A pricey Edinburgh hotel room left one guest annoyed after they were only given a view of a concrete wall. The room set the guests back a hefty £500 each for their stay
One hotel guest was left stunned after a their pricey hotel room in Edinburgh left them with only a view of a concrete wall.
The Apex Waterloo Place Hotel in the Scottish capital was panned by on review on Tripadvisor, saying that they and three friends had parted with £500 each for a four-night stay during the Festival Fringe. Edinburgh is known for the famous performance arts festival which takes place there every year.
High demand for hotel rooms during the festival drives up the price each year, but the guests were expecting more bang for their buck when they arrived in their room to find themselves “12 inches from a concrete wall” and a “tatty set of air conditioning ducts ascending gracefully towards the otherwise invisible sky”, according to a report in Edinburgh Live.
The furious guests also claimed they were “shouted at” for attempting to return to the building after midnight, while they found trying to open the window in their room “reminiscent of a F14 fighter jet readying for takeoff”.
The irate visitor, from London, began the review with: “August in Edinburgh; the largest arts festival in the world. An opportunity to overload on shows of every genre and an opportunity for hotels to fleece their customers beyond anything they are likely to experience anywhere else in the world.
“Ok, I accept that prices are higher when demand is high, but you would expect a modicum of service from a four star hotel charging £500 per night. Yes you did read that right £500 per night, this is not a typo.
“I wasn’t expecting a heard of wild antelope galloping freely across the fiords, but neither did I expect a concrete wall 12′ from the window, with the only view being a set of tatty air conditioning ducts ascending gracefully to towards the otherwise invisible sky.
“I like fresh air at night and therefore would have liked to have opened the window, but the deafening gush of air, reminiscent of a F14 fighter jet readying for take off, rather scuppered this idea.”
They continued to clarify a complaint was made but questioned why the hotel thought it was “acceptable” in the first place. The guest added: “The rooms at the Apex are nice.
“However, the hotel is totally devoid of any character, a trait which is enthusiastically embraced by all the staff. Politeness, smiles and welcoming?
“Forget it! One evening we arrived just after midnight and got shouted at for trying to get into the building. At best you are treated with disdain, but mostly with downright hostility.
“Luckily choice is on our side. I was part of a party of four, all paying £500 each per night. We will be back in Edinburgh next year, but hell will freeze over before we frequent the Apex again.”
Apex has apologised, offering the reviewer a one-night stay and said sorry for not providing a “more suitable room initially”. Apex said the experience had by the guests was not up to their “high standards” and that staff would be undergoing additional training.
Hotel staff responded with: “We understand your frustration regarding the room conditions and the noise from the air conditioning units. We apologise for the inconvenience this caused and for not providing a more suitable room initially.
“Your comments about the view and the noise have been noted, and we will address these issues with our maintenance team to prevent future occurrences. We are also very sorry to hear about your interactions with our staff.
“Politeness and a welcoming attitude are fundamental to our service, and it is disappointing to learn that we fell short. We will be conducting additional training to ensure that all our team members provide the warm and friendly service our guests deserve.
“Regarding the pricing, we acknowledge that the rates during the festival season are higher due to increased demand. However, we agree that this should not compromise the quality of service and comfort we offer.
“As a gesture of goodwill and to make amends for the disappointment you experienced, we would like to offer you a complimentary stay for one night on your next visit to Edinburgh.
“We hope this will give us another opportunity to provide you with the exceptional service that we are known for.”