Carlton Hotel

, Edinburgh
4 star Map this hotel
hotel photo More hotel photos
Geräumiges Zimmer im 4. Stock Hotelfassade von aussen Aussicht auf die Royal Mile
Find great package holiday deals in Edinburgh
Back to Carlton Hotel

Carlton Hotel reviews

Sort by Date | Rating
Completely average, location is the selling point
6 / 10
Sep 2011, playdoh

Stayed here in August 2010 for a long weekend when in town for the Edinburgh Festival. Booked on short notice and there weren't many options to be found at somewhat normal prices.
Will admit the location is great for easy access to the middle of the action for the Festival and short walk to the castle. Also very close to bus stop for getting to/from the airport.
As far as the hotel itself goes, pretty uninspiring. Everything about room rather dated. The internet access required some archaic code entry and it worked rather poorly. Guess I wasn't looking to spend much time there given Festival activities, but the hotel didn't give you much reason to want to hang out there. Handled the basics but nothing special.

  • Holiday Date:Aug 2010
  • Good For: City Breaks
  • Board Basis:Room Only
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently
Show Prices

Was this review helpful? Yes

Tourist trap
5 / 10
Aug 2011, Boxcarwilly

Routinely stay here with work so no issues either way!however it has to be said the standard is inconsistent , sure very swish entrance and reception but it certainly is not a 4star hotel more like a 2star in my opinion. The rooms are tired and dated (that includes the bathrooms)some small and some noisy,cheap uncomfortable beds, no air conditioning and in some instances dirty, The good points- obviously excellent position for the coach loads of american/japanese tourists who want to see Edinburgh (proximity to Princess st and the Royal mile. If you arrive at breakfast at 7.am the standard is very good and you will be served by pleasant east europeans/spanish no problems there then.Its expensive to eat in the hotel so just go outside and explore ,loads of restaurants offering early bird menus-try the greek/turkish bistro opposite in the arcade. Nothing basically wrong with the leisure centre other than some refurbishment needed ,so folks dont pay a fortune, and if you have to complain remember you are the paying customer.

  • Holiday Date:Jul 2011
  • Good For: City Breaks
  • Board Basis:Breakfast Included
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently
Show Prices

Was this review helpful? Yes

The location is the only good thing about this hotel
2 / 10
Mar 2010, corkgirl

Not impressed, we stayed for Valentines for 5 nights, it was quite expensive but we assumed the price and the name Carlton would guarantee a fabulous holiday. We were very disapointed.
Upon checkin we were offered a £20 "upgrade" which was a complete waste of money. The receipion is modern and impressive but thats the only appealing aspect of this out of date hotel.
The room was of a good size but the decor was very disapointing & old fashioned, nothing seemed to match, the corners of the carpets against the wall were not clean & the heat in the room was very uncomfortable. There was a slight stain on the bedclothes, the kettle & haiir dryer ware so powerless! The shower failed to get hot enough, & the heated towel rack in the bathroom was not earthed which I assume could get dangerous.
The swimming pool & leisure centre were horible. Huge patches of mould growing on the ceiling of the pool room, not a nice experience. The ladies changing rooms were filthy,& were not a appealing in the slightest. 2 of the 3 showers failed to work.
The overall decor of the hotel is old fashioned & we noticed that the brass handles on doors near the lifts were not polished onece in our 5night stay. The lifts were very old fashioned & really slow.
On one occasion the cleaners left the door of our room locked open ajar & we were very worried when we saw this. We had been sightseeing for hours & it was not acceptable that this had happened, we complained to reception & received a call of apology from housekeeping but a small gesture would have been appreciated.
Upon checkout the receiptionist tried to charge us for breakfast in bed which we had one morning but we had to remind him this was included in out £20 "upgrade". Would not recommend this hotel at all, perhaps if paid a lower rate we would not have minded the below par conditions but as it was expensive we were very let down.
We stayed in the Crowne Plaza hotel in Blanchardstown in Dublin Ireland last weekend & paid half the price for a really impressive relaxing hotel.

  • Holiday Date:Feb 2010
  • Advice: don't get your hopes up
  • Board Basis:All Inclusive
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently
Show Prices

Was this review helpful? Yes

I stayed here with work, and so...
6 / 10
Jan 2008, hannaby

1 reader found this review helpful

I stayed here with work, and so don’t feel I can comment on value for money.
There are a number of good things to say about this hotel -firstly the location. For the tourist/holiday visitor it is in an excellent position, ideal for the sights and the Royal Mile.
Secondly the room was good, it wasn’t fantastic, but it was very nice. A good size and clean. Also it had a lovely bed. It was at the back of the hotel, and so was not noisy. Not sure what the experience would be like at the front of the hotel.
As far as food is concerned, it is a mixed experience. Breakfast was excellent, with lots of choice, and a very good porridge - which I like to have when visiting Scotland. The evening meal on the other hand, was a different situation. Our night stay coincided with a Murder Mystery evening. This in itself was fine - it was very entertaining, but because I think an actor was late the meal was delayed. The food when it arrived was not hot and the plates had not been warmed, and so the food got even colder very quickly. No-one on our table finished their meals. I think they had employed a number of casual waiting staff, as complaints were not dealt with well.
Overall I would say I may stay there again, but only Bed and Breakfast!

  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently
Show Prices

Was this review helpful? Yes

I stayed in the Carlton when I was...
8 / 10
Dec 2007, Mr W Wright

I stayed in the Carlton when I was attending a Conference. The rooms were very comfortable and the food very good. The Hotel has a leisure club and although I did not try it out it seemed to be of a very high standard.
The hotel is very central and although this means that everything is within very easy reach there can be the occasional problem with traffic noise. I say occasional because it does tend to vary. The conference rooms we used for example seemed to be adequately soundproofed as the one we were using was on the corner overlooking North Bridge and the railway station.
Edinburgh is my favourite city, there is just so much to see and do and the Carlton is in an ideal location for visiting Carlton Hill, Princes Street, the Royal Mile, the Castle and most of the other famous Edinburgh landmarks.

  • Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently
Show Prices

Was this review helpful? Yes

This was our third visit to The...
9 / 10
Aug 2007, luvthesun

This was our third visit to The Carlton, so it must be good! The first time we stayed in standard rooms which were okay, and the last two visits we were upgraded free to their better rooms. We got this by joining their leisureclub free!
The upgraded rooms were on the top floor and are extremely roomy and well laid out. Only one snag though, North Bridge, the street that the hotel is situated on can get noisy even in the early hours. I hope that the management will install double glazing to cut out the noise. The hotel is well located being on the corner of the Royal Mile, and easy walking distance to Princess Street.
The meals in the restaurant are decently priced and good. There is a lounge to relax in after a hard days sightseeing / shopping, and there are of course plenty of watering holes close by.
If you travel by train, take my advice and instead of heading out of the Waverley Station via the Princess Street exit, head instead in the opposite direction to the Market Street exit, turn left, pass under the bridge and there is an entrance to the hotel on the right about 50ish yards. You may need to use the intercom to get in, but it will save you a longer walk, and the cost of a taxi ride.
We haven't used the leisure facilities so I can't comment. Enjoy Edinburgh !!

  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently
Show Prices

Was this review helpful? Yes

Read 655 additional reviews of Carlton Hotel
Stayed at Carlton Hotel? Share your insight. Write A Review Add Photos

Traveller Ratings

Write a review
Overall
7 / 10
667 reviews
Brilliant
191
Good
208
Average
120
Poor
94
Awful
54
Room
7/10
Service
7.5/10
Value
7/10
Cleanliness
7.5/10
Location
9.5/10
Hotel AmenitiesHotel Description
  • Fitness Centre
  • Restaurant
  • Room Service
  • Suites
  • Swimming Pool
  • Wheelchair Access
Rooms: 189 More Amenities
Share your opinion with other travellers. Write a review.

View Map of Carlton Hotel

Map for Carlton Hotel

Hotels Near Carlton Hotel

distance(miles) rating
Looking for a beach holiday? Get ideas here
Edinburgh (EDI) 6.3 miles