Summary: If you are in Edinburgh for a short while and want a space full of character with stunning views on a superb location, please do consider staying here. You will definitely feel like you are in Scotland as the owners put a great deal care on the details that can be found their flat. If you are staying for longer (and have heavy/many bags), it is best to look around for a listing run by local hosts.
Positives:
- Fantastic location on the Royal Mile in Old Town. As a professional working remotely and a postgraduate student, the formal dining room had views overlooking Parliament Square, Saint Giles Cathedral and Edinburgh Castle. It felt very inspiring to work.
- Four windows in the dining area and possess a South-Western exposure. I really enjoyed the direct sunlight on days when the sun was out.
- Reliable but occasionally weak wifi for those working remotely. I could comfortably work in the dining room (which was my preference) or the kitchen if necessary. There was enough space to setup 3 monitors and 2 laptops.
- Convenient shops are open nearby despite the pandemic. Starbucks, Gregg's, and the post office were within a 5 minute walk. There was a Sainsbury and Tesco within a 7-10 minute walk. Marks and Spencer was a 12-15 minute walk.
- There is a washer and dryer in the kitchen, which I found to be extremely helpful as someone who stayed in the flat for a few weeks. The TV had a HDMI outlet in case you needed to plug your laptop in and required a second screen or wanted to stream Netflix/HBO.
- I loved the heated floor in the bathroom. Decor was fun: antique mirrors, sculptural busts, period furniture, and the painting perhaps interpreting the Inquisition outside of St Giles Cathedral in the living room. I enjoyed the flat’s atmosphere rather than staying someplace bland and commonplace but a bit of a stretch to call it ‘luxury’ in terms of finishes as it was rather worn around the edges but certainly luxurious views.
-Nice linens, warm duvet, comfortable pillows, and fluffy towels
Considerations:
- Check-in with ALTIDO was incredibly painful especially as they did not permit early check-in despite my willingness to pay extra for it. My flight from New York arrived at 10:00am. Edinburgh airport did not have any shops or chairs available (due to Covid) for a few hours until the 3:00pm check-in. There were no restaurants or cafes or anyplace to go in a pandemic. Altido is hard to reach on the number listed. I didn’t appreciate being told on the phone to find something to do and come back. For that first day, I ended up staying at Fraser Suites at 12 Saint Giles Street. The hotel receptionist assured me on the phone that I could check in and start my self-isolation as soon as my car service arrived. Check out was via a dropping off keys in a lockbox outside their office. It would be fine if you only had a carry on bag to lug around but logistically it would be the same case when you have multiple luggage’s you transport.
- Bed in the attic is foam, which I found to be unbearable as someone with a back injury from skiing. The bedroom stairs are incredibly steep, which is a bit dangerous if not fully cognizant in the middle of the night and need to use the loo. I ended up using the pullout sofa bed (which was spring) for my back and for my sanity. This saved me from tramping up and down in the middle of the night.
- Fourth floor flat without an elevator
- Observation for a 25+ night stay: No hand soap/ bath soap (which was strange considering the pandemic emphasizes the importance of washing hands), no trash bag and only one roll of TP was provided. No salt, no pepper or any cooking oil provided (not a big deal but listing description stated otherwise.) Shower curtain smelled like urine upon arrival. I was told to put the shower curtain in the wash when I reached out, which I found to be rather upsetting. The first time that I used the oven, the oven started smoking when I preheated it as I did not realize that there was residual oil and food particles left inside. Lights in the bathroom were out during the first half of my stay. Attention to detail was lacking. ALTIDO, the property management company, was not prompt in executing what they communicated. When I did manage to connect to a real person, it was fine and they were professional.
Hopefully, ALTIDO will turn over the flat to other guests with greater care moving forward.