Top of my requirements when taking a city break is staying in a hotel close to everything. However after a day sightseeing, I like to retreat to peacefulness. I’m also partial to a touch of luxury. Quality places to eat and drink should be close to my hotel or preferably in it. I also have some mobility issues so an accessible room is appreciated. Quite a tall order! On a recent midweek city break I was delighted to find The Rutland Hotel, Edinburgh ticked all those boxes!
The Rutland Hotel 
stands in the heart of Edinburgh, towards the west end of the city, close to the multitude of attractions Edinburgh has to offer. It is a luxury, boutique hotel with twelve individually designed, stylish guest rooms and nine elegant serviced apartments.
A Georgian building houses the hotel (in the 1800’s it was the home of renowned surgeon and scientist Joseph Lister) but the interior is very much 21st century and it looks good, the blend of old and new work perfectly together.
Although the hotel doesn’t have a car park, it can arrange discounted parking at the nearby NCP car park at Castle Tce. Bus stops and tram stops are close by and there is a taxi rank outside the hotel.
Reception staff greeted us warmly, a lift took us to our second floor guest room. My first impression of the room was how spacious and light it was. Light streamed in through two large windows. I also noticed that despite being in a very busy area of the city, not a peep of city noise could be heard.
Decorated in green and white, the room had an uplifting atmosphere. Room temperature was good. Air conditioning kept the room comfortable – the windows not being designed to open. Wi-Fi was free, easily accessible and without interruption.
Seating was varied in type and comfortable – a bright green sofa, white ornate chair, brown dining style chairs. I liked the fact the seating had the benefit of different heights – some low seating some higher seating.
Two coffee tables and a larger table were provided, the larger holding a coffee machine and a kettle, a good supply of coffee beans, teas and complimentary bottled water. There was a flat screen television, safe, mini bar, hair dryer, hair straighteners, traditional alarm clock, telephone, ironing board and iron. Mirrored wardrobe doors provided full length mirror facilities. A smaller, ornate mirror hung over the larger table.
The spacious bathroom/wet room equipped with quality fittings was decorated with white brick style wall tiles and grey floor tiles. A lovely rainfall shower produced an abundance of warm water. Toiletries were from Arran Aromatics. Towels were plentiful.
As this was an Accessible room, grab rails were provided in the bathroom. The mirror in the bathroom was lowered for the benefit of wheelchair users. Pull cord alarms were present in the bathroom and bedroom.
The Kyloe Gourmet Steak Restaurant and Grill
The award winning Kyloe Steak Restaurant and Grill is on the hotel’s first floor – no need to go out to eat when a restaurant with a great reputation is in the hotel. The restaurant is known for sourcing only the best ingredients from trusted suppliers.
It is open to non-residents, so it is wise to reserve a table. Some tables have enviable views of Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street.
To allow customers to make the best choice of steak, a platter of steaks can be brought to the table. Our waiter explained the different cuts, cooking processes and whether they were best eaten medium rare or rare, but it isn’t just steak on the menu, there are a range of other meals too.
Whilst studying the menu we were brought complimentary rather delicious rosemary bread with pats of English butter and a tasty courgette and herb dip.
Our first course choice was tomato and lentil soup. A delicious smooth soup so the texture of the lentils was not apparent but the richness of taste was there. Warm herb bread accompanied the soup.
My husband’s main course, sirloin steak, with peppercorn sauce, with a side of spring onion and potato mash and green salad, he said “was amazing, the steak superb”. For myself, well I may have been in an award winning steak restaurant but my favourite food, Sea bass, was on the menu so it had to be pan fried Sea Bass! This proved to be an excellent choice. It was served wrapped in parma ham with chimichuri, accompanied by aubergine caponata and baby spinach, it was a sensational meal.
For dessert we both chose Chocolate fudge cake which was exquisite. An intense chocolate taste complimented by spiced pineapple puree, accompanied by meringue topped chocolate mouse was a real burst of flavour for the taste buds!
The drinks menu had a super range of wines, liqueurs, cocktails, soft drinks, ciders, lagers and beers, including low alcohol beers and gluten free beers.
Excellent service, comfortable seating, interesting decoration and an upbeat relaxed atmosphere enhanced our dining experience.
The Huxley Bar/Restaurant
Breakfast was served in the ground floor Huxley Bar/Restaurant which is spacious with large windows overlooking the street. It was table service with a semi-set menu – we had a choice of first course, the second course was a large bread roll filled with up to two ingredients of our choice. A jug of water was served on arrival, tea or coffee was included. A full Scottish Breakfast was available for a small additional charge.
I ordered fresh fruit salad for my first course – dragon fruit, papaya, kiwi, strawberries, melon, which was delicious. My second course of bacon and poached egg bread roll was filling and flavoursome. My husband chose porridge with fruit compote followed by sausage and black pudding roll which he enjoyed. Staff were friendly, service excellent.
The Edinburgh Gin Distillery is in the hotel’s basement. By day it is closed to the public but in the evening it turns into the Heads and Tails Gin Emporium which offers distillery tours. We did not have time to visit this attraction but hope to do so in the future.
Edinburgh has so many of attractions and every type – It’s castle, palace museums, galleries, gardens, distilleries, cathedrals, superb shopping facilities, to list them all would take pages! What is good is, they are all within easy reach of The Rutland Hotel.
We loved this hotel. It truly ticked all the boxes, for location, facilities, great food, and super customer service from all of the staff throughout the hotel, restaurants and bar. It isn’t often that every member of staff offers excellent friendly service but we found it here!
The Rutland Hotel
1-3 Rutland Street
Edinburgh
EH1 2AE
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