• A convenient location within a reasonable walk of the city centre
• A relatively quiet location on the edge of the city centre
• Easy access to all that Edinburgh has to offer
• Comfortable rooms with attractive outlooks at both the front and rear
• Food available from the Bar & Brasserie from 7am to 9.30pm

Intro

The Best Western Bruntsfield Hotel is an STB 4 Star hotel with 67 rooms on the south western edge of Edinburgh city centre, just three quarters of a mile south of Edinburgh Castle. The Bisque Bar & Brasserie is popular and bustling, and offers food from the start of breakfast at 7am right through to the end of dinner at 9.30pm. The guest rooms enjoy views over the parkland of Bruntsfield Links at the front, or over a tranquil area of gardens at the rear. Self contained conference and event facilities are available, and weddings can be accommodated.

Character and setting/location

The Bruntsfield Hotel lies on the southern edge of Edinburgh city centre. Edinburgh Castle lies three quarters of a mile to the north; Waverley Station just over a mile to the north east; and Haymarket Station three quarters of a mile to the north west. There are good bus links with the city centre. The hotel is especially convenient for Edinburgh's “University Quarter”.

The hotel is a conversion of four very large stone houses. To its front and one side is free parking for 29 cars. Access is from Bruntsfield Place, and the front of the hotel looks beyond this to the open parkland of Bruntsfield Links, which in turn becomes the even larger park known as The Meadows. The rear of the hotel overlooks a large triangular area of quiet and established gardens, many of them walled, and, from the upper floor, offers views north west over the city towards the River Forth and Fife beyond.

Public rooms/spaces

Stepping into the lobby of the Brunstfield Hotel reveals an oasis of calm that contrasts strikingly with the busy city outside. Guests are greeted with a cool interior which is elegant and stylish. Stone and marble combine with sumptuous fabrics to create a warm atmosphere and comfortable seating encourages guest to sit and watch the world go by.

The guest lounge leads off the lobby and has a small meeting room off it. This is suitable for small groups and makes for a very flexible small conference space when combined with exclusive use of the lounge.

The Bisque Brasserie is located on the lower ground floor and is accessed through the Bisque Bar. The brasserie opens out onto a patio area with outdoor seating and heating. Warm stone cladding on the walls and a decor in shades of burnt orange, taupe and brown make the brasserie a welcoming place to dine and the decor works well both in daylight and at night.

There is a TV in part of the bar and a series of booths in this area are popular with those meeting for a drink or for a more informal meal.

The Bruntsfield Hotel also has a conservatory. Located off the main Cardoon conference suite, it can be booked for private dining and for small weddings and events of up to 50 guests.

Guest bedrooms

There are 67 guest bedrooms at the Bruntsfield Hotel. Three are single rooms and the rest include doubles, twins and family rooms, some with feature bathrooms, others with four poster beds, and all highly appointed. Two suites are available and some rooms, because of their luxury features, are designated as premium rooms. Two rooms are fairly easily accessible.

One of the most notable things about all the rooms is the high level of cleanliness and the crisp clean decor. Bright white bed linen is accented by coloured throws which match with curtains and other fabrics to provide a warm welcoming space.

There is ample guest seating, plus the obligatory work area with free wired Internet access. Flat screen TVs are wall mounted and offer a good range of both TV and radio channels.

All rooms have well stocked hospitality trays featuring Brodies products, fluffy white towels and complementary Gilchrist and Soames toiletries in the bathrooms, a hairdryer and radio alarm clock, plus a direct dial telephone with personal voicemail facility. An ironing board and a sewing kit can be borrowed from Reception and 24 hour room service is available.

Guest services

Disabled access at the Bruntsfield Hotel is fairly good. There is external ramp access to the Bisque Bar & Brasserie and lift access to the remainder of the hotel, and another ramp gives access to the Cardoon conference suite. Disabled toilets are available. Two guest rooms are fairly easily accessible, though guests are advised to check with the hotel that their needs will be met at the time of booking.

Guests have access to free WiFi Internet access in all public areas and free wired access in all bedrooms. Faxes may be received and sent at Reception, where photocopying and printing may also be arranged for a small charge. Private voicemail boxes are available through the direct dial telephones in guest bedrooms.

Dry cleaning and laundry services are available to residents with a same day return available from Monday to Friday. A 24 hour room service operates at all times. Breakfast may be taken in guest bedrooms and a range of drinks and light snacks may be ordered.

The Bruntsfield Hotel is no smoking throughout and cannot accept pets. Families are made most welcome and a children’s menu is available. Some interconnecting rooms are available, which are ideal for families with older children.

Restaurant and dining experience

The Bruntsfield Hotel's Bisque Bar & Brasserie, which is located on the lower ground floor, is justifiably poplar with hotel guests as well as with others who live or work in this part of Edinburgh or who are simply passing by. As a result it can be a busy and bustling place, both at lunch time and in the evening, and one where booking is often advisable. In Summer, the Brasserie extends out onto the terrace in the garden.

The Bisque Bar has more character and more of a buzz than you might expect in a hotel bar, and as a result is also popular with hotel guests and locals.

The Bruntsfield Hotel has a number of different dining options on offer, and food is served from the start of breakfast at 7am right through to the end of dinner at 9.30pm. One option is the all day breakfast, on offer from 9am to 5pm. In terms of availability, this has a large overlap with the bar menu, which offers sandwiches, tapas and soups in the Bisque Bar from 11am to 9pm. An then there are the main lunch and dinner menus. Each of these offers a wide range of choices, including vegetarian options: though for many the highlight will be the magnificent steaks using beef from the Scottish Borders. One nice touch is a choice between a “Mains” course and a “Light Mains” course on both the lunch and dinner menus.

Breakfast

Breakfast is also served in the Bisque Bar & Brasserie, from 7am to 9.30am six days per week, and from 7.30am to 10am on Sundays. The usual two course approach is adopted, with a self-service first course of various cereals, fruits, breads and do-it-yourself toast. The main course options include the justifiably popular breakfast grill featuring superb Ayrshire bacon; omelettes; scrambled eggs and salmon; and porridge.

Although there is nominally an end point to the breakfast service, the Bisque Bar & Brasserie also serves an all day breakfast from 9am to 5pm, which includes all the main dishes on offer during breakfast service itself. This is a hotel where you never risk missing breakfast if you oversleep!

Meetings and events facilities

The Bruntsfield Hotel has a range of conference and event facilities to suit group sizes up to 100.

The Cardoon Suite is a self-contained suite of rooms with its own private entrance. These include a bar/lounge area with comfortable leather sofas, a boardroom/dining space with feature mirrored pillars and a conservatory with adjacent external patio area. Disabled access is by ramp and there are disabled toilet facilities in this area.

60 delegates or guests can be accommodated here in theatre style or 25 in boardroom style. In addition, the conservatory can be separately set out in boardroom style for 20-25. For private dinners and weddings the conservatory alone will seat up to 50 guests on 5 circular tables, each of up to 10.

The hotel has a wedding licence and has proved a popular venue, especially for second weddings.

In addition, the hotel can offer the smaller Blythswood Suite which is ideal for smaller groups of up to 15 guests/delegates, and which may be used in conjunction with the hotel lounge.

Leisure

The Bruntsfield Hotel has no dedicated leisure facilities of its own. However, it is just across the road from the open parkland of Bruntsfield Links, which extends onto the even larger area of The Meadows to the east. More widely, the hotel's location means guests can benefit from all that Edinburgh has to offer, including the nearby Warrender Swimming Pool and much more. Many leisure visitors will find they get all the exercise they could want as they explore one of the most magnificent cities in the world in the best way possible, on foot.

Service highs/lows

A visit to a four star hotel raises a certain set of expectations about the quality of service on offer. At Bruntsfield you find friendly and welcoming staff, a high quality of housekeeping, comfortable rooms, and good food: plus, of course, a “best of both worlds” edge of city centre location.

Local points of interest

Many of the points of interest in the immediate area are visible from the rooms of the hotel itself. Edinburgh Castle is an easy walk, while closer still are Bruntsfield Links and the Meadows to the front of the hotel, and the redeveloped basin at the end of the Union Canal a short walk to the north west. But most people will come here to see Edinburgh itself, and from that point of view, the Bruntsfield Hotel is the ideal location. Find out more from the Undiscovered Scotland guide to Edinburgh.

Target/ideal markets

The hotel sees its target market as being split fairly evenly between business and leisure users. Its close proximity to the very heart of the city makes it the ideal base for both types of visitor. It is popular because it provides a relaxed location within easy walking distance of the business quarter and also of the tourist attractions and other amenities that Edinburgh has to offer.

The annual cycle of festivals and sporting events are a great draw, ensuring that even on a Tuesday in February all rooms are likely to be full and the Bisque Brasserie & Bar a hive of activity.

The Bruntsfield welcomes families and is a popular choice for school holiday breaks. Theatre break packages are available as are special rates in low season.

The availability of a dedicated conference and events suite, makes the Bruntsfield Hotel an idea choice for small to medium sized weddings, for conferences and private dinners. An events coordinator is on hand to ensure plain sailing from planning through to completion.

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