Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian

Hotel

Great place to stay. Historical, yet good updates to the rooms: large shower, heated towel rack, magnifying mirror, etc. Staff very helpful. Buffet breakfast well worth the price. The Pompadour's 7 course meal was outstanding. Peacock Alley seemed to be better suited for a slow afternoon tea … the service was too slow, but food and drinks were excellent.

From the first to the last moment you are in this hotel you feel like a special person. The friendly and attentive staff satisfied me in every request giving me advice on everything. I enjoyed the indoor room with a wonderful afternoon tea, the Pompadour restaurant at dinner and the relaxing Guerlain Spa throughout the day. If you plan to bring someone with you to Edinburgh take him to the Waldorf Astoria Caledonian.

One of the best places to stay in Edinburgh. Very classy. Most definitely a 5 star experience. The staff was extraordinarily helpful and pleasant. Also one of the best breakfast experiences in UK & Ireland. Would go back every time.

We arrived early to the Edinburgh location after a long night of traveling from the US. Unfortunately they couldn't check us in early which was understandable but promised to send a text once the room was available. The hotel staff graciously held our luggage while we checked out the local castle and Easter activities. However, the staff never contacted us and when we arrived back to the hotel around 3pm they had a room ready. Entering the room we were disappointed in the very small quarters. We noticed holes in the walls and after using the toilet and pressing the button to flush the casing fell off into the toilet. Being exhausted from our travels we debated contacting the front desk to move rooms… but than we thought this is the Waldorf Astoria and this seems more like a Motel 6. So we walked down to the front desk and explained the concerns with the room. They offered to move us and we decided to take their offer even though we had already unpacked. We were told to call the front desk when we were ready to relocate and to make a long review short… the new room was even worse. Plastic over the carpet, no refrigerator, lost our exterior view… the employee who helped move us was very sympathetic and relayed our dissatisfaction to the front desk. The same staff member who helped facilitate the move called us back to discuss the new issues and at this point we were done.

Built in 1903, Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh — the Caledonian is a historic icon in the heart of Edinburgh's Princes Street and offers the largest number of rooms with views of Edinburgh's castle in the city. Great views, excellent service, pets allowed. The hotel's health club occupies 2 floors and offers a pool with views of the castle and lounge chairs, a steam bath, a spa and a multi-purpose sports pavilion. There is also a beauty salon offering a wide range of manicures and massages. Central, walking, which is healthy, to discover the beautiful adventure.

First and foremost we want to thank Robert Hargreaves for his extremely welcoming service and attention. We decided to have our honeymoon in Scotland and spent two nights in Edinburgh. Our first night was at the Waldorf Astoria (The Caledonian). We arrived after a day of train travel to find a very welcoming reception and a personal tour from Robert himself (who I had emailed in advance about dinner reservations). The hotel is beautifully adorned. Our room on the third floor looked straight out at Edinburgh castle. We had a large room with ample space and a great bathtub. We also had dinner at The Pompadour — the Galvin brothers restaurant on the 1st floor of the hotel. It was an excellent way to kick off the night. We had breakfast at the other Galvin brother restaurant onsite, which was also wonderful. Overall, I would say that we felt like truly special guests at The Caledonian and I would highly recommend this hotel for those looking for excellent service at a centrally located hotel in Edinburgh. A few other notes — this trip was booked with Hilton Honors points (I have gold status). The water temperature and pressure were great, but I did take a moment to figure out the handles. The have a spa on-site that I did not take advantage of — nor I did I take advantage of high tea.

Excellent stay! Rooms were comfortable and clean, bathroom was excellent. Staff were very kind and generous, giving us a free upgrade! Spa facilities are great, especially the sauna and steam room. Great location and great experience.

Fantastic hotel! Beautiful inside, staff were very friendly and it was located very central. The rooms were spacious and clean with great views of the castle. The bathroom was also very spacious and modern. The best thing about the hotel was the location, it's a short walk to all the shops and bars etc and a short walk to the castle (the castle is pretty much on its doorstep). Brilliant for any travellers or locals.

Had dinner in the Pompadour Room with my family. The food was excellent! We tasted blends of flavors that were just heavenly. Since it was my husband’s birthday, I wanted something special and it definitely was. The staff was professional and helpful. The room itself was lovely, classy and memorable.

The Waldorf Astoria is a historic hotel in the centre of Edinburgh. The rooms, service and facilities are as legendary as the city in which it is based. Our suite overlooked Edinburgh castle. The room was well appointed, had comfortable beds, a large bath and walk-in wardrobe. If you are looking for a place to stay in Edinburgh for a special occasion then I would thoroughly recommend the Waldorf Astoria to you.

Beautiful building! The rooms are well kept and have everything you need, breakfast was included and was very tasty. All staff very helpful and attentive. Will definitely stay again!

It was a very lovely place. Had a nice time dining there. Not really much choice in the way of vegetarian options though which was disappointing considering the cost. Would probably not go back again. Its a nice experience but the food isn't that great.

Amazing hotel, possibly one of the best we’ve ever stayed in. All the staff were exceptionally friendly, we felt really welcomed. Had an upgrade to room 302 which overlooks the castle and it’s a view we will never forget. Just needed more time in this wonderful city so we will be back. Thanks again :)

The history of the… Waldorf Astoria Edimburgh Hotel. Friendship and good taste always lasts in time Gràcies Marcel.

It's a great hotel. The location is amazing. They're clean. Normal mattresses. Good breakfast.

Best hotel I’ve been to! Went here for a lovely Christmas break with my Mrs. Staff were fantastic and the rooms were lovely too. Great location and there was what I can only describe as the best smelling air freshener coming from all areas. Small touches like this made it wonderful.

This hotel is beautiful, from the architecture, to the interior design and furnishings; great time and care has been taken in every detail. Everything about it conveys luxury, efficiency and a high price tag — right down to the service. The staff are friendly, efficient and helpful — not an ounce of the sort of snooty cold service you might get at other high class hotels. The location is excellent, and even the food (a common let down for hotels) is superb. I faced an issue with my bed during my stay which was immediately resolved — and every query I had was resolved with impressive speed. Whilst the room itself was nothing too lavish, I loved my stay here and would definitely stay again!

Really lovely hotel. We left our car with the valet and they took our bags and has gotten our keys to the room all ready. The moment we stepped in the hotel, one of the managers brought us straight to our room without even having to check in. That was a really impressive service. Our room were huge with lovely features and high ceiling. The view from our room window was magnificent facing the castle. The toiletries were from Salvatore Ferragamo. We even managed to use the indoor swimming pool with a nice warm jacuzzi pool which opens till 10pm. The standard of the service here is very high and professional. Highly recommend.

Stayed here on the first night of our honeymoon. The location is competely central. The service was brilliant, staff were helpful with special gratitude to the concierge staff. Room was big, and had everything you'd expect for an establishment of this size. Found the value for money really good with the added bonus of having access to gym and pools etc. A fantastic breakfast finished off a wonderful stay and we will 100% be back again, next time we visit Edinburgh.

The history of the… Waldorf Astoria Edimburgh Hotel. Friendship and good taste always lasts in time Gràcies Marcel.

Great hotel in a great location. Huge room, comfy bed, amazing facilities and a great view over the city skyline. Staff all very friendly, informative and helpful. Hotel bar lovely with a great selection. Thoroughly enjoyed stay and would not hesitate to repeat.

Lovely hotel in a nice location. Staff were very accommodating and the concierge reached out several times to offer assistance with our travels. Rooms were clean and well-outfitted. The location is convenient to everything.

All I can say is wow! Excellent service before you've even entered the hotel, thanks to a lovely gentleman in a kilt with a friendly smile. The concierge are always happy to oblige with any queries, and the food is exquisite. You definitely get what you pay for, top quality accomodation.

So disappointed: woke up in the middle of the night because the A/C in our room was broken and the room was boiling hot. Complained the next morning and after an entire day, the A/C was still not working. Had to keep complaining till the evening, were misinformed that it was fixed, when it wasn't. Final brilliant "solution ": an incredibly loud portable A/C unit with nowhere for the exhaust to go out, so hot air was recirculating along with the cool air. It would be comical except that with the cost of the hotel, you'd expect something better. BTW, we asked for a new room and got a no. Thankfully we're leaving tomorrow AM so just one more night of this. Lesson: never again Caledonian Waldorf Astoria.

Fantastic building, and the location is great, walking distance to the grass market, Edinburgh castle and a number of gardens or other spots of interest to tourists. We mostly ate at cafes in the immediate area just to get out and about so we didn't try the restaurant though it looked just fine. Room was modern and nice if a bit small though that could just be a matter of what we booked. It's meant to be more upscale I think as the price would indicate so being on vacation and showing up in shorts we looked a bit out of place.

Had Afternoon Tea Birthday treat. Wow! What an awesome place. Luxurious comfort. Excellent variety of savoury options and cakes to die for. Specialty tea choices a wonder. Service beyond reproach. Highly recommended.

The location is ideal affording easy access to the new and old town. The staff are friendly, competent and polite. The room we stayed at was situated on the first floor facing Edinburgh castle. We visited during fringe season and live music was audible till past 12 from a bar across the street. Not a significant issue for us but might put others off. The room was functional with no bells and whistles, not exactly standard bearing for the industry, just about justifying 5 star. Crucially, the beds were comfortable.

Great stay! Had a view of the castle from our window. Within walking distance to lots of attractions and pubs. Staff was excellent.

The best hotel I've ever been to.

I had to move from my initial room as the air con didn't seem to work and the room certainly needed some maintenance. The staff were very nice and moved me to a room where the air con worked and the room appeared in a much better condition. I was disappointed that I was put in a room that was clearly below pass to start of with but was happy with the response when I brought it to their attention. Fitness services very good and location was great with fantastic view of the castle.

A very relaxing evening on the comfortable couches in Peacock Alley. Service is good and the decor is what you expect from this class of hotel. No need to be a resident to use these facilities and drinks are reasonably priced. There is a taxi rank outside and a bus stop opposite. The building used to be a railway station and the station clock in the former waiting room is still there: 5 minutes fast so you can catch the phantom trains.

They learn your name, they learn your preference, they greet you when you come back. You don't have to be dressed to the nines to get respect from anyone. They want you to enjoy your stay and will go far out of their way to make sure that you do. While I did eat outside of the hotel (I'm not from there, getting local food is what travel is all about, ) I thoroughly enjoyed the breakfasts and one dinner I had on-site. The food was high quality and filled with nuance. The wine suggested by the wait staff was perfect and knowledgeable with what I was eating. The decor was pleasant and relaxing. They had (dare I say) EXCELLENT suggestions of where I could golf and enjoy the day instead of hunt for the ball. They had pretty darn good suggestions regardless of the subject. I recommend this hotel, if only for a couple of nights.

What about, "top of the range" at 360 degrees.

Very classic Scottish and top meal.

Hands down worst hotel experience I've had. Missing reservations when we arrived. Put us in the wrong room. Had to move rooms the next night. Disorganized staff. They lock the front doors after midnight. It's just a mess. Great location.

I've stayed at many luxury hotels in the past and the Waldorf Astoria in Edinburgh ranks at the bottom. For the good: The room was very nice, the bathrooms were great, the location is also very good. The bad: The service was "okay" and the spa/pool was pretty bad compared to other high end hotels. Overall I wouldn't recommend this place, especially if you're expecting a certain level of luxury and pampering on your visit.

Nothing really to dislike here — it was a quick stay on business. 5* is probably stretching the definition a little as the hotel is old and borderline a little run down. Nonetheless centrally located, quite a fair price, decent breakfast, typical hilton room inside.

The staff at The Caledonian are second to none. My wife and I had the pleasure of celebrating our 20th anniversary here, and each member of staff went out of their way to make it a special celebration. A special thank you goes to Olivia and Danny in concierge, and Elliot in the Peacock Alley. Thanks to all, it was simply wonderful!

Horrible. We're travelling with young kids and upon their insistence had booked two rooms almost a month in advance. Upon arrival, we were provided two non connected rooms on two different floors. Since our children are young, we requested to upgrade to a suite and were willing to pay extra-Request — rejected! Finally we told them to cancel the other room on on another floor, since they cannot provide us rooms as per our requirement-again request rejected! So all four of us will be sleeping in one room and unnecessarily pay for an extra room on another floor for the next 5 days! No lobby, short staffed and unfriendly staff. Rooms are all dingy and boxy. Curtains are grey, bathrooms reminds me of hospitals. Waldorf Astoria has ruined our stay in Edinburg.

Lovely afternoon tea service. The space is elegant and comfortable, the staff friendly and attentive. Expansive tea selection and tasth sandwiches. Even having skipped breakfast, we were absolutely stuffed afterwards.

The TV in our room didn't work. Neither did the Wi-Fi. Radio only had 2 channels. Wasn't even a duvet on the bed. Ordered a cheese toasties at 11pm and still hadn't arrived by 12pm. Finally turned up after calling them and it was cold and hard. Wasn't worth over £200 a night.

Hands down worst hotel experience I've had. Missing reservations when we arrived. Put us in the wrong room. Had to move rooms the next night. Disorganized staff. They lock the front doors after midnight. It's just a mess. Great location.

Tea at the peacock was excellent — great service and food, well appointed atmosphere.

Amazing hotel with spectacular views of the Edinburgh castle nice rooms and very friendly staff definitely a five star hotel.

Beautiful hotel, staff so friendly and obliging, we were upgraded on arrival, the room was fantastic. We had pre booked an afternoon tea, the Scotland rugby match was in full swing and my husband was reluctant to miss it, (we were watching it in the Caley bar) so asked if we could take our afternoon tea in the bar, it was No problem at all. Thankyou! We will definitely try and stay here again.

Great central location, great service, enjoyed my time thoroughly. Only negative was the poor sized windows in the room. Went to see New Year fireworks but viewing was restricted as windows were small.

I have stayed at the Caledonia at least 4 times in the last few years. I like going to Edinburgh during the Christmas season and look forward to staying at the Caledonia. The hotel is decorated for the holidays. I have found my rooms to be very comfortable. The towel warmers are such a treat. I have also been very warmly welcomed by the staff and my Hilton status has been rewarded with room upgrades and a delicious complementary breakfast. I also look forward to being able to use the swimming pool. I hope I can return again in December 2016.

It is really good, enjoyed our stay so far. Lovely staff and a fantastic room.

On my wife's birthday 6 Sept. Our daughters treated us to a Champagne afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh. My wife was absolutely thrilled with the experience as I was. The Champagne and afternoon tea was presented beautifully by attentive staff. We sat at a table for two next to the wonderful harpist, who played Happy Birthday as a cake and candle were brought out for my wife. This was an unexpected but very pleasant surprise from the staff. The whole experience was wonderful and we would recommend it.

Very nice to have the experience of being an Edinburgh-er and staying at the Caley! Great welcome and lovely lovely concierge. We were lucky enough to have a castle view on Floor E but the lower level did mean the street noise was quite high so maybe ask for a higher up room? The room was well equipped and the showers amazing. We stayed in the Atrium all evening drinking cocktails which was lovely! On the whole — enjoyed the stay and would recommend to people who wanted a high end hotel in Edinburgh to stay in.

My worst experience, never expected a worse service from the Waldorf Astoria! Being a luxury hotel you wouldn't expect a 20sqm room a Deluxe Room! And just imagine the poor level of service for the amount of price you pay! Make sure you don't fall in the trap and stay in the small rooms.

My family and I were very excited to visit this hotel but unfortunately it was one of the worst 5 stars hotel I have ever visited! First of all we requested a connected room as we are a family with three girls (8years, 5years, 3months) and a nanny instead they give us two rooms next to each other and it was so difficult to go in and out of the room to get my infant stuff from the other room. Secondly, the room we booked was a delaux room but it was so small that you can barely move around and we requested an upgrade but the hotel wasn't able to get us two rooms next to each other. Thirdly, we requested for an extra bed for my 8 years old but the hotel said the extra bed will not fit in the room and didn't offer any other alternative until we insisted then they came to move the furniture so the extra bed would fit in the room but then they said they don't have any extra beds available! After this they sent a sheet and two pillows and my girl slept on the floor in a 5 stars hotel! Fourthly, my girls were so excited to use the pool but the pool was closed for one day! Other things happened during our stay is that there was no turn down service unless requested even though all 5 stars hotels offer this service without requesting it. I called to request and a lady came in a hurry turned down the sheets and changed towels and left without removing the trash and arrange the toilet properly.

Nice accommodations, but overpriced. They charge £12.99/24h for Wi-Fi! £14.99 if you want fast enough to stream! Who does that for £650 a night!?! Bed was good. Clean. Very friendly staff. Thomas Stewart, head concierge, was very helpful and nice! Room service was not very good.

We had a fantastic stay at The Caledonian with a castle view room. I was nervous booking because of other reviews but am glad I disregarded them and trusted my instincts. Check in was easy and we were given a free Wi-Fi code even though it wasn't included in our purchase (which we were aware of). Room 217 had a fantastic castle view, framed by two floor to ceiling windows and one window in the toilet. Toiletries were all by Salvatore Ferragamo (very nice! ) and the room was really, really big by European standards. The only drawback for me was that there was no working fan in the toilet and the window didn't open — so, yeah — make sure the room is empty of other occupants if you need to go. There are a lot of negative postings about noise. This is all relative to what you consider to be noisey. I happen to live in London, and if I stuck my hand out of my bedroom it would get lopped off by a double decker bus. In my opinion, this was an extremely quiet overnight stay. If you are a light sleeper or don't live in a properly central part of a major, major city, you may not have the same opinion. Given that I was only on the second floor and (obviously) a castle view room is streetside, the noise was absolutely nominal — for me, nonexistant. The hotel was very accomodating with the fact that we showed up with our 11 year old daughter for a room booked just for two adults. We assumed since we had a king bed we would be fine, and we certainly would've been.

Simply great! If you are looking for something different than the usual 4-5 standard, modern hotels, then this is the right choice.

Elegant with a fantastic position in the centre of the city. Our room had a beautiful view of the castle.

Perfect location near Prince's Street and Old Town. Huge, well-furnished (if a tad traditional, but this is Edinburgh! ) room — we had the king suit. Tasty, but not stunning, breakfast buffet. Sincerely helpful staff. But — no cold water for our shower the first day, which is as much of a problem as no hot water! And very little cold water the next day. Also, an administrative issue which resulted in a double charge for a night of our stay. The staff did correct that, but only after we brought it to their attention on two different occasions. So, a very good place to be, but a couple issues to watch for.

Hotel: Perfect in almost every aspect. Utterly beautiful hotel with fantastic staff. Prices: Prices are pretty steep and I can't help but wonder if they REALLY need to charge quite so much for a drink; the rooms aren't cheap so I don't see the need to charge such unreasonable prices for a simple beer — tad unethical I feel and blatant profit maximisation.

Afternoon Tea Having been to the Dorchester darling I know my fancy afternoon teas! I have to say that I was really impressed with our tower of goodies. The sandwiches were good but could maybe be a bit more exciting than you plain ham, beef, salmon and egg options. The main event is the cake for me and my what a lot of cake there was. It included two types of scones, and opera cake, battenburgs, eclairs, a pecan one, fruit tarts and more. Soo full! They also bring you cake boxes for if like us you are defeated by the cake selection. The Champagne also was really nice and a must for any afternoon tea, it just isnt the same without a glass or two of bubbles on the side. The staff were also lovely and coped well with the 12 of us ladies moving chairs, placing shopping in their way and paying no attention to what we were doing. We were sat in Peacock Alley which apparently used to be an old train station and has now been brought in to part of the hotel. The space is really lovely and airy with lots of space to relax and enjoy yourself. The Hotel We were invited with work for a show round of the hotel and I have to say the bedrooms were some of the nicest and roomiest I have been in. I love hotel rooms and find staying in hotels very exciting much to my boyfriend's amusement every time we go away as I inspect the bathrooms and try the tea trays and soaps.

Although other hotels may lay claim to the title of Edinburgh's top hotel, the Caledonian is hard to beat. The views in the Castle View rooms are stunning, the breakfast is worth lingering over, and the service is outstanding. The food is a particular highlight — 'delicate Scottish' is perhaps the best way to describe it. Now that the renovations are complete, if you want a premium hotel experience in Edinburgh, this is it.

I just recently spent my first time at the Caley after finding an amazing deal online for the Easter Break and I had a beautiful time. The Caley is very much a character hotel. Despite a recent multi-million pound refurbishment it's kept its grand-palace style and this is reflected throughout the hotel. It does, of course, mean that if you're not into that kind of thing you could find it old-fashioned and stuffy but I loved it. The hotel's baby-friendly and the staff were courteous and helpful throughout. It's a real piece of Edinburgh and perfectly located. If you book well, you'll get a room overlooking Edinburgh castle and the hotel is within spitting distance of Princes Street, a central shopping thoroughfare. It's also within easy walking distance of Edinburgh Waverley if you've come in by train. Its location means that it's really well-served by Edinburgh's ever-improving public transport system. You can easily find buses nearby to head to Edinburgh Zoo, the Mound, the Royal Mile etc. If you're up for a spot of cheeky room service, it's expensive but great quality. We had a broken minibar fridge throughout the stay that they weren't able to fix, which was a shame because we would have loved to refrigerate some baby milk. Their pizza was a surprising delight. You should also check out their spa treatments for some pampering. If you don't fancy the spa, then at least you've got the bathroom.