(Updated in September 2022)

I visited this hotel again to use my Amex £100 cashback offer. I booked a single room with BOGOF at £274, and then they announced the Queen’s lying-at-rest which shot up all hotels’ rate – lucky me!

I love their boutique vibe and nature-inspired setup.

I’m upgraded to a double room, which is similar to what I got last time. Very lovely and cosy.

Complimentary breakfast for Diamond. It’s mainly buffet with a few cook-to-order dishes.

Gym and spa:

Sadly they don’t have a jacuzzi.

(Originally posted in August 2020)

I was in Scotland for a week a couple of weeks ago, as my “Escape trip” from London 🙂 My second stop was Edinburgh, where I stayed for three nights.

For the first two nights I booked the Courtyard hotel in the centre – you really can’t beat their flash sale, thanks to which I paid a total of £79 for two nights. This is an incredible deal, as the regular rate you expect for late July and August in past years was usually £150+, if not more.

I needed to find something for the third night though, and decided to give the new Kimpton a try. This was one of the two Principal hotels in Edinburgh, and the other converted into an InterContinental instead, in George Square.

I redeemed 25,000 points for a one-night stay, which was pretty good. An alternative would have been £165 via Amex FHR, which I’ll talk about at the end of this article.

The hotel is located near the West End, which is at the edge of the city centre. This is still a good location right next the the Prince Street, but you should expect moderate amount of walk to the train station and Royal Mile etc.

On the day of arrival, I received an SMS in the morning asking if I needed anything for my stay, which is very rare in Europe.

There are a retro bike and some other cute items at the hotel entrance, which I find really adorable. The restaurant has also got a very unique look, that makes you feel like being in a greenhouse.

I had no problem checking in at 1pm. Due to sanitary concerns only half of the rooms were open at the moment, however the hotel could still get relatively busy during weekends.

I got a one-level upgrade from Standard room to Superior as Spire elite. I’m not sure what the differences are, but it does feel very specious at least. A friend (Platinum) booked via Amex FHR and got the same upgrade, which we find not very generous.

Again I quite like the retro deco in the room.

As the fitness room was not open at this point, yoga mat was provided in each guest room. I was quite impressed by its quality.

Complimentary “Social Hour” is offered at the hotel bar from 5pm to 6pm daily, during which soft drinks and house wines are provided to all guests for free.

When the hotel just re-opened and this was not permitted due to the circumstances, I think they comped all guests’ breakfast instead, which is probably more valued by someone like me 🙂

I find all the hotel staff I interacted amicable and professional. My 4pm late check-out request was also granted, although it took some time to confirm.

In general this Kimpton is probably my favourite hotel in Edinburgh so far. I’ve stayed at the Waldorf Astoria which is two minutes’ walk away, and although the latter does have more history and great castle view, I prefer Kimpton for its very comfy refurbished guest room.

If you want to book this hotel, using points may be an excellent option. Paying cash, Amex FHR is great especially for one-night stays as you pay the best flexible rate and also get privileges like free breakfast, $100 hotel credit, room upgrade and guaranteed 4pm late check-out – none of these is included as IHG elite benefits except room upgrade.

If you don’t have Amex Platinum card, you could also book via an agent who participates in IHG’s Luxury Collection programme, which offers almost identical benefits to FHR, except that late check-out is only guaranteed at 2pm. Virtuoso is probably the most convenient platform for this.

IHG doesn’t have many (any?) inspirational properties in the UK. I have already visited all the InterContinentals and Kimptons, and the voco hotel in Cardiff is the only five-star hotel left for me to complete the bucket.

It was a Principal hotel that became part of IHG due to an acquisition. Principal hotels have been branded differently since then – except Principal York the name of which is still unchanged, allegedly due to its very slow renovation progress.

voco is a conversion brand relatively new to IHG. It doesn’t have a unique brand standard, so existing hotels can join with minimum refurbishment effort involved. voco’s presence can be seen in a few UK cities now, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Solihull.

I paid only 24,000 points for a Monday night which is a good deal. The hotel’s rate tends to be quite reasonable from what I can see, as they usually charge less than £150 except for Saturday stays.

The voco sits on the Cardiff Bay by the wetlands. It’s location isn’t great for browsing Cardiff, but more like a retreat for a weekend getaway.

The wetlands is ideal for a short stroll. There are a few restaurants, bars and a cinema in the neighbourhood.

The hollow and tall front part of the building, besides the massive window, is a great design.

Upgrade could have been generous. I’m assigned a Deluxe King room but on the third floor only (the hotel has seven floors). I prefer a higher floor so they exchanged it for a (lower-category) Premier room on the sixth floor instead.

Premier room is basically a standard room but with balcony, and Deluxe room has slightly better interior. The hotel is fairly quiet on Monday, but still stingy with the upgrade.

On the flip side, the room is already pretty nice.

The sea view takes away my breath and lights the entire room up, which gives you the best first impression. The interior is simple but refreshing and technical, consistent with the tone set by the view. The television is really small though.

Nothing is better than chilling on the balcony, admiring the summer view when the wind breezed through . There’s more than abundant sunlight – I feel really warm although it’s only like 22 degrees.

I didn’t know hotel rooms with a real sea view do exist in this country!

Hotel guests can use the spa before 11am or after 3pm. The slot between is probably reserved for public paying guests.

As you can tell from the pictures, the facilities are of very high standard and you won’t be disappointed. Given its location though it’s a shame they don’t have an outdoor swimming pool.

A sea-view gym:

Diamond members can opt for the breakfast buffet in the restaurant as a welcome amenity.

The choice and quality are decent. There’s very limited cold spread though, no fruit or yogurt which is bit weird.

In general I am very happy about the stay, and it’s probably my favourite IHG hotel so far in the UK (not counting the Mr & Mrs Smith ones as they are at a different level). If you are looking for a reasonably-priced spa weekend, or a sea-view hotel without going abroad, look no further!