KINGSWAY GUEST HOUSE ^{* * * *}

Absolutely a wonderful home while visiting Edinburgh!

Excellent séjour passé avec un petit déj très bon et copieux pour attaquer la journée de visite et une chambre confortable. Une adresse à conseiller sans hésiter pour une visite à Edimbourg!

Fantastic place to stay in Edinburgh. It is in a lovely quiet residential neighborhood away from the tourist clutter, a few steps from a main road (A7) to downtown, where you can catch a modern double-decker bus every 3-5 minutes directly to Waverly, Prince Street and "Royal Mile." It is also a few block walk from the historic University of Edinburgh classic buildings next to Holyrood Park. A surprise discovery was the proximity (two blocks) to the Blue Bell Inn featured in Rick Steves travel video about Edinburgh because of the remarkably good quality cuisine. Because the upstairs "fancy" section was booked, we ate in the pub where we were served the regular menu (homemade gnocci with fresh spicy sauce, broiled salmon over rissotto) that was not your standard pub fare. This decision turned out to be serendipitous because not only was the food excellent, but it was "Trivia Night" with a very talented MC. We had a great time and got to chat with some locals, who were very friendly even as they outscored us in every round of trivia. I see another reviewer complained about the bus because of an old exact fare requirement. This is no longer the case, and in fact they have a very efficient credit card system that gives you a day fare wherever you want to go if you max out (after two fares). The best part of the Kingsway Inn was the hospitality and food. The hostess was utterly charming (and smart and efficient). She was ably assisted by her hard-working husband, who was the main chef, and her mother who showed us that the skill and graciousness did not fall far from the vine. they offered a wide variety of excellent fresh cooked breakfast options you could order with a very clear and logical card the night before (I don't know why it bugged my that other places had order cards that did not make sense, so this was another delight at Kingsway). Our room was amazing. Our private bathroom was modern, functional and very clean. One could see how the extraordinary interior architecture, including elaborate crown molding from its aristocratic past (think Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins), had been preserved as much as possible when it was renovated into a B&B. We would absolutely stay there again without any hesitation.

Lizzie and Gary are the best! Incredible hosts and amazing guesthouse. This was our second stay with them - absolutely incredible. Gary's breakfast is not to be missed!!

Highly recommend! The facilities were spotless, bed was very comfortable and the breakfast was amazing! Close to public transit that provided several busses that took us directly to the Royal mile. Lots of great restaurants within walking distance. Hosts Gary and Lizzie are very friendly and accommodating, this was by far the best guesthouse in our entire journey.