A gorgeous little Airbnb find up in Edinburgh...
Some of you might be surprised to hear that this was my first time staying in an Airbnb. I'm always looking at them and loving the idea of them and how affordable they are - but never had the chance to actually book one until this year! I was looking for somewhere to stay for three nights and when I came across this little gem, I had to grab it with both hands. It was something like £69 a night, minus the cleaning & service fees. You can get airbnb's cheaper than that, but for how photogenic it looked and in such a perfect location - I was sold. When we arrived after a long 7 hours (6 hour drive the long route, and killing an hour in Tesco before check in!) it was well worth the wait, it was even more beaut in person...
I'll start off with the outside of the property... all the heart eyes right? It was so cute! For such a tiny place, every detail has been so well curated. It was on a little back street off of another street, so it was quite hidden away - but lovely and peaceful. The cobbled streets made it even more photogenic. It was also very easy to find because it was the only apartment with all of these beautiful olive trees outside. It was self check in, so you just put the code in the key box and there were your keys! So easy, and it means you can check in whenever you like.
The street we stayed on was Lennox Street Lane which is just off Lennox Street. Gorgeous area full of cobbled streets (well everywhere in Edinburgh is actually!) and beautiful architecture. It reminded me a bit of all of the photogenic areas of London, yet Edinburgh has them everywhere you turn. I won't go into too much detail - a post with all my Edinburgh snaps is coming soooon.
This apartment is only really suitable for a couple - in my case it was just Ru and I, so it was perfect for us. One double bed is all we need as he sleeps in with me anyway. The host does actually offer another put up bed though and there's a sofa downstairs so you could squeeze three in if you really wanted to! There's one large (it's pretty decent sized!) bedroom upstairs, a bathroom and then just an open living space downstairs with a small living area, kitchen and dining area. Honestly, for somewhere so small it really is fully equipped with everything you could need. There's no TV in the living area downstairs but there was one in the bedroom, not that you even need one in this day and age anyway, I just had the iPad on for Ru when he needed keeping occupied. The bedroom had the cutest little fireplace, cosy corner with a chair and blanket and the biggest, comfiest bed! There was a pretty large floor space as well as a huge clothes rail, literally huge. Still wanting to know where it's from as I've never seen one that big, it was fab. There was cupboard space too with a few shelves so plenty of room for storing everything including our bags & suitcase so everything was out the way.
The bathroom was pretty standard but still really nice and homely. I loved the white brick tiling in there, perfect for those insta shots. I also loved the bath, it was just such a lovely bath (is that weird?) and it had the most gorge striped cloth shower curtain... I want one! There was a really lovely hand soap in the bathroom as well as a beautifully scented shower gel on the side of the bath, as well as plenty of loo rolls. Something that's one of those boring essentials you always have to buy when staying somewhere and I didn't even have to think about it as the bathroom was fully stocked. Same with the shower gel, it was full! Just lovely, thoughtful touches you know? For somewhere so affordable, you wouldn't get the same treatment in a hotel at this price. There was plenty of clean towels too. I also loved the little open shelves behind the door, they were crammed with books so if you want some downtime with a good book in the bath, then you would have been sorted. Not something I had time for with a toddler however...
The little living area downstairs was a great size, it had a super comfy sofa with a foot rest and enough floor space for Ru to happily play in. We'd cosy up on the sofa with a blanket after a full day out walking in Edinburgh to rest our legs. Ru's favourite area was definitely the dining table... the picture below where he's emptied his toys all over it was within 5 minutes of arriving! Whilst small, the space was so well thought out. Under the stairs there was a big cupboard that was full of cleaning equipment (thank god with a toddler around!) and there was a hoover and even a washing machine. We actually did a wash whilst there and it was a god send - wish I'd packed less clothes!
Even though it was an open plan area downstairs, the little kitchen area was by far my favourite bit. It was tiny yet still absolute kitchen goals! The only thing it was missing IMO was a microwave. Excluding that, it literally had everything you could ever need. Kettle, toaster, oven, hob, little fridge with a small freezer compartment, a dishwasher (!!) and loads of kitchen utensils and cooking equipment. The drawers were full of cutlery amongst lots of other handy bits. The shelf above the kitchen units was crammed with mugs, glasses, little espresso cups, a milk frother, wooden spoons... not only did it have everything you could want but it looked so grammable too.
In the kitchen cupboard area, I found tea, coffee, plenty of condiments and the most adorable little tea set. There was even a jar of porridge oats. When we arrived, we were actually welcomed with a vase of fresh flowers, a jar of homemade granola made by the host, a tub of blueberries in the fridge and a carton of fresh milk. I thought it was so lovely and breakfast was sorted for us both as Ru loves his blueberries! We set up the cutest breakfast with all the bits as well as some chocolate brioche rolls that I grabbed from Tesco. It was lovely and made for some gorge insta snaps.
Ru was a little cheeky monkey whilst we were away and I didn't manage to get that many snaps whilst out and about in Edinburgh (not as many as I'd have liked anyway!) but I got some gorgeous ones of him in the airbnb. I'm honestly so glad I paid that bit more for accommodation. You can get things such as a Travel Lodge cheaper but I think this particular airbnb was incredible for the price we got it for and the photos we got in it are some I'll treasure forever!
Overall I'd really recommend airbnb's in general, albeit I've only stayed in this one so far but I've heard amazing things from others and I've seen so many other beautiful ones in all parts of the world on their website. I found a ridiculously gorgeous one in Ibiza one time and it was something like £30 a night - what?!?! It's definitely worth checking out the next time you're going on your travels as they're so much more homely than a hotel. I can't praise this little find in Edinburgh enough, there was so many sweet little touches and things I didn't expect that were provided by the host and it was just such a lovely stay. Definitely going again.
If you use my link you can get £25 off your first airbnb booking and I get £15 towards my next one - so win win for us both. You can click here to get your discount and you can find the Airbnb that we stayed in here.
Have you stayed in an Airbnb before?
