Adagio Edinburgh Royal Mile Aparthotel Review

Reviewed by Cath Joyce

How often have you stayed in a hotel and wished you had a fridge to keep drinks cold or a little more space to relax after a busy day? Visiting a new city is exciting but it can be exhausting, our usual mix of sightseeing, walking and a spot of obligatory souvenir shopping is generally quite full on and after a long day sometimes the last thing we want to do is to get dressed up and find somewhere for an evening meal. If you are staying for a few nights or have children with you then it can also get expensive eating and drinking out all the time so wouldn’t it be better if you could stay somewhere central that has the facilities to prepare and cook a meal and then you have the best of both worlds?

On a recent trip to Edinburgh we stayed at the Adagio Edinburgh Royal Mile Aparthotel who have definitely addressed this problem. They provide a 4-star tourist residence offering 146 fully furnished apartments and studios for up to four guests, each fitted with a fully-equipped kitchen. The Aparthotel is situated on Edinburgh’s most famous street, the Edinburgh Royal Mile, which runs through the heart of Edinburgh’s stunning old town and hosts the best eating and drinking spots in the city. Whilst staying in Edinburgh, guests can enjoy an array of activities, including visiting Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace and the National Museum of Scotland or simply do a spot of shopping in the city centre.

The apartment that we stayed in was air conditioned and tastefully decorated with a very comfortable double bed, kitchen area and separate bathroom. There was plenty of storage for clothes and a breakfast bar gave a place to sit and eat. To make good use of the space, the bed folded into the wall when not in use and revealed a two seat sofa. This opened up the room and meant that we didn’t need to sit on the bed during the day. The kitchen was compact but had a full size fridge freezer, combination microwave oven, a 2 ring hob and even a dishwasher! On opening the cupboards we found pans, oven proof dishes, crockery, glasses and utensils, basically everything you needed to cook a meal. We decided to use the kitchen to make our evening meal and didn’t have any problems with the appliances or equipment provided and the dishwasher made short work of the washing up.

In common with pretty much every city centre hotel there is no on-site car parking. We had decided to drive to the city and parked at a nearby NCP car park which is just a 5 minute walk away from the Aparthotel. A discounted parking rate is available for guests, just ask at reception and they will give you a voucher to put into the pay station when you leave, reducing the standard charge. We paid £23 for 2 nights which we felt was very reasonable for the convenience of city centre parking. Many people will find travelling by train a better option and if you do travel by rail Waverley station is only a 5 minute walk away.

Whilst the hotel is situated in the middle of Edinburgh, it was surprisingly quiet at night and we both slept soundly.

The Adagio Edinburgh Royal Mile Aparthotel is really geared up for families, if you haven’t tired your children out enough during the day with their family city guide they can wind down colouring or playing board games, with a choice of (disinfected) Uno, Monopoly or “La Bonne Paye” on offer to borrow during your stay. There is also a gym (not my cup of tea so I didn’t try it!) and laundry facilities on site which could come in very handy for longer stays.

Adagio offers apartments on either a fully self catered basis or as a bed and breakfast option. We took advantage of the bed and breakfast which ordinarily is offered as a continental buffet style. Due to the Covid situation breakfast was offered in a “packed lunch” style, the choices are listed on a piece of paper and you select what you would like and then collect it at an arranged time and take it back to your room. The options were cornflakes or porridge, a croissant or pain au chocolat, yogurt, a can of orange juice, a hot drink and an apple. The system worked really well and under the circumstances was much safer but it just wasn’t the same as walking around a buffet, selecting what you would like to eat and having a leisurely breakfast. Whilst it was convenient to have breakfast in the hotel it did cost £9 per person and if I was visiting with my family I would probably just make use of the facilities in the room and make our own.

The staff were all really friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble for them. It can’t be easy running a hotel in the middle of a pandemic but we felt really safe in the hotel.
Masks were worn in all communal areas, corridors and lifts and there was plenty of guidance on Covid regulations for guests.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Adagio Edinburgh Royal Mile Aparthotel, it is the perfect base to explore Edinburgh and with so much to see and do in the city we will definitely be making a return visit soon. Having our own kitchen gave us a lot more flexibility and the cross between self catering and the luxury of a hotel break was a real winner for us. With rooms starting at only £52 and another 6 locations in the UK we have already started planning our next trip!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Rooms start at £52.

For more information contact Adagio here.