Hotel Review: No 11 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh
For Mr Fletche’s 50th birthday celebrations, I wanted to book a hotel with a little bit of class and elegance. And No 11 Brunswick Street fit the bill nicely. Close enough to the hustle and bustle without being right in the centre of the city. Stylish but not intimidating. And not break-the-bank-expensive either. Which left plenty of cash for eating and drinking.
No 11 Brunswick Street
This Georgian townhouse hotel is spread over four floors, occupying two connecting buildings. It is part of a sweeping terrace of similar buildings, with grand portico entrances and Doric columns. Guest rooms are located on the lower ground, first and second floors; sadly there is no lift available so not a great choice if you’re looking for accessible accommodation.
The hotel also has a top-notch brasserie restaurant, which would have been a contender for Mr Fletche’s birthday meal had it not been shut on Mondays and Tuesdays. https://www.11brunswickst.co.uk/brasserie
The Mini-Suite
To be honest, the only thing that really sets our mini-suite (No 9) apart from a standard room is extra floor space and a sofa. Which naturally becomes a dumping ground for our coats and bags within minutes. It is a gloriously elegant room though, with its pale grey walls, high ceilings and dark furniture. As is normal with old hotels, there is a definite tilt to the floor. A bottle of water on the table slides right off – it definitely wouldn’t pass Pa Lee’s spirit level test.
The bathroom has his n hers (or his n his / hers n hers) showers so you can shower with your nearest and dearest. If you so wish. The heavy wooden bathroom door is extremely creaky so there’s no chance of creeping quietly for a wee in the middle of the night.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served either in the Brasserie, or in the guest lounge at the rear of the building overlooking a small private garden. There are two variations on the full Scottish – one vegetarian – or you can select individual items to form your own. Various egg options. Pancakes, served with yoghurt and berries, or with crispy bacon and maple syrup. Everything is served to the table; no battling others at the breakfast buffet here.
The Location
No 11 Brunswick Street is located in a quiet street, but you’re not far away from the hustle and bustle. Just a five minute stroll and you’re on Leith Walk, lined with independent shops, restaurants and bars. 10 minutes walk and you can be at the Edinburgh Playhouse, or shopping at St James Quarter. 15 minutes walk and you can be ascending Calton Hill for iconic views of the city, or enjoying the delights of Princes Street. With all the hills and steps, it’s about 25 minutes to Edinburgh Castle via the Royal Mile.
Parking
No 11 Brunswick Street doesn’t have access to car parking. There’s metered parking in the surrounding streets but be careful of maximum duration (which vary) and permit holder restrictions.
Parking in Edinburgh is expensive. So if you are travelling by car it’s worth checking out your options. We rented a car parking space for three nights using Your Parking Space which worked out A LOT cheaper than using one of the public car parks or metered parking.
The Verdict
No 11 Brunswick Street was a great choice for us. There were mid-range chain hotels that were of a comparative price so it was nice to pick something that was a little more boutique without breaking the bank. We wanted somewhere comfy for relaxing and sleeping, a good breakfast to set us up for the day and welcoming staff – and that’s exactly what No 11 Brunswick Street offered us. The bubbly on arrival to celebrate Mr Fletche’s birthday was also a nice touch.
Tiny gripes? A fine selection of fancy teabags but the standard ones used on the first day weren’t replaced. I was given a handful from the brasserie though when I enquired. Breakfast service was also extremely slow on our final day; we were keen to make an early-ish start for the long drive home but were delayed by about an hour.
Overall though, I would definitely stay at No 11 Brunswick Street again – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Details
We paid £152.15 + VAT per night for a mini-suite with breakfast, paid in advance and booked directly via the hotel website. For a similar April stay in 2023, advanced purchase B&B costs range from £110 (small double) to £195 (Georgian suite)
No11, 11 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh, EH7 5JB, United Kingdom.
The breakfast looked really good! Sounds like a really lovely place to stay. I did find the parking expensive so we got the train – nice and quick from Durham for us!
Perfect thanks Emm I love Edinburgh