Graham Abbey

Hello Michelle and Graham! I’m so happy to know that you love my accommodation and that you’re considering coming for New Year’s. Regarding cancellation policies, the platform offers different options with different prices. When you go to make the reservation, you’ll be able to clearly see each option and choose the one that best suits your needs. Of course, if at any point you know for certain that you won’t be able to stay, I would greatly appreciate if you cancel as soon as possible. This allows me time to receive other guests and thus continue offering this type of flexibility. I perfectly understand that sometimes unexpected events arise, and that’s why it’s important to have policies that protect both of us. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to write to me. I hope to welcome you for New Year’s!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​✨

Hi Graham, Thank you for your booking. I'm looking forward to hosting you 😊 I've put quite a bit of effort into making my place nice for AirBnB so please look after it 🙏🏼 The earliest check in is 3pm. If you could let me know when you plan to check in that would be great. In exceptional circumstances I can sometimes offer early checkin. Here's some information that will help you get around the flat. Most of these are straightforward, the general rule of thumb is that I would expect you to treat my flat as you would your own: take the shoes off when in the flat, don’t smoke inside the flat, avoid playing loud music after 10pm etc... Note I live in the place most of the time, so it will have some of my belongings in, but there is wardrobe space in both rooms. 🚪Doors There is a lockbox, details will be provided prior to your stay. Please don't forgot to return them to the key safe at the end of your stay! 🔑 🌐 WiFi The WiFi network is called SmokeyWhiskey and the password is peatmonster1 🚘 Parking There is paid parking in a private card park on Carlton Road, right next to my flat. Let me know in advance if you want to make use of this so I can send you full details. You will be fully reimbursed for the parking. But ask about where to park. 🌡Heating You can control the heating using the Hive thermostat which is in the living room on the wall. There is a boost button on the top of it, or you can turn the dial. 🎵 Music There are Sonos speakers in the kitchen. Connect to the WiFi and cast from Spotify or Apply music to "Kitchen". ☕️ Coffee & Food Coffee, tea, as well as mugs, can be found in the cupboards in the kitchen. Please feel free to make use of the spices and condiments. Any alcohol in the fridge is fair game 🍸 🪣 Appliances In the kitchen, you have an oven, stove, microwave, fridge, dishwasher & toaster, which are all easy to use. 📽 TV There is a Samsung Smart TV with Netflix & Prime Video - use the remote on the coffee table. Let me know if you need any help. 🚮 Waste and Recycling: The black bin in the kitchen is refuse, the other one is recycling. Glass should not be put in the recycling - leave that separately. If you need to take rubbish out then the bins are on Carlton Road, just before the big arch (turn right and right again when you come out the building). 🐶🐱 Pets Please let me know if you wish to bring a pet. Pets are not allowed to be on the sofa or the beds, there will be additional cleaning charges for pets hairs on bed linen or the soft furnishings. 📍The full address is Flat 11, 35 Leith Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3AT. The flat is on the 3rd floor. And don't be confused about the first door you come to which says "11 & 12" - it's not locked, go straight through and you'll see the entrance to flat 11. 🧡 Finally, This is my home when I’m not travelling, so I’ve tried to make it cosy and welcoming for you too. If anything feels off or could be improved, even something small, just let me know — I’ll do my best to sort it out. And if you’re happy, a little 5★ love always means a lot!😊

Hi Graham, My sincere apologies. I have no idea what has happened here - I certainly can't take a booking over NYE for £500/night. The price was set to £970 per night, so I'm unsure how you have managed to book at nearly 50% discount. I will contact airbnb, but I would keep looking for another stay - we won't be able to honour your booking at the current price. I hope you understand 🙏🏽 Regards, Mark

Hi Graham, I apologize, but I believe there was a mistake or some sudden changes on the platform. For some reason, your booking was made at 50% less than the price of my apartment for those dates. I will contact them to find a solution, unless you simply want to cancel it.🙏

I won't be able to honour your booking at the current price - I had the nightly rate set at £970/night over the NYE period... I hope you understand. I would keep looking for another stay.

Exactly. That's the total amount I'm seeing now, but when we first made contact, it was almost double. I completely understand, and I'd love to host you too, Edinburgh is beautiful ✨️ It's just that the holidays are when we make the difference to sustain the flat through the off-season, which is why I can't offer such a big discount. If you give me a couple of hours, I'll check exactly what happened with them and get back in touch or make a call.

It's simply not going to work, I'm sorry. It might be priced similarly - but historically I've never priced as low as this and it's always booked. I'm so sorry. The simplest thing would be for you to cancel for a full refund on your end 🙏🏽

The price is £970 GBP per night for 30th, 31st and 1st of Reply to: This is a screenshot of what airbnb is quoting?...

I understand🙏. It's a bit strange for me because it looked different. It might all be related to the fact that there were a lot of price changes on the platform. I'll be contacting them.

However, I definitely won't be able to leave it at this price 🙏

I've already contacted them. As soon as I have a solution or an explanation from them, I'll let you know.😊

I greatly appreciate your understanding.🙏 It's very confusing for me too, and it came as a complete surprise. Thank you for your patience, and I'll get back to you as soon as I understand what happened better.😊

Thank you so much for the kindness and courtesy with which you’ve approached this situation —it truly means a lot. I completely understand your position, and I want to make it clear that you have done absolutely nothing wrong. I feel genuinely sorry that you have to go through this confusion. A few days ago, Airbnb introduced a change in the way commissions are handled for hosts who use external pricing software. Unfortunately, this caused some inconsistencies in the displayed rates, and I’m now waiting for further guidance from the Airbnb team to help me resolve the issue properly. Given that it may take me a few days to sort everything out with my external software, I believe it would be best for you to look for another property in the meantime. As this is your first visit to Edinburgh, I’d really like your experience to be smooth and enjoyable from the start. As you can see from my reviews, this situation is completely out of the ordinary —guest experience is always my top priority. Thank you again for your understanding and patience, and I truly hope you and your family have a wonderful time in this beautiful city.🙏

Hi Graham, Good morning, I’m very happy to let you know that I’ve now been able to identify and resolve the issue with Airbnb. It turned out to be a technical fault with the external software I use to simplify my hosting work. I want to sincerely apologise for all the confusion surrounding your reservation and to thank you once again for the kindness and empathy with which you handled the situation —it really speaks very highly of you. If you’d still like to go ahead with the booking, I’d love to offer you either an early check-in or a late check-out, should you need it, as a small gesture of apology and to make your stay more comfortable. I’d just need to know in advance so I can coordinate properly with the cleaning team.🙏

Of course, For New Year’s Eve dinner options in Edinburgh, these places have excellent reviews, but you’ll likely need a reservation: • Ghillie Dhu – Traditional Scottish food in a beautiful old church setting, often with live music and a lively atmosphere. • The Dome – Elegant and iconic restaurant on George Street, famous for its stunning decorations and festive vibe. • Tattu Edinburgh – Modern Chinese-fusion cuisine in a stylish, contemporary space —great for a special evening. All three are among the city’s best-rated spots, so I recommend booking soon.

Regarding restaurants around, I personally really like Pickles on Broughton Street. It's a little wine bar that does charcuterie boards and such like in a relaxed atmosphere. If you're looking for something a little more substantial then head towards St Andrews Square (<5min walk) on your way there there there's a place called Tattu (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Vtx7FN3w1YCwq3SJ7) whcuh does modern Chinese food in a beautiful setting. On St Andrew's Square you have a variety of restaurants. Dishoom does great south Indian food. And right next to there is Gaucho who do very nice steaks (although a little pricy). One of my favourite places currently is Mowgli Street Food which just a street over from Saint Andrews Square (https://maps.app.goo.gl/UKhczFz492q5hM9A9)

So regarding checkin for tomorrow - there is a lockbox on the wooden doorframe of 35 Leith Street - it is the very top one. The code is 3108. The key can be a bit of a fiddle - but it does work, promise 🙏 you basically have to pull the key half out of the lock for it to turn, the key turns to the right (clockwise)... The entrance to the building is next to a restaurant called Maki & Ramen. Flat 11 is on the 3rd floor (don't be confused by the internal door which says 11 & 12 that appears to have a lock on it - it doesn't). Please arrive after the 3pm checkin time unless we have agreed otherwise. Let me know if you have any issues 😊 P.S you should also get this info on the day of checkin through the airbnb app with photos to help guide you. I'm just putting it here so you've got the code (3108) in two places 👍🏼

Regarding check-in and check-out times, I am happy to grant you a later check-out. It will be at 2 p.m. (instead of 11 a.m.). I have already contacted the cleaning team to rearrange the schedules.😊 An earlier check-in will not be possible because a last-minute reservation came in yesterday, so there will be guests checking out on the same day you check in, and we need until 3pm to prepare the apartment again, but I am happy that we are on time to arrange a check-out at 2pm. (In fact, I think it's the best option. Nothing is better than being relaxed on the last day of your holiday😊 ).

I know you've just checked in, but just a quick note to say that when you do checkout I need you to put the keys back in the lockbox where you found them. It's the very top one and the code is 2988. Also, Just a quick note to help you enjoy the flat comfortably. As the building is historic and the bathroom design is being updated little by little, please make sure to keep the shower head pointing downwards (not towards the curtain) and use moderate water pressure rather than the maximum setting. This small tip really helps keep everything working well and makes your stay more pleasant. Thank you so much! 🙏🏼😊

I'm glad you like the flat and feel comfortable.🙏🏼😊 That's right, once you set the desired temperature, it will take a few minutes for it to reach the entire flat. If you have any questions about how to use it, you can let me know here and I can operate it remotely for you

of course, let me check

The heating is on so all the radiators will be hot. When its zero degrees outside, 20 is probably the hottest it'll get even with the heating running all the time unfortunately.

I changed the settings so that it is turned on at maximum power all the time, so you will not need to boost it as suggested in the video.🙏🏼😊

Good morning Graham, I hope you had a very good night and that the spare blankets were enough. I am here for anything you need 😊🙏

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful celebration. 💫 I've been keeping an eye on the heating to maintain the temperature in the space as comfortably as possible. I hope this has been helpful. If you notice that I can help in any other way, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'm here to help.

Hi Graham, happy new year! I hope you enjoyed the hogmanay celebrations! Nothing at all to worry about - my cleaners will take care of everything. Just make sure you put the key back in the lockbox 😊🙏🏽

I hope you've had a really lovely stay! Just a quick reminder to put the keys back in the lockbox when you checkout at 2pm. It's the very top one and the code is 3108. Thanks! 🙏🏼

I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed your stay 💫 Thanks for letting me know about the thread. I arrived in Edinburgh yesterday after the family celebrations, So I'll be there today to sort it out.😊