I love Edinburgh. It's an amazing city for a weekend away whatever the time of year. There's so much to see and do, whether you want to be a proper tourist and visit the castle or want to feel like a local and try out the fantastic places to eat. We went to Edinburgh for a little break recently and stayed in the Apex Hotel at Haymarket for the first time. The hotel was the perfect location for us, who know Edinburgh well and are up for a 20minute walk into the centre of Princes Street. It's also got great transport links as it's only 5 minutes walk from the Haymarket train station, it's got a tram stop right outside for heading into town or the airport and lastly there's a bus stop right on the door step. We were able to park our car in their little car park at the back of the hotel for only £8 a night which is pretty cheap and hard to come by in the capital city.
Small City Room
We booked direct through the Apex Hotel website and got an amazing deal. We paid less than £150 for our stay which is amazing for the location, the service and lets face it - Edinburgh in general. We had a small city room, and yes it was pretty small but there was plenty of space for the 2 of us to sleep, store our luggage, and get ready. Because we booked direct through the website we also got a £10 voucher to spend in the restaurant or bar which was a lovely added bonus! The bed was really comfortable with a good range of pillows. The duvet was really chunky which unfortunately meant I was far too hot on the first night but I soon learnt to leave the window open through the day to help make use of that cosy covers.
Elemis Toiletries
The bathroom was lovely, a really good size with a powerful shower and the option of the bath. A real luxury if you've walked for hours across the city. My favourite added touch in Apex Hotels is the Elemis toiletries. You get a shampoo/conditioner, a bodywash and bar of soap. The housekeeping made sure these were always topped up too.
The range of refreshments was that little bit more than you get from some other hotels with some bottled water tucked away in the cupboard and Galaxy hot chocolate. Normally I'd have to settle for a normal cup of tea but I was able to enjoy a green tea before bed with a little bourbon biscuit. Like home away from home. It's the little things, right? As for a breakfast pick me up we didn't need to worry about the coffee supply in the room because continental breakfast was included in the price of our 3 nights stay (amazing value, yet again). There was a huge selection of cereals, pastries, yogurts, juices and fruit. We also had tea, coffee and toast galore. We really didn't need anything more. The menu says it's £11 for the continental breakfast buffet and for £4.50 you can have a cooked breakfast dish like pancakes, omelette, full Scottish or porridge. We'd have just been greedy if we chose that!
Remember that £10 voucher? We went for a cocktail in the bar after a long day of shopping, trampolining and the cinema. We wanted a mojito but unfortunately they were all out of mint. I went for a Cosmopolitan instead and it was as good as it looks! We ended up paying £1 for both cocktails after spending the voucher. Fantastic. We never got the chance to eat in the restaurant at the hotel, except for breakfast, but the menu sounded good and from what we could see on other peoples' plates it looked good too. The bar had a really nice chilled atmosphere. We were able to watch tv, read a book, snack on the complimentary crisps or just relax on the big comfy couches watching the hustle and bustle outside.
I would highly recommend checking out the Apex Hotel at Haymarket if you're visiting Edinburgh for the first, or fifth, time. The staff were really friendly at reception and there was lots of information available about the city. You get the peace and quiet for a good nights sleep and have all the city has to offer just a bus, tram or short walk away.
Practically free cocktails- what could be better! x
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