Novotel Edinburgh Centre

A typical brand hotel, nothing special

Stayed at Novotel Edinburgh Centre for 3 nights. We paid 400 SGD per night for a family room and we were appalled by the state of the room. The toilet (only the toilet bowl) was in a room separate from the sink, which meant that you have to walk to the main bath area to wash your hands. There were cracks in the door and stains on the carpet. The beds were extremely hard and made for an uncomfortable rest. The room was unbelievably warm and stuffy. When we checked in with the reception, we were told that the room had an air cooling system but we did not feel anything at all. In fact, it was even cooler in the hallway than it was in the room. I brought this up to the receptionist who then decided to speak to me like I was stupid that it was an air cooling system. I wanted to check if the air cooling system in the room has broken down as there were signs pasted on their lifts to state that it would be cooled at 19 degrees. We had to get two fans in the room to even sleep. If you’re considering this, don’t. Spend your money elsewhere.

This was the first and immediately the last time we stayed at this hotel. I have no complaints about the housekeeping and restaurant staff: they were genuinely friendly and did their job well. The service desk and a large part of the rest of the staff, on the other hand, are downright disappointing. The service is worthless: hardly any effort is made for the guest and there is a complete lack of engagement. It feels distant and uninterested, as if you are dealing with robots. We had a room with a view of Edinburgh Castle, which was undoubtedly beautiful. The room itself was acceptable, but the layout is inconvenient and there is no air conditioning. So if it is summer, you have a problem because they only have a fan. Good luck! It is actually strange, because this hotel is certainly not cheap, yet they have no air conditioning. Peculiar! The toilet is separate and the sink is located outside the bathroom. While showering, the bathroom door kept opening, creating a large puddle of water on the floor. That is simply not pleasant. I reported this problem immediately. Someone came to take a look and indicated that he could not do anything about it at that moment and would return the next day. This was on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. That appointment was not kept: he never returned. I was in the Highlands all day on Thursday, and upon my return, it turned out that nothing had been resolved. I mentioned this again when checking out. The response from the service desk was nonchalant and uninterested. An apology was offered, but without any genuine concern. The hotel's location is fine; many sights are within walking distance. The hotel does have about 15 parking spaces, but these are very limited and cannot be reserved. Additionally, the entrance to the parking area is extremely narrow. Parking here is really not recommended for a wider car, such as an SUV. If this is not possible, you are directed to a parking garage. You receive a 50% discount card for this, which is the only small plus point. All in all, I absolutely do not recommend this hotel. On my next visit to Edinburgh, I will undoubtedly choose a different hotel.

Magda was amazing! I wish every hotel had a magda as a receptionist.