There is no doubt luxury travellers are spoilt for choice when visiting Edinburgh, but most of the hotels go heavy on the baroque and tweed in an effort to make guests feel like lord and lady of the manor.
The Hotel G&V on the other hand, where fun and funk collide in a celebration of ‘cool luxury’, makes you feel more like a model or musician – a bit like Lady Gaga who stayed and partied here (which probably tells you all you need to know about the pedigree of the place).
There is no doubt the 136 rooms and 7 decadent suites host the more fashionable, as well as more affluent, visitors to the city. And once at the hotel those guests experience a service which is second to none enjoying free wi-fi, movies and a complimentary laundry service for their Burberry and Prada branded clothes.
Residents of the spacious trendy rooms are served well by a superb bar that arguably creates some of the best cocktails in Scotland’s capital city. They have an extensive list which can be enjoyed in beautiful surroundings, while surrounded by beautiful people. It was here I experienced the best ‘Old Fashioned’ I’ve ever tasted. It took 12 minutes to make, but it was 12 minutes well spent as I watched the bar staff work their magic.
And if you need some food to soak up the alcohol, there is the hotel’s very own Italian restaurant Cucina. The use of authentic seasonal ingredients prepared in an imaginative and modern way is probably why it won Italian restaurant of the year two years running. The fact a table of 16 bona fide Italians were raucously eating and drinking next to me when I visited suggests it’s a well-earned title.
There is of course the obligatory spa, which I did not use so I cannot comment on. However it’s a spa in a 5 star hotel, so how bad can it be! But if you are in Edinburgh for the first time, forget spending time in the spa as there is so much more to see and enjoy in the city, much of it right on the hotel’s doorstep.
You can literally step out on to the historic and famous Royal Mile, and you are mere feet away from Edinburgh Castle, while most of the other attractions are well within walking distance.
It’s rare to find a modern boutique hotel located so centrally in any city, never mind an historic place like Edinburgh. Factor in the many awards the place has won, including Hotel of Glamour and getting on the revered Conde Naste ‘Hot List’, you can see why the G&V is the number one choice for those that enjoy the fashionable as well as finer things in life.
If it’s good enough for Lady Gaga…………well, need I say more!
Where: G&V Royal Mile Hotel, Edinburgh
1 George IV Bridge,
Edinburgh EH1 1AD, United Kingdom
Phone: + 44 131 220 6666
About Rob Bruce –
Rob is a marketing professional with nearly 20 years experience of brand building, 15 of which have been working in the premium and luxury sector. He is also lifestyle writer covering all that is tasty, beautiful, quirky and luxurious in the world, with a focus on the UK and Scotland in particular. He’s an avid consumer and reviewer of the finer things in life including food, drink, gadgets, travel and events.
You can follow Rob on his website and Twitter as well.
