Hotel Class: 
4 Stars - 1 Review and 720 Opinions
31-35 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1
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I finally got round to staying in this hotel on Boxing Day and treated us to a suite with a balcony and Castle view. Having already been impressed when using the sister hotel in Dundee, this place confirmed my thoughts on this small chain.
There are two more Edinburgh hotels in this chain, City Hotel is 50 metres from the International and the European is on Haymarket Terrace next to Donaldsons School for the Deaf.
Unique Quality: The rooftop restaurant provides a great view of the castle.
Apex International Hotel Photo: Apex International Hotel
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After reading the last two reviews I was quite anxious about staying in the Apex International Hotel but I had already booked online.
Thankfully, I can only say positive things about it. Great location. Great room. Views from breakfast room on the 5th floor are like something out of a movie. Breakfast was gorgeous. Staff extremely friendly and couldn't do enough for you.
We'll definitely be back!
My partner and I spent one night at this hotel in July 2004. Splendid castle views but that's as good as it got.
We would not have stayed a single night more after discovering our basin and bath water running a vile yellow colour. We were unable to bathe or shower as a result.
We were informed no management were present to handle or report of this and were asked to settle our bill in full. This we did in good faith, on the understanding that the hotel management would contact us on return to "make good". My partner and I were happy to do this as we wanted to get on and enjoy our short stay in the city.
Unsurprisingly, we had to contact the hotel ourselves several weeks later after receiving no contact from them. We were informed by phone that there had been problems with some rooms and that these had been reported to the water authority. Compensation was requested and we were informed they were to look into the matter (i.e. speak with the junior staff to whom we had reported the issue to) before coming back to us with an offer.
We subsequently received a contradictory letter denying what had been said on the phone with regards to reporting problems to the local authority("there is absolutely nothing wrong with the water supply"). Interestingly, this was followed by the following statement: "Occasionally water is tainted slightly yellow... due to the mineral content". We were offered a "preferential room rate should you return to Edinburgh".
We responded in writing to say this was unacceptable as we had no plans to return to the city. We also reminded them that the water more than "slightly" yellow. We stated that a refund (or part thereof) would have been more appropriate given the loss of a basic facility. Almost three months later and, true to form, we have had no response.
If you want to enjoy your stay in Edinburgh, to stay clean, and have a hotel management team responsive to basic guest needs then our recommendation is to avoid this hotel at all costs...
We were pleased to spend our next few nights close to the city at a friends' house where, thankfully, the "mineral content" was not so high(!), and we were able to bathe in clean water.
This hotel was a disappointment. We had a room at the front with a lovely castle view, but it meant that we were kept awake almost all night by uncouth, drunken morons in the street outside. Not the hotel's fault but we could have been warned. The bathroom was dirty, to the point of having someone else's hairs around the bath - yuck. There was a really long queue for a table at breakfast - just the time of day when you want a coffee, not to stand in line! At dinner, the restaurant couldn't fit the two of us in, even though we were residents, and the bar refused to serve us food instead until we made a big fuss. And I think it's in the wrong place if you want a night out: it's great for the old town, but most of the decent bars and restaurants seem to be in the new town, which is a bit of a trot away. However if you're there during the day, Cafe Florentine, opposite the hotel, is lovely.
Stayed at the Apex on 8th January after booking online for £70. The Grassmarket location is great if you want a compact area of bars and eating places, and it's only a ten minute downhill stroll to the main shopping areas. The castle and Royal Mile are 2mins away.
After reading some other reviews I asked for, and got, a room at the back of the hotel in case of pub noise, but the Grassmarket was surprisingly quiet that night anyway. My wife was very enthusiastic about the courteous treatment she received at the front desk, and we were changed to a made up room when we arrived too early for check-in. Parking for the duration of our stay was free, which was great considering it was £1.60 an hour on the street outside.
The room itself featured two double beds and was decorated in a modern, clean manner. Very nice. There was some nice little touches like a cafetiere for coffee, very good bath oils, an iron already resident in the cupboard and a minifridge perfect for chilling our tonic.
Our only gripe would be that the bathroom could have done with updating. The ceiling paint was beginning to flake, the bath sealant was thicker than some glaciers I've seen and the bath itself was too small for complete comfort. Like some other reviewers, we too had yellowy water from the bath taps but after four g&t's I wasn't bothered enough to stay out of it.
We ate at Agua at the Apex City Hotel a couple of doors up from the International, and we got a 2 for 1 offer on the £14 set menu, meaning we had three courses for £7 each. Lovely food, and exceptional value. The offer can usually be found on the Apex website.
In conclusion, I would be happy to stay there again, although I'd ask for a room with a larger bathroom if available.
Apex International is the perfect base from which to explore Edinburgh, the location is superb right in the heart of Edinburgh Old Town and with amazing views from the restaurant of the castle.
The rooms were clean and modern although the bathrooms are a little dated. The staff are very friendly and we never had to queue for breakfast and the staff were more than happy to allow us to take drinks and food up to our room. I thoroughly recommend the hotel and Grassmarket - its full of lovely shops and small bars and restaurants.
My husband and I stayed at this over-priced, inaccurately 'starred' hotel in Feb 2005.
We could hear every single movement coming from the rooms on either side of us and the creaking floorboards were particularly annoying.
The swinging doors in the corridor bang every minute or so, the fan in the bathroom didn't work so the entire room fogged up, the shower noisily dripped and was mouldy and yes, the water is yellow!
What a rip off! Great location though and the smoke-free pub across the road is fantastic!
Stayed at the Apex for 2 nights in February 2005.We stayed there once before and knew what to expect. The main attraction of course is its proximity to the castle,Royal Mile and Prince's Street and it's just across the road from the best Italian restaurant in Edinburgh (Gennaro!)
The staff are friendly and rooms are clean and comfortable although ours did not have a castle view.You can't have everything !However the view of the castle from the Heights restaurant where we had breakfast is staggering.
The only small complaint is that we had a room only deal and were charged 11 pounds each for the Scottish breakfast - nice as it was it was not worth 11 pounds but I guess you are paying for the view!
All in all highly recommended for location.
We stayed for three nights - a Friday through Monday morning. Had a king superior with castle view. The rate was 140 GBP booked by email directly with the hotel. They provided a box of chocolates, a bottle of wine, and bathrobes. The room was 4029- clean, stylish, and loved the large shower and seperate bathtub. Yes, we had a rubber ducky. Lots, lots, lots of closet space!!!! Room service was efficient and tasty. Breakfast was included but we only ate once. It was OK. The noise on Friday and Saturday night from the people exiting the pubs was pretty bad- sometimes you're just not in the mood to hear people screaming "Hey, hey, we're the Monkees" at the top of their lungs at 3:30 a.m. The view of the castle was great, and nearby was a set of steps (186) you could climb to be at the castle. There was also a balcony you could step onto. Concierge was helpful, and staff quickly arranged taxis for us several times. Would stay here again, not sure if in a castle view room because of the noise problems on the weekend.
I stayed at this hotel for two nights on a business trip to Edinburgh at the beginning of March 2005.
This hotel has a major problem with the attitude of it's staff. There is nothing worse than sitting down in a restaurant and then being totally ignored. I did complain to the Duty Manager who wrote down the man's name - but did she did not apologise nor persuade us to stay and receive improved service - she was just resigned to us going across the road to the pretty good Italian Restaurant.
The rooms aren't fantatic and this hotel is a very poor reflection on the excellent Apex in Dundee (where they really do have their act together).
For closeness to the city and wonderful views 10/10 - otherwise spend you hard earned mony elsewhere.
The rooftop restaurant provides a great view of the castle.
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Address: 31-35 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1
