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4.0
#2 of 2 hotels in Dalkeith
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Melville Castle, once home to the influential Dundas family, is set within a 54 acre estate of wooded parkland on the picturesque banks of the river North Esk. Located just 20 minute drive from Edinburgh’s city center this luxurious castle offers the tranquillity of a country setting on the doorstep of this thriving city. The 33 classically styled bedrooms offer all the luxury & comfort you deserve and our friendly team will take pleasure in catering to all your requirements during your stay. The Castle provides Bed and Breakfast accommodation and there are a number of award winning and highly recommended restaurants within 5 minutes drive. At one time the hunting seat of Mary Queen of Scots, the Castle was commissioned by the first Viscount Melville in 1791 for entertaining, which it continues to do to this day. We have ample free parking and a frequent 24 hour bus service to Edinburgh from the bus stop at the Castle Gates.
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Nestled amidst scenic tranquility, Melville Castle Hotel captivates guests with its historic charm and Gothic decor, offering a peaceful retreat near Edinburgh. While the hotel's cleanliness and picturesque grounds earn praise, opinions on value and service are mixed, with some guests feeling the experience doesn't justify the price and others experiencing inconsistencies in staff attentiveness.
The rooms, noted for their style, invite split opinions due to noise and a need for updates. The castle's ambiance and pet-friendly policy are highlights, though calls for modernizing amenities persist.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Shabby
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Relaxing
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My girlfriend and I came to stay at this magnificent hotel for sentimental reasons; we left longing to return thanks to a first-class stay. Regarding the sentimentality: my grandparents had been married and held their reception here in 1951 (70 years ago). I booked my room via the website (a very user-friendly system) and followed this booking up with a reply to the confirmation, explaining about my reason for booking. I received a swift and welcoming response. Likewise, I emailed the Events Manager and received a quick, professional and heartfelt reply.
A very warm and inviting reception awaited us. Directions to the room were given and the offer of reserving for dinner. Staff were friendly in all departments, throughout the stay. Our room was very comfortable and tastefully decorated.
Likewise, the furnishings and design of the rooms in general are lovely.
The dining experience was fantastic. Breakfast offered a wide variety. I ate the traditional Scottish and was not disappointed. Delicious. A welcome antidote to the usual breakfast (especially buffet style) that one often receives. Dinner was perfect in terms of the service, the presentation of the food and wine and the sumptuous taste. Words here can't describe it and I salivate at the memory!
The hotel bar stocks a great supply of drinks and especially whiskies.
The grounds of the hotel are beautiful and well worth a wee stroll and exploration. The hotel is easy to find and parking is ample. Although the location is not far from a main road, one has the feeling of being in the middle of the Highlands.
The price of the room (including breakfast) for two nights was very acceptable, as indeed was the evening meal.
All in all a perfect stay. Many thanks for a wonderful experience!
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Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 27 Sept 2021
Dear iainr79, Thank you for your incredible review and for choosing to stay with us here at Melville Castle. We are absolutely delighted to learn that you enjoyed a really special stay here in our castle, and everything was just how you envisaged it to be. We have poured oodles of love into creating spaces full of charm and elegance, so it is a delight that you were so impressed with our beautiful interiors. It was our pleasure to ensure that your stay was just perfect, with which we will be sure to pass on your 'first class' feedback to our team. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Best wishes, Marketing.
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Just returned from a wonderful 3 night stay at this charming country hotel about 5 miles outside Edinburgh city. The building is full of character and the decor is very much in keeping. We had been assisted by Emma when booking by phone. We were welcomed by Sam on arrival and stayed in room 209 which is in the eaves just above the first floor with a few steps up from the lift. Very nicely furnished with a comfortable bed and extremely clean. The only negative was that it was very hot in the room so my husband asked if they had a fan as we had our small dog with us and the weather was unseasonably hot. Unfortunately they said no they didn’t have a fan we could use. We did manage to open the Velux windows and turn off the radiators so it was more comfortable. The bathroom was well equipped with large fluffy towels which were changed daily. The bar and restaurant were excellent with plenty of choice. We both had the Guinea Fowl breast which was perfectly cooked - the best we have ever had and we sent our complements to the Chef. Breakfast each morning was delicious and freshly cooked with quality produce. The fillet steak was cooked to perfection and the chunky chips were delicious. Every meal we had at Melville exceeded our expectations. Thank you to the staff for an excellent stay and we shall definitely be returning in the Autumn. The grounds are extensive and great for dogs to have a good run around. There is a pleasant walk along the river with a charming bridge.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Plenty of parking available.
Grounds are great for dogs and mice walks.
There are some ground...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 31 Mar 2022
Dear Jean, Thank you ever so much for your fantastic review and for choosing to stay with us here at Melville. Creating special castle experiences is what we’re passionate about so it’s a pleasure to learn that your stay exceeded your expectations. Our friendly team work incredibly hard to deliver a first class service so we’ll look forward to sharing your kind feedback with them. We hope you and your pooch will be back to see us again sometime soon! Best wishes, Marketing.
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We drove all the way to Scotland from Berkshire and stayed at this wonderful place as a last minute decision, we had booked a hotel in the heart of Edinburgh so we could walk everywhere without the hassle of using our car, but we had to think again as none of the hotels in the city had car parks, it was a park nearby NCP and walk which came with a daily parking fee which was not ideal!
So we decided to cancel the other hotel on the way up and the missus found this place on the quiet and guided me there. I had no idea it was a proper castle until we rocked up. To my surprise it was epic. Every room was supremely decorated and each room with unique antique furniture, lovely fountain outside the restaurant as we eat breakfast (which was free) or dinner. One negative if you could call it that was we had dinner one evening and it did take a while to get our food but there were other events on and the staff was short so we forgive them, and besides we got some free champagne as a result. Our room was upgraded at no extra cost so that made the stay even more special. We initially wanted to stay for 3 days then move on to stay in the highlands for the rest of our week but it was so special we decided to stay the whole week in our room. All the stall we lovely, we felt like we were treated really special and everything went so well we were sad to leave!
Never had this experience anywhere in the world and we've been all over the place. Scotland is a lovely country, the countryside in the hotel grounds was spectacular as well as our trip further up north and around the place. I'd like to make a special shout out to Rachel, Adell and Sam on reception who went out of their way to make sure we we happy everytime we had a query, and the hotel manager who let me take some drone pictures. We recommend staying here everytime you visit Edinburgh, it was a 10 min taxi ride to the center of Edinburgh which wasnt bad and the hotel is in a quiet secluded wooded area away from traffic. One thing you should be aware of but it wasnt an issue for us was its a dog friendly hotel but to be honest we didnt get disturbed which was a pleasant surprise.
We will be back soon we hope as the feeling was great and the prices were very reasonable. 10/10 APTTMH
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Date of stay: October 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 15 Nov 2021
Dear marthold1976, Thank you ever so much for your fantastic 5* review, and for choosing to stay with us here at Melville. We are over the moon to learn that your stay was truly wonderful. Creating unforgettable castle stays is what we're passionate about, so we are thrilled that your stay was one of a kind. Fantastic news! We look forward to sharing your excellent feedback with our team! Your kind words are greatly appreciated, and we hope to see you again very soon! Best wishes, Marketing.
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The castle is truly beautiful when you arrive and the newly redecorated rooms give it a new lease of life. The beds are very comfy, the shower is strong and although most guests were waiting some time for breakfast (unexpected staff shortage so unavoidable), the breakfast was very high quality with excellent ingredients. However, our experience didn't meet our expectation. We had decided to pay a little extra as it was our honeymoon to stay in a Junior Suite and booked this through their website. We had received booking confirmation but on arrival found out that the hotel had double booked. We were downgraded to a Superior Room with a verbal apology and a 'reduced' room rate of £156. We were disappointed to later learn that the room usually retails at £165. When I queried this in the morning, Sam the bookings manager was very rude saying we should have been grateful that our original booking at 225 was reduced to 156 and was short tempered with me when I explained that actually we were only receiving a £9 discount and that it wasn't good enough. He eventually agreed to a further discount (to the standard double room rate) but his attitude caused a heated discussion that was unnecessary and we would not stay again because of this poor customer service and not the quality of the castle, food or rooms
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 24 Aug 2021
Dear laurenrO4618SV, Thank you for your review and for taking the time to share your experience. Please feel assured that we take all of our guest feedback extremely seriously, and your experience will be carefully reviewed in order to ensure we are doing all that we can to improve our guest experience here at Melville. Firstly, please accept our sincerest apologies that your room was double booked upon arrival, and we are extremely sorry that your stay didn't quite meet your expectations because of this. We completely understand your frustration that you were unable to enjoy your Honeymoon the way you had envisaged, and that subsequently you left feeling unhappy as a result of conversations which took place on your departure. We pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service here at Melville, so please accept our sincerest apologies that you felt as though you were not listened to by a member of our team. We would like to reassure you that it absolutely would not have been the intention to cause any upset, and we are incredibly sorry that you left feeling dissatisfied with your stay as a result of this. We are pleased to hear however that you were very impressed with our newly refurbished castle, with which we are glad you also enjoyed other aspects of your stay, such as your breakfast and our comfy beds. We are extremely sorry once again that your stay with us wasn't as you hoped it would be, however we hope in the future you will give us a second chance, as we would be incredibly grateful of the opportunity to leave you with a much more positive lasting impression of us here at Melville Castle. If you would like to discuss your stay further, please email reception@melvillecastle.com to speak to a member of our team. Best wishes, Marketing.
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We booked a last minute night away for a Sunday night in September. When you arrive you drive up a long drive to the massive castle. The castle has been recently renovated and freshened up.
We were offered an upgrade to include breakfast which we declined but it was nice to be notified as such. Our room was small but clean and had everything you would need. As we brought a dog we didn’t eat in the restaurant and instead drove into Edinburgh which is 20 minutes by car.
We did have a few drinks in the bar, service was slow and we did have to wait to find a member of staff to grab our order. We got the impression they may have been understaffed.
We felt this venue was worth 4 stars. We were recently married at Crossbasket Castle (although room rates start from £250 upwards) and felt the standard of the facilities there was higher. Although the room rates reflect this. For the price Melville suited us.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 30 Sept 2021
Dear TravellingGlaswegian, Thank you for your review and for choosing to stay with us here at Melville Castle. It is a delight to learn that overall you enjoyed a really fantastic stay with you four-legged friend. It is our top priority to understand how we can improve our guest experience in the hotel, so please feel assured that your feedback regarding your stay will be extremely valuable in contributing to this. In particular, please accept our apologies that the service was slow at times during your stay. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and so we will review your experience carefully in order to improve our services going forward. Congratulations on your wedding, and we wish you all the best in your next chapter together! Best wishes, Marketing.
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These are the things that we will always remember about Melville Castle. As soon as you enter the grounds of the Castle, you are transported into a different world, a fairy tales one. The fresh air, the deep green scenery, the elegant silhouette of the hotel, the smile on the receptionist face, everything makes you think that you are welcome into a fabulous place, your heart will be filled with so much joy, something that you will remember for years after. The rooms were very spacious, with great view all around, the on-site restaurant was great, with some of the best local foods, the breakfast included the famous haggis and black-pudding which was a nice surprise for us. A special word for Timmy (Timea) the receptionist. She was wonderful, she offered us information about the area, about the public transport, she made sure that we are are not missing anything during our stay, she even helped in the restaurant. Fantastic! Returning here will be our ultimate goal, thank you all at Melville Castle!
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Date of stay: July 2019
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â upper floor, preferably on a side of the hotel.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Melville Castle S, Front Office Manager at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 19 Mar 2020
Dear LATraveller_12, Thank you very much for leaving your very kind feedback following your stay with us. Our staff (specially Timea!) will be delighted to hear their service was well received and you are very welcome! It was a pleasure to welcome you and we look forward to seeing you in the future! Kind regards, The Melville Castle Team.
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We had an amazing 2 night stay at Melville Castle .The drive down the little track to be amazed by such a beautiful castle made my sons day . We were all genuinely impressed by how stunning the castle, grounds , decor , rooms were . We stayed in the four poster bedroom with a side room with bunkbeds for 2 children . The room was so tastefully decorated , immaculate detail, beautiful furniture , I was genuinely blown away by how impressive the whole room was . The bathroom was a shower but built into the castle tower at the front of the castle, in the morning we saw 2 deer on the lawn early morning , what was so good was how peaceful, quiet and relaxing the whole stay was . The restaurant in the evening again was superb , delicious steaks , breakfasts too , everything you could want , and our evening meal was far far better than a previous a la carte meal we had had near home at a celebrity restaurant, so compliments to the chef. The smell of real log fires took me back to when I was younger staying in the highlands with my dad , a real authentic stay. The staff were very helpful with anything i asked , I would highly recommend a stay at Melville Castle , I am totally bemused at some of the negative comments which I would say ignore absolute rubbish no way is this castle stay average haha . Highly recommend and we we will be back soon ! Thank you for making our little break fantastic .
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Date of stay: February 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 22 Feb 2022
Dear Kirsty, Thank you ever so much for your fantastic 5* review and for choosing to stay with us here at Melville Castle. Creating authentic castle stays with a modern twist is at the heart of our guest experience, so we're over the moon to learn that you were so impressed with your stay. As you've mentioned, the aim of the game is to create stays fit for kings and queens, and so it is a pleasure to hear that you experienced exactly this; we will be sure to share your wonderful feedback with our team! Thank you once again for your kind words of recommendation - we look forward to seeing you again soon for another exciting castle break! Best wishes, Marketing.
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Visited here recently to stay for a friend's wedding taking place nearby. We only stayed for one night. We were polite greeted and shown to our room. The room itself was clean, tidy with plenty interesting bits of history on the walls. The bed was comfy but the room was roasting even with the window wide open.
In the morning we arrived in plenty time for breakfast. However we sat for a good half hour before anyone brought us a menu. We continued to watch people who had arrived after us get served before us.. without menus. Was there an option to phone ahead to with your food Order?
We finally got to order but then had to wait a further hour for a few tiny bits of salmon and some toast.
Just before we left we decided to go for a walk round the grounds which were well kept and very beautiful. There were also a couple of friendly horses who came to say hello as we were admiring the scenery.
All I all it's an interesting place and probably suited for longer stays. Though the staff were friendly and generally very helpful it felt lacking in some areas of entirely sure it was worth the money for as short a stay as we had.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 30 Sept 2021
Dear Ruaridh1991, Thank you for your review and for choosing to stay with us here at Melville Castle. Although we are delighted to hear that you enjoyed many aspects of our hotel, please accept our sincerest apologies that you felt as though our customer service at times wasn't up to standard. We pride ourselves on delivering a first-class, attentive service here at Melville, so please feel assured that we share your disappointment that you felt let down on this occasion. It is our top priority to ensure that we go above and beyond to ensure that all of our guests experience a truly special experience here at the castle, so we are incredibly sorry that this could have been more thorough. Your feedback is incredibly valuable in helping us to highlight how we can improve our services going forward, with which we will be sure to review your experience carefully. Thank you. We hope upon a future visit to Edinburgh you will consider giving us a second try, as we would be incredibly grateful of the opportunity to create a stay for your which royally exceeds your expectations. Best wishes, Marketing.
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Stayed here on a Thursday night in February, less than £60 total B & B. Excellent stay. Lovely character and relaxed atmosphere. We enjoyed the food other than the sausages at breakfast. Staff were friendly. Room was a little dated / basic but I really couldn’t complain at the price. If in the area I’d certainly consider staying again.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Melville Castle S, Front Office Manager at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 19 Mar 2020
Dear thebarr2017, Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback following your stay with us. It is great to learn you enjoyed your overall stay with us and your staff made you feel welcome. We hope to welcome you back in the future. Kind regards, The Melville Castle Team.
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It is really great that their are people who will make the effort to not only keep up a place like this but work on it with as much dedication. Much of it has been newly renovated to a very high standard. The ballroom where we ate our excellent 3 course dinner is stunning, the work that has gone into that room alone is amazing, (look up at the ceiling mouldings) but there were several more beautiful receptions which my wife and I wandered through during the evening. I expect it can get a little more lively with a wedding event on but it was very peaceful and serene for our stay. It is a work in progress in places as I spoke to a guy working on the magnificent staircase about the ceiling they are restoring, this in no way detracted from our stay but added to the feeling of uniqueness and history and is well under way. The bedroom was immaculate and beautifully done and the bed was enormous, superking+, I found a roaring log fire on Youtube on the massive TV.... The bathroom with shower may have been small but it was through a door off the bedroom in a tower of the castle. The breakfast was just as elegant as the dinner but with heart Scottish elements to remind you where you were such as scotch cake and haggis of course...it certainly kept us going the rest of the day. All surrounded by beautiful grounds and history. I would certainly describe this hotel as luxury but thought it was very good value for what you get. We cant wait to be back.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 21 Sept 2021
Dear JimM447, Thank you ever so much for your fantastic 5* review, we are delighted to learn that you enjoyed a fantastic stay. We have spent many months refurbishing and restoring all the beautiful rooms here in the castle, right down to the detailed nooks, so we are thrilled that you were so impressed with our refined revamp. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and we look forward to seeing you again soon! Best wishes, Marketing.
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I believe I booked directly with Melville Castle and breakfast was included while we were there. Probably it is if you book with Expedia. However, just to be sure you might want to email Melville Castle your question directly. There is a place to click at the bottom of their website.
Our original booking had been for a 2020 trip. Because of COVID they canceled without a problem. When we were ready to travel to Scotland, I rebooked there. Then my airline had issues so I had to change my dates. So, I had to call
Melville Castle (several months in advance of my intended arrival) to change my booking. They had the room available and were most accommodating.
There are more places to choose from in the Dalkeith area.
PRICE RANGE
S$223 - S$541 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandMidlothianDalkeith
NUMBER OF ROOMS
33
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