12 January 2023 , 13:51
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A hotel which once attracted a long list of famous musicians and film stars is now the worst rated in Edinburgh.
The former Dragonara Hotel has played host to David Bowie, Elizabeth Taylor, Boy George, Wham!, and Sean Connery over the years, reports Edinburgh Live.
When it opened in July 1981 it did so with great fanfare.
Alan Devereux, chairman of the Scottish Tourist Board, went as far to label the Dragonara as “one of the great hotel developments that has taken place over the last 50 years in Scotland”.
It quickly got a reputation as the poshest establishment in Edinburgh, attracting the great and good with its views over the Water of Leith.
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Bowie once stayed at the hotel (Terry O'Neill / Iconic Images)One newspaper said that the hotel’s Granary bar was the kind of haunt suitable for couples arriving in an “MG Midget”.
Gillian Smith worked at the Dragonara soon after it opened and says it was her favourite job and a place where she got the chance to bump shoulders with many famous faces.
She said: “I was in my early twenties when I started at the Dragonara. My role was Conference & Banqueting Assistant.
“I loved it from day one. It was an exciting place to work, and, at the time, it was one of the best, if not the best hotels in Edinburgh.
“I met so many celebs there. They were usually very polite and we were often given tickets for shows.
The hotel's reputation has dipped (edinburghlive.co.uk)“I once showed Boy George to his room and met Wham!, Duran Duran, Hot Chocolate, Kiss, Cliff Richard, Eric Clapton and Elizabeth Taylor.
"One time I was working in the cocktail bar and U2 walked in for an interview.
"I remember the actor George Segal staying at the hotel, and Vidal Sassoon holding a product launch there as well. He was a lovely man and I ended up with lots of product."
Over the four decades since the hotel, which is now called the Britania and run by the same people in charge of Pontins, has earned itself a different reputation.
Elizabeth Taylor once spent time at the Dragonara (Getty Images)It currently has 2.5 stars on TripAdvisor and has been slammed by a cavalcade of guests furious about the noisy rooms, lack of cleanliness and occasional arrival of the police.
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Edinburgh Live’s Sian Traynor headed to the Britannia last November to find out for herself whether harsh reviews were fair.
During her brief stay she noted that, among other things, there was unwanted hairs in the plughole and mysterious white stains on the carpet.
Gillian has expressed dismay that the hotel's reputation has fallen so far.
Sian was not impressed with the bathrooms (edinburghlive.co.uk)“I hate that it now has such an awful reputation," she said.
"It’s quite upsetting remembering how beautiful it once was and how proud all the staff were compared to now.
“It would be wonderful if it was bought by someone who could turn it back to what it was before.”'
The Dragonara changed hands in 1988 and has since been owned by a number of different companies, including Menzies Hotels and Travelodge.
Britannia Hotels purchased the property in 2013 for a reported £10 million.
The company has been contacted for comment.