We'll be staying in Edinburgh for two nights near the end of September and are looking for accommodations in a central location. I've narrowed it down to the Thistle or Ceilidh-Donia or Hotel du Vin or 53 Frederick St. Does anyone have any experience with any of these?

Why not stay in Leith- 10 min bus ride into city centre and handy for Leith attractions including Royal Yacht Britannia?
http://www.wallacesarthousescotland.com
highly recommended!

There is more than one Thistle hotel in Edinburgh --which are you asking about?

Your list is sort of all over the place --not similar locations or types of accommodations. Locations alone (depending on which Thistle you mean) 53 Frederick St or Hotel du Vin would be best for seeing the sights.

"Why not stay in Leith"

Because it's a 15-20 minute bus ride into town, longer if you don't want to be on Princes Street.

Much better to be in the middle of the action and just walk a few hundred yards to wherever they want to be.

Yes -Hotel Du Vin

5 * service
4 * food
4 * location
3 * standard rooms due to size but 5 * quality
6 * Suites due to size and still 5 * quality

We refused a standard room, they were not busy and we haggled on the phone for 20 minutes. In the end the booking chap was sick of me, he just gave us a suite to get rid of me. Best room I have stayed in. 3 plasma screens and 2 bathrooms for £160. Try doing the same. The standard rooms were small.

Loved the place!

Thank you. Hotel du Vin is a little pricey and 53 Frederick is booked for Sept. 24-25. Any other recommendations in a good location?

This place was an adorable central b&b with nice furnishings and gourmet breakfast.
http://www.wwwonderful.net/

we loved it

If it's the Thistle on Leith St you mean, it's very central but very ugly, forming part of a brutalist concrete block also housing a shopping mall which (with the notable exception of John Lewis) is pretty downmarket. It also gets lots of coach parties (I see the coaches outside.) I usually find Thistle hotels elsewhere are fine, but I think I'd find staying there rather depressing.

I'd never heard of the Ceildidh-donia before (what a terrible name !) but checked the location and it's not central, it's about a 20-25 minute bus ride from the centre.

The Castle View Guest House always used to get lots of good reviews here but it was up for sale a year or two ago, so not sure if it changed hands and what effect this might have had. Check Tripadvisor ? The location can't really be bettered.

I've also seen rave reviews for 2 Cambridge St which is just on the edge of the centre, a couple of minutes' walk from Princes St.

For a moderately priced chain hotel just off the Royal Mile, the Ibis in Hunter Square is quite handy. A bit more upmarket and stylish are the Novotel on Lauriston Place and the Point Hotel, just on the edge of the city centre. The Apex hotels on the Grassmarket are quite decent but the Grassmarket is stag/hen party central at weekends.

Or for a posh B&B right in the New Town (if you are OK with being on a bit of a hill) - Gerald's Place gets good reviews, and Ingram's is owned by nice people I know slightly.

Thanks so much! Geralds is booked but I'm working on the others.

I am a firm fan of 10 Hill Place and have probably stayed there 5 times by now. Quiet location with its own parking, prices are fine for me- even better if you can book in advance and we were upgraded last time. Good standard furnishings and max 0f 10 minutes to the Leith End of Princes Street.
I've probably stayed in 10 different places in Edinburgh over the last 5 years but this one is now first choice.

Castle View GH is in a fantastic location but you need to be mobile - it's 40+ steps to the rooms, and that's in addition to every hill in Edinburgh having one direction: up.

Given personal experience with the former management, I'd think the new group could be a significant improvement.

If you can hack the hike, you'd be hard-pressed for a better location.

I now have a reservation at Browns B&B. Has anyone ever stayed there?

Hadn't heard of it before so looked it up. I see it is on McDonald Road which is certainly not "in the heart of Edinburgh City Centre" as they claim, but it is quite near the centre (about half a mile). It's off Leith Walk, the main route into the centre from there, which is fairly 'gritty' but perfectly safe and a very good bus route.

caroline, if you return - a question

The Browns B&B does not have any room rate listed on its web site, or not that I can see, just a form to request the information. To get the 4 stars, it must be an okay b&b, but would seeing no rates on a web site make you look elsewhere? Perhaps I am just over reacting, but I don't like not seeing a rate. Thx.

whoops .. rkovideo, this is not against you for reserving Browns!

It's just something I'm very curious about should caroline be able to come back with a reply.

23 mayfield b&b central location! Great views, amazing service, rooms and breakfast! stay here and you wont regret it! WE have stayed probably 4-5 times

I was in Edinburgh last September and it was beautiful! I stayed at The Channing. Wonderful place with wonderful service. It included breakfast, just down the block was the bus stop which was very convenent. Just about 10 min from the Royal Mile.

The Channing was booked, but I think I'll go with 23 Mayfield. Browns looks good but only takes cash. Hmm?

"<i>Browns looks good but only takes cash. Hmm?</i>

why the >>Hmm?<< . . . because you think that is an issue/problem or says something about the property?

Cash only is fairly common for B&Bs. Re scotlib's questions about no rates listed -- that usually bugs me too, but is also not that unusual. Some B&Bs/hotels will only give a rate when there is an inquiry. Maybe because the rates are very date sensitive or who knows??

Not trying to talk you into Browns -- but just to explain that that is just the way some B&Bs work.

Go with 23 mayfield, Im telling you you wont regret it