The Lairg Hotel - Edinburgh, United Kingdom 

Peaceful, relaxing location
Posted: Fri, Dec 14 2007
We stayed in room ten on the top floor of the building and a bit of a hike from the reception area. The communal stairwell could have done with some redecoration and didn't give a great first impression. The room itself was large and clean but the decor was a bit tired and the bathroom very small and not quite up to date. The service was very good and and the staff extremely helpful. Breakfast was tasty and well presented. The location was in a cobbled street about a mile from the centre of Edinburgh. The only noise outside at night was the rumbling of traffic as it travelled over the cobbles.

Almost great
Posted: Mon, Nov 26 2007
This was a nice enough place, just a couple of minor things let it down... read below for more details. The room and the ensuite were both very clean and well presented, with an lcd tv, alarm clock-radio, and tea/coffee/kettle. Breakfast was from 8 - 9.30 and was very nice indeed, with a good choice of dishes, including porridge, kipper and smoked salmon along with the usual cooked breakfast. The food was cooked perfectly, and the presentation was great - the chef clearly takes pride in their cooking. However... Be aware that not all the rooms are above ground level - there are at least 2 in the basement of the building. As we booked and paid fully in advance through a website, guess where we ended up! They have windows and thus some natural light, so this wasn't so much of a problem, particularly if you're going to be out most of the day anyway, like we were. What really bothered us though was the smell in the room we were in. It wasn't the classic damp smell as you might expect from a basement room, but more something I can only describe as the smell of a geriatric ward in a hospital; a bit damp, a bit toilety, a bit sweaty and a bit chloriny. They were clearly aware of the problem because they would leave the window ajar after cleaning. It was really the only thing wrong with the place but unfortunately, being a smell, it hard to ignore, and having it hit your nose each time you returning to the room wasn't very nice. If it wasn't for this I would have given the place a 4 star rating... Other Pros: * Good location for town centre: 10-15 min walk to town,