Original Raj Hotel

Have driven past this hotel many times and have always been intrigued by name and the look of the building from the outside. Finally got the chance to check it out for one-night only business trip. It's definitely full of character and initial impressions are of an atmospheric place. However room was a disappointment. Admittedly a single (although size wasn't an issue - and the canopy bed was cute)but that's no real excuse for a poor mattress, really think pillows (and the spare pillows looked plain grubby), wobbly electric sockets, a touch of mould in the bath and a trickle from the cold water tap. Perhaps a bit too close to some of the Indian hotels I've stayed in...I paid discounted rate through Laterooms so didn't feel too badly done by, but would definitely be unhappy if I'd paid the normal room rate. Not the end of the world but now my curiousity has been satisfied, I won't be going back.

Hi, Our stay at the Raj Hotel was an average affair, the staff were helpful, the room was clean, the breakfast was ok, However we didn't enjoy sharing one table with all the guests...how odd!!! The Decor was interesting (Good)... For anyone looking for a different experience I think it was ok for the price we paid.

Hotel OK but nothing special. Cheap decoration. Major disadvantage: Very unfriendly stuff!!! Would not recomend it.

Having booked a twin room at full price (Festival was on), we received a room with a king-size bed and a single. The king-size was fine but the single was squeezed into the bay window, no head board and definitely not part of the furniture imported from India as claimed on their website. The window was cracked, as was a floor tile in the bathroom. The ceiling fan we were told was ornamental only and not only was the carpet was dirt but it was burnt in two places with a clear imprint of an iron. The bath/shower had a poor level of cleanliness. The TV reception was less than ideal. Breakfast was served in the sitting room and was prepared by the night porter and had been left out at room temperature for several hours, Yoghurts, orange juice and fruit were all warm. When I raised the issue of not receiving a true twin room I was informed we had the best room in the house!! No management were available to talk to and while staff were understanding they made it quite clear there was nothing they could themselves. I was shown another room and this too had a single squeezed in with no head-board. This is little more than a hostel with a theme and, having said that, I have stayed in better hostels. Avoid unless desperate.

I have just come back from a weekend away at this hotel. I felt guilty that we did not put an entry in their guestbook, so this is the next best thing. I was pleasantly surprised after having read other reviews on this site at the room that we got. I have stayed at a number of hotels and more often than not, you book the hotel over the internet and there are lovely pictures but what you end up getting is nothing like. This hotel surpassed my expectations, and was great value for money. Our room like others on here was the Bollywood Suite, there was a separate living area adjoined to the bedroom by an arch. The bathroom was also a nice size. There were unusual touchs throughout which made it a nice change to the usual chain hotel. It is a fifteen minute walk, to one end of princess street, but as others have mentioned there are frequent buses from right outside the hotel into the centre. These are even 24 hrs. However we were happy to walk in and back each day. Others have made comments about the staff, but we found them all to be friendly and helpful. Although the hotel has no car park, we managed to park at a road behind the hotel, where there were no parking restrictions, and there were plenty of spaces. If you're going on the train it's nearest to Haymarket Station. If you want to try a hotel that's a bit different, then try this place, I would definitely return.

The Original Raj has had a couple of bad reviews here, but they certainly do NOT reflect my own experience, which was perfectly fine. The hotel was picked with to bugetary constraints in mind (ie: I was after a cheap place!), but was much nicer than other nearby places I have stayed at in a similar price range. The room was a decent size, and was quiet (despite facing the main road) and clean. I think perhaps some people expect the world without necessarily expecting to pay for it. This was not a five star palace, sure; but it was a nice inexpensive hotel. I'm not usually one to enthuse over such things, but I was rather taken by the bed in my room, and the design of the room in general. I'll attempt to attach a photo of the bed so you can see what I mean.

We were going to a Beauty show and were searching for a hotel when we found the Raj. We had to call 4 times to get a reservation due to a computer issue but after reading all the reviews we thought it could be great adventure! After we made a booking we were told cheque or cash only as the credit card system was being upgraded to chip and pin ( This infromation i did not think was true as a merchant provider would not cut of your account only provide you with new hardware) So we arrived and went to "Book in" . I brought out my business cheque book and was told CASH ONLY , CASH ONLY. So off we went for a late night meeting and came back around 1am as my team mates ( 3 girls ) had just read the reviews online and scared to go in. We got in and went to our rooms and i was lucky enough to get the Bollywood suite. The loud generator noise as stated in another review was more like a water boiler and you could live with it JUST! Our problem was it was SO HOT and we could not get the windows open . It was 100% as hot as India i would give it that! I never had breakfast but two of the team did and they said it was superb and that there was a great selection of foods from around the world. All in all I thought it was great , its not the Hilton and i would not send my mother there but for all round fun its awsome! As long as you go with a bit of "attatude" im sure you will love it to and on our next stay in Edinburgh we are booking into the Raj again!

We stayed at The Original Raj and really enjoyed our trip. The hotel is slightly out of the City Centre but do not let this put you off. Buses are frequent and stop is near the hotel. We walked into town and we were at the Edinburgh Castle end of Princess Street in less than 15 minutes. When we arrived at the hotel, the exterior was very presentable with nice touches such as a Tuk Tuk and elephant statue in the garden. The lady at reception and all of the staff were very friendly. All rooms have names rather than numbers. The public areas were very clean and the indian theme was evident throughout. Our room was on the top floor and was large and again very clean. There was a large bathroom with a good sized bath and decent shower. The view from the window was of the hills around the city. The bed was of a good size. The sheets and fittings were of good quality. The presentation of the room with the indian theme was impressive. The property is strong built which meant our room was very quiet. I would rate the room 4*. The continental breakfast was plentiful with a fast turnover meaning that the food was always fresh. The chair in the dining area is very impressive. I could not see a lift at the property which could be a problem if you have a lot of luggage. This hotel is certainly unique and has a lot of character. We would definatly come here again. Do not let some of the other reviews put you off. Best Regards Paul

Stayed here begining of march 2005, this place should have a health warning, the place smells, the room we were in was dirty, the bathroom was full of someones hair, staff were rude and the continental breakfast poor