Edinburgh hotel guest fumes as 'smirking' manager 'smiles' at dire complaint

Edinburgh Live

05-05-2025

The manager of a hotel in the Quartermile area of Edinburgh has apologised to a guest who left them a one-star review on TripAdvisor, claiming that the hotel was "pathetic" with "rude" staff.
The customer was staying at the Residence Inn on Simpson Loan and was left unsatisfied by the standard of his room and the customer service he received when he complained about the state of the facilities.
Sharing their thoughts on the hotel, which boasts 1,516 reviews with an average of 4.2-star rating on the platform, the guest said: "Pathetic property and even more rude staff.
The complete room was falling apart, dishwasher broken, wardrobe doors not closing, bathroom everything was coming apart. Bed was horrible as well.
"When I complained at the reception, they say, they are aware that the hotel need "renovation". So why the hell you guys are even taking reservations."
When they went to complain about the issues with their room, they weren't happy with the treatment that they received from the front desk staff.
The reviewer continued: "There front office manager lady was smirking and smiling when I was complaining about the issue and had no interest to resolve the issue.
"They claimed to offer 15% discount on my booking but never shared any proof if they have refunded the same or not. Its already more than 10 days and no refund yet.
"STAY AWAY from this property and very rude staff."
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Management at the hotel, which is owned by Marriott International, have since apologised to the guest for "failing to meet their expectations."
The manager said: "We're truly sorry to hear that your stay didn't meet your expectations. You will know from your travels and if you have stayed with Marriott before that guest satisfaction is a proud focus for us, so I want to thank you for your feedback and we appreciate you bringing the issues to our attention.
"So, we can better address the issues you experienced, we kindly ask that you email our reception team at [e-mail] with your room number and/or reservation name – unfortunately we cannot locate your room number with your Trip Advisor alias name. This will also help us investigate the progress of your refund.
"Providing the highest level of hospitality is our number one priority and we sincerely apologise again for failing to meet your expectations."
While this guest didn't enjoy his experience at the Residence Inn Edinburgh, many others have loved their stay there.
The hotel has a total of 744 five-star reviews on TripAdvisor. One pleased customer praised the 'fabulous staff', they said: "The Quartermile development on the edge of the University of Edinburgh campus is a good location. The hotel is in a newer building that handsomely sits between historic buildings...
"But best of all are the amazingly friendly and supportive staff. Special thanks to Abbie and to Cal at the front desk who provided assistance far beyond my expectations. Well done!"
Another added: "The Residence Inn was in a great location in Scotland. A short walk up to catch the on/off bus and a walk to get up to the Royal Mile. Such a magical place with so much history to explore. All the hotel staff were kind and willing to help with suggestions."