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Cosy, convenient but most of all chic, the 4-star Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel sits at the foot of Edinburgh Castle, just off the must-see Royal Mile. Featuring boutique bedrooms and sumptuous suites with free Wi-Fi, a modern restaurant and access to fabulous leisure facilities just next door, an Apex adventure awaits. Designed with you in mind, find yourself living in luxury in these spacious rooms and suites. With a comfy bed and spacious en suite, enjoy taking a bath or shower with Antipodes organic toiletries, helping you to stay green while you stay clean. The flat screen TV will keep you entertained and the mini fridge and air conditioning ensure things can be kept fresh. Plus, the Master Suites even have Nespresso Coffee machines to make you feel right at home. Cots and highchairs are available on request. Since sharing is caring, guests can use the leisure facilities in the Apex Grassmarket Hotel, just next door. With weights, resistance apparatus, cardio machines, and a swimming pool, treat yourself to some tranquil time. In the shadows of Edinburgh Castle, Agua Restaurant and Bar offers classic dining in stylish surroundings. Serving everything from simple sides to moreish meals, it’ll be love at first bite. Centrally located, just minutes from the infamous The Royal Mile and within walking distance of Lothian Road and Princes Street, this hotel is ideally located.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
City View
Great View
Languages Spoken
English
Location
61 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2HJ Scotland
Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
4.5 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Guests at the Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel enjoy its prime location in Edinburgh's heart, with major attractions like the Castle and Royal Mile mere steps away. The rooms receive praise for their comfort and modern amenities, though noise and inconsistent air conditioning are noted by some.
While many find the staff friendly and the hotel clean with comfortable beds, there are mixed feelings on value due to unexpected costs. The lack of certain facilities, such as a bar or restaurant, and atmosphere in public areas have been highlighted by several travelers.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Uninspiring
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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We enjoyed a 2 night stay for my husbands birthday. We previously stayed in Apex Grassmarket but City Hotel was much better & fantastic team who strived to make our stay exceptional. Prior to our arrival we received the opportunity to upgrade to a suite for an additional small charge. The room was beautiful, spacious & extremely clean. The birthday package I arranged was in our room when we arrived & was well worth the money. Breakfast was lovely & good selection. Great value when pre-booked. Special shout out to Sirine & Sebi. The only thing I would suggest is to take ear plugs to block out the outside noise, which is to be expected staying in a busy city location.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sathish Baskaran, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded 2 weeks ago
Dear Gmk, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback about your recent stay with us! We’re absolutely delighted to hear that you and your husband enjoyed a memorable birthday celebration at our hotel. It’s fantastic to know that you found your suite upgrade to be a great choice—spacious, beautiful, and extremely clean—and that the birthday package added a special touch to your stay. We’re also thrilled that you enjoyed our breakfast selection and found it to be great value when pre-booked. Your kind words about our team, especially Sirine and Sebi, mean a lot to us. They truly strive to provide exceptional service, and we’ll be sure to pass on your compliments to them. We appreciate your suggestion regarding ear plugs, and we completely understand that staying in a bustling city location can come with some outside noise. We’re glad it didn’t detract from your overall experience, and we’ll certainly keep your feedback in mind as we continue to improve. Thank you again for choosing to celebrate such a special occasion with us. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back for another exceptional stay in the future! Warm regards, Sathish - Night Manager, Apex City of Edinburgh
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Stayed during the Fringe and Tattoo festivals, great central location, lots of bars and eateries within a stones throw. Car parking charge £15 per night, a bit pricey although it was secure. Don’t bother trying to find breakfast cheaper than hotel, it’s not possible! and the selection of products is great! Sad,y restaurant closed during our stay, but able to use sister hotel 2 doors down, and as previous comment loads of eateries within location. Great room facilities even had a ‘small’ bath which wasn’t expected but was ideal following a long day touring the city.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Apex Hotels, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded Aug 29, 2023
Dear Karen, Thank you for taking the time to provide a review of your experience with us. It is greatly appreciated. We are glad to read that you have enjoyed your stay with us, especially our location. Thank you for your kind words regarding breakfast! We apologize for the inconvenience, but indeed our restaurant is temporary closed for lunch and dinner. We hope to have an opportunity to welcome you back in the future. Kind regards, Angelika I Duty Manager Apex City Hotel
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Just had a lovely 3 days here. One of the best city hotels I've stayed in. Rooms were absolutely spotless and the beds very comfy. The room was kept immaculate, on returning to the hotel in the evening the room was again spotless and all teas, coffees etc replaced. The hotel is also in a great location in the heart of the old town with lots of bars, restaurants, sightseeing, and shopping within easy walking distance.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: it's location in the heart of the old town does mean there is a little noise from the bars in...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Apex Hotels, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded 4 weeks ago
Dear localish253, Thank you for your review! We're happy to hear that you had a lovely stay with us and found our rooms comfortable. It’s great to know you enjoyed our central location and the nearby attractions. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable stay soon. Kind regards, Angelika | Duty Manager Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
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My recent stay at Apex City Hotel, conveniently located opposite Edinburgh Castle, had its highs and lows.
Pros:
Superb Location: The hotel's proximity to Edinburgh Castle and the main streets of the city was a definite plus. It made exploring the city a breeze, with a plethora of dining options in close vicinity. Friendly Staff and Efficient Check-In: The staff were warm, welcoming, and ensured a smooth check-in process. Their friendliness added a positive touch to our arrival. Spacious Rooms and Bathrooms: The room size was reasonable, and the bathroom was notably large. This provided ample space to move around comfortably. Cons:
Dated Interiors: The hallways and carpets showed signs of wear and age, which gave a slightly dated impression. Some maintenance and refurbishment would do wonders for the overall aesthetic. Room Furnishings Need Updating: The furniture in the room appeared dated and could benefit from an upgrade. Additionally, the presence of air bubbles in the carpets was a noticeable flaw. Breakfast Disappointments: The breakfast experience left much to be desired. Discovering a hair on the melon tray was a significant hygiene concern. Moreover, the greasy appearance of my food and the subpar quality of the sausage were letdowns. My wife's cold scrambled eggs further added to our breakfast woes. Maintenance Issues: The leaky bathroom ceiling in our friend's room, necessitating a room change, was an unexpected and inconvenient occurrence. Limited Parking: While free parking is offered, the availability of spaces was limited. The option to park at a nearby sister hotel provided a workaround. In summary, Apex City Hotel offers an enviable location and friendly staff. However, areas such as room furnishings, maintenance, and breakfast quality leave room for improvement. A refurbishment would undoubtedly elevate the overall guest experience. With some updates, this hotel has the potential to be a standout choice in Edinburgh.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Apex Hotels, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded Oct 25, 2023
Dear Winnernumber1 Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent stay at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel. It's great to hear that you appreciated our superb location near Edinburgh Castle and the warm, efficient check-in experience. We also take note of your comments regarding the spacious rooms and bathrooms. We value your insights on the areas that need improvement, such as the dated interiors, room furnishings, and breakfast experience. Your feedback is important to us as we continually strive to enhance the guest experience. Rest assured, we will address these concerns. We appreciate your detailed review, and we hope to welcome you back in the future to provide an even better stay. Dave | Duty Manager Apex Hotels
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You get what you paiy for. Hotels in Edinburgh are not cheap. We chose the Apex City because it was reasonably priced. It's fine if all you need to do is to sleep and shower. The hotel has very few amenties - no bar, no restaurant, a small and not very comfortable lobby. The purified water dispenser on most floors was a nice feature. The rooms are a decent size and the bed was comfortable. As others have noted, in warmer weather, the majority of rooms do not have AC. In cooler weather, however, the opposite situation exists. I stayed in two different rooms; and, in neither of them, was it possible to regulate the heat. In one room away from the street, it was possible to open the window. If you are on the street side, however, the noise is problematic. While the staff was friendly and helpful, they could not offset some of the negative features.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Ask for a room away from the street.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sathish Baskaran, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded Oct 31, 2024
Dear Bropaul, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your recent stay at Apex City. We truly appreciate your insights and are glad to hear that you found our staff friendly and helpful, and that you enjoyed the purified water dispensers and comfortable beds. We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced with the room temperature regulation and the noise from the street. Your comments are invaluable to us as they help us identify areas for improvement. We are continuously working to enhance our guest experience and will certainly take your feedback into consideration. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future and provide you with a more comfortable stay. Warm regards, Sathish - Night Manager Apex City Hotel Edinburgh
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I just loved this hotel, from its fantastic location to the friendly staff. The room was so comfortable with gorgeous, plentiful toiletries and a mini fridge to store our champagne! I also liked the provision of a carafe which could be filled from a water station near the lifts - presume there’s one on every floor. Not stayed in an Apex hotel before but now have a very positive impression of the chain and would look to book again.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Apex Hotels, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded Jan 30, 2025
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you for your wonderful review! We're delighted you loved your stay, from our location to the little touches like the toiletries, mini fridge, and water station. It’s great to hear we’ve left a positive impression, and we’d love to welcome you back to Apex again soon. Kind regards, Angelika | Duty Manager Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
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We stayed here for 5 days, 4 nights. After traveling for a day and a half to reach Edinburgh, we arrived in the city around 10am. Check in is normally 2pm but I had requested an early check in for 12noon. After a bit of back and forth we got to check in early thankfully (as we were exhausted) and was given a room on the 2nd floor. While we were grateful for the early check in we did change rooms the day after as the heater was not working, and we were awoken by construction noises below.
The second room we received was on the 3rd floor far from construction noises and the heater worked! The remainder of our time at the hotel was great! The hotel is location right in the center of everything and is within walking distance of all the sights you would want to see. I also choose this location as it was close to many of the meeting points for our day tours.
I recommend this hotel if you want to be close to everything and if you get a room away from the construction at the front.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Don’t like the instant coffee in the hotel room? Just go downstairs and get a much stronger...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Apex Hotels, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded Apr 29, 2024
Dear Colinasita, Thank you for taking the time to share your recent experience with us. We're delighted to hear that despite a few issues, you ultimately enjoyed your stay at Apex City Hotel. We understand the importance of a smooth check-in process, especially after a long journey, and we're glad we could accommodate your request for an early check-in. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the maintenance issues and construction noises in your initial room. It's wonderful to hear that our team swiftly addressed these concerns by relocating you to a more comfortable and quieter room on the 3rd floor. We're thrilled that you found our central location convenient for exploring Edinburgh and for accessing your day tours. Being within walking distance of the city's attractions is indeed one of the highlights of staying with us. Thank you for recommending our hotel to other travelers, and we look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit to Edinburgh. Kind regards, Angelika | Duty Manager Apex City Hotel
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We have stayed at Apex hotels in London before and been very happy, and got offered a good Long Stay deal here, so we booked it. I was slightly worried by the often poor reviews, but as the price and location were so good we decided to go ahead with our reservation.
I am so pleased that we did. We booked two City Plus Double rooms, one for us and the other for our in-laws. We did request Castle View, but unfortunately did not get that.
The rooms were of a good size and had a comfortable bed and seating area, and most importantly after our London hotel, a bathroom that you could see in.
The staff were great, all requests and questions were dealt with promptly. Breakfast was excellent, a continental buffet and the hot dish ordered from a menu, which is just how we like it. The view of the Castle from the breakfast area almost made up for not having it in our room.
The location was perfect, right on Grassmarket, with the Castle as a backdrop and walking distance to everything that you might want to see and do in Edinburgh. We did not need to use a bus or any other public transport at all during our stay, other than arriving and departing the city by train, when we used a taxi, since we were a group of four with luggage.
The hotel restaurant wasn’t open for dinner unfortunately, but there is another Apex three doors away that had a restaurant that we could use. It wasn’t necessary though, as Edinburgh has lots of excellent restaurants and pubs in close proximity to the hotel.
If we are lucky enough to return to Edinburgh for a third visit I wouldn’t hesitate to stay again.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Get a room slightly better than the basic one for more space.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Apex Hotels, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded Feb 25, 2024
Dear JD, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your stay at Apex Hotels in Edinburgh and that we were able to meet your expectations, especially after some initial concerns. It's fantastic to know that you found our rooms comfortable, the staff accommodating, and the breakfast satisfying. We're delighted that you appreciated the stunning view of the Castle from the breakfast area and that our central location made it convenient for you to explore Edinburgh on foot. We apologize for any inconvenience regarding the restaurant closure, but we're glad you found plenty of dining options nearby. We would be absolutely delighted to welcome you back for a third visit if you ever find yourself in Edinburgh again. Thank you for choosing Apex Hotels, and we look forward to hosting you again in the future! Kind regards, Sirine | Duty Manager Apex City Of Edinburgh.
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Booked a double room and when arrived was told it was an ‘accessible’ room and offered to upgrade me for an extra £20. Considering the price combined with bar, restaurant and room service being offline (which i only learned whilst trying to order room service) i think a complimentary upgrade would have been more appropriate. They also made a mistake with my bill and i could done without having to challenge it before breakfast. It was human error on their part and they graciously apologised but i almost paid twice as the host was so adamant. Place lacks a bit of soul particularly counteracted with the free duck. Half filled bottle in the mini bar (not that bothered) but maybe some free water would be nice. I still like Apex but this is how it went on this occasion!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sathish Baskaran, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded Nov 26, 2024
Dear Christian, Thank you for sharing your recent experience with us. We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences you encountered during your stay at our Grassmarket location. We understand your frustration regarding the room allocation and the additional charge for an upgrade. Given the circumstances, a complimentary upgrade would have indeed been more appropriate, and we regret that this was not offered to you. We also apologize for the unavailability of our bar, restaurant, and room service during your stay. This should have been communicated to you upon arrival, and we are sorry for any inconvenience this caused. Regarding the billing error, we deeply regret the oversight and the stress it caused you. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we resolved the issue. We value your feedback about the mini bar and the overall atmosphere of our hotel. Your comments are crucial in helping us improve our services and ensure a better experience for all our guests. Despite these issues, we are glad to hear that you still have a positive view of Apex. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back and provide you with the exceptional service you deserve. If you would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact our reception team by phone or email. Warm regards, Sathish - Night Manager, Apex City of Edinburgh
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Always a pleasant and pleasurable stay , this time during the festival! Street performers/artists across the road and several venues/events nearby. I was given an accessible room , I think the previous guest had wet the carpet just by the bathroom and both windows were open , it would have been a good idea for the person cleaning the room to have told the front desk rather than having myself to encounter/ deal with it ! Apart from that the room was ok , clean , nice soft bed , decent Wi-Fi and very friendly front desk staff
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Apex Hotels, Guest Services / Front Office at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel
Responded Aug 25, 2023
Dear W1453JGpault, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your recent stay at Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel, especially during the festival. We're thrilled to hear that your experience was overall pleasant and pleasurable. We appreciate your understanding about the accessible room situation. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced with the damp carpet and the open windows. Your point about the communication between housekeeping and the front desk is well noted, and we will address this to ensure better coordination in the future. It's wonderful to know that despite this hiccup, you found the room to be clean with a comfortable bed. We're also delighted that you enjoyed the Wi-Fi service and found our front desk staff to be friendly. Thank you for choosing our hotel, and we hope to have the opportunity to host you again in the future and provide you with an even more seamless experience. Please contact us at city.reception@apexhotels.co.uk if you wish you detail these comments further or if you wish to give us another chance in future, we will ensure it is a much more positive experience. Best regards, Jordan Duty Manager
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Not in the hotel itself, but you can use the facilities in it's other hotel on the same street. It has a pool and sauna. See listing for Apex Grassmarket
There are more places to choose from in the Edinburgh area.
PRICE RANGE
C$157 - C$430 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
apex city edinburgh, hotel apex city
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandEdinburgh
NUMBER OF ROOMS
122
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
