Novotel Edinburgh Airport Hotel – Edinburgh, UK

I had arrived into Edinburgh airport late having started the day in the Isle of Man and then had a couple of hours layover in Birmingham. I didn’t have my car at the airport so I would have had to catch a bus then a train and finally get a taxi. As I was meeting a client early in Edinburgh the next day I thought I would stay the night. I used a couple of apps on my iPhone to check prices of hotels near the airport. The Novotel Edinburgh Park was coming in at £95 per night breakfast included. There was also a holiday inn just 2 miles further away coming in a £79. For reasons that I am not yet sure of, I decided to try the Novotel.

I called the hotel directly and asked for the best bed and breakfast rate. I was informed that the rate was £95 as advertised on my Apps. I asked if they could do £80 and they agreed. It was after all now after 11pm. I jumped in a cab and £10 later I was at the hotel. This is a modern building situated a stone throw from the fairly new Edinburgh Park railway station. Edinburgh Park is a business park full of big Plcs and multi-nationals. The M9 is right next to the hotel as is the City Bypass so pretty well connected in all.

The lobby was trying to be modern and fresh but was too small to actually achieve it. I was checked in fairly quickly and asked if I wanted any newspapers, wake-up calls or taxis. I opted for a Guardian and a cab for 8:15 and upstairs I went.

My room was on the 4th floor (the hotel has five floors) and was advertised as a “Superior Double”. The room was modern with a desk, bed and wannabe mini-bar – a fridge with a bottle of coke and some water in. There was no booze.

The bathroom was pretty cool with a funky electronic shower control and a huge shower head that came out of the ceiling. The towels were also huge – bath sheets in fact – which was a nice touch.

I went to the bar and I encountered my first issue. There were 5 guests at the bar who were all part of one party. They had decided to order a drink each and pay for it separately. The girl behind the bar offered neither eye contact nor acknowledgement when I arrived at the bar. I waited a full seven minutes. Seven minutes standing at a bar when already tired and grumpy is a long time. Eventually the party had their drinks. I thought I may get my beer at last. Alas I was mistaken.

A colleague arrived who was trying to split a dinner bill in half. He clearly didn’t have the skills to do this and so the girl behind the bar (who still hadn’t said a word to me) decided to train him on the spot. I was flabbergasted. I interjected (something along the lines of “Can that not wait? I have been standing here for an age, you haven’t even acknowledged me and I would like a drink!”). Now to be fair she did apologise and take my order but I mean really!

Having paid four pounds for a Peroni and some £11.95 for a pizza I was beginning to wish that I had just went home. Pizza arrived and looked and tasted like cheap frozen pizza. I expect it was.

I retired for the evening but not before a quick shower. I pressed the “on” button and was greeted with a “ding”. The shower came on and started to heat up. Once the temperature displayed was reached the shower made another ding. Pretty neat stuff. There was also an electric dial which controlled the water pressure. Cool.

As I lay in bed I was surprised that I could hear the trains. I had assumed that a hotel built next to the main railway line between Edinburgh and Glasgow would have sufficient sound proofing. I tried to ignore them and instead concentrated on the constant hum of the air conditioning.

4:40 am. 4:40 am is the time that the first Edinburgh to Glasgow train speeds past Edinburgh Park station. I was woken from a very restless night’s sleep and as you can probably imagine I was not very happy. I tried to get back to sleep but every 15 to 20 minutes another train would pass. I eventually gave in and headed for the shower.

I was waiting patiently for the second ding. The ding that told me the shower had reached the desired temperature. The ding never came. After playing with the control for about 10 minutes I managed to get a temperature that was lukewarm at best. It was the best I was going to get.

Breakfast was fairly normal although I did notice a lack of cornflakes. Does every hotel in the land not have cornflakes? Apple juice was almost real and the glasses were nice and large. I didn’t opt for anything hot as they had the cheek to charge an extra £3 for the pleasure. Seems like paying twice for the same thing to me.

Check out was fine although I was hoping for the standard “How was your stay?” question. I would have let rip. Alas the staff member at check-out said almost nothing at all. Never mind at least my taxi was on time. Oh and I got my Guardian too.

Novotel Edinburgh Park, 15 Lochside Avenue, EH12 9DJ.  Website