Are you considering booking a room at the hub by Premier Inn Rose Street, Edinburgh? Then you’ve come to the right place. I have stayed there and am excited to share my hub by Premier Inn Rose Street, Edinburgh review.
I’m a flashpacking type of gal, favouring boutique hotels over hostels. But one of my favourite ways to travel better for less is to sprinkle up-market accommodation choices with comfortable budget hotels.
I’m a sucker for Premier Inn hotels and have stayed in their hotels a number of times, including Premier Inn Heathrow T4. This UK budget hotel chain has scooped up a number of awards for business and leisure travel and the brand offers reliable, if unexciting, budget accommodation in central locations.
I had been eager to try out their newer product, hub by Premier Inn, and was able to scratch that itch on a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland.
But is this a good choice of budget hotel in Edinburgh and what is it like to stay in a hub by Premier Inn? I spill the beans in this hotel review.
Some articles on this website contain affiliate links. This means that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
hub by Premier Inn, Rose Street, Edinburgh in a Nutshell
In a hurry? Let’s cut to the chase. This is why you should consider booking a room at this hub by Premier Inn in Edinburgh.
What is the Difference Between hub by Premier Inn and Premier Inn?
Contemporary style and technology are at the forefront of the design of the hub by the Premier Inn brand. Their rooms are smaller and cheaper than those at a Premier Inn hotel.
In the words of Premier Inn, they are for those “who value price, location and design over space.”
Where is the hub by Premier Inn, Rose Street, Edinburgh Located?
This hub by Premier Inn is conveniently located on Rose Street in Edinburgh’s New Town, a ten-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley train station and a stone’s throw from many bars and restaurants.
My Experience at hub by Premier Inn Review: Rose Street, Edinburgh
Check-in
This hub by Premier Inn had two self-service check-in terminals. In keeping with the brand’s high-tech approach, you can scan the QR code on your booking confirmation email to check-in.
However, their friendly staff offered to do the business in the good old-fashioned way.
My room was on the top (5th) floor. Unfortunately, one of the two lifts was out of action for my entire 5-night stay, placing considerable pressure on the sole functioning lift (quizzing a staff member I was told they were “waiting for a bit”).
The earliest check-in time is 2 pm. Check out by 12 noon on your departure date.
The room
I stayed in a Bigger Room. As its name suggests, this is larger than the Standard Room and has a king-size bed.
As I was staying on the highest floor, I had a good view over Edinburgh’s Georgian rooftops. By night, blackout blinds kept out unwelcome light. Sound insulation was also excellent.
Decorated in the hub by Premier Inn palette of acid green with splashes of purple and beige, the room was compact but well designed.
It had good lighting throughout, including downlighters controlled from an illuminated bed panel. More about that later.
Storage space was adequate for a short stay. There was a large drawer under the bed and space to store small luggage. There were also hangers, concealed behind a mirrored panel, and two deep chest drawers.
As expected, the king-size Hypnos bed was very comfortable with decent linen and plump pillows. There were cubby holes at each side of the bed and a shelf running its width above.
Facing the bed was a desk and chair.
Unlike standard Premier Inn hotels, there is no provision for making hot drinks in your room. Instead, free tea and coffee and orange juice are available 24/7 from the bar on the ground floor.
Power points were plentiful and included one for European 2-pin plugs and one at either side of the bed. Whilst there was a hairdryer, there was no safe, fridge, iron or ironing board in the room (the latter two were available from reception on request).
The room had thermostatically controlled air-conditioning and heating.
Featuring a useful night light, the bathroom was clean and cleverly designed with good lighting.
The powerful shower, enclosed within a perspex cubicle – none of the Premier Inn’s standard nylon shower curtains here – had both a rainfall showerhead and an adjustable one. I also liked the generous shelf within the shower cubicle.
Hand soap and body wash were supplied in wall-mounted dispensers and were of better quality than those you expect in a Premier Inn hotel.
Don’t expect to sink into the towels but they were reasonable quality. My one quibble is that there is only one small rail to hang wet towels. Whilst this isn’t too problematic for a single traveller, it could be challenging if two of you are sharing the room.
hub by Premier Inn smart controls
One design feature that distinguishes the hub by Premier Inn from Premier Inn is its use of smart technology to ensure a comfortable stay. An illuminated bedside touchscreen panel allows you to change your room’s lighting and temperature, and activate the exterior ‘Do Not Disturb’ and ‘Make up my Room’ signs.
There were three intensity settings for the room’s lighting. The only slight irritation was that I couldn’t see a way to operate the bathroom light independently of the main room’s lights.
Smart TV
The Premier Inn hub’s hotel room had a fabulous 40″ Samsung Smart TV. Much like citizenM hotels (one of my favourite mid-range chains), its library of more than 30 movies on-demand was completely free. The television also supported Apple AirPlay and Microcast for Android devices.
>>> CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS AND CHECK RATES
Wi-Fi
In a welcome departure from the basic Wi-Fi provided by its sister brand, the hub by Premier Inn’s complimentary Wi-Fi is fast enough to stream video and audio.
Eating and drinking
Food and drink were available from the stylish lounge area on the hotel’s ground floor.
Continental Breakfast was available for £5 and comprised cereal, yoghurt, bakery item and unlimited drinks. A cooked breakfast is not available.
hub by Premier Inn: Useful Information
Not all rooms have windows
Claustrophobics be aware. Some of the rooms at the hub by Premier Inn don’t have any natural light. As a friend once reported, it’s like sleeping in a cupboard.
Their booking engine does not state whether your room will have a window. If this is important, call Premier Inn with your booking reference number and ask them to allocate you a room with a window.
There is no hotel car park.
hub by Premier Inn offers three room rates:
- hub Flex: Pay upfront. Fully refundable with free cancellation up to 1 pm on the day of arrival
- hub Advance: Pay upfront. Fully refundable with free cancellation up to 28 days before arrival
- hub Standard: Pay at the time of booking. Although this rate is non-refundable, you can change the check-in date at the same hotel up to 1 pm on the day of arrival.
>>> CLICK HERE TO CHECK RATES
Is hub by Premier Inn, Rose Street a Good Budget Hotel Choice in Edinburgh?
In my experience, hub by Premier Inn, Rose Street is an excellent Edinburgh budget hotel choice.
It is keenly priced for the quality of accommodation, customer service was efficient and friendly and it’s a few steps from the bars and restaurants of the New Town. And if you are planning to take day trips from Edinburgh by train, Waverley Station is a ten-minute walk.
hub by Premier Inn vs Premier Inn: Which is Better?
This is a tough one to call but let’s look at the pros and cons of these two brands:
| hub by Premier Inn | Premier Inn |
|---|---|
| Pros | Pros |
| affordable and centrally located | affordable and centrally located |
| sleek and contemporary design | can make tea and coffee in the room |
| newer properties | cooked breakfast available on-site |
| super-fast free wi-fi | bathtubs in rooms |
| smart tv with a free movie library | rooms are relatively spacious |
| fabulous shower and better complimentary toiletries | |
| Cons | Cons |
| no tea/ coffee makers in the room | some properties are in need of a refurb |
| some rooms do not have natural light | showers aren’t enclosed in perspex cubicle |
| continental breakfast available only | free wi-fi has limited bandwidth |
| no bathtub | |
| rooms are compact |
hub by Premier Inn is slick by design but small in space. Whilst the square footage of the room should not present a problem for solo travellers, it may be another story if you are sharing.
As a solo traveller, safety is extremely important and the location of this hotel was perfect in that it was a buzzy area and I could walk out of the door and find a great place to eat within a five or ten-minute walk.
But, as a true Brit, I love my morning cuppa and not being able to wake up with a cup of tea was a huge drawback. Let’s face it; I wasn’t about to throw on clothes and scamper down five floors for this caffeine hit.
When it comes to natural light it is a case of caveat emptor. However, on a subsequent stay at a Premier Inn in Liverpool, I discovered that some of their rooms also did not have windows.
I enjoyed my stay at the Edinburgh hub by Premier Inn and would book another stay with this brand. However, on balance, if faced with a choice and the costs were similar, I would probably opt for a Premier Inn hotel.
>>> CLICK HERE TO CHECK RATES & BOOK
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.