Novotel Edinburgh Centre Hotel 4 stars

For context we stayed on a Sunday evening with a bank holiday the next day (so loads of families staying), the first week after reopening after lockdown. Check in was busy but friendly and staff were efficient. Their job was made difficult by the fact people all wanted to book swimming pool slots (lots of families, tiny pool with a limit of ten people). We booked a slot for swimming at 4 and one for 11 the next day, pretty much the only time slots left when we booked in at 2:30. I think the time slot booking should be done online to save this chaos. We were not told that for swimming we had to go to reception to get a key for the poo and it was only a half hour slot. When we went swimming at 4 the queue at reception was long with people checking in still so we missed some of our half hour slot. Also when we went swimming there were too many people in the pool, I think there were 14 people altogether. Some people might have stayed in for longer than half an hour or just got in the pool door while someone else was going in without realising you had to book as this wasn’t really made clear on the website or at reception. Anyway it was fun to have a play in the pool, actual swimming was impossible due to size of pool and number of people but kids were happy. You have to go down in your swimming costume and go back to your room to get changed which is fine if a little odd feeling waiting for the lift . Ideally in situations where the hotel is this busy there should be a separate person at the pool to hand out keys and towels, make sure people stick to their slots etc. They could handle the bookings of slots as well, that would solve most of the issues with check in and the pool. The hotel itself is very nice, the room was fantastic, we had a superior room with a lovely view. Beds were comfortable, kids beds were made up from a sofa bed but not too bad. Only complaint is the room was way too hot and fan/temp control didn’t seem to work. We didn’t have breakfast as we were worried it would be too busy. You can order room service and drinks to your room via what’s app which is handy. Just ordered one kids meal and it was okay and don’t take too long. Tiny car park under the hotel with 13 spaces, costs £20 for 24 hours. Convenient but expensive. The location is great, near the grassmarket and the meadows and the canal, had some nice walks and plenty of places to eat or buy snacks nearby Staff were all polite although having to deal with quite a lot of fed up people due to quite a long check in. Hopefully the check in/pool issues will improve as they’ve only been open less than a week just now.!

The room was very hot and, when we inquired about it, we were told the temperature could not be regulated. Having stayed there many times before, we knew this not to be true. The ventilation system was not working. The refrigerator was not working, the internet was sporadic and slow. Breakfast was not up to its usual standards.

Another great stay at this hotel, great location, great staff - overall Great! Only downside was the other customers, Breakfast on our first morning was not covid safe, other customers walking around a full dining room without masks, and not socially distancing - the second morning was far better (we went earlier, and I don't think the hotel was as busy), but breakfasts should have been far more staggered, to keep the numbers queing for the buffet to a minimum

Overall we loved our stay. Our only area for concern was the pool. We pre booked our slots but when we went down on the sat night there was 16 people in the pool and it should have only been 8. We only stayed 10 min as it was unsafe and we also was concerned that there was possibly human waste in the pool. We did report this to the reception before heading up to our room. Our next slot was the Sunday morning and when we went down the pool had just been closed due to someone else reporting the same issue. Hotel guests had been in the pool after us on the sat and again on the Sunday morning. When my husband spoke to reception on the Sunday they said that no one had reported it on the Saturday!! The rooms were perfect and the breakfast was also really good although the Monday morning was really busy and food and drinks was running low. The fresh juice machine was needing refilled and twice we queued for eggs and waffles but they were always done. There was plenty of everything else so we were happy.

Positives: - Room was clean, spacious and nice - When asked they organised early checkin for us when we asked at the reception. Negatives: - I was charges more than I was supposed to be: £130 came out my bank but it should have been £122 - room was described as “castle view” but this is stretching it quite a bit. You can see part of the back corner of the castle. It’s mostly obstructed by another closer building. I think the room description and the additional premium paid relative to the other room rate is unfair at best and dishonest at worst. - Breakfast was not good unfortunately in terms of the food quality - breakfast seemed understaffed and was therefore disorganised and a little stressful for customers - On the day of booking I spent almost an hour on the phone over three phone calls trying to speak to someone at the hotel to ask for early check in. I never managed to get through beyond the switchboard person. I also emailed and received no response. Luckily we chanced it and asked when we arrived and it worked out. But this added extra stress to our journey.

Annoying to pay extra money for a room with an espresso machine and a speaker to not get them. We were told it was removed due to covid but surely that should be highlighted at point of booking.

Great service, excellent safety measures and so friendly. My daughter was made up with the birthday card and balloons and little gift. Will definitely return.

Stayed there before, friendly staff, clean room and located close to city.

Just a few days away after spending a long time in lockdown

The receptionist was very helpful.When I needed a complimentary tooth brush and toothpaste it was delivered quickly.THe chef as always was very helpful at breakfast.

It was very pleasant. Staff was lovely and very welcoming and helpful. Room was gorgeous

Due to circumstances my dog had to come with me, this simply wasn't an issue for the hotel & staff. Friendly towards me and my dog, nothing was too much. Strange thing, the executive rooms don't have a bath but the lower rooms do. It's the opposite everywhere else! Room 447 for the best castle view (or that side anyway)

Check in staff lovely and initial standard room was good but couldn’t connect device to TV to watch Netflix etc and tv itself had no on demand and only a few channels. Asked staff who switched it off and on but it wouldn’t function at all after being switched off, so we were moved to a different room and given a free upgrade to an executive suite which was very nice. However after a few hours it became apparent that the toilet was broken as it flushed continuously. Staff member moved us to a room down the corridor, but by this stage it was 10pm and it felt like our evening had mainly consisted of unpacking and packing. Swimming pool and gym were great. On packing up to leave, noticed a used face mask under the desk which wasn’t ours, which is a bit worrying re cleanliness. Felt a bit understaffed as in the evenings they only had one staff member for the reception, room service and sorting out any other issues so she was rushed off her feet and there was a bit of a wait for things.

Our stay was excellent with wonderful service from the reception team and breakfast chef. The reception smelt absolutely gorgeous, such a nice touch when entering the hotel. Great Covid procedures in place with clear signage. Thank you, Lisa and Tam Watson

Yet anotther stay her, this time under Covid-19 limitations.. so coffee machines removed from rooms, and very few staff (apparnelty Accor are insisting they stay on furlough) - Accor have also dictated that they serve the worst breakfast in the world... very tired fruit, carboard contaners of porridge or cornflakes which you can add a container of milk to, and brown paper bags containing a pastry... a croissant, or a pain au chocolat ,,,or... and this is the best bit, a cold bacon roll.... cold... why? because there's no chef... which makes you ask, when was the bacon cooked, there is a chef on duty in the evenings, so does he cook the bacon for the following moring? Anyway,. if you've booked breakfast ask for a refund, very nice cafe called Quinns on West Port run by a couple who only took on the place in Mid-August so could do with the business.. and nice full scottish breakfast!. This was the last stay on a two week tour around scotland, all the other hotels provided full breakfast with waiter service.. Novotel, I've been coming here for years, and you''ve badly let me down. Now the pool had re-opened, which is great, except there was no common sense being observed by the users... so the rules are "arrive beach ready for the pre-booked slot, walk through the gents changing room and disrobe poolside... have your swim in the alloted 30 minutes, dry yourself, and exit through the ladies changing room completing your shower/drying in your room - simples... except when we went in, 5 people were changing in a very small changing room (so no social distancing), went in the pool and someone decided that the best thing to do in this fairly small pool is to treat it like an olympic one and swim as fast as they can bumping into/splashing into everyone... thanks.. lasted 5 minutes... We'll be back, when Breakfast is back (Zoltan hoped by mid-september) and when the covidiots have left the pool!