Corstorphine, United States
Reasonably priced rates for an Edinburgh inn
Located on a main thoroughfare, a 15-minute bus ride from the city center
Rooms with simple country-house decor and flat-screen TVs
On-site restaurant serving very good, bargain-priced pub fare
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Not in downtown Edinburgh
No fitness center or business center
Can't host wheelchair-bound guests
Located in between the airport and downtown Edinburgh on one of the city's busiest roads, The White Lady is a mid-range hotel with 30 rooms in three different sizes: Family, Twin, and Double. Each room comes with traditional Scottish decor, a tea kettle, and free WI-FI. One of Edinburgh's main bus routes passes directly by the hotel and will take riders to town in 15 minutes. Owned by JD Wetherspoon, which is known for its chain of reasonably priced restaurants with hearty pub fare, The White Lady is a very good "meat and potatoes" option. By comparison, the Jurys Inn Edinburgh is closer to Old Town's historic sites at a lower price, but its beds and bathrooms aren't quite as nice.
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Scene
A chain hotel with a pubby, Old World vibe
The Wetherspoon company, the owners of this inn, have opened over 1,000 pubs and 30-plus hotels with one approach: quality at a low price. With that aim, The White Lady's lobby and common areas give this property the look of a traditional countryside residence, with black-and-white pictures of Scottish history, dark-stained wood moldings, and blue and brown-striped carpet. The pub on the first floor has similar Old World decor with wooden chairs, tables, and a bookcase. A paisley carpet, chairs in pattered upholstery, and framed paintings add color to the interior. Incidentally, the inn is named after Lady Christian Nimmo, who, in 1679, killed her lover James nearby with his own sword while wearing a white-hooded gown.
Location
An Edinburgh suburb that still has the aura of a village
Corstorphine was once a separate village from Edinburgh and is now a suburb. St. John's Road, where The White Lady is located, forms part of the connecting road between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and as a result the traffic on it can be heavy. Near the inn is a series of small shops, including a pharmacy and mobile phone store. Business travelers will appreciate the hotel's proximity to the airport (a 10-minute drive away) and the City Bypass, the highway that connects drivers to northeast and northwest England. The sites of Corstorphine include Edinburgh Zoo (an 11-minute walk away or a three-minute drive) and Collegiate Church of St. John the Baptist, a well-preserved late-medieval parish church (a five-minute walk away).
Rooms
Rooms with homey, country-house decor and flat-screen TVs
Room decor at The White Lady suggests a simple, tasteful country home. Teal and chocolate walls are complemented by an accent wall with a black-and-white flowery pattern. Beds have tall, dark-wood headboards and nightstands on either side. The biggest difference between the guest rooms is suggested by the names. Double Rooms have a double bed; Twin Rooms a twin bed and Family Rooms have a double bed and a pull-out sofa. All rooms are outfitted with a flat-screen TV, tea kettle, and free Wi-Fi. The black-and-white bathroom decor is unremarkable, but the facilities are spacious enough to accommodate a family with sizable bath/shower combos. Note, some guests complain that noise from the pub below can be heard in guest rooms.
Features
The pub as the star attraction
With over 1,000 locations in the United Kingdom, Wetherspoon pubs are a popular destination in the country, and a major draw of staying at The White Lady is the ability to sleep upstairs from one. Menu items include pub classics like "Wiltshire cured ham, egg, and chips" and family friendly fare such as "Southern-fried chicken strips." As customary, the pubs have a wide selection of beer and ale as well as whiskey. Some travelers may be disappointed by the lack of gym or business center. And those with mobility issues should note that the current design of the hotel doesn't make it possible to host wheelchair-bound guests.
