A Scottish Experience To RememberBy Gilly Pickup
I followed, to be reunited briefly with my luggage and be greeted by a charming receptionist who appeared to seamlessly blend into the peaceful, discreet, quietly luxurious surroundings. No sooner had she produced the key to my suite than my luggage was whisked off again, this time by a shiny spick and span male member of staff who led me briskly through a maze of thickly carpeted corridors. He opened the door of Suite number 6 with a proud flourish. “Is this all right for you madam?” he enquired with an accent which hailed from the upmarket part of the city.
In keeping with the rest of my suite, the beautifully tiled split level bathroom was also huge. That is ‘huge’ as in ‘enormous’. The lower section had a separate power shower cubicle and next to the window, a set of glass shelves was stacked with fluffy white towels and a good supply of quality complimentary toiletries. So, first things first. I’d had a long journey north from London and the Jacuzzi bath beckoned. Ah bliss! After I had spent an obscene amount of time being buffeted and soothed in turn by the spa jets, I decided it was time to explore the rest of the hotel. I particularly liked the drawing room with its splendid furnishings, elegant sofas and picture book perfect views. An abundance of magazines and newspapers are available here for a leisurely read and unlike many hotels where non-residents pop out and in for coffee or a meal, this private house is exclusively for residents use only, which somehow heightens the feeling of comfort. While the whole place oozes olde-worlde charm, peace and luxury, it never oversteps the mark to over-awe. It is just like living in a rather grand, though somehow familiar house, where you can just be yourself, unwind and leave the cares of the outside firmly behind that heavy oak front door.
I slept like a top, unusual for me, then almost before I knew it, my doorbell rang gently. “Your breakfast madam,” said the young man who then wafted in and carefully placed the large tray on my window table. Staying at The Edinburgh Residence is a pleasure, exactly like being invited to stay in someone’s elegant home, except they’ve gone away and left you to wallow in the luxury of total privacy and enjoy a level of service you may have only ever dreamed about. The Edinburgh Residence All courtesy of The Town House Company/ The Edinburgh Residence |
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TM
“Here we are!” announced the taxi driver whizzing round the corner and coming to a halt in front of one of the tall terraced Georgian houses in Edinburgh’s quiet, leafy Rothesay Terrace. I had arrived at my destination, ‘The Edinburgh Residence’, a boutique hotel, one of a group of four individually styled hotels in the heart of Scotland’s capital. Initially though, I was rather taken aback. Where was the grand entrance? The big sign to let everyone know this is a hotel? And what about a uniformed doorman? No sign of him either. I peered through the window of the cab at the closed front door with its small brass plate. Not that I could read it from that distance. The taxi driver however, obviously knew his onions as well as he knew Edinburgh and had already leapt up the five steps and disappeared inside with my luggage.
I should jolly well say it was “all right.” The elegant room seemed to be the size of a football pitch while the bed looked big enough to hold a party in. He explained that 24 hour room service is offered here because there is no dining room, the emphasis being on privacy and creating your own private residence. He showed me the breakfast menus – a choice of Continental or full Scottish - which guests have to complete before 8pm and which will be brought to your room next morning at your specified time. He went on to explain how to use the vast entertainment centre and said if I needed anything at all to ring reception. He then floated silently away leaving me to wonder if he was a figment of my imagination.
The hotel offers guests a choice of accommodation in Classic suites, Grand suites or Townhouse apartments, each of which is individually designed though all contain gorgeous burr walnut and cherry wood furniture, custom designed carpets, the finest contemporary wallpaper and textiles from renowned designers. My room, with its original wood panelled walls, had a large wardrobe, two sinkily squidgy sofas, a couple of equally comfortable armchairs all with pretty tapestry cushions, writing bureau, a coffee table, separate circular dining table and chairs and standard lamp. Inside a discreet bureau are tea and coffee making facilities, minibar, fridge and even a microwave.
When the time came for me to clamber into bed, I thought I would read for a while. This turned out to be a bad decision because the bedside lamps provided only a gloomy light which hardly improved when I got out of bed to switch on the room’s main light. The bed was firmly comfortable though – no duvets here, this is the whole original caboodle of top quality crisp white cotton sheets, cosy blankets and patterned designer bedspread to match the curtains.
Goodness, did I really order that lot? It was piled high with a bowl of porridge, coffee pot, toast, croissants, cream, milk, butter, honey, marmalade, jam, bio yogurt, haggis, mushrooms, tomatoes, scrambled eggs ……ah, and a minor niggle here…. Scots do like their salt – I know they do, being one myself – but whoever made the scrambled eggs had unfortunately been overly-enthusiastic with the salt pot. I love porridge and it is an art to get it ‘just right’ but the Edinburgh Residence past my porridge test with flying colours – it was delicious! 
Just the right amount of salt here and made with milk, excellent! I did wonder though why they gave me a sugar bowl with 43 packets of sugar in it? Yes, 43 – I counted them you see. Well that is the kind of inane thing you tend to do when you are sitting alone in your room eating breakfast…….