Finally, I found myself back in lovely Edinburgh after nearly two years thanks to Covid. The break certainly made me appreciate the UK and how I don’t want to ever be apart this long again. I can co with a lot of breakups, but not this one, please. Booking just a few days prior to my departure and having to use my company’s new, soulless travel system, I didn’t have much for choice and ended up at the Motel One Princes Street. Always looking to stay away from the corporate recommendation on the other side of town, I opted to try something totally under budget and brand new.

The hotel has a certain youthful design about it while it straddles the stuffy St. Andrew’s area restaurants (reason for my stay) and the Waverly train station- excellent for a 5AM Boots run (apparently also here for this) when you can’t sleep.

The lobby was also the bar. And the breakfast area. With whimsical design and a bar open 24 hours… well, I can imagine this place has quite some merry revelers during festival season.

My standard room was small but manageable for a couple days. When the lights switched on, so did the tv’s fish tank. Not so reminiscent of the surrounding Edinburgh, but they can’t all be perfect design choices. It was kind of charming, just odd.

The bed was cozy, but with a wall of windows, the room was absolutely chilly. While a layer of blackout blinds coated the whole thing, there was still a strip of light at the top to remind you that you weren’t home. And that you were cold. Not the best sleeps I’ve ever had.

The view of my room looked directly into other rooms, though they seemed unoccupied. The lights remained on…perhaps they were haunted by old poets?

Overall, Motel One Princes Street was a fine solution in a pinch, especially as she kept me sleeping in the area of town where I wanted to be. Due to Covid, there wasn’t daily housekeeping, but you could request. Rather than bother, I stopped by the desk for a nightly gintot and towel collection- totally serviceable.