Caledonian Hotel

Stayed here for 3 nights. Pleasant staff and comfortable older style room on the second floor overlooking the back of the hotel. We had a fridge and ironing facilities. We had booked through booking.com and I wonder if we had booked direct would we have been in a more recently updated room. If you do book direct there is a great offer for any student at the nearby Universities ….They don’t have to be staying at the hotel to avail of this. The student gets a free breakfast for the duration of your stay and 15% off food and drink in the Phoenix bar for 7 days. Unfortunately by using booking.com we weren’t able to avail of this offer. Free onsite parking. It’s busy on a Saturday night so there wasn’t a space available for us but we parked nearby on the street and with it being Sunday the next day we didn’t have to move it by a certain time. Do check the parking signs as there are quite a few different ones.

This is our fourth time in staying to be near the hospital. The heat was unbearable. We stayed in an executive room on the second floor and I could have been in Dubai in the middle of the summer the heat was so bad. Windows hardly open, a wonky fan that gave no relief. Rang for more pillows once night post procedure (had two each) told no more available. Hardly a hanger in wardrobe, other than cheap plastic ones. We have always found the staff incredibly helpful and kind. But, it is actually inhumane the heat in those rooms, when you came downstairs there is air conditioning. I understand listed building but I am sure those rooms could and should be better ventilated, better more powerful fans, fridge in room, cold water available. Several days my relative had to stay in there whilst I was in hospital, if I had known it was that hot when I joined her I would have insisted she had checked out. They really do need to do something about the unbearable temperatures in the room (have they ever put a thermometer in there to see how hot it really is - I suspect in the mid 30s).

Family rooms are terrible no air conditioning in the heat of the summer and windows that don't shut properly in the winter. Family rooms are located at the front of the hotel a long a noisy road and students acting like they are in a night club right below the family windows that don't close awful. Also no black out curtains when sun shines in all afternoon and evening it's roasting. Have stayed many times in double rooms at the back where it is cooler and quieter but with children sleeping earlier no thought has been put into the lay out of the hotel for families. Do not stay with children if you want to get a good nights sleep.