The Witchery by the Castle

We are just back from stay at The Witchery, we stayed in the Turret Suite, we only stayed one night and sure made the best of every minute, the suite itself takes you back in History I genuinely felt like a princess. We arrived 2 hours early and luckily the suite was ready, and we got to check in early. The two ladies at the front desk were lovely, wishing me a happy 50th birthday this was the reason we booked. Our cases were taken the room while they checked everything was ok. The 46 spiralling steps up to the turret suite just added to this magical experience. We were shown around the suite and then left to get used to our surroundings and take it all in. It was jaw dropping. We are just a normal couple who have never ever spent anywhere near what we did for a night away but it was a special occasion and a bucket list tick ✅ we never felt out our comfort zone or looked down on the staff were amazing. My first stop was to get in that amazing bath! Yes there is plenty room for 2. We only nipped out once and while we were out the turndown service had restocked and turned down our bed and set the mood for nighttime. We actually ordered in a pizza from pizza express later on at night when we both feeling slightly peckish. The whole stay was out of this world. It’s only fair that I add things that was less than perfect but I’ve not taken down my rating because for us it was a truly unforgettable stay. So the toilet I felt just looked out of place just a box standard toilet with black seat than I felt didn’t fit in with any of the decor, even a nicer toilet seat would change that. The double shower if your using the two then the water pressure is basically a drip and the Side Jets were useless they were less than a drip, and if you turned it to jets only the right side one just went thru the hole in the glass door and soaked the floor, but again it hasn’t made me take the ratings down because of the whole experience. We didn’t hear much noise from outside and it was quite busy with it being Easter weekend. We could hear the bagpipes if we left the shower door open which was lovely if it’s not your thing just keep the door closed. We were warm the whole time, you can control the heating in the rooms which is a nice touch. Two smart tvs and an Alexa which had lovely music playing when we arrived and then I changed to the brigerton soundtrack and I truly felt I was in that time! We chose to have our breakfast in the dining room, which was first class, the man (sorry I didn’t get your name) was lovely and nothing was a bother, we didn’t ask for anything extra but I overheard others and he was very attentive. One tip do not book thru a third party, I believe if you book direct you get champagne in the room, which we didn’t get despite paying just under £1000 for the room, hubby had panicked after book it or else I would love to go back maybe for my 60th and if we don’t get back then I have this wonderful memory that will last forever!

As magical as you would want it to be. All of the staff were wonderful, room service and the turndown service seemed to be done by wonderfully efficient magicians who would be in and out while we were either at breakfast or out battling the busy crowds up and down the Royal Mile. We stayed in the Inner Sanctum for a few nights, a once-in-a-lifeting bucket list experience as I prepared to run my second Edinburgh Marathon, and the only minor criticism I would have is the size and positioning of the TV, BUT you do not book to stay in The Witchery in Edinburgh to stay in and watch the TV, no matter what the weather is like. If you get glorious sunshine for a while, as we did throughout some of our stay, then you get out and about to see the sights. If you have some wind and rain, as we did throughout some of our stay (hey, it's Scotland, you have to be used to four seasons in one day), then you snuggle in, enjoy the calm music through the Alexa, read a good book, sip champagne (refreshed daily in the ice bucket), and just revel in the history and atmosphere of the building and the city. It's especially fun to people-watch and see their surprise when they see your face at the window. Special mention must go to the gentleman who was on for breakfast service on Saturday morning, the young woman who brought our continental hamper on the Sunday morning, and the gentleman who attended to our turndown service on the Sunday evening just as I was limping back home after a long day of running and trying to get a bus back from Musselburgh. Sorry my poor eyesight doesn't let me catch names on badges as easily as I used to, but I hope they receive some extra appreciation for their friendliness and great work. Be warned if you don't like walking up hills, and also don't choose this place if you have mobility issues, but this is a perfect luxury choice for those who have the ability and budget to make the most of it. We may have only stayed for the long weekend, but it was enough to make a special memory for life.

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE! FIRST, a caution that there is NO LIFT, so if there are mobility issues in your party, know that there is a VERY steep, curving cement staircase that was pretty treacherous for our family member who uses a cane. One step at a time! The staff, however, were great handling our luggage. The ambience is everything the pictures show and MORE. The location at the base of Edinburgh Castle was fantastic. We stayed in The Old Rectory suite, which was an absolute delight. The rooms are SPOTLESS. My wife has OCD, and for HER to be happy with the cleanliness of a room with that much velvet and that many dust-ables is mind-blowing. A fresh bottle of delicious champagne appears in the ice bucket every day. Turndown service was wonderful. It was great returning to the room at night to the sound of soft music playing and the bed ready. Staff is incredibly well-trained. There are rumors online of a bar option at The Witchery, however there isn't really a bar. The best you can do is sit outside on the small terrace for drinks and small bites, but that is weather dependent. There also TWO restaurants on site. We ate breakfast in the restaurant section behind registration area, and it was fantastic. Also, note that there is no room service, which is because technically The Witchery's license is for a "restaurant with rooms", not a "hotel with a restaurant". But there are a ton of good pubs and restaurants in the area, especially on streets off to the side. Note also that The Witchery is right in the middle of cruise ship tourist chaos, with multiple large tour groups clogging The Royal Mile. Even in early-mid May it was overwhelming. Overall, we adored The Witchery and can't wait to return!

This review is for the restaurant. Ambience & service were great. Food was ok and certainly NOT worth the price. Beware of charges for bread & water and optional (yet included) Princes Trust charge!!! They should be ashamed! My daughter and I had the price "Light Lunch" with total of 3 cocktails and the bill was almost $300 US Dollars!

Mediocre food at best. Way over priced. Snooty wait staff with no memory. Never brought bread he asked if we wanted nor our drinks. Don't waste your time or money. Wish it could have lived up to expectations but far from anywhere I'd ever go again.