A couple who made a trip to Edinburgh recently have taken to Tripadvisor to express their disappointment with a city centre hotel that was like ‘travelling back to another decade’.
The guests, who arrived in the capital on January 19, were looking forward to a ‘stylish’ stay at the Mercure Princes Street Hotel - but were let down. They claimed the venue was overpriced and noisy, also claiming walking in was like ‘travelling back to another decade’.
The city centre spot ranks at number 143 out of 164 hotels in the city, with an average score of 3.5. While most reviews are positive, this latest comment showed guests were unsatisfied with the ‘aged’ decor.
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In their post, they said: “Upon entering the room we were treated with not what we thought our room would look like (modern, stylish and welcoming) but a step back to the ‘70s/’80s.
“Varnished pine furniture which had seen better days, chipboard style wallpaper direct from your grandparents bedroom that hadn’t been touched since the ‘80s, a mattress so hard I feel that it came from the same time period as the castle itself and walls so thin I felt like the lady next door was having her telephone conversation sat at the end of the bed.
“Bathroom was basic, vinyl floor slowly peeling away from the wall and bath panel and thus fitting the theme of the bedroom. No plugs at the bedside table which with the day and age we are in with technology we use daily, you would think this is a standard practice for hotels, not in this case.
“Even a coat hook would have been nice. Checked out as soon as we could on our last day, if this hotel is anything to go by in regards to other Mercure hotels or their sister hotels then we will be staying well clear.”
Within days of the review, the General Manager at the hotel responded. They said: “Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience at the Mercure Princes Street.
“I am sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations, please allow me to express my sincerest apologies. At Mercure, we strive to provide a superior service experience for every customer, therefore, your feedback is very important to us.
“Please rest assured that we are taking the appropriate measures to address the problem and prevent future occurrence. We understand some of the rooms require refreshing, I am pleased to confirm that we have a refurbishment planned for 2023.
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“We work hard to deliver an exceptional guest experience, and it's apparent in this case that we fell short. If you give us a chance to earn back your trust, I can assure you that we will do our best to give you the great hotel experience that so many of our guests have grown so fond of.
“We appreciate your sharing your concerns, and it is our hope that you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the future.”
Despite this negative review, Mercure Princes Street has 1,174 ‘Very Good’ ratings on Tripadvisor. A review posted on January 28 gives a very different commentary on the city centre spot.
It reads: “The best place to stay in Edinburgh, what a terrific hotel.
“We had an amazing room on the top floor with a balcony looking right out to the castle and the Scott monument. You couldn’t ask for better, and even in January it was lovely to sit out with a coffee.
“The decent shower, a sumptuous room, lovely pictures even thoughtfully provided to contemplate when lying in bed on the roof.”
You can check out the rest of Mercure Princes Street’s review on Tripadvisor here.
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