Bankton House Hotel

United Kingdom , Edinburgh
LIVINGSTON, Murieston Livingston Scotland Eh54 9Aq
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50 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2025

Angela

Absolutely enjoyed our stay, friendly staff, comfortable

Partner

2/10

Poor

30 Sep 2025

LINDA

Awful experience

This self contained unit was generally fine however it is all gaudy appearance more than function. Beware , this is an unmanned facility connected to a pub/restaurant and not a hotel. There is no one to assist or ask questions of except bar and waiting staff in the bistro/pub who wish to have nothing to do with you and are very curt and unhelpful, at times verging on rude. You have to ring the emergency helpline in order to speak to someone who is unwilling to help, will act like you’ve disturbed her and will tell you it is not her part of the business and she’s not sure what it is you would like her to to assist you. God forbid you attempt to call the owner of the chalets cause she will ignore your calls and send unhelpful and rude messages to respond showing no interest in customer satisfaction. Avoid at all costs. Value for money is ver low.

8/10

Excellent

28 Jul 2025

Lindsay

Didn’t like automated check in

8/10

Excellent

28 Jul 2025

Lindsay

Very clean rooms. Trouble opening windows.
I didn’t like having no staff around at check in or check out. No local advice. No information about grounds.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

04 Aug 2024

Victor

The property is located outside of the city center but not a problem if you have a car. We stayed in a 2-br cottage and the room was warm and comfortable.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2024

Linda

This little gem of a hotel is tucked into a quiet area just a few minutes walk from the train station. The staff was so kind and helpful. The food at the on site restaurant was amazing, the locals in the bar were friendly, and the rooms were comfortable, clean, and nicely decorated. There was a large parking lot and local trails for walking. We got our laundry done for a very reasonable price, left folded/hung in our room. Highly recommend!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 May 2024

Alex

Fantastic property. The room was absolutely spotless, probably the cleanest hotel room I have ever seen. The staff were very nice, and the area around the hotel was quiet and safe. I would stay again in a heartbeat.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 May 2024

Simon

Lovely country hotel with bar and excellent restaurant. Plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy the typical fine Scottish weather😜

6/10

Pleasant

29 Feb 2024

rick

The hotel and staff are great, but and this is my mistake I didn’t check if they serve breakfast and the don’t.

I was woken up by a pump stating and 5.30 am and could not get back to sleep.

Business

4/10

Poor

07 Feb 2024

Verified traveler

Rooms were quite tired, and the shower was freezing cold. So cold that I couldn’t use it and had to wash in the sink. Staff perfectly pleasant and a really nice period building.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jan 2024

Peter

Great stay and convenient for my work place

10/10

Exceptional

30 Sep 2023

Edward

Nice older hotel

Nice older hotel, loved it. Great staff. Walkable to many destinations.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2023

Peter

I have stayed here a number of times on business, the staff are always friendly!

2/10

Poor

12 Jul 2023

Carolyn

About 9:30 google maps took us to the back side of Bankton house. We didn't see a place to park or get in so we called. We got a verizon message saying the number was unavailable. We backtracked and found small road signs leading the opposite direction. We parked at the hotel at 9:57, tried the door and knocked. No one answered. (Orbitz listed last check in as 10:00). We knocked several times, called a number on the door and received the same Verizon message. We called Orbitz. They tried all numbers they had, but got the same message. Finally after about an hour we debated just sleeping in the car, but were able to book another hotel and left. Next day Orbitz let us know the hotel manager "would allow us to stay the second night, but there would be no refund for the first night because we didn't show even though the manager had waited past midnight." Orbitz agreed, we had call them from the hotel at 10:10 asking what to do since no one was there. So we called, and got through to the manager. She claimed to have waited for us until 11:30 and said we could stay that night but once again no refund for the first night. We told her that was not true because we were there along with a car and van from 9:57 to 11:00 and no one answered the door or the phone. Things got heated after that and we told her to just cancel that nights stay. She responded "That was fine with her, she had already been paid, so it didn't matter." Check in changed to 8:00, but that won't fix poor management.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Jul 2023

Georg

Nice hotel, good staff. Parking is convenient; just sad that on Mondays the bar and restaurant are closed.

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2023

Peter

Convenient location for business and station, very friendly staff!

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2023

Terrieann

Nice, clean and comfortable and very quiet.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Oct 2022

Peter

Run down and tired, not even open on a Monday. And far too expensive!

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2022

Meike

I stayed in the little house behind the main hotel building. It was clean, quiet, and cozy, and the staff was friendly, attentive, and caring. My door warped a little during my stay, presumably due to the summer heat, and when I could no longer close it due to the warping, the staff was quick to have it repaired. The hotel is near the Livingston South train station, making it easy and convenient to travel to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

29 Jul 2022

Peter

This hotel was really disappointing, there was a very limited breakfast, they didn't service the room until I asked, but more importantly the hotel is closed on a Monday!
It may be suited to holiday makers, but NOT for business people.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2020

Stephen

Nice hotel

Very comfortable hotel with nice staff lovely food.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Fantastic stay!

We had a fantastic stay at Bankton House Hotel. The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating ( we needed to drop bags off early), the room was spotless with a spacious en-suite and the breakfast delicious!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

Wonderful location and quiet. Nice place to relax before flight out. Close to airport and trains

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

02 Jun 2019

Andrew

Be wary of Cottage rooms

The Cottage rooms are with a shared bathroom(between 3 rooms). The cost of an upgrade to a room with ensuite was given as £25pn & breakfast is an additional £9.95 if required, but can only be by appointment.
No other information given at check in, or in the room. No welcome information on the area, reception, bar or meal times etc or even wifi codes. In room is just a list of rules that must be obeyed or risk a fine.
The Cottage room whilst clean, I found damp, musty & cold.Mainly because there was so little heating to dry it out. The radiator was very lukewarm, after the first night I reported it and promised it would be fixed. However, on the 2nd night there was no heating at all- zero. The heating did come on at something like 4am but again, very lukewarm. I was so cold in the morning I did not take a shower.
The wifi worked OK in the main hotel, but in the Cottages it took sometime before anyone could establish what the password was. The room key is a big clunky fob that says leave at reception, but reception is barely open and I was told to keep the key, given the fob size not very practical.
Basically I found the decor, facilities and service very 1970s (dated).
I don't know what the rooms are like in the main hotel, but I would be very wary of the cottage rooms, aside from the shared bathroom aspect, the access to them are a bit of a pain especially in the pouring rain. Whilst the hotel is only a few minutes from the train station, there is little else nearby.

8/10

Excellent

24 May 2019

Verified traveler

Top notch. Id recommend for a break. So yeah all good.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2018

Paul

Amazing staff!

Very, very friendly and helpful staff. A very comfortable and quiet room. I will definately stay again!!

8/10

Excellent

25 Jul 2018

Philip

Value for money

Stayed in the single bed chalet in the garden, compact but had everything you need for a 1 night stay. Food in the bar at night and breakfast in the morning was very good and the service was efficient and friendly.

8/10

Excellent

02 Jul 2018

Brian

Conveniently Close & Wonderfully Secluded

Our 3-night stay was extremely satisfying. The entire staff, beyond being merely courteous and helpful, were genuinely friendly and made our stay as easy as it was relaxing. The hotel is just a 12 minute drive from the airport and a 3 minute walk from a train station (Livingston South). Its location makes it a great jumping off point for exploring Scotland, Edinburgh and Glasgow in particular.

The grounds are beautiful and quiet with a lounge and dining facilities to welcome the weery traveler. We did not eat here but did enjoy drinks outside the lounge.

Our room was small (we stayed in the adjacent cottage) but adequate. There was a shared bathroom for three rooms which I understand is more common in these types of places. That said, the bathroom was very clean and there were no issues.

I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone traveling in the area.

There were only a few annoyances that I think could be easily corrected. One is that our room used a skeleton key lock, which I hate. While the thought of them is charming and matches the overall aesthetic of the place, they are outdated and potentially dangerous. It is possible to lock yourself in your room with these keys and make it difficult to exit, especially during an emergency. Even though this was not an issue with us, it would be a whole lot easier and safer for guests to simply update the locks. Additionally, some of the tiles in the bathroom were loose and cracked and probably should be repaired.

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2018

Verified traveler

This was an excellent place to stay. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The wifi was excellent. The food at the bar was delicious. This place was wonderful!

8/10

Excellent

28 May 2018

Verified traveler

Lovely hotel in mature forest grounds. Walking distance to local shops, bus and rail links. A gaint shopping center / hub a few minutes drive away. Half way between city center Edinburgh and the airport.

One minor fault. The cottage room I stayed in had no wi fi. My mobile couldn't find any signal and my tablet found a weak signal every now and again for a few seconds.

Would very happily stay again.

8/10

Excellent

27 May 2018

Rebekah

Honeymoon stay

The room was pretty small, and could use a coat of paint. The staff was friendly for the most part, but the rules were a little odd. No food or drink allowed in the rooms.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2018

Alun

Friendly, polite, attentive and effective staff.
Great meal (Quality / value).
Cosy and friendly bar, enriched with local characters.

8/10

Excellent

04 Dec 2017

sarah

Over night stay for family party

Stayed at the Bankton for a family party.
I wasn't in the main hotel but small out house, I didn't expect that but perfectly happy with my room, clean and cosy.
The pub was lovely, had a real fire and I had my dinner there. Food was lovely and reasonable price.
We had a great night there, only negative was at the end of the night my aunt couldn't take any of the buffet away she had paid for unless she had containers for it as the disposable trays they were on apparently get re-used!
My overall stay was good though and I would stay here again if coming to Livingston.

8/10

Excellent

19 Nov 2017

Verified traveler

Comfortable hotel a short drive from EDI

Comfortable hotel about 20 min from the airport with a bar and restaurant. The single room was a detached house and comfortable, only complaint is there was no WiFi in the room which could be easily fixed.

4/10

Poor

14 Nov 2017

Corinne

Very tired hotel

Great staff trying hard but tv didn't work and not put right. No heating or hot water and only back for last morning. Function on Saturday night with banging doors screaming and shouting in hall below rooms. Free breakfast for one morning but no other discount given

6/10

Pleasant

28 Sep 2017

liz&josh

Very pretty

We liked the look of this place. HOWEVER
*It felt too much like a b&b and less like a hotel.
*The staff (I think the cleaning lady) was screaming about personal problems or something so loud I could hear every word TWICE. She busted in our room with out knocking while my husband was going to the bathroom with the door open. She rolled her eyes and sighed loudly annoyed that we were still there.
*The room was so cold the first night, we both woke up sick and had to stay in for the day. *****There was barely any WiFi. The WiFi signal was horrible!!!!!
*It was also way too quiet at night, I needed a fan or something.
*The breakfast was good when we were up early enough for it. They serve a hot breakfast from 7:30- 8:30am-that’s way too early for vacation. That’s just insane. We only ate once.
*What REALLY bothered me were the signs on the wall about guests not bringing food in and guests respecting rules. They seemed very firm on not allowing eating or outside food in -yet they leave kettle and lovely set up of biscuits/tea for you to enjoy.
*I loved the tea setup and used it everyday. I just felt like I was breaking the stupid rules.
*The outside was BEAUTIFUL. Better than the pictures. There were two gorgeous dogs playing outside.
*The pub food was ok. The prices were low. It closed so early one night we had to eat at McDonald’s.
*Check out was much to early.
The staff did two loads of laundry! That was a lifesaver for us! She was so nice about it.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2017

John

We loved it. Sorry we ere only there one night. But the experience was great. Carla was so amazingly welcoming. We sat in the pub/ dining area for hours talking with her and some locals and other guests! I would recommend this to everyone

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2017

Verified traveler

Excellent location. I stayed there to be outside of the cities. Bankton House Hotel is in a wooded area with lots of urban trails. The restaurant served excellent food. The staff is friendly and helpful.

2/10

Poor

02 May 2017

Nazar

Really rude staff and cold room

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Dec 2016

Rodney

Great boutique feel to the premises.

A great experience so close to the vast Central Undercover shopping area.

The bar was excellent well stocked and had a good choice of meals.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2016

David

friendly hotel convenient for business parks

relaxing

6/10

Pleasant

30 Sep 2016

Lee

Overall Dissapointin.

Stay was OK, I did not like sharing the toilet / shower facilities with 2 other rooms, listening to them use the toilet, doesn't make for a pleasant nights sleep, especially with the extractor fan going on for 5 mins after the light has been turned off! Bun fight to see who gets to the toile first on a morning, again not a relaxed start to the day, following others in the toilet and shower.

2/10

Poor

13 Sep 2016

thomas

cold night in

on eventually arriving after driving round not very well signposted we were informed that my mother and I had to share bathroom with another guest, this was not convent, also the heating was of very cold over night, we were informed it was on a timer but the valve to regulate tempter was broken/missing then we had to pay extra to have breakfast after paying £150 for 2 single rooms for one night. while at breakfast the other guest said that the alarm went of and stood outside waiting to be informed bye someone what they should do but there was nobody about from hotel staff/management to check if everyone was present. it seams that a young man had fallen asleep in the toilet and when he awoke set the alarm of trying to find his way out. the bar staff should have checked that everyone was out of there before closing up and setting alarm. while all this was going on nobody check if we were safe

Family

6/10

Pleasant

31 Aug 2016

Paul

Found the hotel difficult to locate, in dense woodland surrounding the hotel. Perhaps more signage ?
Had booked a room with shared bathroom, as no rooms left with en-suite. We were in one of the, "cottage" rooms, and with all of these rooms full during our stay, it made life extremely difficult, with people knocking on the bathroom door to hurry along the incumbents, creating a strained atmosphere.
The food choice in the bar was limited, and the quality was not high.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Aug 2016

Denise

Very nice location.

Location was excellent. It was out of Edinburgh which was nice. Nice trees and surroundings. Nice to run in. the Hotel was very clean and beds were very comfortable. Staff were excellent. Food in the lounge was excellent and very reasonably priced. Also the beer was good.

8/10

Excellent

15 Aug 2016

Verified traveler

Convenient, nice setting, friendly staff, pub atmosphere

8/10

Excellent

04 Jul 2016

Ian

worth a stay

Good Place will stay again

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2016

Lisa

Perfect!

The Bankton House Hotel was quaint. The rooms were great, the staff was amazing, and it's a short two-minute walk to the train station! I highly recommend this hotel!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2016

Verified traveler

A good stay at a good price

This place is in Livingston but it could be out in the sticks; extremely quiet, birdsong in the morning and some nice walks to be had.
Well stocked public bar, friendly staff.
Only ate in the bar and that was decent pub food. Didn't try the restaurant so can't comment on that.

8/10

Excellent

08 Feb 2016

Neil

Hard to find even with sat nav but it's nice.

Old Victorian manor house but the staff are not old and have excellent manners. .