimed at the travelling business types on expenses! Just one warning - if you want to put your own drinks to cool in the mini bar, be careful that you don't end up with lots of charges on your room bill....

We stayed at the Caledonian for two nights whilst on a leisure break to explore Edinburgh. The location is great - right on Princes Street where it meets the West End and with a great view of the castle. We got a good deal on the internet so didn't expect much from our room - we were on the first floor backing onto the car park but I have to say the room was modern, very comfortable and quiet and with all the general services you would expect from a city centre hotel. The public areas are very traditional and beautiful - sweeping wood staircases and chandeliers. All the staff we encountered were great - we arrived very early in the morning and asked if we could simply leave our bags but reception tried hard to actually get us into our room. When they couldn't they took my mobile number and sure enough within an hour had rung to say our room was ready - by this time we were out exploring the city but we appreciated the effort and just being able to drop our bags was enough. The next morning we had a slight problem in that the power to our door failed so the room couldn't be locked - we called reception and someone from maintenance came and fixed the door within just a couple of minutes.

We were very tired the first night so opted for the lazy option of dining in the hotel in the main dining room and enjoyed extremely attentive service and some great food. Breakfast was excellent with lots of choice - the dining room was busy in the morning but we were seated straight away both times and found all the food areas were freshly stocked.

All in all, really enjoyed our stay.

We stayed here for 3 nights over the Easter bank holiday weekend with our 2 children. The hotel is beautiful with a great location. Wonderful, elegant staircases and great character. Our room was upgraded - 306 - and had 2 big double beds. Loads of space and really clean. The decor was really elegant and we were very impressed. The only thing that let this down was the attitude of the reception staff and concierge. They were efficient, but un-friendly. Also, at breakfast, we had to ask for plates, bowls, ketchup. The porridge was burnt and they ran out of a lot of the spreads we were asking for. Little things, but not what you would expect from a 5 star hotel. We expressed our disappointment at reception and we were told that no-body else felt that way, so really that was it!

I booked a deluxe plus room for my wifes birthday and we were allocated room 404 which had a fantastic view of the castle and a massive bed, but was a little disappointing in facilities. Wi - Fi was available at a hefty price, when burger king and many basic hotels do this free I was a bit surprised to see a "5 star" hotel making excessive charges for it. Also disappointing was no complimentary water in the room, bottle of water from the minibar was an astonishing £3. Old fashioned sash windows let a lot of the nightime noise (mainly sirens) fill the room. Breakfast in the Pompadour restaurant was average with plates and food items not very well heated. Breakfast in the main restaurant was hotter, but to us, queing to make your own toast is not really what we expect for a 5 star hotel. Location is fantastic near the castle, pubs, restaurants and shops. Staff could not be faulted and the hotel was very clean throughout. Pool is very small but does the job. Great selection of around 250 whiskies talked through with amazing knowledge by Sula from the Phillipines. I think the prices were not out of order - just check what you are ordering and what you will pay. If you get a good deal for a deluxe plus room £100 - £150 per night with breakfast you will be getting value for money. If you pay the normal room rate of £250 ish I think you are paying over the odds and would be as well staying at a budget hotel and using the cash saved for nice meals, tours, taxis etc. Great history with many famous people staying here including Laurel and Hardy, Princess Alexandra, Sean Connery and many world leaders. In summary just for the location alone this hotel is outstanding, but I struggled to see how it can be classed as a 5 star. Would I stay here again? absolutely, but only on a deal and only knowing my room is not one of the small or rear facing rooms other people refer to. That said do bear in mind that this hotel was built over 100 years ago and the owners have to work with what they have. If you want standard sized all look the same rooms you are probably not going to find it here. This is a beautiful historic Edinburgh landmark in a fantastic location and this alone, in spite of my gripes, is enough to make this hotel high on my list of perfect hotels for my future visits to edinburgh.

booked 1 night in february for romantic getaway. front desk service excellent and the building is truly beautiful. we opted for a deluxe room - paid a reduced rate through hilton website but would have felt the rack rate to be overpriced. the room overlooked the castle, on the first floor and really was great - the only issue was the passerby until about 3am - however this may be a one off as scotland had beaten italy at murrayflied earlier in the day!!

the bathroom and bedroom were modern, recently decorated, very tasteful and large.

the leisure centre is pretty average and the pool is fairly small.

staff very friendly throughout and concierge informative.

only real fault was at breakfast.. buffet food wasnt always ready and you had to wait for trays whilst there were big queues.. the muffins were also frozen in the centre - but the waitress assured me this was a one off!.... have stayed in many hiltons and this has to be one of the poorest for breakfast - would have expected to have seen a chef preparing something fresh like omelette or waffles like they do at coylumbridge

Great room - spacious, immaculate with great views of the castle from both the bedroom and bathroom. A bit noisy through Sat night though. Breakfast however was a disappointment. Quality of food is poor as is the organisation of serving it. Queues for 10 minutes is nothing. Service in all others areas excellent. Bar area is a bit dull. Swimming pool ok but in need of a facelift for a 5 star . We went on to stay at the Sheraton for 2 nights which was overall a better experience.

My two best friends booked this hotel as a Birthday surprise. What a place, we had room 359,2 double beds,huge bathroom and great views! Yes it is expensive for drinks etc,especially for country bumpkins like us but I would recommend a stay here.

I stayed in hilton for 2 night. There was present from one of charity and i can't complain if i had lovely city break for free. Hotel is a little old fashion but all Edinburgh is in this style. Service was excellent, staff very friendly and helpfull. Location of hotel is fantastic, we had view on the castle. Be careful if you want buy whiskey (always ask about price because we got 25ml for 28 pounds). restaurant is lovely, food is great.

My partner and I stayed here in celebration of getting engaged. The room we stayed in was kind of old fashioned but lovely all the same. It was a large room with study area and very large, recently refurbished bathroom. Didn't have much of a view at all and the mini bar was broken.

We booked a table in Chisholms but due to Scotland playing Wales in the rugby, it was filled by rugby fans and it wasn't really what we had in mind. We told the waiter and he called ahead to the Pompidour restaurant and escorted us there himself. we had a 3 course meal which was excellent with extra courses added by compliments of the chef. We also found the waiter to be very helpful and knowledgable of the menu. Loved this restaurant and would definitely go back for a special occasion.

All in all really enjoyed my stay here and if I could afford I would go back.

stayed here for 2 nights what a lovley room they gave us afer calling in advance, as we had some reservations after reading some of the reviews on here, we were given room 310 which looked directly on to the castle. our stay didnt include breakfast in the price so at £20 each was pretty expensive but a nice treat on a sunday morning. room spotless and bathroom lovley and large even came in at night and turned your sheets down and put a chocolate on your pillow nice touch we thought. overall a nice relaxing stay.

Just a one night stay. Got talked in by the concierge over the mobile and who provide good information when asked.Had room with view of the castle which was very good, cannot comment on any other room.

Front desk staff very good had no complaints.

We had planned to go to Edinburgh as a birthday treat (lucky me!). After some internet searching, we found a great deal - basically, same price as a 3 star hotel but including breakfast as well.

When we arrived, check in was fine but the receptionist seemed really frazzled - don't know why, there wasn't a queue, but maybe she'd just finished dealing with one. Anyway, she was helpful and gave us information about breakfast times and the gym opening hours (although whether she was hinting we needed to go to the gym, I don't know!)

So off to our room - which was one the 3rd floor. It was lovely - very tastefully decorated in a contemporary and Scottish style. The bathroom was compact but well organised with a nice selection of toileteries. Was glad to see that a gown and slippers were provided.

After freshening up, went to the bar for a pre-dinner drink. The bar has a bewildering selection whiskies and spirits. However, the bar staff were very frantic - they have to deal with table service orders, restaurant orders and orders direct at the bar. To their credit, they were very quick, you never had to wait long and they were very skilled at making delicious cocktails. In fact, their cocktail knowledge was really impressive.

So off to dinner - and given the excellent location, there's plenty of choice for restaurants, bars and clubs within easy walking distance. Can recommend La Tasca and Calistoga.

The morning after - went to breakfast..........this is where it falls down completely. There are lots of warnings in hotel brochure etc. that breakfast at the weekends are busy so try to go as early as possible. The Pompadour retaurant is open at the weekends for breakfast to cope with the rush. Well, when I got to the Pompadour restaurant, there was a queue of about 5 groups. The queue for the normal restaurant was even longer! I was hungry so I all I could do was wait. The queue moved very slowly - but I couldn't understand why: there were empty tables but stacked with dirty dishes - why weren't they clearing them?? There seemed to be more than enough staff scurrying about but the tables never seemed to get cleared. Very strange!

After about a 20-25 min wait, I finally got seated. It's a buffet breakfast so in a pretence of being healthy, I got some porridge - and then promptly doused in honey. But don't worry - my teeth were saved from the refined suger: the porridge was ICE cold!

Breakfast the following day was not much better. We went to the normal restaurant - it was a Monday so there was no queue, but it was still very busy. So busy it was a very tense atmosphere - which was made worse by having to wait at the buffet for cooked breakfast items. Not good!

Oh dear - seem to have rambled on a bit, I didn't realise I was still smarting from such bad service at breakfast!

Will keep the rest short and sweet: the pool is really small - REALLY small. Th turbo/spa pool thing is great as is the steam room. I had a treatmet at the salon - which has got a terrible review, but I loved it. I had a face and body ritual which was fabulous! Have facial and massage for the same cost as a massage at OneSpa at the Sheraton. The room service was appalling - worst goats cheese sandwich ever, given that it had brie!

Anyway - for the price we paid, it was a good deal. BUT for a 5 star hotel, it was way below standard.

I wouldn't stay here agin. Nothing actually wrong with the place, though for the price I expected more.

Have stayed her a number of times. Grand hotel with fairly good service. Rooms highly variable; have had a small room overlooking an internal courtyard, a tiny room in the attic with a window about the size of a piece of A3 paper overlooking the castle and this time a huge room at the back.

The problem this time was the absolutely glacial temperature in the room. It had high ceilings and large windows; they had left an electric heater in the room but it was so cold when I arrived that I would have not have been able to remain in it for the evening.

That's about it really. Pay attention to which room you get given!

Fair price to pay for a double: £100-140 excl breakfast, depending on the room

Wasn't very impressed with this place, for a variety of reasons, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone visiting Edinburgh. Service was good, but that's all. The hotel was located behind the castle, away from the Royal Mile. Getting to the Royal Mile really required a taxi cab ride. There is currently a lot of construction in front of the hotel, presumably to build a new public rail/tram system of some type. Crossing the street was a chore. Our room was well-appointed - as you would expect from a Hilton. Unfortunately, it had no air conditioning, and was over 80F. Too hot for my tastes, and you could only crack the window open, not open it all the way. The trend of 'no air conditioning' is common throughout the UK, so you have to learn to leave the window curtain shut during the day in hotels. But in a Hilton? I expect air conditioning for the dollars I put down. I can't say that this place was centrally located to anything. I won't back, primarily because I sweated too much in the room. Ick.

while most of the staff were fine there were a few unbelieveably rude members of staff...mainly the guy who was on the front desk on the night of the 23rd May... if a hotel can't manage being full to capacity I dont think its much of a hotel....breakfast staff were also terrible and the room was TINY have to say, won't ever go back and would not recommend it....Love edinburgh but the staff in this hotel almost ruined the city for me....not good

We normally book through Hotwire and hadn't been disappointed so far.

We then booked again for our stay in Edimburgh. We thought we had booked in a 5 star hotel and were expecting such level of acomodation.

We were given a 1 star hotel: small, old, unconfortable double bed. There was no room left to leave suitcase, dark and depressing: the worst room ever seen.

When we went to complain to the front desk and they just said we could have a better room for 40 extra pounds/day. We agreed and our room was fine (what we expected in a 5 star category hotel).

We felt we'd been ripped off and think about booking again with Hotwire because we don't want such experience anymore.

If you want to book a 5 star acomodation, don't go to this place because you will havee the same experience.

Agolo (Spain)

We booked a double room. On arrival, our room wasnt ready but they said we could have another room. Small room but had a view of the castle. This room was for a single person, we later found out! Not impressed, as we should have received a king/queen bed, not a small double. I would not recommend room service. The food is horrible. It was cold and over cooked. I asked for ketchup and got mayo, i had to ring 3 times for ketchup and still i got mayo. The breakfast was nice, plenty to choose from. The location is ok. It took about 20mins walk to the castle and thats a short cut. The reception staff were very unhelpful. We asked simple questions, as to where to eat and where to get the hop on hop off bus. They didnt know what we were on about. All in all, ok location, nice breakfast, bad room service. Not 5 star. I would say 3 star.

I can't agree more with Neil from York. I've also just returned from one night (thankfully just one) at the Caledonian Hilton in Edinburgh. We too were given a room on the fifth floor and it was so small my partner and I had to squeeze past each other. The bathroom wasn't much better either and the air-con can't have been working properly as the room was stiflingly hot! The entrance to the hotel and lobby are really great but I wouldn't bother going any further.

This is a 5 star hotel with 2 star rooms. The entrance, bar and dining are all fab. The pool area is small and a bit disapointing - there was a dirty plaster and broken cup on the poolside throughout our 2 night stay! We were extremely dissapointed with the standard of our room. We decided to book this hotel for our anniversary break in favour of many others because we had stayed at this hotel before and knew that it was something special. We booked the hotel on line as we had done previously and expected that we would be allocated a room of similar standard to that which we had before. We were quite shocked to discover that the hotel has rooms like the one we were given. It was very clean and modern looking but extremely small (in fact we had to squeeze passed each other!) and lacked any character, luxury or charm that we had experienced in the past. In fact we may as well have been staying in a TRAVEL LODGE (an expensive one at that!) After the dissapointment of this I very much doubt that we will be returning to this hotel again, Our family regularly use Hilton for business and for pleasure but we will be thinking carefully before we use Hilton hotels again.

I've just returned from one night (thankfully just one) at the Caledonian Hilton in Edinburgh. Having read the reviews on here I wasn't sure what to expect. This wasn't my first choice of hotel I should add; the Radisson was full.

Upon arrival I was greeted by a cheerful receptionist - the queue at 1945 meant a five minute wait before being checked-in however.

I was given a room on the fifth floor - fair enough I thought, should be nice. But, when I got there, I can honestly say that this room was even smaller than the smallest room I have ever had when staying at a London hotel. The room was so small, that to reach the air conditioning controls, I had to move the wardrobe out of the way as they could obviously find nowhere else to put it.

The bathroom wasn't much smaller than the bedroom itself.

Within the room, to be fair, everything worked and the television, whilst not flat panel, seemed a fair size. I quickly ordered some room service and that arrived promptly and was typically priced for any hotel.

Overall, would I stay here again? Well, based purely on my first experience, no I wouldn't. I believe they do have some proper sized rooms so maybe that's where you need to ask to stay.

I put a fairly damning review on here the day after we stayed in a small inferior room and at that time was waiting for the Manager to respond to the complaints we had. 'Theo' replied a week later apologising for our disappointment and offering a free upgrade on our next stay. He did not actually answer any of the specific complaints we had at all but did say that our room was due for refurbishment. Now we had many complaints but the decor was not one of them - though refurbishing the room we had to make it acceptable would entail rebuilding it as it was only big enough to be a single not a double. How he would think we would ever return is beyond me - would you go back to a hotel that knowingly put you in an inferior room and then charged full price for it? I wrote back to him and pointed all this out and said the only honourable thing to do in our case would have been to offer a full or partial refund. Guess what? He has not even bothered to reply to this one. They obviously do have some luxurious rooms here but it is pot luck whether you get one and you will be charged the same extortionate price if you are unlucky enough to have the same room we did. You can tell a lot about a place by the way it deals with complaints and The Caledonian Hilton has failed to deal with ours at all.

We booked the Caledonian as a secret 5 star hotel,we anticipated a luxury, well needed romantic break and paid £140 up front for room only. We were initially pleased to discover it was the Caledonian - how wrong we were!!

On arrival we were informed that our room may smell due to maintenance work but had been aired all day-We were told that if there was a problem to go back to reception and they would change our room. The room itself did smell and was freezing due to the fact that the windows had been open all day and the heating wasn't on. The main problem though was that the room was up in the eaves of the hotel and was tiny! This was not the five star luxury we had expected. We went back to reception to ask for another room only to be told the hotel was full. The hotel itself appeared outdated and scruffy! There are much better value hotels in central Edinburgh. We were so disappointed with the room that after several complaints and the hotel admitting the room was substandard we were offered a full refund. That said, we would never consider staying at this hotel again!