Allison House

On arrival we were disappointed by the lack of friendliness by the owner. Never showed us to our room, or made any small talk at all. When we checked out we never even got a thankyou or 'hope you enjoyed your stay'. The room was small and very tired looking and the bedspread had obviously seen better days. It was full of bobbles and lots of stains The ensuite was also tiny and really needed freshened up. The t.v was positioned so high on the wall that the picture was distorted and you could only watch it lying down. On the plus side the room did have courtesy whisky and sherry which was a nice touch. There is internet access free of charge which is great. The breakfast was probably the best I have ever come across (even the large hotels would be impressed by it), There was a huge range of gorgeous fresh fruits on offer as well as cakes, pastries, cheeses and the usual traditional cooked scottish breakfast dishes.
So a mixed bag. The unfriendliness of the owner was made up in part by the friendly european waitress. But as the owner takes the money it should surely lie with her to make her guests feel welcome. Therefore we won'.t be back.

Good location and parking a positive. Great breakfast - very generous. Rooms very basic, though clean. Beds not great, very hard and uncomfortable. I wouldn't go again because I didn't sleep too well in the bed, but I would recommend on the basis of good food and location, but I would advise about the beds.

Allison House was perfectly situated for the centre of Edinburgh and offered free parking which was great and one of the primary reasons why we chose it. Our room was basic but clean and like other guests we thought the sherry and whisky was a lovely touch. Despite being on the the main road traffic noise wasnt that bad and we very rarely heard other guests despite the hotel being full. The room was quite small and I feel that for the money, there were probably nicer rooms to be had in the property, although I didnt look at any others, but have simply compared to the pictures on site. One thing I would suggest is that the hotel invests in power showers. Hot water took a long time to come through and the pressure was very low. Breakfast was satisfactory, with a good selection of continental as well as full Scottish options.

We stayed at the Allison House during a quick visit to Edinburgh and found it to be perfectly suited to our needs. Our room was bright and clean and overlooked a lovely garden. Several bus lines to the city center are just a few steps outside the door. Breakfast was excellent. Complimentary in-room sherry and whisky was an unexpected and special treat.