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The Independent UK

Travel

Suzy Pope

The 13 best hotels in Edinburgh for castle views and Old Town getaways

Edinburgh Old Town House of Gods Scotland Michelin Paul Kitching the Royal Mile Witchery

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Like Jekyll and Hyde, central Edinburgh has two sides. The Georgian New Town is a realm of leafy boulevards, towering townhouses and charming mews streets, while the medieval Old Town hides myriad closes and snickelways where dark deeds were conducted at nightfall. Edinburgh Castle looms above the city on a craggy outcrop and at the other end of the Royal Mile, stately Holyrood Palace sits in the shadow of an extinct volcano.

There’s plenty to explore in the suburbs too. Stockbridge has a village vibe with its buzzing brunch spots and cosy wine bars and once-industrial Leith sees warehouses turned fine-dining restaurants and chi chi coffee shops. But once you’ve had your fill of history, culture and the whine of bagpipes drifting up the Royal Mile, where do you lay your head?

Across the city, hotels play to Edinburgh’s dramatic history. Boutique hotels offer romantic stays amid the spires of the Old Town, historic townhouses turned regal rooms embrace the city’s well-to-do side, and brand new architectural marvels house luxurious modern accommodation. We’ve rounded up the best places to stay across the Scottish capital.

The best hotels in Edinburgh

At a glance

Best hotel for families: Cheval The Edinburgh Grand
Best budget hotel: Parliament House Hotel
Best luxury hotel: Gleneagles Townhouse
Best hotel with castle views: The Caledonian
Best hotel for couples: House of Gods

1. The Balmoral

The Balmoral is one of Edinburgh most recognisable buildings (The Balmoral)

Arguably Edinburgh’s most famous hotel opened as the Great North British Railway Hotel in 1902. Its Baronial-style facade is still one of the first things you’ll see as you step out of Waverly Station and the clocktower is an essential part of the Edinburgh skyline. Uniformed porters man the main door on Princes Street and on special occasions, you might catch a kilted piper welcoming guests. The main restaurant serves a Michelin-quality tasting menu and each resplendent lounge is stocked with a vast collection of single malt whiskies from across Scotland. Classic double rooms are no doubt deluxe and vast suites have accommodated royalty, diplomats and celebrities over the past 120 years.

Address: 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 2EQ

2. House of Gods

If romantic, mysterious and seductive are the themes for your city break, the House of Gods hotel will not dissapoint (House of Gods)

‘Maximalism’ is the word at this gloriously OTT adult-only hotel in Edinburgh’s historic Old Town. Seductive reds, dim lighting and thick curtains encasing four-poster beds create the atmosphere of a bodice-ripping romance novel. Super luxurious upgrades like the ‘Treat me like I’m famous’ packages and riders would put any self-respecting diva to shame but even a standard stay includes a call button for milk and cookies. The mixology-first cocktail bar is a real den of iniquity – the perfect spot for a nightcap before slinking off to the boudoir.

Address: 233 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JQ

3. Gleneagles Townhouse

Elegance manifests itself in Gleneagles Townhouse (Glen Townhouse)

Georgian elegance meets modern indulgence at this sumptuous property in St Andrews Square. From the folk that brought you the famous Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, the grand features of this former bank have been sympathetically preserved, creating lounges and bars where you’re forced to look up and admire the wainscotting and gilded ceilings. In the members-only rooftop bar, you’ll find a whisky collection that peaks into the £100s and The Spence restaurant serves one of the most lavish afternoon teas in the city.

Address: 39 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2AD

4. The Bonham

Fall asleep in a delightfully chintzy medley of velvet and tufted leather (The Bonham)

Housed in a Georgian townhouse in the West End, the Bonham is a short walk from the picture-perfect Dean Village. In keeping with its proximity to the Galleries of Modern Art, the collection of artworks here could fill a small museum. A J&L Lobmeyr chandelier crafted in 1872 greets you on arrival and the pride of Richard H Driehaus’ collection is the Tiffany floor lamp with an intricate nasturtium shade. Boutique rooms are a delightfully chintzy medley of velvet and tufted leather. The restaurant is decked out like a 19th-century saloon and, with a Scottish produce-led menu of perfectly plated dishes, is a dining destination in its own right. Those who enjoy a lie-in can indulge in the boozy snoozy lunch and the afternoon cheese is a whimsical take on an afternoon tea (sweet afternoon teas are also available).

Address: 35 Drumsheugh Gardens Edinburgh EH3 7RN

5. Cheval The Edinburgh Grand

Accommodation ranges from studios to three-bedroom boltholes at these serviced apartments on St Andrews Square. Full, sleekly modern kitchens mean self-catering options for flexibility at mealtimes and there’s a selection of familiar chain restaurants, independent pizza places, cafés and bars right on the doorstep. Plus, you get the bonus of hotel-style facilities – daily breakfast, housekeeping, a 24-hour concierge and an on-site gym. It’s for families with kids who might want their own rooms and parents who want to stay up in the living room after the little ones have gone to bed.

Address: 42 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2AD

6. The Witchery by the Castle

The historic Witchery hotel sits right next to Edinburgh Castle (David Cheskin)

Footsteps from Edinburgh Castle, the Witchery restaurant and hotel resides in a building dating back to 1595. A bewitching night garden twinkling with fairy lights greets you on arrival and, for dinner, it’s a descent down ancient stone steps to a dining room of medieval splendour illuminated by candelabra. Each of the decadent eight bedrooms continues the medieval theme with rich oak panelling, four-poster beds with thick curtains and walls draped with tapestries.

Address: 352 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NF

7. 21212

Go to sleep in Edinburgh’s 21212 after delicious dining at Lyla (Gareth Easton)

A ‘restaurant with rooms’ on Edinburgh’s well-heeled Royal Terrace, the dining experience is the focal point at 21212. The name refers to the choices on the five-course tasting menu devised by accomplished chef Paul Kitching back in 2009. He earned a Michelin star for his dedication to local Scottish produce cooked with French flare. After Paul sadly passed away in 2022, Stuart Ralston of Great British Menu fame opened arguably the most indulgent of his fine-dining restaurants, Lyla, in his place. Four plush bedrooms, each with its own living area, and a cosy courtyard studio apartment still bear the 21212 name placing you a stone’s throw from Calton Hill and Princes Street.

Address: 3 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5AB

8. Parliament House Hotel

Tucked away in the shadow of Calton Hill, the Parliament House Hotel is a typical Edinburgh townhouse turned boutique accommodation. The vibe is homely Scottish hospitality with splashes of tartan in the lounge and rooms with huge beds and thick curtains. In the bones of an old, listed building, the layout is higgley-pigglety and you may have to traverse up and down several flights of stairs, but it’s easy on the wallet for such a central location. The daily breakfast buffet and full Scottish breakfasts are packed with produce from local farms in the MP’s Bistro.

Address: 15 Calton Hill, Edinburgh EH1 3BJ

9. The Raeburn

The Raeburn features decadent rooms (The Raeburn)

In the village-like neighbourhood of Stockbridge, the Raeburn boasts one of the best outdoor drinking spots in the city. Twinkling stringed lights illuminate the beer garden in front of the hotel where a pop-up cocktail van appears in summer. Or enjoy a curated selection of wines and craft cocktails from the bar inside. Rooms are decadent with William Morris prints, sumptuous soaking tubs and marble-clad rainforest showers. Steps from your accommodation, you’ll find intimate basement cocktail bars, Michelin-starred restaurants and cosy wine bars.

Address: 112 Raeburn Pl, Edinburgh EH4 1HG

10. Hotel W

Hotel W’s panoramic views of the Edinburgh cityscape are hard to beat (Hotel W)

There’s been some controversy over the design of the W Hotel since its completion a few years ago. The twisting structure has been compared to a walnut whip – one of the kinder nicknames among locals. No matter, as it’s a distinctive part of the Edinburgh skyline now and is home to the glamorous W Hotel right in the heart of the city. Sleek, stylish rooms feel like a 1960s entertainer’s pad. Food offerings are cutting-edge. Sushisamba blends Japanese skill and finesse with Peruvian spice while Jaoa’s Place is an intimate cocktail spot with a kickass vinyl collection to boot. The cherry literally on top of the whip is the W Lounge – a rooftop bar with a wall of glass leading to a wrap-around terrace with views of Edinburgh’s beautiful, shambling Old Town and the Pentland Hills beyond.

Address: 1 Saint James Square, Edinburgh EH1 3AX

11. The Roseate

Cosy, Scottish, baronial: Welcome to The Roseate (Lauschstudio/The Roseate)

Two beautifully restored Victorian townhouses in Edinburgh’s West End house the boutique rooms of the Roseate Hotel. The cosy main lounge feels like home – if your home was a Scottish Baronial seat, that is – and the all-day restaurant is an ode to Scottish produce served as small sharing plates. The highlight is the whisky collection of over 100 vintage single malts from the islands, Speyside and beyond. This plus individually styled bedrooms with a focus on tartan and cashmere leaves you in no doubt you’re in the capital of Scotland.

Address: The Roseate, 4 W Coates, Edinburgh EH12 5JQ

12. Fingal

Fingal offers stylish and spacious rooms all while floating on wate (Jeremy Rata)

This floating hotel was once a Northern Lighthouse Board ship that would deliver supplies and equipment to lighthouses across Scotland. Now moored in Leith, it puts Edinburgh’s trendiest suburb at your disposal where warehouses have been transformed into Michelin-star restaurants and bars line The Shore. Cabins come as standard doubles which feel deluxe and surprisingly spacious, while the duplex suites are pure indulgence. The penthouse suite comes with private access to the entire aft deck. The Lighthouse Restaurant on board boasts two AA rosettes and serves a fine dining menu inspired by Scotland’s landscape.

Address: Alexandra Dock, Edinburgh EH6 7DX

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13. The Caledonian

The grand Caledonian Hotel has more than a century of history behind it (Hilton)

Known affectionately as ‘the Caley’ by locals, the Caledonian Hotel is another Edinburgh icon. Its rose-hued sandstone facade has dominated a corner at the west end of Princes Street since 1903 when it was built to service the Princes Street station. In 1925, the luxurious Loius IXIV drawing room was converted into The Pompadour, one of Edinburgh’s first fine-dining restaurants. This stunning space is now home to Masterchef Professionals winner Dean Banks’ restaurant. Red-carpeted stairs and long, quiet corridors feel untouched by the passing of time but the whisper-soft rooms have been updated to 21st-century luxury.

Address: Princes St, Edinburgh EH1 2AB