‘Radisson Blu’ is one of those big international hotel brands that I’m sorry to say slightly blur into one another for me, but as soon as I arrived to check in at its Edinburgh outpost I realised I in fact knew it very well indeed. I have been coming to the Scottish capital every August for the best part of 20 years to review shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe: it is comfortably the city that I’ve spent the most time in that I’ve never technically lived in. And you could hardly spend that amount of time in town and miss the Radisson.
Why stay at Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh City Centre?
For starters, the hotel is located slap bang on the Scottish capital’s iconic Royal Mile. And it’s a necessarily iconic building by necessity. You can’t just plonk any structure on the Mile, Edinburgh’s historic cobbled central street (or more accurately, series of streets), some of which date back to medieval times. Built of rose-tinted sandstone, and notable for its turrets and towers, the Radisson would look absolutely insane in a more modern setting, but manages to blend in nicely with the Mile while also showboating a little (it doesn’t in any way need the turret, as far as I can tell). Built in 1989 in a gap site where a group of 18th century houses once stood, it has apparently been hailed as one of the finest examples of medieval architecture built in recent times (that information is from Radisson, who probably would say that, but it is undeniably a pretty cool building and a pretty narrow field).
What’s the area like around Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh City Centre?
Moreover, I’d actually been here before, albeit not overnight: no hotel gets into the swing of the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe like the Radisson – I’d actually been here on several occasions to see shows at The Space on the Mile, the literal Fringe venue it plays host to.
I can’t speak for what it’s like the rest of the year, but in August it had a very pleasing buzz, with an international holidaymaker class there for their summer holidays – or the wider Edinburgh festival season, which also includes the massively popular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo – rubbing shoulders with the younger, artsier, more local crowd popping in for shows at the relatively lo-fi theatre venue. It’s got a personality, in other words, and it could hardly fail to have one being plonked on the lively historic cobbles of the Mile.
A shout out also to Avanti West Coast, who I travelled with to Edinburgh: it’s a slightly longer journey up from London, but it’s much quieter than its east coast counterpart and moreover it goes through the Lake District and is stunningly beautiful. It tends to be a bit more affordable too and comes recommended if you’re in the market for a bit of slow travel.
What are the rooms like at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh City Centre?
They’re business traveller rooms. The hey nonny nonny exterior is a lot of fun, but not really indicative of the interior: the Radisson Blu Edinburgh is a sleekly finished international hotel which has a definite vibe in festival season but which is hardly going to spook a global business or traveller class looking for a measure of predictability to their accommodation. The rooms are not exactly what you’d call thrillingly original but they are sleek and blessedly soundproofed (the Mile is, to put it politely, a popular haunt of the inebriated late at night). A complimentary greeting platter of sweet baked things was a nice touch. I was in a Premium Room, which came with a corner sofa, bath and view of the miles. But everyone gets a gargantuan bed and TV screen and light, airy finish. Prices seesaw wildly depending on season – a Standard Room can go for as little as £125 when it’s quiet, to almost £750 at the zenith of the Fringe. Slightly improbably but very pleasingly, there is a fair sized pool and gym in the basement – if that’s what you expect from a hotel, Radisson Blu Edinburgh has crammed it in for you. There’s also noon checkout as standard, a very civilized touch.
What’s the food like at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh City Centre?
The food in its Itchycoo Bar and Restaurant is relatively no-frills traveller’s fare, heavy on the carbs, but with a seasonal nod towards the Fringe. For some insane reason I paired a crisp bowl of haggis fritters (it was the most Scottish thing on the menu!) with a ‘donut burger’ from a special Fringe exclusive menu of nine burgers that was, frankly, sublimely stodgy (it was based around sweet bacon and a glazed bagel, not an actual donut, I hasten to point out). Obviously I was all but immobile afterwards. In general the menu ticks the Western business traveller boxes without doing anything too outre: you can get a steak, you can get a caesar, you can get fish and chips. It’s not a foodie mecca by any means, but it doesn’t pretend to be otherwise and it’ll fill you up – and the same goes for its admirable gargantuan breakfast buffet.
Why should you book a stay at the Radisson Blu Edinburgh?
At any time of year it offers a comfortable, well-priced stay (under £150 a night off-season) that is fastidious in meeting the standards of international business travel. But what gives it a bit of real identity is a superlative location on the Royal Mile, and a willingness to meet Edinburgh halfway via its unusual architecture and enthusiastic embrace of the Fringe. If you’re game for swallowing the hefty premium you’ll pay for booking in August – which sadly applies to basically everywhere in Edinburgh – it’s a great place to stay during the Fringe. But it’s also a great place to get away from the Fringe. All in all it’s an outlet of a rock solid upmarket chain hotel that’s given some real local charm by its incomparable location, whimsical architecture and big-hearted embrace of the Fringe.
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