Where To Stay In Edinburgh // The Bonham Review

Edinburgh has got to be up there with one of my favourite cities, not just in the UK, but the world. The architecture, the people, the food and drink options are all second to none, and it rivals some of the other European places I’ve had the pleasure of visiting over the years.

With the UK in and out of lockdown, and flights to Europe being cancelled by the day, the husband and I (with puppy in tow) decided to take a little staycation to the city of Edinburgh. It was my 5th or 6th time taking the trip up north, but each time I fall in love even more with the place, and would definitely go as far to say that I would move there one day in the future.

Edinburgh has a charm about it that you only really discover the more you go, and it’s 100% somewhere I recommend to people when they want a few days out of the city. It has the hustle and bustle of the capital but is also surrounded by gorgeous walks, hikes and beaches, meaning there really is something for everyone.

We were very kindly offered a room at The Bonham Hotel in the Haymarket/West End area, and today’s post is going to be all about how we found our stay there for two nights.

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Getting there

We were blessed by two full days of autumnal sunshine, which started with us heading up the M6 on a crisp Thursday morning. We decided to drive rather than get the train as we thought it would be more comfortable, especially with the dog. It took us around 4 hours to get there, which is what I was expecting, and luckily we didn’t hit traffic on either leg of the journey.

If you’re not a fan of getting public transport in the middle of a pandemic (who could blame you!) I would definitely say the drive is much easier (and picturesque) than you’re probably thinking and there are loads of different routes into the city too.

If you are driving, The Bonham have a car park at the back of the hotel, which is super handy, but it needs to be pre-booked. There are about 20 spaces, and each time we went out and came back, we found one with ease, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem!

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Location

As I mentioned before, the hotel was situated in the West End part of Edinburgh, on Drumsheugh Gardens to be precise. The buildings around there were stunning and the hotel itself was breath-taking. The New Town was super close to us, which is where we had most of our meals and wandered about to each day.

It was about a 5-minute walk from the picturesque Village of Dean, around 10 minutes from trendy Stockbridge and about 20 minutes from the Old Town, so really the perfect base to explore. We took a morning walk around Haymarket and the New Town each day which was the perfect way to set us up for sightseeing.

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Facilities

One of the reasons we were drawn to The Bonham was the fact it was a 5-star hotel that was dog friendly! Rupert was fussed over by every member of staff that came across him, so I’m sure he’d definitely go back in a heartbeat. There is also a private gated garden at the front of the property, which you can access by asking for the key from reception.

The reception was staffed 24/7, and the staff were so friendly and helpful. Downstairs there was a bar, restaurant, and two reception rooms. The decor was beautiful and really added to the luxury feel of the place. The rooms were done out in a rich teal with accents of yellow and gold everywhere. I was also told that the relics that were dotted around the place, were the originals from the collection of the first owner of the hotel.

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Bedroom

When I was shown to our room, I decided to go up alone whilst Jordan took Rupert around the block to burn off some energy after the car journey and let me tell you now, this room was one of the most stunning rooms I have ever stayed in that I had to do a double-take when I got in there to make sure I was in the right place.

I walked in and was instantly greeted by a huge full length, grand mirror on the wall, then next on the left was a bathroom, which was done out in white tiles with silver taps and showerheads – all very beautifully done. There were also The White Company products to use which gave our stay that extra slice of luxury and fluffy bathrobes and slippers to use throughout our stay.

In the bedroom, we were very lucky to be able to have a king-sized bed, which was super comfortable. There was also a seating area which had the most gorgeous teal furniture which complemented the gorgeous silvery wallpaper that ran throughout. We also had a little kitchen area which had tea and coffee making facilities and a fridge which they had left bottles of water in.

We also had a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, and the views from the window were of the streets below. I would go as far as to say that this was one of the most beautiful hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed in, in my life – oh and there was a chandelier!

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Food and drink

We were very kindly treated to breakfast each morning we were there, which we took in the bar area so it meant we could eat with Rupert. The choices ranged from a continental offering to a full Scottish, as well as smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. We tried an array of different bits and bobs and were very kindly offered our meal as room service on our final morning which really added to the whole experience to be able to eat porridge in a dressing gown.

On our second afternoon, we also took afternoon tea in the dining room with some other guests, which was a really lovely way to spend a couple of hours. There were finger sandwiches, cakes and scones and all the food was freshly prepared and a real delight.

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Safety

Although this year is far from ordinary for the travel world, The Bonham had taken all necessary precautions to ensure that our stay was as safe as possible. All of the staff wore masks, and we had to as well for walking around the hotel but were allowed to take them off when seated. We were also offered hand sanitiser in the bathroom and there were ample pumps throughout.

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I know that it isn’t the easiest time to get away at the moment, especially with the UK being back in lockdown, but I would highly recommend booking a trip to Edinburgh, and staying at The Bonham when things go a bit more back to normal. The safety of the guests was paramount to the staff and that really came across, and the whole experience from start to finish was wonderful.

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Our stay at The Bonham was complimentary in exchange for this review. All views are my own.