Easyjet to enter Edinburgh hotel market

THE company behind the low-budget airline easyJet is to enter the Edinburgh hotel market aggressively with rooms from as little as £12.50 per person.

EasyHotel is to open its first "no-frills" Scottish hotel at the west end of Princes Street on August 31. And, if customers book long enough in advance, the room rates start from as little as 25 for a double room.

The hotel's pricing model is based on the easyJet system, where customers who book first get the best deals, before prices start to rise as the hotel fills up.

But the room rate offers little more than a bed, a towel and an ensuite bathroom. A television is 5 to rent for 24 hours, while internet access costs 6 for 90 minutes. And those staying more than one night who want their room cleaned have to pay a 10 charge.

Ased Iqbal, manager of the Edinburgh hotel, which is opening in the former Edinburgh Rock Cafe and has 29 bedrooms, said: "Our pricing model is based on the airline industry, 'book early, pay less'."