REVIEW : STAY - Malmaison, Edinburgh City Centre
Location Location Location! Malmaison City Centre have scored a 10/10. Cited in St Andews Square, this hotel is the ideal spot for city centre shopping, sipping coffee in some magical cafes, afternoon teas and cocktails in fabulous grand restaurants and bars and had 2020 been like previous years, it would be the ultimate hotel for access to the Christmas markets; ice-rink and childrens activities that usually entertain in St Andrews Square. The bus station is located less than 3 minutes walk from Malmasion, and the train station around 5 minutes. This is truly a city centre hotel!
It’s a classic Georgian townhouse that takes over the corner between St Andrews Square and Queen Street. You’d never know, stepping inside that the hotel covers 9 floors; but its a bit of a maze as you enter reception at street level, off St Andrews Square which is actually floor 4 and our suite on the 9th floor is only assessible via stairs after you’ve taken the even numbered lift to the 8th floor. (yes there are two different lifts, one for even numbered floors and one for odd numbered floors!)
REVIEW - MALMAISON HOTEL EDINBURGH CITY CENTRE, SWEET DREAMS OFFER
Once you find the pathway to your room and back, as well as identifying and remembering which floor reception, lounge and Chez Mal are on, you’re fine.
Check in is seamless with super friendly staff. A hand sanitising station is found just inside the front door by reception and there is a track n trace QR code to scan and complete.
The decor is modern with lots of bright colours contrasting with darker grey and black tones. I like it. I like that there are plenty of spaces and areas to sit and relax, enjoy a coffee or work online. WiFi is free and fast, you just need to logon.
The corridors are all lit up with a light buzzing around each red door. It feels like you’ve won a prize and cant wait to see whats inside. What’s behind door number 4….
The bedrooms are very well laid out and decorated. Watch my Instagram reel here.
The bed is super-king sized, soft, comfortable and inviting. You really just want to lie in it, with your feet up and let out a sigh of joy. The room has every modern facility you could dream of - adjustable lighting in just about every nook and cranny with controls available from the bedside. Expect back lighting on the headboard, adjustable reading spot lights on both bedside lamps, ceiling lighting as well as wall lighting to light up the in-room roll top bath area. USB ports and plugs available on either side of the bed are most welcomed as is the underfloor heating in the bathroom.
Wonderful little touches really make your stay here.
I do love the feature of a roll top bath but although I think it’s quirky, I’m not sure I want someone seeing me take a bath. The notion of a bath with your partner does sound quite romantic but there was no way this bath was fitting two people in it. Still, I took a bath. I turned the lights down, set the mood, topped it up with bubbles and soaked for all of 10 minutes.
The bathroom on the other hand is spacious with a gorgeous walk in monsoon shower, ample space for getting dressed and a decent amount of vanity space. The only thing missing in here is clothing or towel hooks.
I was here to review Malmaison’s latest Sweet Dreams offer - overnight stay with £25pp to spend on Room Service for £109.
The Room Service menu is accessed online and you simply phone Chez Mal to place an order.
We started off with Creamy Thai sweet potato & carrot soup, chilli oil & toasted chestnuts - £5.50. This arrived steaming hot but what a lovely treat to start dinner off with. It was rich, thick and creamy and had a super spice kick.
Mains : Chez Mal burger, Ayrshire bacon, Gruyère cheese, burger relish & brioche bun - £17.00
This impressed visually and tasted extremely good too. The burger was dense but seasoned well and the beetroot bun is certainly visually impactful. Straw fries were crispy and perfect wee dunkers for the sauce.
Mains : Steak frites 250g, marinated full face rump, vine cherry tomatoes & green salad. Best served pink for full flavour - £23.00
Large thin steak, well seasoned and tasty. Please do not ask for this well done, otherwise it won’t be worth eating. It’s not a thick enough cut to really see the pink or be cooked to medium rare.
Sides : Sliced Buttered Sprouts and Winter Greens and Maple Glazed Baby Carrots and Parsnips - both £4 each.
Seriously good sides. The brussels retained their crunch and butter makes everything tastes amazing; and the carrots were sensational. Beautifully sweetened with the glaze and cooked to perfection. They disappeared within minutes.
Desserts - Chez Mal sticky toffee Christmas pudding with caramel custard and the Black Forest cheesecake, cherry sauce & blackcurrant cream - both £6.50 each.
The cheesecake was luxurious and creamy with the tartness of the cherries really coming to the fore. The blackcurrant cream was heavenly.
I didn’t order the Sticky Toffee Pudding (which isn’t like me … as you know this is my go-to dessert but it had been messed with and you don’t mess with STP!) Not for me, but it was well balanced and generous on the caramel custard.
My only gripe is that the food arrived all at the same time. Much of it was cold; melted (ice cream) or the sauce had settled (STP) by the time we got around to eating it. I felt like we were in a movie, where the characters hadn’t eaten in days and sat down to a banquet, where they take a bit of everything and shovel it in. A spoonful of ice cream, followed by a slice of steak, a cherry followed by some straw fries, a tablespoon of soup with a bite of bread loaded with custard.
However, it was yummy and we did make a massive dent in every dish!
Due to Covid restrictions nothing is open past 6pm in the city centre but that doesn’t stop Edinburgh from sparkling over this Christmas period. An after dinner walk to Multrees Walk, a saunter around St Andrews Square and onto George Street to see the spectacular lights of The Dome, all make coming back to your cosy hotel room, all the better. Feeling festive and fuzzy inside, we hopped into bed with a wee cuppa coffee, watched some Sky on the flatscreen and drifted off into Zzzzz land shortly thereafter.
The rooms are dark, and sound proof. What a delight.
Check out is 11am, giving you ample time to awake from your slumber, dress and head down to the restaurant for breakie. The restaurant is very modern although quite dark. You can choose from the Buffet Section or the A La Carte.
The tea was disappointing. I would have preferred my tea from a teapot rather than a teabag in a mug which left me with half a cup once the teabag was removed. Coffee next time.
Breakfast was good, with a range of eggs available including Eggs Benny and a Full Scottish. A massive round of applause and a shout out to the Breakfast chef who cooked the poached eggs - superb! I’ve had some pretty horrid tasting poached eggs in the past but these were top notch!
Breakfast is not included in the Sweet Dreams Deal and should you spend over the £25pp room service, you will need to pay extra on check out. Cooked breakfasts are also only available on weekends.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable stay at Malmaison City Centre Edinburgh. The staff are fantastic and really know how to make you feel welcome and happy to go that extra mile. The rooms are stunning, and a most wonderful place to lay your head for a night or two. The food is good, but a few tweaks are recommended.
Malmaison, City Centre, 22 St Andrews Square, Edinburgh EH2 1AY. Tel : 0131 3704600 www.malmaison.co.uk/sweetdreamsoffer
I was invited by Malmaison to review their Sweet Dreams offer. Food, drink and overnight stay were complimentary but the views are very much my own