Moxy Edinburgh airport, hotel review, Scotland on Sunday travel

Moxy Edinburgh Airport, where 24/7 check in, food and gym facilities make it a convenient resting place prior to arrival or departure

With more than 14 million passengers using it last year, Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s busiest. And many of these jet-setters need somewhere convenient to rest their heads either on arrival or prior to departure. Which is where, just a five-minute wobbly-wheeled trolley trundle away from the terminus, the Moxy Edinburgh Airport comes in. It bills itself as “edgy”, “millennial focused” and “designed for today’s savvy, hyper-connected, techy global traveller” – but don’t let that put you off. It’s fun and funky, yes, but it’s functional too.

Budget or boutique?

Budget pricing but boutique styling from the get-go. In the ground floor reception area, Edinburgh’s status as a Unesco City of Literature is celebrated with a clever art installation created from hundreds of books. A large bar area doubles as a check-in and guests are welcomed with a complimentary cocktail. There is a vast wooden communal table for working/eating/interwebbing, plus many other more cosy ones with comfy chairs and sofas. Exquisite Taschen tomes abound for browsing, while a retro games arcade includes a pinball machine and Space Invaders.

One of the 230 fun and functional rooms at Moxy Edinburgh Airport,

Room service

There are 230 rooms in total: 70 Moxyfied Biz Sleeper rooms that come with a workstation; nine Moxyfied Primo Sleepers with queen beds and extra space; three family rooms; 106 standard queen-sized rooms; and 42 double bedrooms.

My double bedroom is compact, comfortable and quiet, with personalised “welcome” messages hand-scrawled on the mirrors in the bedroom and bathroom – a first for me which made me smile.

The TV’s default broadcast is a flash and brash looped video depicting impossibly good-looking young travellers getting up to all manner of energetic hijinks and hyperactively instructing viewers “Never compromise”, “Dream big”, “Go nuts”, “The time is now”, “Don’t be shy” and “Listen To Your Gut”. I heed the latter, switch it off and go downstairs to the bar.

Wining and dining

Food and drink is available 24/7, which is a dream for time-zone-challenged travellers. There is no room service, but a range of dishes can be ordered at the bar, including chicken wings, potato wedges, pizzas (tasty) and nachos (very tasty), plus salads and pasta. A wide selection of cocktails, craft beers and wines is available.

In the morning, a continental breakfast offering includes pastries, cereals, cheeses, cold meats, toast, yoghurt, fruit juices and, um, baked beans. A takeaway option is available for those with places to go.

Worth getting out of bed for

Most likely your onward flight. But if you have some free time and don’t want to head to the city centre to explore the capital’s tourist attractions, you could visit Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at nearby Ratho (https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/venues/edinburgh-international-climbing-arena) and challenge yourself on the hundreds of wall routes, or try out the separate bouldering room and Clip ’n’ Climb facility suitable for children and adults. Alternatively, make like Lewis Hamilton and try some adrenaline-filled indoor Xtreme Karting along the road at Newbridge (check track availability at xtremekarting.co.uk). For a slower pace of life, head to the Bridge Inn at Ratho (www.bridgeinn.com) and enjoy delicious real ales in the beer garden while watching barges drift along the Union Canal.

Little extras

More lightning-fast wifi than you can shake a memory stick at is freely available throughout the hotel. Two meet-up rooms are accessible in the lobby, as is a well-equipped 24-hour gymnasium and two iMacs with free printers. Each floor of the hotel has an ironing station in case your clothes have become crumpled in transit. Buses to and from the airport stop directly outside the front door. Car parking costs £12 a day.

Guestbook comments

Happy landings for style-conscious globetrotters.

Moxy Double Sleeper rates begin at £69 per room. Moxy Edinburgh Airport, 1 Fairview Road, Edinburgh EH28 8AP (0131-608 1172, www.moxy-hotels.marriott.com).

Andrew Hoyle