Edinburgh tourist fumes at 'cupboard room' and '£1 cup of hot water' at budget hotel

easyHotel, Princes Street.
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


A disgruntled tourist has described an Edinburgh budget hotel as ‘the worst’ they have ever stayed in.

The customer, who claims to have travelled the world extensively, criticised easyHotel on Princes Street for their room resembling a ‘cupboard.’

They also raised issues with their view and claimed their toilet door could not open fully due to it hitting their bed.

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Not only this, but the guests also found they could not store their suitcase under the bed and were angered at being charged £1 for a cup of hot water.

The capital visitor added they would only have paid £50 a night for the room - not the £120 they claim to have paid.

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Due to their experience, they checked out of the hotel after one night.

easyHotel responded to the complaint by saying they were ‘sorry’ the room did not meet the customer’s standards.

Although they defended their business and advised the traveller should have properly checked out all of the relevant details before booking.

“I don't normally like to criticise a hotel, I try and look at the positives but this hotel has to be the worst I have ever stayed in and I have travelled the world extensively,” they said. “I booked through Booking.com and on their site the rooms looked nice, some with good views of Edinburgh Castle, but this was not representative of most of the rooms reading other reviews as well as our experience.

“We had booked a double room, but to our dismay it was more like a cupboard. The double bed filled the room with literally approx one sq metre of space left.

“One of us had to stand by the bedroom door to enable the other to get into the toilet which did not open fully because it hit the bed. You had to enter sideways and it was a macerator toilet.

“It stated that there was baggage storage under the bed. But it was so small neither of our cases would fit into it and they were just standard size cases.

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“There are no tea making facilities in the room, you have to pay £1 for some hot water by the reception. We were booked in for three nights but we were so disappointed and disillusioned we checked out after the first night.

“We would rate this a £50 a night room but we're charged over £120 per night. I gave it a one star rating only because the receptionist was nice and the room was at least clean and there was not an option to rate it zero.”

easyHotel responded to the despondent tourist, a spokesperson for the hotel said: “Thank you for your time to leave us a feedback. We are sorry to hear your stay with us wasn't satisfactory.

“As a super budget hotel, we only offer the basics for a good night’s sleep which are bed, shower and warmth. Our offer is directed to the specific type of travellers who are looking for affordable accommodation in the great location wanting to explore the city rather than staying in the hotel.

“We understand our concept may not be suitable for everybody and we are trying to be as transparent as possible regarding the hotel facilities and extra charges. Detailed information about the size of our rooms can be found online, where it can be checked prior to making a booking.

“We always encourage our guests to check all the information on a website before making a booking. We are very sorry to learn that you have not checked anything apart of location and price.

“We wished you checked all the details available to avoid your expectations not being met.”

easyHotel has a three star rating on TripAdvisor with most leaving a very good, average or poor rating.

One guest, who left a very good review, said: “Room was very small, just a bed, a small bathroom and a tv but we knew that when booking it, perfect for a one or two night stay for one or two people. I wouldn't recommend it for a longer trip.

“The location was absolutely perfect and the staff were so friendly. We were able to drop our bags off for £2.50 each and it was definitely worth it with all the walking we did!

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“All in all a great hotel in a great location. As mentioned in other reviews there are a lot of stairs so not disability friendly but unfortunately this is one of the cons of old buildings like this in Edinburgh.”

While another said: “Just what we needed for our weekend visit to Edinburgh, comfortable bed, shower room, TV and all very central for station and places we wanted to visit. Our room 2.1 was at the back and quiet, we slept well.

“The price was a lot but everywhere was expensive ( Rugby weekend!!). The staff were helpful, approachable and friendly.

“Especially the lady on reception Sunday afternoon (A Big thank you for brining our case down). We would definitely use again.”