Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre by IHG

Hotels
•
Holiday Inn Express
8.1 (8183 reviews)
Picardy Place , Edinburgh , GB

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Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
24-hour front desk
Heating
Family rooms
Pets allowed
Lift / Elevator
Laundry
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Review Highlights

Pros:
Excellent central location (close to Playhouse, tram and public transport)
Friendly, helpful and solution-focused staff
Consistently praised cleanliness
Convenient tram/bus access and walking distance to landmarks
Accessible free tea/coffee area
Two elevators in building (when both functioning)
Cons:
Breakfast often described as crowded, mediocre or limited in variety
Rooms can be small and in need of refurbishment (dated bathrooms, mould in corners)
Noise issues reported (road noise, plumbing above)
Some guests found price high for the hotel's standard
Occasional maintenance problems: shower issues, AC on timer/not working
Only one lift working at times during busy periods
At least one report of staff language limitation (French)

Categories

Cleanliness
8.6
Multiple reviews explicitly praise the hotel's cleanliness (e.g., 'exceptionally clean', 'very clean'). A few mentions of mouldy corners/bathroom issues in specific rooms lower the score slightly.
Service
8.8
Service is regularly highlighted as a strong point—friendly, helpful and solution-focused staff at reception. One comment noted language limitations (staff not speaking French), but overall service sentiment is positive.
Location
9.3
Location is consistently described as excellent/ideal: central, close to the Playhouse, tram stop and public transport. This is the most uniformly praised aspect across reviews.
Room Quality
7.1
Room quality is mixed: some rooms are fine and family-friendly (interconnecting), but there are multiple complaints about small rooms, dated bathrooms, noisy rooms (road/plumbing), and heating/AC problems.
Amenities
7.6
Amenities are adequate but inconsistent: positives include free tea/coffee area and working elevators in some cases; negatives include only one lift working at times, non-working coffee machine in breakfast area, shower/bathroom maintenance issues and AC timers.
Value for Money
7.3
Several guests commented that the price felt high for the standard of the hotel. Some said it was 'expensive for the standard' despite the strong location and service.
Food and Beverage
7.2
Breakfast sentiment is mixed-to-negative: common complaints about crowded/chaotic breakfast room, mediocre or 'not plated' English breakfast, tepid food and limited variety; a few reviews called the breakfast 'top notch' or 'hearty'.
Overall Experience
8.9
Overall travelers are generally satisfied and would recommend or stay again—thanks mainly to location, cleanliness and helpful staff—despite recurring issues with room size, breakfast quality and some maintenance items.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-10-28 22:39

Property Description

Convenient Location
Located in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town, just a short stroll from Princes Street and the train station, Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre offers easy access to the city's main attractions.

Modern Amenities
The hotel boasts modern rooms equipped with satellite TV, free tea and coffee, and tiled bathrooms with power showers. Guests can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi access throughout the property.

Delicious Dining Options
Start your day with a free buffet breakfast at the Great Room, offering a variety of hot and cold items. Unwind at the lounge bar with a wide selection of whiskies, and explore the nearby restaurants for evening meals.

Experience the best of Edinburgh with us at Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre.

Important information:

Car Parking is available at the nearby Q-Park Omni Center. The hotel does have a discount available to guests so please contact the hotel directly for the discount code prior to booking online

The hotel has steps to the front of the building, however, there is wheelchair access to the rear via a cobbled street.

Nearby Q car park is available for parking. Guests can request discount vouchers at reception.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: EDI

Location

Property Video

Property Accessibility

Public Area
  • Ramp: No
  • Entrance Door Width: 82
  • Entrance Leveled: No
  • Pet Friendly: No
Reception And Restaurant
  • Reception Hearing Accessible: No
  • Reception Wheelchair Accessible: No
  • Restaurant Wheelchair Accessible: No
Elevator
  • Elevator Audio Signals: No
  • Elevator Braille Numbers: Yes
  • Elevator Contrasting Buttons: No
  • Elevator Visual Signs: No
Show all accessibility features

Guest Reviews

8.1
Based on 8183 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.6
Service: 8.8
Location: 9.3
Room Quality: 7.1
Amenities: 7.6
Value for Money: 7.3
Food and Beverage: 7.2
Overall Experience: 8.9
A
Alan • couple • gb
4
2026-10-17 • via Nuitee
L
lesley • family_with_children • gb
10
Great hotel
2026-10-17 • via Nuitee
P
Patrick • family_with_children • ch
8
Gut gelegenes, solides Hotel.
Pros:

Zentral gelegen.
Frei zugänglicher Bereich um jederzeit Kaffee, Tee oder Heisse Schokolade zubereiten zu können.
Freundliches Personal.
Die von uns belegten zwei Zimmer hatten eine Durchgangstür. Ideal für Familien (Zimmer 207 und 209).

Cons:

Das Frühstück war OK aber aufgrund der vielen Gäste war der Frühstücksraum sehr hektisch.

2026-10-17 • via Nuitee
G
Guido • solo_traveller • it
5
Edimburgo in 4 giorni. Se
Pros:

Posizione centrale

Cons:

Prezzo elevato per lo standard dell'albergo

2026-10-16 • via Nuitee
J
Jacqui • family_with_children • gb
8
Pros:

Great location

2026-10-16 • via Nuitee
G
Giorgetti • couple • it
9
Albergo ben gestito. Staff 24/24. Si trova nella new town 10 minuti a piedi dalla old town
2026-10-16 • via Nuitee
V
Val • couple • gb
10
Lovely hotel
Pros:

Exceptionally clean and very friendly efficient staff.Ideal location for a visit to the Playhouse

Cons:

Nothing

2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
G
Guido • solo_traveller • it
6
2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
P
Patricia • solo_traveller • cl
6
Regular
Pros:

Su ubicación

Cons:

Pieza muy fria, no funcionó calefacción

2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
K
Keila • couple • us
4
Pros:

Location

2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
M
Michael • couple • ie
9
Enjoyable stay I am ideal location
Pros:

It’s in an ideal location and very clean

Cons:

Nothing

2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
S
Stephen • solo_traveller • gb
4
Edinburgh Holiday Inn Express Avoid...
Pros:

Free tea coffee

Cons:

Family room very small.no room with extra bed pulled out
Bathroom need updating..mouldy corners
Shower flying everywhere
Breakfast tepid..
Breakfast room too small for amount of guests.
Only one lift working..

2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
L
Lucía • extended_group • es
8
Ha sido muy agradable
Pros:

Está muy bien situado y la atención excelente

Cons:

La habitación y la cama son pequeñas

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
I
Ingrid • family_with_children • de
9
Sehr schöner Aufenthalt
Pros:

Zimmer waren ok, Lage hervorragend, Frühstück sehr gut

Cons:

alle ok

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
K
Kydd • solo_traveller • gb
10
2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
M
Monika • family_with_children • gb
10
2026-10-10 • via Nuitee
L
Lynn • couple • ca
7
Great location on Edinburgh
Pros:

Location

Cons:

The bed was very uncomfortable

2026-10-10 • via Nuitee
V
van Zutphen • couple • nl
9
2026-10-10 • via Nuitee
C
Charles • couple • ch
10
2026-10-10 • via Nuitee
R
Rodrigo Valadares • extended_group • gb
8
Good in general
Pros:

The room was good—always clean and tidy. Breakfast, however, was chaotic. On one of the days I had breakfast there, I felt sick just minutes later. It wasn't a good experience.

Cons:

Because the breakfast was chaotic and made me feel sick after I ate. It seemed like something was expired or spoiled.

2026-10-08 • via Nuitee