I stayed at the Glasshouse in June for 2 nights in an executive room. The decor of the hotel is fantastic and the room was of a very high standard, it looked exactly like the pictures on the website. Under floor heating in the bathroom is a nice touch and we had fantastic views of Edinburgh from our rooftop balcony. My on criticism of the room was that the aircon was a bit temperamental and the crt TV is a bit outdated.

The honesty bar is a great idea and the snug/rooftop garden are great places to chill out. I didn't have any problems with noise from our room and the beds are so comfortable you could end up spending the whole weekend in them!

Breakfast was great but quite expensive if it's not included in your room tariff. All the staff were very friendly and approachable. I would gladly recommend this hotel.

My husband took me to The Glasshouse for a birthday treat, something he does most years, so I am fortunate enough to have stayed in quite a few 5 star hotels, and my husband has stayed in hotels all over the world. The Glasshouse however misses the mark completely. The hotel does indeed have a lot of glass but is unfortunately covered in tasteless net curtain everywhere you look giving it a horrible 80's feel. It is not at all ultra modern which is what you would expect from a modern 'boutique' hotel. The staff who are mostly (I am guessing) Polish are polite but lack any kind of enthusiasm and are all rather dull and looked pretty uncomfortable in their roles - as if the guests may bite. I agree with other reviewers that the honesty bar is just a way of saving on staff costs but at £500 for a two nights stay I would like to be served my drinks from a barman with a friendly smile. The corridors are gaudy and decorated with artificial flowers (more money saving), they are long and souless which reminded me of a travel lodge. We stayed in a deluxe room which overlooked the roof garden and beyond. On Friday evening whilst enjoying the evening sun outside on the terrace we were entertained by the local youths who had climbed the hill overlooking the hotel, and proceeded to be lairy and smash bottles down the hill - nice, but at least it was interesting to watch which is far more than I can say for any of the staff!
The room was certainly on the small side with just enough room to walk around the bed. There were no comfy chairs to sit in just a desk chair and a small glass table with a couple of 'dining' chairs. The bathroom was clean and had nice underfloor heating but again the design was no better than a travel lodge.There was an extractor fan which did not work and on the first night whilst taking a shower it leaked over the floor and caused a bit if a flood.
The air conditioning in the room has a mind of its own turning itself up and is very noisey, we had to turn it off as it was keeping me awake. The bedlinen and bed were comfortable but the net curtains were mouldy and had cigarette burns in them. Turndown service comes very early in the evening - when you are in the shower at around 5pm! The hotel says that you get a bottle of mineral water - which we did, and a scented candle - which we didn't - more money saving. My husband paid extra for passes to what in the hotel sales pitch is described as a spa in the complex next door - dont bother as the 'spa' is a large jacuzzi by the side of a swimming pool and seperate steam room and sauna in each of the mens and ladies changing rooms. None of which are mixed sex so forget it if you were thinking of enjoying a sauna together.
The only good thing that I can say about this hotel is that the breakfast was good but, that is a very expensive breakfast considering the price to stay in this hotel when the rest of the experience is distinctly average. My advice would be to save your money and stay in a hotel that is much better value and spend your hard earned cash in the many fantastic bars and restaurants in the city. This is one hotel I would certainly never recommend to anyone. Words that spring to mind are souless, very very average and boring. Certainly not an experience that I would expect from a hotel that calls itself a boutique hotel. My advice - give this one a very wide berth.

My husband and I stayed in a deluxe room at The Glasshouse for a few nights while in Edinburgh. The staff were very helpful and friendly, and our room was spacious, and well decorated. The beds are large and plush, very comfortable. Our room did not have a balcony, however, the rooftop garden provided very nice views. We especially appreciated the large bathroom with separate shower and tub and heated floors. The hotel is within very easy walking distance (5-10 minutes) from Waverley Station, Princes St., and the Royal Mile, so we didn't have to pay for transportation to and from these places. It's also located at the base of Calton Hill, so you can easily walk up the hill for panoramic views of Edinburgh. Overall, we thought it was a very convenient, comfortable hotel and would definitely recommend it to others.

We are left feeling somewhat ripped off after staying at the Glasshouse Hotel given that for a comparible price elsewhere in the city you are able to receive a genuine 5 star stay. The reception usually contains just 1 member of staff, the honesty bar is clearly another way of saving on staff costs and the walk to most rooms is akin to finding your way to a cinema screen in the building next door. If you're unfortunate enough to be allocated suite number 106 (normal rack rate £400 per night) we'd suggest you ask to change rooms. The "floor to ceiling" view is obscured, it's above a loud and noisy bar that you'll have to listen to music from until 3am at weekends and it's absolutely not got a view of either 1) the roof garden or 2) the city. When reporting our disappointment we were told we should have said earlier as it was now not possible to move and when reporting our commentary to the manager, he reported never having received any negative feedback of similar ilk from any previous guests. I suggested to this manager that he seek out some feedback sights in order he could verify that our feedback is absolutely not in isolation. Whilst choice of textiles and furnishings is clearly of a very high standard, as are the bathrooms, it's a bit similar to staying in a newly decorated Travel Inn with bigger beds and better linen. Breakfast costs are very expensive and if you choose the £5 room service extra, the overly priced food items are so cost cutting that breakfast for 2 will arrive on 1 tray! Not all the TV channels worked at which point we were told "this is not the fault of the hotel" and whilst that might miss the point, it was also incorrect and not particularly service focused. Benchmarking room 106 with the following content from the hotels actual website (room description of a suite) "Spacious double room and leather lounge area (we had 2 armchairs, not a bit of leather in sight) with floor to ceiling windows (not in room 106) offering views over the two acre roof terrace or Edinburgh City (not in room 106). Egyptian cotton sheets with duck down duvet. Free decanter of Whisky. Stylish glass bathrooms with Korres toiletries. Complimentary personalised business cards (no sign) complimentary shoe shine and complimentary newspaper. Mineral water and scented candle (no candle) on turndown. Plasma TV, CD player and music library, minibar, satellite TV (limited) air conditioning. DDI telephone line, voice mail, broadband, fax and modem point (£5.95 an hour). Wireless internet access."

Nice staff, but no way 5 star. Over priced, noisy and not as sold. I would suggest the management and owners of the Glasshouse visit the Balmoral and the Scotsman to understand a service culture. Whilst the traditional compared to the modern are varied, it's possible to run a contemporary modern hotel without compromising on value for money or genuine service substance. You cannot charge 5 star prices and provide a 3 star experience, nobody with any wisdom will come back.