The Apex International Hotel, Edinburgh

First impressions – phenomenal setting, old town grass market, castle towering over sleeping with history. The reception staff were polite and efficient adding if we were going out that night to wrap up warm as it was to snow – nice touch!

Waiting for the lift I saw certificates for Apex and their environmental standards in a glass cabinet. What struck me was they were pushed back and hard to read. A shame, there were quite a few impressive awards.

The room itself was stunning – ensuite bathroom, king size bed, 2 sofa chairs and a balcony with a view of the grassmarket and castle – and at night it was simply breathtaking. There was the usual mix of tea and coffee – Twinings though, not fairtrade – but ethical never the less. There was a notice regarding reusing towels but nothing about wasting water in bath or shower. The Apex provided shampoo, conditioner and bodywash but it wasn’t clear if the items were ethical or environmentally friendly.

The Apex provide a visitor information book and it was really thorough. Sadly hidden on page 15 (right at the back of this) was their environmental policies – a list of how good they were, reusing toner, having a “green team” recycling however no mention of their accolades for the visitor.

I found this sad as the Apex have an impressive are on their website shouting their environmental achievements from the rooftops – it’s a shame this is not reflected in the hotel.

On the Saturday morning we went for breakfast – table for two with a view of the Castle. We ordered a Scottish breakfast which would generally cost around £12 for their guests.

When it arrived I was disappointed – warm bread instead of toast, 2 undercooked pieces of bacon, 1 sausage, mushrooms – boiled and full of water, processed scrambled egg, potato scone, small (delicious, the only thing worth eating!) black pudding and a spoon if something which was meant to be haggis but looked more offensive – watery and tasteless.

It was a poor effort from an establishment which promotes their restaurant as stunning, superb and worth of a visit. I’m afraid we wished we had passed and gone to the wee cafe next door for a full Scottish - £3.99 and cooked with substance.

Overall our stay was pleasant, with good friendly staff however they did not appear to know the environmental policies or where the food was sourced from. I did ask our waitress however she did not understand at first and then did not know where the food came from. Poor, when the hotel is striving so hard on other platforms to appear to be ethically and environmentally conscious. The highlight for me was the bartender who was pleasant and friendly when serving coffee at 2am!

If the Apex was to take environmental issues into the whole hotel it has to reach the staff – they are the people the visitors talk to on a daily basis – they have to be aware and be able to convey this to their guests.

The Apex is trying hard to make this happen – it just hasn’t come together… yet.

Cost: From £95 per night