Luxury on a budget in Edinburgh

By William Hageman | Tribune staff reporter

June 24, 2007

EDINBURGH, Scotland - The Hudson Hotel

7-11 Hope St.

Edinburgh, Scotland

There's an allure to Edinburgh. History, beauty, culture, energy . . . the city is just special.

If your time here is limited -- and we had only one day to cram in as much of the city as we could -- staying at someplace like the Hudson Hotel is a smart move.

It's located in the heart of the city, just off the shopping mecca of Princes Street and in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle (come to think of it, everything is in the shadow of the castle, which sits atop an extinct volcano and towers above the city). The Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument are just down the street. George Street, with its bars and clubs, is just a block over. And the boutiques of William Street are a couple of blocks to the west.

The Hudson, a boutique hotel that opened last year, is contemporary comfort in an 18th Century building. Exposed brick, hardwood floors and gentle lighting create a modern ambience. It's not cheap -- the weak dollar, with its $1.967-per-pound conversion rate doesn't help -- but if you want to treat yourself to a little luxury, it's worth the cost.

And it's much more than a hotel. It features a private club in the basement (hotel guests are welcome) and a lively adjoining bar/restaurant. So you don't have to leave the premises. In some cities, that'd be tempting. But in Edinburgh, there's just too much to see and do.

CHECKING IN: We arrived in Edinburgh a couple of hours before the 2 p.m. check-in time -- such are the vagaries of a wandering, driving vacation -- but the room was ready for us. The desk clerk was quick, friendly and helpful. She gets bonus points for informing us that because it was a Sunday, street parking was free (the meters didn't kick in until 8:30 the next morning).

ROOMS: The Hudson has 31 rooms over three floors. We were in No. 306, stylishly decorated in red, gray, brown and beige. The centerpiece was the huge bed. All I knew was that it was massive and had eight pillows. My wife said it had a duvet, a down comforter and Egyptian cotton linens. Made for a good night's sleep. A flat-screen TV hung over a desk, and a roomy closet featured a small safe, terrycloth robes, an iron and ironing board, umbrella, hair dryer, and a coffee and tea kit. There was also a mini-bar, two phones, and wired and wireless Internet connections. All that for about $194 a night, including the 17.5 percent VAT.

BATHROOM: The bathroom had a combo tub and shower, and Molton Brown products.

KID-FRIENDLY: We didn't see anyone under 25 in our day at the Hudson, but that's not to say the young ones wouldn't be welcome.

ROOM SERVICE: Room service is available 24 hours a day for a delivery fee of about $10. Also, if you want to stay in, for about $20 you can get unlimited on-demand movies, a bowl of popcorn and a bottle of wine. For about $30 the deal includes a four-pack of Budweiser (surprisingly available and popular in the dozen or so pubs we visited). Need more pampering? The hotel has a deal with the nearby Molton Brown emporium where guests can get complimentary facials. And the Virgin Active Gym, with a pool, two spas, steam room, sauna and more, offers discounts to guests.

PERKS & PEEVES: The Hudson thinks green. Your room key card turns on the electricity in the room, so when you leave -- and take the card with -- you won't leave the energy-saving, low-watt lights burning needlessly. The hotel doesn't have a parking garage, so you can walk a couple of blocks to a municipal lot or park in a metered space. And parking can get pricey (more than 3 pounds an hour, four-hour limit, at a metered spot). Also worth noting: The Hudson is in the heart of the city, which can mean noise. Especially at night.

BOTTOM LINE: A big breakfast for two was $35. Dinner in the bar/restaurant -- with several rounds of before- and after-dinner drinks -- was another $95 (the leg of lamb with red wine gravy may have been the best dinner we had in our two weeks in the U.K.).

The hotel, which is handicap accessible, suggests you'll get your best price by booking though the Festival Inns Web site (pms-web.festival -inns.co.uk/), but we booked our room online through the Hudson. 011-44-131-247-7000; www.the hudsonhotel.co.uk.

*For previous stories: chicago tribune.com/sleepingaround. Suggestions? Ctc-travel@tribune.com -------------

IN THE WEB EDITION For a video look at the Hudson Hotel, go to chicago tribune.com/ sleepingaround