Hotel Indigo Edinburgh, Dining Room

Giving one star only because zero is not an option. Our stay was challenging from the outset. We were allocated a room on a floor that was not accessible by lift. As two women travelling with three suitcases and several bags, we had to carry our luggage up the stairs ourselves. The reception supervisor was clearly managing an injury and, despite her best efforts, there appeared to be only two women running the hotel operation that evening, from reception duties to handling guest issues. The bigger concern, however, was the room itself. Late in the evening, the air conditioning developed a fault. The controller displayed a blinking green light along with a P15 error code. A member of staff came to inspect it and candidly admitted that she had never encountered the issue before. Unfortunately, no maintenance personnel were available, and the only solution offered was the use of a fan. Under normal circumstances that may have been manageable. However, our room had no opening windows and therefore no access to fresh air. The explanation given was that the hotel is a heritage property created by combining several historic townhouses. While I appreciate the architectural constraints of a heritage building, guests should not have to compromise on basic comfort as a result. When the air conditioning failed, we were left in a room with no natural ventilation and no meaningful remedy until the following day. For a property that positions itself as a five-star luxury hotel, this was deeply disappointing. I formally logged the complaint with reception, and it was acknowledged. The front-line staff were courteous and did what they could within the limits of their authority. My criticism is not directed at them, but at the lack of operational support and contingency planning for situations such as this. Heritage character and boutique charm are valuable attributes, but they cannot substitute for essential guest comforts. A luxury hotel should have a robust plan in place for handling critical room failures, particularly when guests have no alternative means of ventilation. For a hotel that markets itself as a premium experience, I expected considerably better.