"We checked into YOTEL Edinburgh on a Thursday evening after a full day of exploring on foot. We booked a family room for around £220, including breakfast. YOTEL markets itself as a four star hotel, with compact rooms inspired by transatlantic cabins and a tech forward, futuristic feel. Here’s how we found it.
Check-in
YOTEL seems to be about self-service, and it shows from the moment you arrive. A young member of staff at reception (it felt a bit like “hot-desking”) seemed surprised that I didn’t want to check myself in. The welcome was brisk: we were told the breakfast times and vaguely directed towards the lifts, with little else by way of orientation. Not a great start.
Two out of Five.
Room
We were on the top floor with a view across the rooftops—very Mary Poppins. The room itself was spotless and on-brand: sleek, modern and slightly sci fi, with a huge widescreen TV and bunk beds. The main double bed converts electronically into a sofa, which is novel, but I still prefer a solid bed and a separate, comfortable seating area.
A notable omission is the lack of in-room tea and coffee. You can get hot drinks for free at the bar, but that means going back down, queuing, and carrying them up again—not ideal. The shower, however, was excellent with great temperature and strong pressure. Both the shower and the separate toilet cubicle are let down by having smoked glass doors with gaps at either end, so there’s no real privacy. Our shower door also didn’t close properly.
Practicalities were a mixed bag. Despite good blackout blinds, there was only one double socket—and it was by the door. Charging multiple phones while also using a hair dryer and straighteners was awkward. The lighting controls were also unintuitive, making night-time bathroom trips more of a challenge than they should be. Clever design ideas, but too many everyday design flaws.
Three out of Five.
Ambience
The hotel is bright, modern and busy, with a steady stream of tour groups and visitors. We didn’t see any on-site parking, and staff weren’t aware of any NCP discounts. We parked at the Castle Terrace NCP and walked about 15 minutes—fine if you’re travelling light, less so after a long day.
What really affected the stay was a group of around 60 Italian schoolchildren housed on our floor and the one below. At about 10pm we were disturbed by running, shouting and corridor noise. After speaking to them ourselves, I raised it with the front desk. The manager went to their rooms and apologised to us, but also admitted he didn’t know where the associated teachers were staying. That suggests poor supervision and planning—exactly the kind of issue the hotel should anticipate and manage. Thankfully, we weren’t disturbed again that night.
Two out of Five.
Breakfast
Breakfast continued the self-service theme, which felt at odds with the four-star rating. The dining area was close to capacity (40+ people) and simply didn’t cope. When we arrived at around 8am, there was visible mess, empty orange juice, pastries that were hard and cold, and plenty of dirty plates. Service needs clearer oversight—no one seemed to be directing or coordinating the room. The hot food was fine, and there was a decent selection of fruit and yoghurts, but the overall experience felt unmanaged.
Check-out
We checked out at 10am and there was no one at reception to ask about our stay or even to say goodbye. It felt very transactional and impersonal.
Overall: We wouldn’t stay here again. In our experience, this didn’t feel like a four-star hotel—everything is set up for you to look after yourself, and you don’t feel particularly looked after."
