Lady Gaga and a Missoni dressing gown

It’s not often that you are greeted at a hotel entrance by a young man with a ponytail whose hairy legs are being revealed beneath a kilt.

Except in Edinburgh. And at the Missoni Hotel.

“Welcome to the hotel, Ian,” he said.

Ian? Are we on first name terms already?

You betcha. Because if there is one thing the Missoni does well it’s the warmth of its reception for new guests.

The 136-room and suites hotel is overseen by the cult Italian fashion label so it’s no real surprise that the bar, off the main lobby, has a catwalk quality about it.

The kilt man’s cheery welcome was followed by an efficiently friendly registration interlude in a hotel that is building a reputation for style over size.

To backtrack, the friendliness began even before we had reached the Missoni. The taxi driver had given us a running commentary on local sights and soccer lore.

There’s two teams in Edinburgh – Hearts and Hibernian. I’m a Hibs man,” he said.

He pointed out a massively impressive building as we headed into town. “That used to be a school for ‘deaf and dumb’ people, now there’s a rumour that it will become a hotel.”

Further on he indicates the district of Newtown. “I don’t know why it’s called Newtown when it’s so old,” he jokes.

“I guess it was new once,” I tell him.

We are good friends, the taxi driver and me, by the time we arrive at the Missoni and are greeted by kilt man.

The streets around the Missoni are buzzing because we are slap bang in the middle of the Edinburgh Festival, and visitors from around the world are here to see the thousands of performances that are squeezed into spaces – indoor and outdoor – around the city.

The Missoni sits at the centre of the action. It’s virtually on the Royal Mile, in the heart of the Old Town overlooking Victoria Street and very close to Edinburgh Castle.

Later, as we join the throng heading for a performance of the Edinburgh Tattoo, a friendly policeman takes off his cap and exchanges it for a sporty cap being worn by a young boy. The crowd is amused. Everyone is in festival mode.

Opened in June 2009, the Missoni, a designer hotel with a difference, has had Lady Gaga as a guest. She got to use her fashionable Missoni dressing gown in the outside street after a false fire alarm caused the hotel to be evacuated.

Inside the Missoni – where the public and guest areas are painted in an appealing patchwork of purples, oranges and greys, and the lifts are heavy on stripes – the bar area beyond the foyer is overflowing with chatty visitors taking time out before a Festival performance.

The rooms feature B&O TV system, Nespresso coffee machines (ours didn’t work but was repaired in less time than it takes to brew a cappuccino), Wi-Fi Internet, and steam-free mirrors and speaker system in the bathrooms.

Plus there’s a complimentary laundry and mini-bar (beer, fruit juice and water), and free access to more than 100 films on demand.

Breakfast was a standout with fresh blueberries and raspberries on offer. I wish I could say I passed on the Italian pastries and cakes but they were quite irresistible.

The kilt man was missing when we left but I’ll remember his welcome – and I’ll miss the Missoni.

The Missoni hotel in Edinburgh can be booked through Wotif.com

by Ian Jarrett