Verylvke

(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.