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Nine of 25 guests hit a steep, unadvertised staircase, most recently this September. Six more said the promised castle view was blocked by a stadium or scaffolding as recently as May. Four guests also complained about street and crowd noise at night, reported as recently as August.
What the stars hide
Steep unadvertised staircaseaccess
Guests describe 60 to 65 steps to reach the flat, some outdoors and uneven. One review says the listing's phrase 'a few steps' does not match reality and calls the stairs unsafe with luggage.
Counted49 reviews mention access · 10 in the last year · 1 bad enough to change a booking · also raised by guests who still gave five stars
Source: reviews · Latest: September 2026
Castle view blocked by stadium or scaffoldingaccuracy
From May to September a grandstand or scaffolding for the Tattoo blocks the castle view shown in listing photos. Several guests say this was not made clear before booking.
Counted10 reviews mention accuracy · 1 in the last year · 2 bad enough to change a booking · also raised by guests who still gave five stars
Source: reviews · Latest: May 2026
Street and crowd noise at nightnoise
Guests report noise from passersby and tourists near the castle and Royal Mile, especially late at night. Some say closing the shutters helps.
Counted21 reviews mention noise · 6 in the last year · also raised by guests who still gave five stars
Source: reviews · Latest: August 2026
Strong odor and unclean rugscleanliness
One guest reported a strong smell in the flat and stained rugs that were not cleaned during their stay despite raising it with the host.
Counted2 reviews mention cleanliness · 1 bad enough to change a booking
Source: reviews · Latest: September 2024
Boiler failure mid-staymaintenance
One guest reported the boiler broke during their stay, forcing them to move accommodation, though the host refunded the lost nights.
Counted6 reviews mention maintenance · also raised by guests who still gave five stars
Source: reviews · Latest: December 2024
Listing language, decoded
a few steps to climb
Guests report 60 to 65 steps, some steep and outdoors. 9 of 25 low reviews describe this climb as difficult with luggage.
lovingly restored apartment
The flat has been renovated but two reviews mention a strong odor and stained rugs that were not fixed during the stay.
perfectly located
The flat sits directly below the castle grandstand area. 4 reviews mention street noise at night from tourists and passersby.
Trend
Stable
Problems run at 5.6% of reviews in the last year and 5.7% before that. Nothing has changed much.
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