Hotel of the Month: Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh

Castle View Bedroom

Why should I go now?

The Scottish capital is at its most glorious in late spring, bathed in light for 18 hours a day. The student population gives it extra life, and the big tourist crowds of high summer are not yet here. The Sheraton Grand is in a perfect location: many rooms have views to Edinburgh Castle, a forbidding looking edifice on a hilltop across the gardens from the hotel, and it’s at the end of Prince’s Street, the main drag.

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What’s the lowdown?

There are Sheratons and Sheratons, and LUX would like you to understand that this one is grand in both name and nature. It’s a relatively modern building with a light, airy restaurant and bar, casual chic in style and contemporary in feel. And the jewel in the crown is its spa facilities, unrivalled in urban Scotland: a huge indoor pool, and extensive rooftop vitality pool area.

A bronze tiled sauna space with white towels

Too often, rooftop pools in cities are tiny things; in this case the vitality pool is vast, and has sweeping views for you to take in while breathing the clear air gurgling down from the nearby Highlands. There’s an indoor vitality pool also, in case the weather gets really bad, though the outdoor pool is well heated so we can’t see why we wouldn’t use it.

An outdoor rooftop pool with steam coming out of it

The outdoor hydropool at One Spa

Getting Horizontal

Our bedroom had big windows and a big view over to the Castle; to its left, people wandered up and down Prince’s Street Gardens; to its right, a sheer rock face more redolent of the Highlands than a city. There was an overarching sense of space and light, so much so that for one dinner we decided to dine in-room, enjoying a very long summertime twilight and some excellent quality, simple cuisine done well: a salmon salad and green vegetables, some local ale. Furnishings were soft and quite masculine.

The Club Lounge ©Matthew Shaw

Flipside

The hotel is modern, spacious and comfortable, although if you’re looking for a historic interior, you won’t find it here. We loved the efficiency and comfort, and there are plenty of historic buildings to visit in Edinburgh.