Albany Ballantrae Hotel

Albany Ballantrae Hotel descritpion

Albany Ballantrae Hotel sells fast on our site. The Albany Ballantrae Hotel is in the heart of Edinburgh, just a 10-minute walk from Princes Street. This 4-star hotel has free Wi-Fi and stylish rooms with private bathrooms.
The Albany Ballantrae Hotel mixes original character with modern comforts within a Georgian Town House setting.
Each room features a private bathroom, a TV and a hairdryer.
St. James shopping center is a quarter mile away and Edinburgh Waverley Train Station is half a mile from the hotel. The famous Edinburgh Castle can be reached in just 5 minutes by car.
New Town is a great choice for travelers interested in Restaurants, Shopping and Food.

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Facilities of Albany Ballantrae Hotel

Pets ：Pets are not allowed.

Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

Parking ：No parking available.

Services ：24-Hour Front Desk | Baggage Storage | Daily Housekeeping | Fax/Photocopying | Honeymoon Suite

Reviews for Albany Ballantrae Hotel

Review 1：Bedroom doors were very heavy and disturbed us a bit at night as guests returned.

Review 2：Conveniently close to the city centre, very helpful staff, large room and bathroom.

Review 3：Really good location. Helpful staff. Clean and comfortable room. I had also booked another stay for this week and, when I got ill with a bad chest infection and had to rearrange my trip, they were very helpful in rearranging.

Review 4：We were put into a room next to the entrance because we had a lot of luggage. It was nice that the staff was proactive and thought about how to make our experience better not making us taking our luggage across the hotel.

Review 5：The bar was closed when we wanted to go for a drink at 7pm on a Monday. No atmosphere at breakfast, silence in the dining room! Some quiet music would have helped... Our room was located on the lower ground floor meaning that we felt we could not open the blinds due to passers by seeing in.

Review 6：The room was clean and comfortably furnished. The size of en suite was large.

Review 7：The room was very small. The hotel bar was closed but we were not told why. Poor parking with unclear as to where is ok to park and where is not, as a result potentially have a £60 fine to pay, this is after I put £7 in the parking meter to cover us from 16:30 until 18:30.

Review 8：Location was very handy for what we were looking for as we wanted a hotel beside the playhouse.

Review 9：There are no parking facilities for the hotel and on street parking was £2.40 per hour with a maximum 4 hour stay. The council run car park charged £17 for a 24 hour stay, so consider arriving by public transport if this would pose you a problem. I would have preferred a cooked breakfast to the continental breakfast, which was the only option and if you arrive after the 9.30 cut off time for breakfast, you may suffer the same fate as some guests that arrived a few minutes late and were refused a breakfast. We were on the second floor on the far side of the hotel from reception, so if climbing stairs is a challenge for you, then it may be best to ask for a ground floor room as there is no lift in the building. It is a nice hotel though and despite some of my comments sounding a bit negative, I'd certainly stay again.

Review 10：The hotel is located within walking distance of the central shopping area and many of the special attractions Edinburgh has to offer. The hotel is a lovely clean building and we had a very spacious room. The bathroom was huge with a great power shower. Very comfortable bed.

Review 11：Breakfast wasnt good and we drew the short straw with our room - next to reception and not much privacy. Didnt get to see much of the hotel as we got room 204 - most people walked past our room to get to theirs and we could hear eveything they were saying as Im sure they could hear us too or the tv certainly. It was also beside the front door that was open all night which concerned my wife. We did ask to change on friday night but they could only offer us a basement room which was more money , I was prepared to pay but because I had taken a widdle in the loo in our room in the 5 mins we were there, he said he couldnt change us as he had no housekeeper on shift that evening. No hot breakfast other than toast - 1st time in a long time I've stayed at a hotel that's offered bed and breakfast without warm food.

Review 12：Staff were helpful and courteous. Good location for our needs. Bathroom was small but brand new and lovely. Reception and restaurant were clean and organised.

Review 13：Stayed here for one night ready for new year, upgraded to the honeymoon suit, nice large room, bed was comfy, cant rate breakfast as we went else where but overall a nice hotel for the price we paid. Staff were also very helpful.

Review 14：The breakfast really wasn't great and the coffee was terrible but I would definitely stay here again and just not purchase breakfast!

Review 15：Loved the room and the bathroom! Hotel looked lovely and it was very clean.

Review 16：N/A

Review 17：Really friendly and helpful staff made our stay extra special. I would like to specifically mention Sam, the receptionist who was there during our stay, she was really lovely and helpful and willing to go the extra mile to make our stay memorable. 10/10 all round!

Review 18：Generally the hotel felt more dated than having that nice boutique feeling. Our room was large but the decoration left a lot to be desired. It was very brown and dark and dingy. The bed wasn't comfortable. The bathroom again was very large but not well laid out, there was no light in the shower area so you couldn't see well when taking a shower! The continental breakfast left a lot to be desired. The pastries weren't fresh, and the selection was just not to our liking.

Review 19：Location was great for walking into town with cafes and restaurants close by. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Review 20：the bar was never open. but it was fine cos we went to the one up the street. also there is no lift so you have to climb stairs lol

Review 21：we loved the location and the nice comfortable room with a spacious bathroom. i would definitley go to this hotel again.

Review 22：Very very noisy didn't sleep at all, the windows required being open as was very hot but when open made a rattling noise every two minutes.

Review 23：The hotel staff were great and the shower powerful

Review 24：The bar was not open during the advertised times, no room service was available despite the information in the welcome file. The bathroom in our room smealt fusty and damp. The poridge was like water and the coffee and tea at morning breakfast was only luke warm both times we attended breakfast. The last day we decided to give it a miss due to poor quality.

Review 25：One member of staff went above and beyond to be helpful.

Review 26：very small single room. cold and noisy in our double room with no shelf space in the bathroom for shampoo/tooth brush's ect..., no extra blanket for our bed. dirty laundry left in the passageways and not moved for our two day stay. no cooked breakfast option (but advertised as part of our room cost) no late night security, our room was entered in the late evening by a drunk person.

Review 27：Although the hotel is on a quiet street, the single-glazed windows mean that you might hear some noise from the street (passing cars, people).

Review 28：Big room with a comfortable bed. Huge bathroom, with both shower and bathtub. Everything was clean and well maintained and although the hotel was full, we heard nothing from the neighbouring rooms. The hotel is just a short walk from the city centre but on a quiet street. The staff were all friendly and the breakfast was excellent.

Review 29：We would have preferred a cooked Scottish breakfast. The unfriendly atmosphere at breakfast caused by the staff. No fresh fruit ie grapes, strawberries, blueberries. Breakfast finished too early, ie 9:30.

Review 30：The offer of a car parking space dispite the £12 a day charge. The location - a good walk to Princes Street which we enjoyed. Comfortable beds. The helpful male Receptionist.

Review 31：The mattress was very uncomfortable, slightly disappointing that there was no option for hot food at breakfast.

Review 32：room was huge and bathroom had a bath and separate shower cubicle.

Review 33：The hotel itself is in a beautiful neighbourhood which is a short walking distance from the city centre. The room was clean and modern, and the staff were friendly.

Review 34：Poor breakfast. Open until 9.30 but nothing much left after 9am. Had to ask for additional toiletries for both rooms rather than being given enough for 3 nights. No thorough cleaning. Someone else's dirty underwear behind the suitcase block in our room...probably still there!

Review 35：Small boutique style hotel in nice area

Review 36：The room was a bit too hot but apart from that it was a great stay!

Review 37：We arrived and checked in early because our room was ready- the staff were really lovely and friendly and marked out all the areas of key tourist interest on the map. When we got to our room, we had been upgraded for free to the honeymoon suite which was a gorgeous room! The breakfast was a nice buffet and the location was brilliant- within close walking distance of everything we wanted to do on the trip!!

Review 38：I liked everything

Review 39：The staff were very friendly especially when I arrived I was given a map to explain how to get to my destination and the girl also carried my bag upstairs. Lovely room with high class decor, comfy bed and very clean. Breakfast was lovely with generous wide range of cold foods and cooked. For the cost I couldn't fault it. The location is central and took a short walk from Waverley station. Easy enough to walk to various locations

Review 40：The staff were very helpful throughout our 2 night stay. The room was excellent value for money and the hotel is perfectly situated just a 10 minute walk outside of town. Small but beautiful room and very clean! Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Review 41：Comfortable beds and pillows,lovely warm room.Got caught in a heavy rain shower and all wet clothes were dry by morning.All staff very friendly and helpful.Breakfast very good with a choice of cereals ,fruit, meats and pastries.Excellent location.Would definitely stay here again when visiting Edinburgh.

Review 42：They first put me in a basement room which I asked politely not to do if there are other rooms available. The answer was that was the last room left. So I went to the basement. There was a strange noise coming out of a unusually big cupboard in a unusually small room (especially for a 4* hotel). So I opened it to find out I am sharing the room with a huge electrical box. Then they found another room. If they offer you room 100 just say you are going to open that cupboard and make it silent.

Review 43：Breakfasts was fine and rooms are very clean.

Review 44：The rooms are lovely however we could hear everything from the room above us.

Review 45：The staff were extremely lovely. Showed us where the best sites were and gave us a map with all the details. We were also upgraded rooms free of charge which made the experience even more enjoyable

Review 46：Lacked attention to detail. For the price, one would expect, Bottled water in room Biscuits with tea and coffee in room. Customer attention In the Dining room was poor allowing used plates to build up on tables as one progressed through breakfast. I asked a member of staff to remove a used plate and was met with a refusal to do so. Either he didn't understand or couldn't be bothered; either is not acceptable at this price.

Review 47：The room was very comfortable. Well decorated.

Review 48：My only bone of contention is the view from the window but this could not be helped since that was a Georgian house in Edinburgh

Review 49：I liked the staff's treatment of my stay they looked after me very well and I will recommend this hotel to my friends as I enjoyed my stay there for 4 days as relaxing and rewarding Thank you all who work there Brian Carew

Review 50：At the price we paid including breakfast, I would've expected a cooked breakfast but nothing except toast. Also, not important but one pack of shortbread between two people and the next day none. Better off not putting any out if they want consistency

Review 51：Good size room & bathroom.

Review 52：I booked a double room however turns out I was in a twin room with two single beds pushed together, this was not very comfortable and we had to push the beds together during the night as we nearly fell down between them.

Review 53：Hotel is very central for City Centre and is within easy walking distance.

Review 54：Definately not a 4 star hotel as advertised, hotel not very accommodating, room was in need of a repaint, carpet change and facilities didn't work in room

Review 55：Location was ok

Review 56：Not a thing

Review 57：The reception from the staff and the food were exceptional. The room was very clean and comfortable. The decor is lovely. Thank you very much for a lovely stay.

Review 58：Breakfast was totally not worth the money- bread, cereal and various meats. windows rattle really loudly combined with being too hot in rooms making it extremely difficult to sleep at night, workmen start work at adjacent property at 7:00am on weekdays, TV in bath broken.

Review 59：Clean.

Review 60：Breakfast was lovely but they need to specify not cooked. Not a problem for me but I could see how that would annoy.

Review 61：Rooms were spacious, modern and clean. Lovely furnishings and close to plenty bars and restaurants. Really good value for money.

Review 62：We stayed for three nights, we only spoke to the reception staff when we booked in. I don't want to be hassled but its nice to be greeted. The staff let the hotel down. It should have been a great hotel and could be if they tried a bit harder

Review 63：The hotel is in a lovely street, close to the city centre and is ideal for the Playhouse. Our room was large clean and well furnished

Review 64：The rooms are poorly insulated from noise within other parts of the hotel and also the street outside. Each night I was woken by noisy residents and people passing on the street. The toilet in the restaurant was in a state of very poor repair and dirty which was a surprise as the rest of the hotel is luxurious.

Review 65：The hotel is in a fantastic location within ten minutes walk to the train station and Princes Street. The room was nicely decorated and furnished with comfortable beds. The bathroom was of a high standard with a fantastic shower/bath.

Review 66：Continental breakfast which was not clear at time of booking. Bathroom was too small, especially shower for tall people. Would not stay again, as not good value for money.

Review 67：Location, décor and bed.

Review 68：Rude welcome the Receptionist was on the phone when we arrived & stayed on it during check in pointing us vaguely in the direction of our room. Poor quality linen in the room. Miniature shower room/toilet

Review 69：The location

Review 70：Bed was not comfortable and we were woken through the night by noise from above room, sounded like a joiner and furniture moving at 3 in the morning. Breakfast was poor, coffee stewed. We knew it was continental but some eggs and bacon would have been nice. No one had touched the cold meats and cheese when we went for breakfast.

Review 71：Location was fantastic, rooms very nicely decorated.

Review 72：The room was very small and the stairs difficult. The breakfast was not impressive at all, I knew it was continental however very disappointing.

Review 73：Location was good and on quiet street.

Review 74：Rooms need freshening up. Bit worn. Bathroom needs work, particularly sealant round bath area looks mouldy. Nowhere to put toiletries

Review 75：Clean, tidy hotel. Staff very helpful. Nice food in restaurant.

Review 76：Location down a steep hill a bit further out of the centre than I had hoped for, would not be good if your mobility was under par. Staff at breakfast serving miserable and a bit abrupt.

Review 77：Very large bedroom and bathroom. Walk in wardrobe. Reception staff very friendly and helpful. Value for money 2 night stay. Good variety for continental breakfast.

Review 78：The bar downstairs did not have port or ginger ale, disappointing, either have a bar or don't.

Review 79：Excellent location and nice bedrooms, although one couple in our party had a very small bathroom. Very clean and large comfortable beds.

Review 80：The room was a bit small and the view wasn't that great.

Review 81：The location was great, staff were friendly and I was grateful for being able to access wifi from different devices.

Review 82：The room was in the basement.

Review 83：The room was really good very big, with a very confy bed and the bathroom was massive, big bathtub. Everything very clean and orgnised!

Review 84：Breakfast was pleasant but my boyfriend was hoping for a full English breakfast. Not something we thought to check as first hotel we have stayed at that didn't offer a full English breakfast, but other than that everything was perfect

Review 85：Staff were very friendly, hotel was very nicely decorated and clean

Review 86：Very clean and comfortable, quiet location. Breakfast reasonable, walking distance for us to castle a good walk for us with teenagers.Staff friendly and helpful.

Review 87：very worn out and archaic heating not powerful enough, was cold bathroom has no heating door locks with difficulty disappointed as a whole far too expensive.... Sorry

Review 88：Nice receptionist Good central location

Review 89：We had a lovely stay at the Albany Hotel. Our room was very large, with a lovely comfy bed and nice bathroom with bath. Hotel staff were extremely helpful and welcoming. Just off of Prince's Street and lots of great places for food and drinks nearby.

Review 90：Nothing to dislike

Review 91：Excellent, stylish fittings and furnishings: the hotel was refurbished early 2015. Spotlessly clean, large bedroom with king size bed. Very warm and welcoming, particularly since the weather was wet, windy and cold. Every member of staff were welcoming, helpful and friendly. Only 5 mins walk from Princess St and Waverley Station. Breakfast was excellent.

Review 92：The first morning of our stay was a disaster as the bathroom was flooded because of a choked drainage.Making matter worst , we were told that our reservation will end on the 4th night instead of the 5th as reserved. A man named Len demanded we leave or he will lock us out. Our holiday has just become a complete nightmare. We were distressed! We lost valuable time pleading with them to re-look into the reservation for a possible oversight, and eventually they conceded. Hours later ,we were told that we can stay for another night, but the rate would be much higher than the other 4 nights.Very disappointing and short-changed. We would also be informing VISA of this terrible deal.

Review 93：There were 2 persons at the front desk named Alex and Anna. they were very helpful; especially Alex. He was the only person who apologised for all the inconveniences caused. Thanks again Alex and Anna.

Review 94：Attention needed to room turnover. Bathroom had not been replenished with shower gels and used shower gel had been left on the floor of the shower.

Review 95：Decor lovely and staff very helpful and pleasant.

Review 96：The bed was a bit hard for my liking and the traffic noise from outside was quite loud. There was a screen above the bath that we had no idea what it was, no controller or button to turn it on, so still no idea what it was.

Review 97：Beautiful hotel in a very central location. Loved the bathroom and layout of the bedroom.

Review 98：Lovely helpful staff. We got a free upgrade to a larger room which was enormous! Great central position very close to Edinburgh Playhouse and John Lewis store.

Review 99：Continual issues with the wifi during my stay, there are no shelves etc to put your toiletries in the bathroom

Review 100：comfortable beds, very clean, good sized room

Review 101：WIFI didn't work in my room.

Review 102：Overall my stay was good. Easy check in/check out. You can leave your belongings upon check out without any problem. BFAST good, enough to start the day.Good shower and comfortable bed!

Review 103：I booked a double-bed room, but was given a room with 4 beds including a double bed firstly. After changing the room, there were clothes of the previous guests in the wardrobe in the new real double-bed room.

Review 104：Disappointed with the hotel bar- would have liked to sit and have a nightcap but it had all the appeal of a railway waiting room. Pity, as upstairs was much more tastefully done.

Review 105：Great value, good location, comfortable room and a good pressure from the shower. Unusually for most hotels, they make a good pot of tea with the continental breakfast. Breakfast was great.Staff very helpful.Just a short walk to the biz.

Review 106：Had a great stay at the Albany. Great location for playhouse. We stayed whilst Kevin bridges was there. Room was huge with beautiful high ceiling. Even the noisy neighbour upstairs didn't ruin the experience. Fantastic night.

Review 107：Bar area was quite small and breakfast selection was limited to continental

Review 108：Great room with massive bathroom facilities! Very comfortable and location was excellent

Review 109：I was on the fourth floor and there is no lift facility but I do appreciate it is due to building restrictions. The receptionist kindly took my case upstairs for me.

Review 110：Excellent value for money and I was pleasantly surprised to hVe a room upgrade. Will definitely use this hotel again and recommend it to colleagues.

Review 111：Loved everything but the entrance was a little difficult to locate, so a little tip, it is the second door when you get to Albany Street, reception is on the right side.

Review 112：Friendly welcome by the reception staff Alex and it was such a special surprise to get a bigger room than expected. The room was definitely one of the most spacious hotel rooms I have been to in my 30 years of travelling with a huge bathroom. The hotel and the room were both lovely decorated and as the rooms are spread over several houses it also has a nice homely feel. For breakfast, I did not even have to wait 30 seconds to be served tea/coffee, which was very much appreciated and for me was a truly excellent service. The buffet was also nice, I loved the smoked salmon the best. The hotel is an excellent central location, right next to the tram (take the tram from the airport and not the bus, which is only 1 minute walk from York Place). I will definitely come back to the Albany Ballantrae and can highly recommend it.

Review 113：Only thing that marred our experience was the unfortunate event of having to move out of our room at 06.30 on last day of our trip due to a leak from upper room flooding our bathroom. Staff dealt with this quickly and efficiently and very apologetically.

Review 114：Great continental breakfast, plenty of choice and great quality, loved the smoked salmon. Room was very spacious and contemporary. Great locality, less than 10 mins walk from Princes St, Portrait Gallery and Playhouse Theatre.

Review 115：Parking!!!!! Very difficult to park traffic wardens very hot I got a parking ticket first day there. Hotel parking very limited and you have to pay a rate per day. Street parking very very expensive and limited to 4 hours. Traffic wardens are constantly on the street so don't overrun your time

Review 116：Loved the hotel very comfortable staff very friendly and accommodating nothing was too much trouble. Room lovely and comfortable and only short walk into city.

Review 117：No cooked breakfast available. Bar ( downstairs) lacked atmosphere.

Review 118：Good location for hotel - only 5 min walk to bus station / shopping centre excellent value for money. Hotel decor was nice.

Review 119：There was no main lounge area, which would have made a big difference to the stay, and breakfast wasn't as accessible or plentiful as I would have hoped - the restaurant is a separate business to the hotel rooms, which felt much more like a glamorous B and B.

Review 120：The staff were excellent, the location was amazing, and the quality of the room demonstrated excellent value for money

Review 121：I had a single room and everything about it was fine except it was in the basement. I was a bit disappointed and felt like a second class citizen, there was only a small window and the room was too dark.

Review 122：Staff were friendly and very helpful. Hotel is based in the New Town area and it was only a 10 minute walk to the Old Town. The location was nice and quiet.

Review 123：When hot water tap was turned on the pipes rattled very loudly, we were woke early each morning by the pipes from the room upstairs.

Review 124：Hotel is 10 minutes walk from station, room was a good size, shower was hot and powerful.

Review 125：Nothing really.

Review 126：Nice, large room in a beautiful building in a quiet neighborhood. Hotel is spread throughout what was once several separate buildings giving the place a rabbit warren-like feel. Location was just a couple of blocks from a tram stop and many pubs, stores, and restaurants.

Review 127：There was no lift in the building. The breakfast was very basic and in the underground level; not a nice space. The internet connection was rather slow.

Review 128：It was a listed building ina street full of histrocial houses.

Review 129：The lighting was so bad I could not see to do makeup or read. Asked for two bulbs to be renewed but not done. Also extremely noisy due to nearby building works from 8 a.m. Had to open windows as so hot despite turning off all the heating in the room.

Review 130：Location very good, comfortable bed, great shower, smiling staff and upgraded to a larger room.

Review 131：Although the decor was fabulous, I would have preferred a larger bed rather than a single one. But might not be feasible as room was quite small.

Review 132：Very well decorated and furnished room. Great service in breakfast room.

Review 133：Small room that joined to reception area, noisy with people coming and going. Very basic continental breakfast and dinning area was to small (could not get a table in the morning so had to skip breakfast on second morning). Stack pipe went through storage cupboard in room so we could hear every time the room above flushed toilet. Power went off in hotel on last morning, fuse board could only be accessed through our room so wife and I had to get out of bed and dressed early so engineers could get in. In summary, avoid room 202!

Review 134：Quiet location, only a short walk to the new town. Reception staff very friendly.

Review 135：Parking is a bit iffy, a lot of stairs if that bothers you, unfortunately I had my pregnant wife with me and we were on the very top of the the hotel but never normally a bad thing for us.

Review 136：Location, staff very friendly, very modern and beautiful hotel well worth the money.

Review 137：If you're arriving late at night it can be a bit confusing where the entry is. It's on the street, not the lane as indicated, and the entry door isn't exactly marked. The other 5 doors are blocked off. Oops.

Review 138：Good location, lots of nice places for breakfast and drinks nearby. Also in the gay district if that's your thing. Staff were great and it's a nicely appointed building.

The Fine Print

As a Grade A listed building, the property do not have lifts in the hotel, but rooms on lower floors will be allocated where possible when requested.When booking for more than 8 adults, different payment policies apply.Limited parking is offered on a first come first served basis and cannot be reserved in advance.