I have recently returned from a 4-night stay at the Dukes of Windsor Street hotel and would wholeheartedly recommend it to future visitors. In summary:

1) Location:
The hotel is in a great location, situated within a quiet street, yet only 5-10 mins walking distance from Waverley Train station and Princes Street. It provides an ideal base from which to explore Edinburgh's main attractions.

2) Building:
Dukes of Windsor Street is full of character, being housed within a beautiful Georgian townhouse. The interior has been designed in a contemporary fashion whilst retaining its period charm. It felt very fresh and inviting; certainly more opulent than I was expecting.

3) Hospitality:
The owner, Ros, was extremely attentive, polite and welcoming. She assisted us in carrying our bags to the hotel room and was always available when any problems arose.

4) Room:
The room was perfect - exactly as depicted on the website. The bed linen was of excellent quality, the seat upholstery was untarnished, towels were large, warm and soft, and the bathroom was like new with an excellent power shower. What struck me most was the cleanliness and the attention to detail. Being a stickler for cleanliness, I have always managed to find something a little disappointing with hotel rooms (even in 4-star hotels) so it came as a shock to find a flawless room at the Dukes of Windsor Street. The tea cups were perfectly clean, the wine glasses were without a smudge or smear, the sink and taps shone like mirrors and the furniture had a pleasant smell of polish each day. The room was made all the better with the attention to quality of peripheral items: a normal-sized hairdryer (not a flimsy one attached to the bathroom wall!), gorgeous mini shampoos, shower gel & moisturiser, range of teas (fruit, Earl Grey, Breakfast etc) and decent wine glasses. The room did not contain a mini-bar; instead, a notice informed us of an 'honesty bar' on the ground floor which was always open for guests to purchase snacks, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages. Although I did not get round to using this, it was a very nice touch, and one that I am sure other guests would have enjoyed.

5) Breakfast:
This was the 'piece de resistance'. The dining room was very elegant and beautifully designed - it could have come straight out of the pages of an interior design magazine! The tablecloths were crisp and white, and soothing jazz played in the background. Organic museli and other cereals were positioned at the end of the room (along with orange and apple juice) which were free for guests to help themselves to. The museli was very luxurious, full of fruit, and the juice was fresh and cold.

Other breakfast items were always chosen the previous evening. Each day, a new breakfast ordering slip would be placed in our room, from which we could choose our breakfast for the following day. The completed slip had to be placed at reception before 7am. In this way, breakfast was a very relaxing affair; Ros timed the serving of each meal perfectly so we never felt rushed.

The food itself was truly exquisite. I looked forward to the breakfasts each morning and sorely missed them upon my return home! The hot breakfast list comprised of scrambled eggs (with or without salmon), poached eggs, boiled eggs and porridge. An alternative Quality Continental breakfast was also offered which consisted of fruit, yoghurt and mini cheeses. With each course, guests had a choice of tea, coffee or hot chocolate and toast and/or croissants. Unsurprisingly, we were always full upon leaving the dining room!

It was easy to tell that ingredients of the highest quality had been used to make the breakfasts; the scrambled egg was the best I had tasted, the fruit freshly prepared, the yoghurt was thick and creamy, and the cherry tomatoes were so sweet! Presentation of the food was similarly outstanding. The only disappointment was the range of cheeses offered for the Quality Continental - I would have liked to have replaced the Cheddar & Red Leicester with some Brie and Camembert! But even with this small criticism, The Dukes of Windsor Street provided some of the best breakfasts I have ever had at a hotel.

In short, the Dukes of Windsor Street is a chic but welcoming hotel offering excellent value for money. I am certain it exceeds the standards and level of service of many 4/5 star hotels in Edinburgh, and would urge anyone reading this, to go and stay there!