Hotel review: getting to the point
Where I live nowadays, I can hear the local sheep and cows from my garden, and I have a view of the hills. I like it like that, but I also jump at the chance to escape back to the city. So, when the chance came, to stay at one of Edinburgh’s newest hotels, I was keen to try it out, along with my companion.
Point A, at 9-10 St Andrew Square, opened in July, in a building that was originally the Scottish Widows HQ. More recently it hosted Regus serviced offices. But as the latest figures published by VisitScotland show over five million overnight visits to Edinburgh in 2024, it’s unsurprising that it’s now a hotel, with more than 200 bedrooms.
Like so many of the capital’s city-centre edifices, this Category A-listed building has an architectural pedigree. Designed by Sir Basil Spence and Partners, perhaps best known for the new Coventry Cathedral, built after WWII, it dates back to 1962. The firm also designed the University of Edinburgh’s Main Library, in a similar style.
The hotel’s location is a major attraction, for both business and leisure travellers. As its name implies, it’s the ideal starting point for getting to point B, wherever that might be in the city. It’s ideally placed, close to Waverley railway station, the bus station, trams to and from the airport and plenty of taxis.
It’s also a short walk from both the Old Town and the New Town, and their many and varied attractions. Princes Street is just around the corner, and Harvey Nichols, Gucci and the like are just across the square, as is the Westfield St James Quarter, so shopping is covered too, if that’s on your agenda.
Entering the hotel lobby, the first thing to catch your eye is a dramatic spiral staircase and marble walls, retained from the building’s original incarnation. To the right, into reception, where the bar and breakfast areas are located, the space is light and bright, drawing you in to linger over a coffee or a glass of wine.
The breakfast room
Looking sharp
In some hotels, arriving at reception can be a fraught start to your stay. But there were no slow-moving queues here. Check-in is tech-slick, with staff speedily on hand in case questions arise. And this is not a faceless, anonymous kind of place, despite being sizeable and city-centre located: the manager could not have been more helpful and welcoming, greeting us with genuine, good old-fashioned hospitality.
Getting to our room was painless too: the lifts arrived swiftly and reached their destination quickly, throughout our stay. This is a bonus: you don’t want to be hanging around waiting when you’ve got things to see and do. What you do want is to get into your room quickly, to drop off your luggage and explore the city or to open up your laptop and crunch the numbers, before your client meeting.
While awaiting the lift, we noticed a very useful facility that could help avoid potential inconvenience and make your trip go more smoothly. A vending machine in the lobby is stocked with many of the necessary items that you’ve either forgotten to bring or suddenly need, usually at a time when the shops are closed. You can also hire an umbrella for £3 for 48 hours, which could come in very handy later on in the year (or in the summer, of course).
We were lucky enough to have a fifth-floor room with a great view across St Andrew Square, to the sea. There’s a pretty view from the outside too: after dark, the front of the hotel is lit up in a patchwork of greens, purples and blues.
The view from the fifth floor
Our room was compact, contemporary and comfortable – and spotlessly clean. It would suit either leisure visitors looking to be out and about, with a decent base to come back to, or a corporate guest with work to do (there was a good-sized table to sit at, by the window).
We saw lots of other guests during our stay – particularly at breakfast, when the room filled up quickly, so we expected a bit of fellow-guest noise. But we found the hotel surprisingly peaceful. From our room, we didn’t hear any doors banging, squeaky-wheeled suitcases, loud voices or next door’s TV. And despite Point A’s central location, we also didn’t hear the sounds of the city, even when the buses started up.
Talking of breakfast, this is free if you book direct – and well worth it if you like to fuel up for the day ahead. The selection is extensive, encompassing continental favourites of ham and cheese, fresh fruit, cereals and bakery classics such as pain au chocolat. Your morning taste buds could also be tempted by the vegan blueberry croissants. The view from the room, with its huge windows looking over the square, is perfect for watching Edinburgh wake up and go about its business.
When it comes to choosing where to eat out later in the day, St Andrew Square is home to well-known restaurants such as Bread Street Kitchen, Dishoom and others, if you prefer to stay close to the hotel. But Edinburgh has no shortage of other great places to eat, further afield.
Point of difference
So, what does it cost to stay here? The hotel uses dynamic pricing, so rates vary depending on when you stay. You could potentially snap up a room for a budget-friendly £80 per night, or £70 if you’ve opted into the membership programme, which is free to join.
In addition to 10 per cent off every room booking, membership includes choice of room, as well as exclusive offers and other discounts, such as 20 per cent off your bill at hotel partner, Japanese restaurant Maki & Ramen.
Point A St Andrew Square is the hotel’s second in Edinburgh – there’s another over at Haymarket – and it now has 12 in total. Its philosophy is “doing the essentials brilliantly”, by focusing on comfortable rooms, prime locations and warm hospitality, rather than add-ons that you don’t want or need.
Our stay reflected that philosophy: it’s not always the silver cutlery, white linen, top-of-the-range coffee machine and lots of fancy gadgets that make for an enjoyable stay.
Sometimes it’s more about a friendly face, efficiency and the feeling that you’re in the heart of the city you’re visiting. We also found the website very helpful, with everything you need to know about the hotel’s facilities, as well as info about Edinburgh itself.
In our view, the hotel definitely made its point – and made it well.
The editor and her companion stayed as guests of Point A Hotel, Edinburgh St Andrew Square.
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