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Edinburgh has always caused a fuss. Consider the medieval riddle of its subterranean alleys or the sublime drama of its fairytale castle, and it’s little wonder visitors fall under its spell. Arriving into this mind-boggling spectacle is the easy part. Figuring out where to stay is the real puzzle.
I’ve lived on a Georgian crescent in the West End for years – my family is from the city – and I’ve explored dozens of hotels for guidebooks, magazines and newspapers. The right bed or breakfast, or the right top-shelf dram before midnight, can be a highlight of any capital stay; but with the world’s biggest arts festival every summer, and festivals bookending the year, competition is fierce.
So how to avoid ending up with a dud? Edinburgh is easily navigable by foot, but it’s still crucial to pick a neighbourhood that’ll suit your personality, so you can map out the perfect itinerary.
Here are my favourite places that combine trend-setting style with enough tartan trim to remind you why you came to Scotland in the first place.
The Independent’s hotel reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and book, but we never allow this to affect our coverage.
Neighbourhood: City Centre
Graced with ornamental balconies, neo-renaissance turrets and a landmark clock tower that runs reliably three minutes fast (so locals don’t miss their trains at nearby Waverley Station), The Balmoral is Edinburgh’s most prestigious address at No 1 Princes Street.
It’s the flagship property in hotelier Sir Rocco Forte’s portfolio, and it shows. There’s Michelin-star restaurant Number One for house-smoked salmon and a lifetime’s worth of single malts; new restaurant Brasserie Prince from French chef extraordinaire Alain Roux; and a tartan butler (should you desperately need a bespoke plaid kilt hand-delivered to your room). Room decor runs the gamut from Hebridean armchairs and woodland wallpapers to Sean Connery James Bond prints and brass owl door knockers. Those mighty fine birds can be seen when splashing out on the JK Rowling Suite, where the Edinburgh resident wrote the last instalment of her wizarding saga.
Of the individually designed 188 rooms, pick a west-facing suite with heart-in-mouth views of Edinburgh Castle and the steampunk gothic aesthetic of the Scott Monument. A prospect good enough for The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Elizabeth Taylor no less.
Doubles from £220, room only
grandluxuryhotels.com
Neighbourhood: Prestonfield
Stride past the herd of Highland cows and strutting peacocks, past deer estate turned golf course, then greet the kilted doormen waiting on you hand and foot. This 23-room country hotel is set within the city limits, but a world apart in terms of architecture, art, antiques and ambience.
Located in eight hectares of parkland, with a croquet lawn and putting green, this grand baroque manor is more Highland hunting lodge than urban bolthole. Check out the Bonnie Prince Charlie-meets-Alexander McQueen design and riot of stag antler armchairs and gilded mirrors for proof. Then, in the middle distance, beyond the golf course, eye the gorse-trimmed ridge line of dormant volcano Arthur’s Seat, offering a Highland reverie in miniature. That shiver down your spine? This is Scotland, in all its brash, intoxicating glory.
Doubles from £345, including full breakfast
prestonfield.com
Neighbourhood: West End
Not many hotels can claim one of the most talked-about restaurants in the city, but this is the main attraction at Baba, a Levant-inspired charcoal grill and cocktail bar that dominates the ground floor at this sprawling collection of townhouses. It’s a seductive spot from Glasgow-based Ox and Finch, with Phileas Fogg travel souvenirs, ruby-red Persian wall rugs and medina-style glass lamps.
The hotel itself is geared towards a young, city-breaking crowd, wedged between the bar-hopping pubs of Rose Street and splashier clubs of George Street, making this ground zero for those with unruly beards, sailor tattoos and progressive hairstyles. That also explains the record players, candy-red bedside telephones and punked-up animal prints in the rooms. Which are just as cool as they sound. For rainy days, there’s a pool, sauna and steam room.
Doubles from £107, room only
phcompany.com/principal/edinburgh-charlotte-square
Neighbourhood: Royal Mile
All the drama of gothic Scotland is on display at this frozen-in-time restaurant with rooms, secreted in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. It’s a nine-room thriller, with lavish decor pitched between a Hammer Horror film set and Dracula’s boudoir, the attention to detail coming from owner James Thomson (the brains behind similarly-dramatic Prestonfield House). I particularly love the Carry On camp glamour of The Inner Sanctum, where my brother and sister-in-law hosted knock-out post-reception drinks on their wedding night.
Expect opulent eccentricity and second-to-none hospitality at the hotel’s signature Secret Garden restaurant, too – it’s hidden down a historic close and entered via a pulpit reception.
Doubles from £345, including full breakfast
thewitchery.com
Neighbourhood: City Centre
This historic railway grand dame was first built in 1903 before being swallowed by the Hilton empire, but don’t let that put you off. Nostalgia and whimsy are ever-present in the railway-themed Caley Bar, while the tartan-tailored bellhops and sensational views of Edinburgh Castle more than make up for the off-the-shelf decor.
There are plenty of diversions to be had: the UK’s only Guerlain spa, the culinary highs of headline restaurant The Pompadour by Galvin and an ABC of chain stores are moments away on Princes Street and George Street. In a country blessed with distilleries, Edinburgh still manages to surprise: Edinburgh Gin Distillery, across the street on Rutland Place, offers highly recommended tastings and tours.
Doubles from £215, room only
waldorfastoria3.hilton.com
Neighbourhood: Stockbridge
Edinburgh is a go-to spot for outdoor purists, with almost half its area made up of parkland, gardens and little-known wilderness. For my money, the best of this can be found in the smart neighbourhood of Stockbridge, home to the Royal Botanic Garden and Inverleith Park, but also the Water of Leith, a trapped-in-time river off the main tourist trail.
In striking distance of the riverside is upcycled Georgian mansion The Raeburn, built in the 1830s and complete with kid-friendly bar, brasserie restaurant, cosy library and sociable garden. Upstairs, the 10 bedrooms are outfitted with plenty of high-frills – rainforest showers, monster TVs, espresso machines – while the window views highlight a great selection of independent coffee shops and bric-a-brac stores to explore at your leisure. A final perk of staying is Michelin-star chef Tom Kitchin’s family-friendly kitchen, The Scran and Scallie, directly across the road.
Doubles from £150, including full breakfast
theraeburn.com
Neighbourhood: City Centre
St Andrews Square has seen a complete rehabilitation of late, with a whole roster of new tenants parachuting in from London. First came wildly-popular restaurants The Ivy, Wahaca and Dishoom, now the square welcomes this luxury set of apartments in the former HQ of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Every detail swoons, with no expense spared from the chessboard marble floor and dark wood panelling in the lobby, through to the 50 grand apartments with roll-top baths, mod con kitchens and caber-high ceilings.
Clearly, there’s plenty of ambition on display. Part of the development in the former banking hall is the first Scottish outpost of Hawksmoor, the most arresting steak restaurant in London for the past decade.
Apartments from £225
lateralcity.com
Neighbourhood: Leith
With a striking castle-façade and a gorgeous Georgian waterfront location, Malmaison is set within this former Seaman’s Mission in dockside Leith. It’s an on-fire foodie fave, with nearby pedigree provided by Edinburgh’s two most fabulous restaurants – Michelin-star darlings The Kitchin and Martin Wishart are a brisk walk away. For crustacean lovers, there are also bumper-to-bumper restaurants where you can pick over the day’s catch. My firm favourite is Fisher’s.
Inside, bedrooms are bright and breezy, with harbour views, curlicue beds and mottled grey headboards. The standout design feature is the Port of Leith Suite, with tartan-red bathtub big enough to swim in. Downstairs, the foodie theme continues at brickwork-heavy brasserie Chez Mal, once where salty dogs and sozzled sailors downed dirty drams after dropping anchor.
Rooms from £113, room only
malmaison.com/locations/edinburgh
Neighbourhood: Stockbridge
Blink and you’ll miss it. In a whisper-quiet location in the New Town, this 28-room hotel makes the perfect base for those who are confident enough to venture out without a map. The petite doubles are just that – compact, without feeling pokey – but there are a handful of bumper suites with whirlpool baths and sash window views onto a private garden. The colour palette is a haze of grey and gold, and beside the modish armchairs and shag rugs the pocket-sprung bed and goose down pillows are a delight. There’s also a sustainably-sourced restaurant with a menu built-up from Perthshire beef, Berwickshire lamb, Clackmannanshire game and Loch Duart salmon. The best bit? In this location, it’s all too easy to blend in as a local.
Rooms from £55 B&B
niracaledonia.com
Neighbourhood: Royal Mile
First a council office, then the fashionably-glam Missoni hotel, then the G&V Royal Mile Hotel, this sandstone building has finally found its perfect tenant thanks to the arrival of the Radisson brand. The location can’t be beat, affording enviable views of central Edinburgh’s commercial hodgepodge, raising you to the level of the castle atop the Royal Mile, while also within spitting distance of Edinburgh’s chief must-dos. Start at Greyfriars Kirkyard, then box-tick the National Museum of Scotland and St Giles’ Cathedral. Follow tradition outside the high kirk and spit on the Heart of Midlothian mosaic in the cobbles. You’ll be blessed with good fortune, or so us locals say.
Rooms have had a makeover since the takeover, with stenciled wallpapers, splashes of heather, lavender and light grey, and one-off artworks from the likes of Scots’ textile mavericks Timorous Beasties. Mallow enthusiasts will also love the giant prints of Scotland’s retro sweet treat, the Tunnock’s teacake. Better than all that? Chef Andy McQueen’s Cucina restaurant is one of the finest Italians in the Lothians.
Rooms from £189, room only
radissoncollection.com
Neighbourhood: City Centre
There’s still a secret spot in Edinburgh’s Old Town: at least for those who haven’t visited in a while. It’s the just-opened Market Street Hotel, the flashiest new address in town, and a place ideally located for a seat-of-your-pants rush to platforms 8 or 9 at Waverley Station, right across the road. The fact this is Scotland’s first member of the Design Hotels group, a boutique network of hand-picked, design-heavy properties, won’t mean much to those outside the travel industry, but here the label is shorthand for carefully thought-out style that elevates the hotel into something memorable. Watch out for plenty of nods to Edinburgh’s history woven throughout the building’s fabric too.
From the outside, consider nostalgic wooden shutters and rooms softened by fabric wallpapers and woollen, custom-made furniture for that Scandi-but-still-in-Scotland look. There’s seventh floor champagne bar Nor’ Loft, all floor-to-ceiling windows flooded by castle turrets and gothic spires, and rooms that invite you to “coorie down” (Scots for get cosy) with a blend of white oak and textured stone fit for a Hebridean croft. Keen for a splurge? The Alba Suite, with telescope, private outdoor terrace and unparalleled city views is the one to book.
Doubles from £107
carlton.nl
Best for early departures and late arrivals: Moxy Edinburgh Airport
Neighbourhood: Ingliston
While Edinburgh is a city that rewards wanderers, arriving late or leaving early is no time to be clonking over the cobbles in the dark with a suitcase. An easy two-minute walk from the airport terminal, this millennial brand from globe-hopping hotel giant Marriott prioritises function over form, with out-the-box queens and twins, with plasma TVs and floor-to-ceiling wall murals in the bathroom. Downstairs, there’s little more than an industrial-design bar and lounge, but the aesthetic works a treat, with movie lamps, egg nest cocoon chairs, arcade machine and a blast of colour to help you feel awake whatever the time.
The view across the road is of long-running stalwart now rival DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (handy should the Moxy be full). Otherwise, if you have time to kill before your flight, the tram and airport bus stop couldn’t be better placed for the 30-minute ride to the city centre.
Doubles from £52, room only
marriott.co.uk
Best for port views: Fingal
Neighbourhood: Leith
Despite opening in February 2019, hardly anyone in Edinburgh knows about this gorgeously unusual boutique hotel yet; the twist being it’s a repurposed boat. First launched in 1963, the 237ft ship has been decommissioned and turned into a 23-room, Art Deco-themed floating hotel by its owner, the Royal Yacht Britannia, anchored nearby just across the Albert Dock Basin in the Port of Leith.
You could label Fingal a gimmicky ‘floatel, but the idea is a sweet reminder of the days when the Royal Family took to sea. The top deck has been transformed into a 1930s-era restaurant and cocktail bar, with shimmering gold ceiling and jazz-age saxophone swoons. The suspended-in-time engine room has been peeled back to form part of one of the corridors. The hull has been remodelled as a lavish private dining space and ballroom. There is a glass capsule lift. And no cabin is the same, with every line and angle leaving you in no doubt you’re on a boat. All terribly clever indeed.
Cabins from £300, breakfast included
fingal.co.uk
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