Review: Hilton Edinburgh Carlton
Conveniently located just minutes from Edinburgh’s main Waverley Station is the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton.
The hotel is a grand, turn-of-the-20th-century building, which originally housed a department store, and sits at the southern end of the North Bridge. Although we only realised that the hotel was undergoing renovations when we arrived, the friendly staff at the front desk were working hard to ensure there was no disruption to guests. I am so excited to return once the renovations are complete: the works comprise a new, expanded lobby and will extend the total room count to almost 300.
We arrived in the early afternoon by train and enjoyed the short walk to the hotel in the sunshine. Upon check in, we were kindly offered a smaller room which was available immediately, or could wait for the larger, upgraded room which we had been assigned. Choosing the latter, we decided to go out and explore Edinburgh’s Old Town straight away. Being so central, all of Edinburgh’s main attractions are within walking distance of the hotel.
Edinburgh has a wonderful, festival atmosphere for most of the year so we enjoyed a leisurely walk along the Royal Mile, stopping on the way for a slice of fudge or two, before reaching the Scottish Parliament. After a late lunch at Holyrood Palace, we browsed the collections of the National Gallery of Scotland just off Princes Street.
Our beautiful room was ready when we returned around 5pm, which also coincided with drinks and appetisers being served in the hotel’s large Executive Lounge. Here we enjoyed a few glasses of Prosecco along with a variety of snacks and hot and cold canapés. It was so tempting to have more, but we didn’t want to spoil our appetite for dinner! Tonight’s meal was at the Fishmarket in Newhaven, a short tram ride away to Edinburgh’s northern coastal edge.
I started the morning with a quick workout in the hotel’s well-appointed gym, before it was time for food again, and one of my favourite parts of a Hilton stay: breakfast! The buffet had all the usual hot and cold dishes although, being Scotland, haggis was also available.
The rest of the morning was spent exploring Edinburgh Castle, St Andrews Square and Princes Street. Being so central, it was convenient to leave our bags at the hotel, ready to quickly collect before taking the tram to the airport.
Useful information
Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh has been the highest-end brand of Hilton hotels in Edinburgh. Although I have often introduced it in this blog, Hilton has announced that it will become part of the Curio Collection from June 2024. Details will be revealed in due course, but for now, the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton may offer the most benefits to Diamond members.
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