Why stay at a hotel?! Three of us (mom, dad and 20 year old daughter) stayed at Torphichen 4 for three weeks during the Fringe festival. Even at higher festival pricing, the flat was about the same cost as a 4 star hotel, so for the same price we had two comfortable bedrooms, a well appointed bathroom and kitchen, and a comfortable lounging and dining space. The flat was a great refuge from the extremely busy (and often very wet) days, and we would have been horribly cramped and grumpy in a hotel. Not to mention, it was so easy to shop for prepared food or other groceries and so we had relaxing and very inexpensive breakfasts and occasional other meals in the flat.
We are big coffee drinkers, and so we were delighted to find a cafetiere, an Italian espresso pot AND a Nespresso machine and milk frother at our disposal. Nespresso compatible capsules are readily available at the nearby grocery stores, but we went out to the Nespresso store in town to get the real thing. So happy!
For groceries, there are several Sainsbury and Tesco express shops nearby, as well as an M&S food in Haymarket train station. I favored the Sainsbury express that is along the tram line towards the center - an easy walk and reasonably stocked with fresh produce etc. They all had the basics, though, and there are also a couple of smaller convenience stores even closer to get last minute milk or bread. We stocked up on some better quality prepared foods and cheeses at the large Marks & Spencer and Valvona & Crolla in town. We ate really well, generally, in restaurants near the flat and in the center. There are also numerous places to have tea and cakes or breakfast along the way into town, especially if you walk along Morrison/Breadstreet - special shout out to Lovecrumbs - yum! Also a special shout out to Bucks Voyage of Discovery, a nearby pub with a great cocktail list and small but beautifully executed menu, which we loved.
Getting to the flat and in and around Edinburgh was pretty easy. We arrived by train into Waverly station and easily caught a cab there, but if we were paying closer attention, we would have taken the train to Haymakret and walked. Very convenient, and we used Haymakrt for some day trips which was logistically much easier. When I left, I took the tram to the airport - Five minutes slow walk from the flat and a direct tram ride, so very convenient. We used the tram to get into the downtown a couple of times, but once you pay the fare for three people, it was only a few pounds more to take a cab or uber. Mostly, though, we walked. Roughly 20 minutes to the castle area and 30 to the University area and a longer but really pleasant ample to Stockbridge - slow walking. We never did figure out the bus routes, but we didn't try very hard. Walking was so pleasurable, even in the rain.
The flat was well equipped for wifi and television. The wifi was slow at times and we did need to reboot it twice, but it served our needs. The television is nice and large. I think the flat is advertised as having Netflix, but someone else had signed in their account, so we logged out of that one and used ours. It was great to be able to sit back and unwind a couple of times with movies or catch local news on the many satellite channels.
The beds were really comfortable and with decent quality linens, pillows and comforters. There is a good Nest heating system, but we hardly needed the heating, and mostly slept with open windows. I think some people commented on traffic noise, and it's true that the two bedrooms (both of which are very nice size with large cupboards, by the way) both face the street, which is a busy intersection. We really weren't particularly bothered by noise however, and with the windows closed, it was really hardly noticeable.
The flat is on the top floor and up two flights of stairs, a total of 56 stairs in all and a few more to get to the front door. No issue for us, but anyone with mobility issues might think twice. Otherwise, the flat and common area are well maintained.
I know this is a long review, but I wanted to address anything I might want to know before booking a place. In short, though, you really cannot go wrong with this flat - it is all as the pictures and description convey, and we could not have been happier with our stay . Greg and Jo were really quick to respond to the very few questions or issues we had, as well, which was reassuring as I know if we had met any serious problems they would have been all over it. We would most definitely stay here again on a future visit to Edinburgh.