Old Waverley

United Kingdom , Edinburgh
EDINBURGH, Princes Street, 43
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Rob

Room was spacious and clean. Great location for sightseeing. I enjoyed my stay

8/10

Excellent

06 Mar 2026

Audra

Location of the hotel is excellent. Old town, shops and restaurants are on the door step.
We did not have a WiFi in our room for our 3days stay and the staff was not attentive and helpful. Overall we were happy and would stay there again.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

03 Mar 2026

Ian

I stayed at the Old Waverly Hotel with my daughter for a sightseeing trip in Edinburgh.

You really can't beat the location. I had an amazing view of the castle from my room. It was an easy walk over to the old town. I also had easy access to multiple restaurants, pubs and stores. The City Link bus from the airport dropped directly in front of my hotel and the train station was across the street. Finally the tourist bus was a 2 min walk up to St Andrew's square.

The people who worked there were friendly and the room came well equipped with coffee. It was clean and comfortable. Extra points for having cookies with the coffee service! I know they had a restaurant but I ended up just walking to local spots to eat so we never eat there.

This is not the Balmoral. It is somewhere between a 3 and 4 star hotel. It is a clean, safe hotel with a great location.

My only negative for the hotel was the shower and the wifi.

You have to have an engineering degree to get the shower to work and even then it was not a great experience. Very narrow, low pressure and the water temperature just kept going up and down in the morning.

I never got the Wi-Fi to show up for my phone but I was on the top floor so maybe that was it. But basically no Wifi.

But outside of that a solid hotel if safe, clean and location are your priorities.

6/10

Pleasant

03 Mar 2026

Jane

Clean room, bath was a bonus, cleaned daily and fresh towels. The staff were all friendly. The hotel is right on Princes Street, at breakfast if you got certain windows you had a great view of the castle and Scott’s monument. The train station was across the road. Breakfast was ok, not many options. There was construction work going on right outside our window from 6am in the mornings.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2026

Sarah

Our room was very bright and clean and the bed was very comfy. There was a nice deep bath and the heating was set just right. Staff were polite and helpful and the breakfast was good.

Partner

4/10

Poor

28 Feb 2026

Ashley

The room was very tired, no seals on the door and the window was drafty so it banged all night. Road and hotel was extremely noisy all night plus bin Lorry collected glass bottles at 5:00 am so no sleep. Breakfast was really good though.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2026

Ashley

Room was very spacious, very comfortable - the beds are very nice, with fluffy duvets. When we walked in we were so relieved to have such a nice space. The bathroom was also spacious, although the tub is quite narrow and it was hard to stand flat in it. The hotel itself is situated perfectly for access to everything, including seconds away from a direct bus or tram to the airport! The breakfast in the morning was great, lots of options. The staff were helpful and friendly. Would definitely stay where again. Lift was small and slow, but that is not atypical for the old world. Our room was also noisy because we got the echo of the alley as we were on the corner we hear all the hooting and hollering until the wee hours of the night and then a 6am garbage truck or something every morning!

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

24 Feb 2026

Philip

Yes

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2026

Adrian

The staff were very helpful from the outset a d offered advice on the local area/city. Room was very clean and comfortable.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2026

corinne

Lovely staff. Clean room.

Friends

2/10

Poor

13 Feb 2026

Lynne

Room and food
My husband cut his foot on cracked tile in bathroom luckily I had my manicure set so got the piece of tile out off his foot
The whole hotel and room was dated
Plus the warkmen we’re throwing rubbish and furniture from upstairs fire escape into skips so we couldn’t relax with noiss

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2026

Max

Room extremely clean and fantastic cleaning staff refilling tea, biscuits and getting new towls.

Also a great breakfast area with a good selection of hot and cold food and a great view outside onto the princes street

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2026

James

Spotlessly clean
Staff amazing.
Room amazing big and clean

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2026

Rena

We loved our stay here! GREAT location and wonderful lunch service! Room was quaint and cozy!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

04 Feb 2026

Raymond

Clean location

Self

8/10

Excellent

31 Jan 2026

John

Friendly staff, breakfast good, pleasant stay

Business

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jan 2026

Anna

The room was very clean and staff was very friendly and helpful

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2026

Martyn

Bar was nice
Breakfast could have been better

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2026

Barbara

Cozy, warm rooms. Not fancy but very comfortable.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2026

Katrina

Nice room hotel is going through some renovations but it’s a great spot for a trip to Edinburgh.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Jan 2026

Gina

Comfortable bed, clean room, central location, friendly staff

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

07 Jan 2026

Carol

Staff were friendly and there was a relaxed feel to the hotel. No usb charge point in room which annoyed me but the breakfast was good.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

07 Jan 2026

Henry

Phone never worked. Creeky floorboards. Micro size lift (max 2 people)

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

07 Jan 2026

Allen

Great, active location, but noisy, which was fine for us. Did not choose to have breakfast. Wonderful view. Large room for the price and location. One slow elevator but a good stairway adjacent.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2026

Catelin

Rooms are very clean, staff was incredibly helpful when we had questions or needed something. The view from our room was perfect for Hogmanay, even though it was a little loud (but that was to be expected with how many people were celebrating.) the only negative was it did take a while for the showers to get hot but other than that we had an excellent day and would definitely recommend!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2025

John

Clean room in the perfect location. Central and convenient for everything.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

19 Dec 2025

Ashley

Room was nice and clean!

6/10

Pleasant

13 Dec 2025

ann

Our stay here was ok. We did not use the breakfast buffet, but we did order dinner and snacks. Some staff was very good. Our last night was awful. We lost power and when we woke up to shower and head to the airport we had no water. What water we were able to trickle was cold. 10 minutes before we had to leave they offered a room to shower in, but it was too late. The elevators did not work, we had drag our suitcase down the stairs. The other night were very noisy with drunk people fighting in the alley and garbage (glass bottles) being dumped. The location was good especially for the Christmas markets and lots of stuff in walking distance. My SIL overheard the reception desk lying to other guests about the water situation and the other reception person told her to tell everyone the truth.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Dec 2025

Steven

The room was very clean and spacious. The staff helped get my baggage up and down the stairs without me asking.

Partner

4/10

Poor

26 Nov 2025

Lisa

Staff at reception checking in not

6/10

Pleasant

22 Nov 2025

Pamela

The location of this hotel is the main draw - very close to Waverley train station. As a solo traveller I felt safe in the neighborhood. The standard room was rather dingy and looked out at an alley rather than the lovely vista of old town.
In all it was a convenient place to land for a few days!

10/10

Exceptional

21 Nov 2025

Robin

Clean room and wonderful staff!.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

21 Nov 2025

Robert

the room was excellent cleaned every day the staff friendly and helpful excellent service hotel was excellent

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2025

Keren

We appreciate the staff made a accommodation For my parents, not able to arrive

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2025

Adam

Clean room, housekeeping did a great job during our stay. Great location

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2025

David Dean

Clean room, friendly staff. Always very helpful. Would definitely recommend and would stay again!

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2025

Luis

Everyone gives 5 starts but don't want to hear the \"bad things\". Honesty is always appreciated. Male, solo. Hotel is dated, but this adds to the charm. Everything works. Location is absolutely perfect. Few hotels in the area are as well located as this one. Across from everything. Walking distance. Plus the bus from airport leaves you right there in front, and picks u up there too. Tried to check in early around 8 am but would not let me until 3 pm. Left bags and went around. Returned around 2 pm, so I was waiting there in the sofa in front of reception. Another person came in around 2:30 pm, it was allowed to checked in. So I tried again and they allowed me to check in. Unfortunately, not the hotel's fault. Windows are not double insulated so noise from the back alley is bad. Seems like the restaurants in that area dump the glass bottles hard and you can hear everything. Sometimes at 11 pm or later. Also early in the morning sometimes it happens. Construction at this moment is taking place in the building directly in front of it, but did not hear construction noise at night. For the location/price ratio. It is an excellent hotel.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

14 Nov 2025

Dorothy

Clean room, helpful staff

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Nov 2025

Cynthia

Beautiful view from my comfortable and cozy room. Very warm, welcoming and kind staff. Breakfast was wonderful and the location was perfect.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Nov 2025

Connie

The staff were great! Helpful and offered suggestions.
I really enjoyed the room and the location. They had the room cleaned and tidied all while at breakfast every day! I was amazed. Thank you!

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

07 Nov 2025

Kelly

Staff, clean rooms, location

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2025

Savanna

From the moment we arrived, the hotel staff was so accommodating. They helped carry bags from the entrance to the lobby since there is a flight of stairs. The room service was great and I loved that it was available at all times because our sleep schedule from travel was really wonky.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

04 Nov 2025

David

Great location right near to Waverley station. Rooms are very small with some awkward configurations. Lack of fridge and room safe are areas that are simple to improve overall room facilities. Lift is so small that even one person and luggage is a tight fit. Overall service experience across hotel was average

Self

6/10

Pleasant

03 Nov 2025

Ricardo

Need new shower head because was leaking. The wood floor under the carpet seems to be loose and toilet have hard time flushing clean even after 5 flush.

6/10

Pleasant

26 Oct 2025

Gerald

The location is excellent and the hotel is a classic. However the lack of a lift to the ground floor is really an inconvenience. Also the rooms are small the the TVs are really outdated. Forget about any options to use a Chromecast or mirror your device. The shower is also rather poor and the rooms are quite small. On a future visit we would stay elsewhere.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2025

Angela

It was great. I think it would be helpful to let guests know that porridge is made to order & included in breakfast

8/10

Excellent

24 Oct 2025

Lucille

Clean room.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

24 Oct 2025

Jennifer

I didn’t have breakfast

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Oct 2025

David

Delightful historical hotel. Delightful service and personnel.

6/10

Pleasant

19 Oct 2025

Jo-Ann

Construction was going on well into the night. Even though our stay was October we found it too warm in the room. We thereyleft the windows open.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2025

Tamara

Great location

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2025

Anand

Nice clean rooms friendly staff. Only issue is no lift from ground floor to first floor.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2025

Kellie A

Lovely little hotel

It’s a great locale right near the train station. Old school European train station hotel. Really nice & I bet it is fun there for the Christmas Holidays! Staff is very helpful.

4/10

Poor

13 Oct 2025

Arshpal

You have to walk up stairs to get to the lobby

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2025

Cynthia

Clean and friendly staff

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Oct 2025

Lori

Amazing location, great breakfast and comfortable bed!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2025

Tiffany

Would stay here again in cooler months!

Clean room, large bathroom. I cleaned the tub before I used it and my Clorox wipe was still white when I was done! Location was a little far from the Royal Mile. No AC but there was a fan. With the window opened it was perfect. Would not stay here in the summer!

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

04 Oct 2025

Katherine

Great location close to train station, good dining, hop-on/hop-off.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

03 Oct 2025

Constance

Please be aware that there is a whole flight of stairs you have to walk up to get to the reception and the gentleman who came to help with the bags said he would only carry one. The rooms in the back have a single pain of glass so you hear everything all night including some sort of sounded like massive glass bottle dump at 5am. Everything needs updating. It was hot and the AC/Switch did nothing to help with that and opening the old windows with no screens wasn’t an option. Staff was nice but mislabeled our luggage in the luggage room and we could’ve walked off with other peoples belongings if we wanted. On the good side it was a great location and I don’t think you could find a hotel as close to Waverley Bridge or the Mound if you tried. I’m sure the view of Edinburgh and the Scott Memorial might make up for the other stuff

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2025

Lindsay

Nice hotel, great location. Walkable to the Old City with a lovely park right across the street. Staff were kind and enthusiastic. The room was a bit small, but this is a very old hotel. I recommend this hotel.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2025

Melissa

Hotel was very nice. The challenge was getting our luggage up the flight of stairs to the main floor. Nice room and great staff. Breakfast was fabulous.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2025

Krista

Great location, very clean, very friendly and helpful staff.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2025

Virginia

Great hotel! We have stayed there several times.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2025

Heather

The Old Waverley is close to everything and, with the tram, easy to get to from the airport. The area around the hotel is quite busy, so do expect some street noise.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

17 Sep 2025

Ronald

Old Waverley Problems

Our room was opposite another building that was undergoing renovation. Incredible early morning noise. There was also nighttime noise from drunken revellers. If the room had double instead of single glazing this may not have been a problem. Sink too high and bath almost inaccessible.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Sep 2025

Alan

Location was fantastic. The property itself is old and tired. No air conditioning in the room that I saw, tv didn’t work unless you used your subscription to a streaming service. The floor was soft in spots and the mattress was as soft as a fart is solid. Staff was nice. I would never stay there again. Spend the extra money and stay at a better hotel.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

15 Sep 2025

Sarah

This was a gorgeous old-style hotel. Very convenient to have a bar inside it and location was amazing. I had an interior room and it was very quiet. If you go during a heatwave keep in mind some of the rooms without AC may get very hot.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2025

andrew

Staff was friendly and helpful. The bar was open until 1 am. The room was spacious and clean. Great location, close to restaurants, pubs, and shops.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

14 Sep 2025

Sara

I was surprised that there was no pre notification that you had to carry your luggage up stairs - there was a bell but not obvious and not known to activate for support.
I thought the room price was a little on the high side however the drinks and food were very good value for money.
The hotel room I was in was incredibly noisy during the night

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

14 Sep 2025

Carolyn

The location fantastic a few minutes from train station and central to the tourist attractions
The view from my room was so beautiful, I was at the front of the hotel.
The floors in my room squeaked and the room above me the same when they were walking around and I heard water dropping from behind the ceiling wall a few times a day/night
Stairs up to the lobby desk 21 up to the lift 3 and down a few 3 to my room
Ask they will carry your suitcase up and down to and from the lobby
It is an old building

Leisure

6/10

Pleasant

12 Sep 2025

Stephen

Tourist level, value accommodation.

A conveniently located tourist hotel. The location also brings lots of traffic and rowdy late night revellers passing in the early hours. Insist on a room that does not face Princes Street.
The accommodation itself is a comfortable but furnishings are a little tired and dated. The age of the building also means lots of steps and definitely should be avoided by the less than mobile.
The staff are friendly and mostly able however the man who handled our check in requires better customer care training.
The highlight for me was the breakfast. Very high quality, hot and delicious.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

12 Sep 2025

Lia

Squeaky floors, thin walls, uncomfortable bed, awful breakfast. But good location, clean. My room was large with a great view. Overall, an okay 3 star.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

10 Sep 2025

mark

Nice hotel, great location

Fantastic location opposite Waverley station, very convenient for the old town and the trams.
Hotel is nice, rooms are spacious and well equipped, although very few outlets, so make sure you have adapters and extensions for charging devices. Reception has adapters to loan, which was helpful. Staff are very pleasant and helpful, overall a nice stay.
Reception is up a flight of stairs with no elevator, so it's a little challenging for the less able on their feet.

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

09 Sep 2025

I have a love hate feeling about this hotel. I love the location. It’s on Prince St which is a prime artery for accessing both old and new town. It’s across the street from the Edinburgh Waverley train station and across the street from the Sir Walter Scott memorial. I was on the second floor and the view out my window was great. But, there are other issues with the hotel. You have to climb stairs to reach the lobby. They have a bell you can ring for a bellhop but that takes time for the bell services to arrive. There is an elevator to access the room floors but it only holds 4 people or two people and 2 suitcases. The housekeepers tie up the elevators during the morning hours to move from floor to floor which meant the wait could be 5 to 10 minutes. There’s no air conditioning in the rooms so to sleep comfortably in early September, I had to sleep with the windows open. This meant traffic, emergency vehicles and crowd noise went on all night making sleeping difficult. To summarize, would I stay there again, no.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2025

Ethan

Clean rooms, small but functional bathrooms with nice shower, great location.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2025

Andrew

Beautiful old building. Great friendly staff providing excellent service. Princes street never sleeps. Be prepared for street noise.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

25 Aug 2025

Carl David

Cannot turn on bathroom light in the middle of the night. Hotel could offer better variety of breakfast food.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

22 Aug 2025

Linda

Edinburgh stay on Princess street

It is an old hotel and we expected some inconveniences. There was no A/C so our room was very hot and quite uncomfortable. We did request a fan the next day and that helped somewhat. The double bed was on the small size and as we had stayed at another hotel prior to this stay we were a bit surprised. The room was clean and nice layout. Amazing view of the Scott Monument and Princess Street. The lobby area was nice and all staff very pleasant. The lounge was really nice with a lovely view of the castle etc. food was also very good
Something else to consider when booking this hotel during the fringe festival and tattoo is that the streets are busy and somewhat noisy. The hotel is conveniently located close to the train station and walkable to most attractions

Partner

2/10

Poor

17 Aug 2025

Ingvild

Do not book ! - this hotel has not got a safe, nor air conditioning in the room! It’s outdated, therefore the carpets are also dirty. The room was extremely hot as no air conditioning, and the noises from the backyard was horrendous.
The breakfast was basic, and limited. You get more for your money popping into the local restaurants.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

13 Aug 2025

Laura

Stayed here a few years ago and loved it! But now it is run down and the staff are not very helpful. The cleanliness was not good either

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

12 Aug 2025

Janet Anastasia

Welcoming although concerned that a deposit was taken immediately for 'broken' items and returned 4 days after we left. The room was on the top floor. A bit uneven on the flooring and due to the lovely age of the property although we felt we were leaning forward outside the bedroom. A beautiful view from the circular windows. The lights were challenging in working out the switches which involved having the main switch on to access the bathroom lights or side lights. We would have liked a face cloth. We had to mention a trip hazard at the front entrance which was dealt with promptly. Breakfast was of a High quality and also good value.

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

05 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Pros: Bag check, clean sheets, hot water, shortbread cookies in the

10/10

Exceptional

02 Aug 2025

Patrick

Great location

Perfect location. Close to everything. Old school hotel but not old inside. I loved it!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2025

Teresa

Everyone was very friendly and room was lovely. We throughly enjoyed our dinner, as well! Would stay here again!

8/10

Excellent

27 Jul 2025

Ian

Pro's and Con's.

Hotel pro's - Excellent friendly and helpful staff. Location could not be better for walking to the sights. You can leave your luggage there if your departure is after your check out time.
Con's- Getting tired in places. Most uncomfortable toilet seat I have ever sat on, it felt like two narrow poles! Shower over bath, and a big drop when getting out of the bath, which will be a problem for the elderly. It gets very noisy from the street during the night if you are in the lower rooms.
There is a large renovation job going on next door, and the workmen start fairly early, well before 8am, but that is not the Hotels fault.
Would I stay there again? Yes, which says it al really.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2025

Barbara

A fabulous place to stay. Right across the street from the Waverley train station and walking distance to fabulous sights and restaurants.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2025

David

This hotel is centrally located and in the heart of the major sightseeing attractions. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The only down side is the lack of a lift from the ground floor to the first. However, the staff is very helpful in assisting with luggage.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jul 2025

David

The rooms were lovely... not fancy, but quaint and comfortable. It was very convenient to the sight seeing attractions of the city, as well as, shopping and restaurant choices.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

14 Jul 2025

Julia

This property is tired and shabby. We visited in a heat wave. Difficulty obtaining fans. With no air con there should be a fan in each room. Construction work outside hotel fri morning at 1.30 restarting 7am. This is not the hotels fault but old sash windows and secondary double glazing that would not shut to keep out noise is their fault. We will not return to this hotel

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

10 Jul 2025

Katya

It was an ok but old building. The floors cracked and elevators were not working all the way down so we had to carry luggage up and down stairs. The only good thing was the location

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

07 Jul 2025

Lindsay

The room was clean and comfortable. It’s small, so anyone who needs or wants extra space wouldn’t enjoy this, but I thought it was perfect. No lift or air conditioning, so it got warm. Great location a couple minutes from St Pancras Station. Staff were amazing.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Jun 2025

Susan

The only real downside was the noise at night from the street and the trains.
The hotel is a little dated and is in need of some minor refurbishment.
The other weird thing is the way the lights work. They seem to work off of one main switch but are also sequenced so if you happen to turn off the wrong one you’re in darkness. Some information on how to use the switches would be helpful.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jun 2025

Kenya

Great stay?

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

21 Jun 2025

Suzanne

The location is good but the hotel needs renovating - it’s quite run down.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jun 2025

Kathleen

Best location in Edinburgh!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

10 Jun 2025

Donna

Location is excellent for train, tram, airport bus transfer, and walking to sights. Very friendly front desk staff. Condition of the property is worn down, but rooms and common spaces are clean. Not handicap accessible or senior friendly given stairs and just one grab bar in the tub. For the right price, it’s a good choice.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2025

Hannah

Could not have been more perfect. Would recommend. Staff is super helpful and kind. Exactly where we wanted to be for dining, museums and a lovely park.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jun 2025

lisa

Staff helpful and accommodating. The location is perfect, close to tram, bus and bus tours. You can walk to Royal Mile easily. We walked across street to take bus to airport. Room was large and overlooked old city, stunning at night!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jun 2025

Sara

Location, location, location!

Great location!!! Easy walk to all of the tourist attractions! Nice and clean!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jun 2025

Sam

Nice hotel with great location. Very short walk to the train station, tram, and airport shuttle bus. Not far from historic Old Town section. Near numerous dining and pub options on Rose Street.

Leisure Family