Rooms & Suites Picardy Place

Twelve Picardy Place is a stylish 10-room boutique hotel housed in a Georgian townhouse that was the birthplace of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes books. The small reception area sets the mood with trendy, elegant decor that includes white curlicue designs on a black wall, and further in the hallways, a white deer head sculpture mounted by a staircase. Steak restaurant has a dark, moody interior that includes artsy rope installations that double as lights suspended from the ceiling and walls of cubby-like shelving stocked with bottles, books, and knick knacks. A red neon "Steak" sign affixed to a bare stone wall illuminates the space in rosy tints. The basement bar, Beer & Skittles, is equally atmospheric and dimly lit and has a lovely outdoor courtyard that's full of garden furniture and twinkle lights.

The hotel is located on a busy street across from a roundabout on the edge of Edinburgh's New Town, near the Regent Gardens. The hotel is surrounded by many restaurants, bars, and shops. The Omni Centre is across the street from the hotel, a large leisure complex with a movie theater, gym, restaurants, and bars. Neighboring this is the Edinburgh Playhouse Theater, a large music venue. Several of Edinburgh's top sights are within walking distance of the hotel, including Princes Street (10-minute walk) and the Royal Mile (15-minute walk), but guests might want to take a cab or bus to Edinburgh Castle, unless they don't mind the 22-minute trek. There is a bus stop serving several lines and a tram stop down the street from the hotel (two-minute walk), and the Waverley train station, Edinburgh's main train station, is a 10-minute walk.

The 10 rooms at Twelve Picardy Place are divided into three categories: Superior Double Rooms, Executive Double Rooms, and Grand Master Suites. All are stylishly decorated in varying shades of gray and chic and modern furnishings. Beds have slate hued upholstered headboards that match the floor length curtains framing large windows.  Picturesque Scottish scenes adorn a wall in each room in the form of giant wallpaper photos that include stone castles and tiled rooftops. All rooms have 3D HD flat-screen TVs with 3D glasses and SKY TV, fully stocked minibars, tea- and coffee-making facilities, and free Wi-Fi. The spacious suites have work desks (as do the Executive Rooms), sitting areas, and fireplaces. The gray-tiled bathrooms have luxurious rainfall showers or soaking tubs (or both). Some even have flat-screen TVs or fireplaces.

Travelers should note that the hotel does not have an elevator. Also, windows are single-glazed, so noise from the downstairs bar or the street can be an issue in certain rooms. Some guests complain about dim in-room lighting as well.

Steak restaurant is a trendy, dimly lit steakhouse with hip, atmospheric decor. The restaurant has a basement bar, Beer & Skittles, that has a lovely outdoor courtyard festooned with twinkle lights and is a popular spot in the summer. The hotel also offers laundry and dry cleaning service and Wi-Fi is free throughout. There is no parking available at the hotel.