First of all we could not stay at the NYX Hotel which we had booked because the hotel was not yet finished. So we were allocated a room at the Leonardo Hotel Haymarket. Although the move affected our train transfer arrangements, the location was quiet and still walking distance from many different sites. Bus stops and places to eat were also very accessible. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The room, linens and towels provided were clean. Breakfast was decent.

I wonder if there were rooms with a view other than that of the opposing building and the street.

Located a short walk to the station, out the back door and a few stairs to an alley that leads to the royal mile. Loved this hotel

Not much

Location close to ‘the mile’

Air con didn’t work in room, battle to get the breakfast we’d pre-booked, over enthusiastic waiting staff clearing our table both mornings when we were out of our seats for breakfast buffet

The hotel's opening was delayed and my reservation was moved to another of their hotels in Edinburgh, the Haymarket. In transferring my reservation, they somehow changed my room from an executive queen (single occupancy) to a twin with a cot (for one adult and two children). After being told the mixup was my fault, I spoke to a manager who apologized and said that while the hotel was fully booked that night they would move me to the "junior suite" for the remaining nights. While large, the junior suite was completely run-down, with scraped up walls and furniture and bathroom fixtures falling off the wall. Walls paper thin. Not at all a comparable or pleasant experience, but it was too late to do anything about it. Moreover, the staff at the Leonardo Haymarket said that the NYX has been supposedly trying to open for a year but keeps pushing back opening, and that its reception area is still completely a construction site -- which suggests the act of taking bookings in July for early August (the busiest time in Edinburgh) and only notifying patrons two weeks out that they would need to move is basically a bait and switch.

I paid to stay in the NYX hotel which is an early stage building site. I was then bumped to their sister hotel Leonardo Royal nextdoor. They took money based upon finished photos and put me in a hotel which should only have been 1/2 the price. This is sharp practise and I will inform trading standards. Nearly £500 per night for a £150 room. Pure villainy.

I booked the NYX Hotel a month in advance and was shocked to find out only two working days before arrival that the hotel was not even open yet. It feels completely dishonest to accept reservations for a property that is not ready, and I am very surprised that Booking.com allows this practice. Because the notification came so late, I had no real chance to search for alternatives — by then, prices for similar hotels were already much higher. Booking.com support was also unhelpful, only responding 48 hours later, by which point I had no choice but to accept the change if I didn’t want to lose part of my holiday. The hotel moved me to their sister property, Leonardo Royal. While the staff there were excellent and they kindly offered complimentary breakfast and a dinner, the room itself was of lower specification and quality than what I had originally booked. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. Guests should not be put in this situation, and I would strongly urge Booking.com and NYX to be more transparent and proactive with their communication.

This was a bait and switch on a hotel that isn't even finished, moved to their lower quality place next door week before, and shouldn't be listed until ready.

Couldn’t stay at the hotel because it wasn’t ready for guests

Not available for booking that was made a month in advance