Alba Hills Guest House

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this place. Mainly because it is an oldold Victorian-​era building that uses seriously dated water-​pump technology to get water to the top floors. It is a veryvery loud motor that runs whenever you use the toilet, the sink, whatever. It is so loud and abrupt, it will definitely wake you up when it’s running. The closest way of describing the sound would be to compare it to starting a car engine. Over and over and over again. It’s a terrible experience when you are exhausted from a long day and just want some sleep.
Compared with actual hotels directly on the Royal Mile, this «bed and breakfast» establishment is also quite expensive. Using a Groupon voucher, I paid £135 for three nights «valued at £270» prior to discovering that better rated, higher quality accommodations were offering three night packages starting at around $ 200 USD.
** Breakfast. 3 stars. Good food, but tightly rationed (can’t use the cereal bar if you order the «hot food» for example) and tightly scheduled (9 — 11 am, so you miss out on breakfast if you must leave early for a tour). So it’s a bit of a stressful experience and not as enjoyable as I would have liked.
** Location: 3 stars. It is near all the other «bed and breakfast» lodging. So there is not much around. It is about 2.5 km /​1.5 miles from the Royal Mile, which is about 30 minutes walking. Or, you can take the bus from the Mayfield Gardens bus stop right across the street which takes you directly to the Royal Mile in under 8 minutes.
** Service: 3 stars. Very few people seem to work here. During my stay, I encountered the hostess two or three times only, perhaps met her son or nephew (?? — I couldn’t confirm as he had very broken English), and caught a glimpse of the cook preparing my breakfast. That’s it. Granted, it’s a small place. But imagine waking early on a misty morning and exiting a quiet, old victorian building with no one to greet you or bid you on your way. Or similarly, returning to said victorian home in the dark, keying your way past multiple locked doors and climbing several flights of stairs to your room without once encountering a single soul to acknowledge they’ve seen you return. it is a bit eerie.
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Overall, I would have given Alba Hills 3 stars, but the loud water-​pump issue (which is nothing I have experienced before anywhere else) significantly lowered my quality of stay. I don’t believe I will return here later in the year.