The Bonham Hotel, Edinburgh

Oohhh is a word which inadvertently comes out of your mouth when you first walk into the Bonham. It’s not your average hotel; its boutique style makes it stand out – though it isn’t in your face – more seamlessly blended in. For example, the small reception area has big, normal-looking comfy couches and then, in the corner, there’s a really weird chair shaped like a spiral. The place is lit with purple lights and has quiet, bassy music playing in the background which adds to its contemporary feel – a welcome change to the oh-so-traditional places Scotland normally offers (think wallpaper decorated with thistles and tartan carpet, with some bagpipe music chucked in for good measure). 

My room was a good size, with a HUGE bed and a headboard which reached halfway up to the ceiling. It had a flat-screen TV and as for the bathroom – well – that was about the same size of the bedroom and had a shower which sprayed water at you from just about every angle.  The bathroom sported Molton Brown soaps and shampoos, which contain as ‘many naturally derived ingredients as possible’.

The food was great, with the majority of the fruit and veg grown locally and 25% of which is organic – you can really tell in the quality. The restaurant staff were attentive and polite, and made sure I was constantly topped up with tea.

Now, the Bonham has a Gold Green Tourism Award, which means staying here far is less impactful on the environment than most places. They recycle as much as possible, use low-energy light-bulbs and fit their toilets with water saving devices to name but a few things.

This is all well and good – the more hotels that adopt this the better – but I was disappointed to find all the lights switched on and the TV blaring when I first went into the room. If they are as committed to sustainability as they say they are, making sure things are switched off in unoccupied rooms should be a priority. But that has to be my only complaint. Well, that, and the fact that the hotel didn’t have a bar!

All in all this is a great place to stay, my expectations were exceeded and I thoroughly recommend paying a visit. 

Cost: From £95 per night