The best hotels in Edinburgh city centre
An insider's guide to the top hotels in Edinburgh's city centre, from luxury to affordable options, including the best for rooftop pools, fantastic views, Michelin-starred restaurants, stylish bedrooms and proximity to the top sights, such as Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street, George Street and the National Theatre.
Hotel Indigo Edinburgh – Princes Street
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
A mid-range chain hotel with a keen sense of style and a cracking Princes Street location. The service might be a bit hit and miss but you'll find a bar you'll want to relax in, a decent steak and seafood restaurant, and bedrooms combining comfort and quirkiness to good effect. You won't do much better in the city if you want to be front and centre. It's at the east end of Princes Street directly opposite Waverley Station, around the corner from a tram stop. The bar, restaurant and rooms at the front have splendid views of the Old Town and, if you look to your right, a pretty good view of the castle. Read expert review From £122 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian
Edinburgh, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
An imposing and historic building in the heart of Edinburgh, with a Galvin restaurant and a Guerlain spa. It's a modern take on the grand hotel: doormen in top hats, afternoon teas and women in furs alongside first-class connectivity and impeccably refurbished rooms. Splash out on a ‘Castle View’ room for a heart-swelling outlook on life in Edinburgh. The restaurant collaboration with London’s Galvin brothers is one of the hotel's greatest strengths. Read expert review From £254 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Rutland Hotel
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
This smart, sassy West End hotel has 12 modern boutique bedrooms, as well as a popular all-day restaurant/bar, a steak restaurant and an underground bar that is gin distillery by day, watering hole by night. It’s perfect for couples looking for a stylish, relaxing break. It oozes quiet comfort – soft carpets, designer wallpaper and slinky furnishings. The best rooms have views to the Castle; failing that, ask for Princes Street or glimpses of the Firth of Forth. It's smack at the west end of Princes Street, close to the National Gallery, theatres, George Street and the Castle. It's also well-placed for Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby. Read expert review From £122 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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2 Cambridge Street Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
For lovers of the dramatic – of rich colours and fascinating, finely-judged clutter – this witty old curiosity shop of antiques, trinkets and curios is the perfect destination. With affable hosts, different breakfasts (perhaps Pommes Rimbaud, char-grilled asparagus or a smoked salmon omelette) and a good location for sightseeing, the two bedrooms at this glorious B&B are in high demand. It is in the cultural heart of the West End, hard by Usher Hall and the Traverse and Royal Lyceum Theatres, with a good independent cinema close by as well. You can gaze up at the Castle too. Read expert review From £110 per night
ibis Styles Edinburgh Centre St Andrew Square
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
Combining function with fun, the designers swallowed a Scottish dictionary and came up with sharp, modern vibe that feels bright and fresh. Colours are brash, with tartan carpets and Scottish themed wallpapers — imagine Brigadoon re-designed by Roy Lichtenstein. It’s on St Andrew Square (across from a tram stop and Harvey Nichols) and a few steps away from Princes Street. The star rooms are on the top floor, with generous balconies giving terrific views over the city. Book early and grab a castle-view one for the Festival or New Year fireworks. Read expert review From £118 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Tigerlily
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
Tigerlily is all about cocktails and shoes and shopping and partying. A full-on girlie designer dream, it’s not a place for the shy and retiring. Rooms are bold and busy but well-equipped havens of sheer, spoiling indulgence. Go for one of the Georgian mini-suites if you fancy lighting any fires. It's in the heart of the New Town, on George Street; retail therapy heaven and close to some of the smartest bars and restaurants. All 33 rooms and suites have king-size beds, a music library in the iPod and sleek designer bathrooms. Read expert review From £170 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Balmoral
Edinburgh, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
This neo-Renaissance building with its massive clock tower has been an Edinburgh landmark for more than a century. With elegant bedrooms and over-the-top marble bathrooms, a spa, gym and swimming pool, and the dome-ceilinged Palm Court for champagne afternoon teas, this is a 21st century version of a grand hotel. It’s next to Edinburgh’s main Waverley railway station, at the eastern end of Princes Street, and a short walk from the National Gallery and shopping areas. Number One, the hotel’s Michelin-starred eatery, is one of Edinburgh’s top restaurants. Read expert review From £280 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa
Edinburgh, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
This modern hotel has everything you would expect from the brand, with bells on. Although predominantly aimed at business travellers, the location, range of rooms and services, luxurious spa and well-regarded restaurant make it the perfect choice for travellers who like to know exactly what they’re getting. Facilities include a business hub and the best spa in town, with a 19-metre infinity swimming pool, thermal suite with seven treatment areas, Espa treatments, gym, café and utterly relaxing rooftop hydro-pool. It’s on Festival Square on the Lothian Road overlooking the west side of Edinburgh Castle, an easy walk from the city centre or the Old Town. Read expert review From £207 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Motel One Edinburgh-Princes
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
Motel One is bang opposite Waverley Station and handy for everything. It has an identity that is bold, distinctive and slightly bonkers — think Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen meets Bauhaus. Rooms are pleasingly minimal and come with really comfortable king-sized beds, decent bedlinen, a powerful hairdryer, good lighting and smart bathrooms. Book early for views across the Old Town (efficient double glazing stops it being too noisy). Read expert review From £99 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Principal Edinburgh George Street
Edinburgh, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
There is a strong sense of the past meeting the future in this A-listed 18th-century building. A byword for comfort and unchanging standards for generations of visitors to Edinburgh, the hotel has managed to retain its essential character whilst managing to keep up with the times; the public rooms still are appealingly elegant, the bedrooms comfortable and up-to-date. It is surprisingly intimate for a 249-room hotel and somehow reassuringly familiar. Service is pleasantly courteous in an old-school way. The rooms on the upper floors of the new building are the quietest and have the best views. It’s at the St Andrew’s Square end of George Street. Read expert review From £202 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
