Very shortly 'Warner Village Cinemas' will disappear as the company changes its name to Vue. If anyone can explain this name change to me please do! I am at a loss to explain it and neither could any of the staff the other day.
"Dunno mate” said one fellow as he was ladling popcorn into ... Read review
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Advantages: 2min walk for me!, good range of bars & eateries, comfy seats Disadvantages: expensive prices, long queues, dubious clientelle
...an that, used to say Warner village". Ah right, I mumbled, hurrying to join my companion.
A bit of background
The Warner Village cinema in Edinburgh is housed in the Omni complex - a vast glass fronted centre opened a couple of years ago to block out the citizens view of Calton Hill. Calton hill is of course beautiful with a half finished model of the Parathion (also known as Edinburgh's disgrace) on the top. ...- Holmes Place and the Warner Village cinema. In a nutshell it’s an American theme mall writ small in the heart of Edinburgh.
The Warner Village Cinema
The cinema has 12 screens - three Gold Class and 2100 seats.
I've never tried the Gold Glass showings as my boyfriend is of the saving money type (anyone single want to take me?).
These showings are higher priced (around £7) and have the luxury ... more
Very shortly 'Warner Village Cinemas' will disappear as the company changes its name to Vue. If anyone can explain this name change to me please do! I am at a loss to explain it and neither could any of the staff the other day. "Dunno mate” said one fellow as he was ladling popcorn into a tub, "It says like Vue on all the popcorn tubs an that, used to say Warner village". Ah right, I mumbled, hurrying to join my companion.
A bit of background
The Warner Village cinema in Edinburgh is housed in the Omni complex - a vast glass fronted centre opened a couple of years ago to block out the citizens view of Calton Hill. Calton hill is of course beautiful with a half finished model of the Parathion (also known as Edinburgh's disgrace) on the top. Instead, from ground level, we see the Omni centre - a collection of chain bars (Lloyds, Slug and Lettuce) and chain restaurants (La Tasca, Pizza Hut, China, China) Nestling garishly beside an exclusive health club - Holmes Place and the Warner Village cinema. In a nutshell it’s an American theme mall writ small in the heart of Edinburgh.
The Warner Village Cinema
The cinema has 12 screens - three Gold Class and 2100 seats.
I've never tried the Gold Glass showings as my boyfriend is of the saving money type (anyone single want to take me?). These showings are higher priced (around £7) and have the luxury of drinks etc brought to your seat at the touch of the button. I have friends who only go to the Gold Class showings of the big releaeses and they swear its worth the extra few pounds.
All screens have dolby digital sound systems with gold class boasting EX sound and screen three with DTS Digital sound. The gold class bar is open to all customers and the cinema has full disabled access.
The box office for the cinema is on the ground floor just as you enter the door. There are only two kiosks, though always manned, and it is difficult to see what’s on screens as there is a pillar in the way. The staffs are used to this and are very patient when you reach the desk and realise you don't have a clue what's on. The Warner staffs are easily recognisable in blue t-shirts although no doubt this will change when they become Vue and are forced to wear glass hats or something.
Prices/Discount Policy
The prices are considerably higher than other cinemas in Edinburgh but this is a very central, prestigious prime location (my house is two streets away ha-ha).
As I stated, the prices are slightly more expensive than other cinemas in the area and it is cheaper to go before 5pm on weekdays. An adult ticket will cost you £5.95 before 5pm.
Warner Brother has discounts for the following people as well as the standard Adult ticket:
Child - available to those aged 18 months to 14 years.
OAP - available for those aged 60 years and older
Student - available to those in full time education with a valid photo student card.
Family Ticket - available for a booking for 4 people, at least 2 must be children. Book 1 ticket for every 4 people attending.
*note* that there is no unemployed person's discount - I double checked and asked but there isn't. Warner is also very strict with the student policy so make sure you have ID on you if you are one.
So we duly paid our £5.95 each which was the going rate for two adults on Good Friday at 3pm. My companion did not succumb to my moans and hints and rather huffily we headed off up the escalator to where the screens and more importantly the goodies are held.
Refreshments
At first glance I was pretty disappointed with the range of naughty things Warner Brothers had for us to buy. I have a sneaking suspicion those health sopranos downstairs in the health club had been advising them to cut out the lard. The ubiquitous popcorn - salt or sweet - was on offer. £2.50 bought you a small kid’s size and there were a number of other sizes. The pick n mix priced at £1.20 kg looked like it had been picked and mixed by the local dirty teenagers so we gave that a miss. The Warner also sells hotdogs for around £3.50 and nachos at £3.25. Big tubs of maltesers, minstrels and smarties are also available for £2.99 - the usual cinema rip off then!
The staffs in the sweetie/popcorn/drinks section were extremely slow and we were able to make friends in the queue no bother.
As you approach the screens there was a desk with a member of staff ready to take your ticket and point you in the right seat. Whenever I’ve been in Warner Village it’s been a no numbered free for all seat wise, so if there's a lot of you or you are very fussy about where you slit get there early. As it was we just wandered towards two somewhere in the middle.
Warner cinemas have been very well designed. There is room to walk along the aisle without asking people to stand up and thence there is plenty of legroom the screen is large and could be viewed from all angles with ease. The lightening was just enough to allow you to see the floor, exits and you loved one. The chairs were airline type but a little more comfortable!
The picture quality was excellent, as was the surround sound. Not too loud but not to quiet. Overall the experience was excellent.
The Toilets
There are three ladies and gents toilet sitauted beside the entrances to the screens. The day I visited they were clean and hygenic with plenty of soap in the dispensers and paper towels.
Would I go again?
In a word - yes. But that's just because I live two minutes away. The staff I encountered were all friendly and courteous and the cinema is clean, new and comfortable. The downsides are the ticket prices which are just too much and the rather grotty looking pick n mix.
Where is it?
The Warner Village Cinema is housed in the Omni centre, a huge glass construction (with the facade of a church built into one side - it had to stay for conservation reasons). It is situated beside the Edinburgh Playhouse north east of Princes Street - a five minute walk from Waverley train station and the bus station.
There is a bus stop just beside the centre at John Lewis. The cinema is surrounded by good quality and reasonably priced restaurants - Indian, Italian, Chinese, Nepalese, and Thai and so on so it's a good place to start a night out. There is a dubious club in the Omni centre - Mood - but I would avoid that unless you are on a tacky hen night.
Disabled Access:
Wheelchair Access Full access throughout the cinema and into all auditoriums.
Parking Facilities NCP parking available at the Omni Centre; 9 designated disabled bays.
Hearing Assistance T-Loop system installed at Box Office and in all auditoriums
Other Information:
Warner Village Cinemas Omni Greenside Edinburgh EH1 3AT
Advantages: central location, good refund policy Disadvantages: too loud soulless
Warner Village.
The Warner Village is part of a new leisure complex situated at the top of Leith Walk in Edinburgh. Initial impressions were not favourable, I tried to book over the net, but the website was down. Phoning the call centre was no better as the operator was obviously relying on the same database so was unable to take my booking. i would have to rely on the horror show that is the telephone menu system. Unbelievably when I arrived at ... ...would mean returning to the Warner Village again. Even the name is annoying. My dictionary defines a village as "a group of houses and associated buildings larger than a hamlet and smallet than a town esp. in rural areas" A cinema on the other hand is "a theatre where motion-picture films are shown" I don't tend to confuse the two, but clearly Warner Brothers do
If you like souless, shoddily built sheds then you'll like the Warner Village, me, I'm ...
gshughes 02.03.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Warner Village Cinema (Edinburgh)
