My college-aged daughters and I will be traveling to Edinburgh for Hogmanay. Has anyone had experience staying either at the Wilde Aparthotel Grassmarket, by Staycity, or the Cheval Old Town Chambers? While I realize there may be additional rowdiness given the fireworks and celebration, I'm particularly interested in the safety of both areas, as well as if the amenities at one really outshine the other. The Wilde Aparthotel has castle views, and offers slightly more room for our group, but both seem to receive good reviews on TripAdvisor and other booking sites. Thank you for any insight.
I have no experience with these Edin urge properties, but I believe both StayCity/Wilde and Cheval are reputable and reliable companies. We have recently booked apartments with both of them, but had to cancel due to travel plan changes, so we never actually stayed. Cancellation was quick and easy. I would happily use either company next time.
I guess that doesn’t help you choose between the two!
I stayed at the Cheval Old Town Chambers in May in a one bedroom alcove apartment with two bathrooms and I loved it. OSerur apartment was very spacious and gave us plenty of room. The furniture, fixtures, and bedding were top notch. We stayed during the middle of our trip and really liked having extra space after being in a hotel room. We especially appreciated having a washer and dryer. There was a grocery store about three blocks away so we took advantage of our kitchen for breakfast and snacks. Soundproofing was very good and we did not hear our neighbors or street noise. We didn't discover there was a gym until checking out so be on the look out for it if you are interested in it. I do think some of the apartments on the top floors have views of the castle.
Service was great with the front desk arranging cabs for us and making dinner reservations. There is a restaurant associated with the hotel, but we did not use it.
The location is great, right on the Royal Mile with St. Giles just across the street. We easily walked every where and always felt safe. Tour groups met right outside our door so it was easy to join them. There are lots of good restaurant options in the area including Makers Mash Bar, Angels with Bagpipes and The Devil's Advocate.
I have stayed in other apartments in Edinburgh (like Knights Inn from the RS tourbook) and the Cheval Old Town Chambers is my new favorite place. Hope this information helps.