What happens in Edinburgh once the festival is over?

Well hello there my happy blog readers…I hope you had a fantastic Bank Holiday weekend (unless you happen to live somewhere that didn’t have a Bank Holiday yesterday, in which case I hope Monday wasn’t too painful!).

So this week I am embarking on one of my frequent visits to the wonderful city of Edinburgh, now that the festival is over, to discover what delights the Edinburgh hotels have in store for us this Autumn. Over the next few days I’ll be blogging about my visits and also taking photos from around the city to give you some inspriation and hopefully persuade you to take a trip yourself to Scotland’s capital. (If you want to see the photo’s for yourself, have a look at our facebook page.)

If you are wondering on the best way to travel to Edinburgh, I would heartily recommend the train (even if I was slightly delayed this morning…grrrr). You can sit back and relax and the views, especially when you get to Berwick and the Scottish borders are stunning. If you are travelling from the south you can get from London to Edinburgh in just over 4 hours and from Manchester in just over 3 hours. If you are looking for somewhere to book then look no further than lastminute.com for your train tickets (we’re more than just hotels, don’t you know!) Of course, if the train is just to slow for you impatient people you can always jump on a plane and not only will it be quicker, you could also save yourself some dosh if you book a flight and hotel package.

However you choose to travel when it comes to making your hotel choice check back to the blog regularly to check out news and reviews of the best hotels Edinburgh has to offer!

Cracking Glasgow Hotel deal…book today and save 50%!!

So I know what you are thinking, you don’t get anything in this life for free? Well that is true actually, however for tomorrow only you can get 50% off a stay at the Lorne Hotel in Glasgow when you stay before 30th September for any number of nights.

The Lorne Hotel is a fantastic, new addition to Glasgow, a 4* boutique style hotel you’d be mad not to take advantage of this great offer which means the hotel is available to you from just £32.50 per night for a double room.

Of course, I am a dedicated cheerleader for all things Scottish but it would be mean of me not to mention that we have a whole host of other destinations offering 50% off, from South Africa to Milton Keynes and everything in between, just click here to find a full list of the hotels on offer.

Don’t hang around though, these offers are only bookable until 10am on Wednesday 25th August.

All prices and offers are subject to availability.

The best deals for Edinburgh Apartments…only for the early bird!

I am sure that most of you aren’t even thinking about next week yet, let alone what you are going to be doing in October…well, if you want the best deals for your city getaways you’d best start planning now.

My friends at Fountain Court Apartments have 5 apartment sites in Edinburgh and have come up with a cracking deal for people who want to stay in October. Now pay attention, this is how the offer works, stay in a 3* apartment and you’ll save 30%, stay in a 4* apartment and you’ll save 40% and stay in a 5* apartment and yes, you guessed it, you save a massive 50% off!!! There is no minimum stay for these offers but hurry because with these offers availability won’t be around forever!

Here’s a run down of what you can expect from each apartment….

The 3* range – Grove Street and Morrison

Grove Street and Morrison, are both situated in quiet streets just a 20 minute stroll from Edinburgh castle. There are 1 and 2 bedroom apartments available (1 bedroom only at Morrison), offering excellent value for money. During October with your 30% discount Grove Street prices start at £73.50 for a 1 bedroom apartment per night and Morrison start from £69.30 for a 1 bedroom apartment per night.

The 4* range – Grove Executive and Harris

At the Grove Executive and Harris apartments you’ll find you get that little hint of luxury, flat screen TVs, free internet, DVD players, cable TV and those extra little touches you would expect from a 4* hotel. Studios (Grove Executive only), 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom apartments are available. In October Grove Executive apartments start from £75 for a studio per night and Harris start from £75 for a 1 bedroom apartment per night.

The 5* range - EQ2

I am a sucker for a waterside location and the EQ2 apartments are right on the regenerated EQ canal basin. This cool urban setting is home to some stylish bars and restaurants, to match up to your stylish apartment. This site also has 3 bedroom apartments which sleep 6 adults so why not take some mates, with 50% off in October the 3 bedroom apartments start at £154.50, that would be £25.75 each per night, leaving you loads of spare cash for eating, drinking and shopping!

So what are you waiting for, getting booking now before someone else gets there first!

*prices correct as of 23rd August, off is subject to availability and prices are subject to change

This Glasgow hotel really hits the ‘Mark’

Looking for a good hotel for a short city break I am after a central location, a touch of boutique chic and prices that will leave me with some spare cash for some retail therapy…and in case you didn’t guess from my cryptic title, the hotel which can give you all this and more is the Marks Hotel in Glasgow.

Let’s start with the location, it is right in the middle of Glasgow’s vibrant city centre on Bath Street, which is walking distance to pretty much all of the attractions you could want for a short break. The location is probably best of all for shopping, you are a stone’s throw from Glasgow’s ‘Style Mile’ a square mile of the city bursting with shops from high street favourites to top end designers. You will also never be far from a Theatre, Concert Hall, Cinema or art gallery if you are looking for a bit of culture during your stay.

This hotel doesn’t rely on it’s location to lure it’s guests, oh no, this hotel has some of the best bedrooms in the city…modern and sophisticated decor compliments the comfortable beds, contemporary bathrooms and complimentary wi-fi in all rooms. If you are after something extra special check yourself in to one of the hotel’s stunning suites, surely the best feature being the floor to ceiling windows offering great views of the city!

Obviously you’ll want to try out many of Glasgow’s bars and restaurants but before you stray too far from the hotel you should swing by the hotel’s own One Ten Bar and Grill, a stylish bar and restaurant. I always think the measure of a good bar or restaurant when visiting a city is to see how many locals are drinking/eating there…every time I have been to the hotel the bar has been almost full, whether in the morning for coffees or early evening for a few glasses of wine, this is a true measure of it’s quality. If you need to eat earlier before you catch a show the restaurant offers an excellent value pre-theatre menu.

Just to add a little sweetener to this little gem, if you want to travel before the end of August you can save 20% when you stay for 2 nights!! (offer is subject to availability)