1. Apex Waterloo Place, Calton Hill
Best for views
Calton Hill, Edinburgh’s memorial-topped viewpoint, rightly steals the limelight for its kaleidoscopic panorama — and you’ll get the idea if you choose this often overlooked cheapie located right at its foot. Behind the Georgian facade, the hotel has all the facilities you need (a splendid swimming pool, spa, gym, restaurant and bar), but for the good stuff you simply need to drop your bags and within minutes you have the best Edinburgh fare at your fingertips.
Speaking of spas, if you are specifically interested in spa hotels and willing to broaden your horizons beyond Edinburgh, East Sussex might be worth considering. Known for its tranquility and serenity, it indeed is a paradise for spa lovers. Here, you can find an array of spa hotels in East Sussex that promise picturesque views along with a dose of relaxation and wellness.
Spa Y
Pool Y
Price ££
2. The Raeburn, Stockbridge
Best for a beer garden
Hidden from the eyes of most visitors, as well as completely unspoiled, Stockbridge is Edinburgh’s loveliest neighbourhood — a close walk to the city centre, but far enough away to feel like a pretty market town in its own right. At the heart of it all is this terrific boutique hotel with en suite rooms, gastropub restaurant and community-driven beer garden. It’s as friendly as it is cosy and, because the building has been around since the 1830s, there’s plenty of Georgian-era history to go round.
Spa N
Pool N
Price ££
3. Eden Locke, city centre
Best for self-catering
This aparthotel is the connoisseur’s alternative to the majority of the capital’s budget favourites, made up of almost identical boutiquey furniture and Victorian terrace views, but without the normal hotel rigmarole. There are slickly designed apartments with kitchens, open plan suites and mezzanine studios and, if you can’t be bothered cooking, there’s a terrific café at street level for cake and coffee. You’re located in the centre on George Street, less than a minute’s walk to Princes Street, where the majesty of Edinburgh Castle collides with high street retail.
Spa N
Pool N
Price ££
4. 24 Royal Terrace, Calton Hill
Best for art lovers
Before you seek out the Scottish National Gallery along Princes Street, you’ll get your art fix at this boutique den run by collector-turned-hotelier Alan Campbell. His family-run Georgian townhouse is both a gallery awash with standout paintings and a collection of cosy doubles and suites — many of which have roll-top tubs and hand-picked wall art. For a further art binge, you’re within easy walking distance of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street.
Spa N
Pool N
Price ££
5. Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge, Fountainbridge
Best for castle views
Located in a part of Edinburgh that most visitors bypass — between Union Canal and Haymarket — this boutique hotel from the Marriott chain is in a real sweet spot; there are plenty of terrific cafés and bars, but not hordes of other visitors to share them with. Ignore the multi-storey car park look of the exterior — inside, the decor is funky and rooms come with oversized chairs, TVs and free wi-fi. As for the highlight? A rooftop bar with views of Edinburgh Castle.
Spa N
Pool N
Price ££
6. Malmaison Edinburgh City, city centre
Best for peace and quiet
Not every hotel with a central location in Edinburgh needs to be in the thick of the action. Avoid the Royal Mile, West End and the Grassmarket and you could opt for this quiet spot on an overlooked corner of Saint Andrew Square. It’s nicely distanced from the strip of ubiquitous high street restaurants across the memorial garden, but has more than a whiff of amped-up inner-city luxury inside — there’s a steakhouse brasserie, chilled-out bar and plenty of social spaces with dashes of screaming hot pink decor.
Spa N
Pool N
Price ££
7. Market Street Hotel, Royal Mile
Best for location
Locations don’t come better than this — you’re in walking distance of whatever you need, with the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, Palace of Holyrood House, Waverley Station and Princes Street all in the hotel’s crosshairs. Inside, the swoon-worthy rooms work best for couples and friends, while there’s a knockout seventh-floor champagne lounge. To remind yourself you’re amid centuries of Scottish history, the design is infused with subtle nods to the nation — cue cracked stone walls, thistles and unicorns (Scotland’s national animal, if you need to ask).
Spa N
Pool N
Price £££
8. The Inn Place, Royal Mile
Best for groups
Where the Royal Mile tumbles towards Edinburgh Waverley railway station, you’ll find this easy-on-the-eye, 19th-century boutique hotel. It’s on Cockburn Street, one of the city’s loveliest cobblestone belts, and it’s a source of good taste: the hearty, cooked-to-order breakfast in the street level café is a belter. There are also free newspapers and wi-fi, and a bar lounge. Throughout the four floors there are doubles and kings as well as private dormitories with bunks for larger groups.
Spa N
Pool N
Price ££
9. The Grassmarket Hotel, Grassmarket
Best for pubs
Most Edinburgh locals avoid the Grassmarket like the plague. The basin-like square of historic taverns and brazenly touristy pubs is the stronghold of hen and stag parties at the weekend, but it’s also where you’ll find some of the most wallet-friendly hotels in Edinburgh. Nifty quirks are the draw here — from packed lunches and bike hire to magnetic wall-sized maps — while the snug doubles and pared-back triples and quads are superb for party-hard groups.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £
10. The Rutland Hotel, West End
Best for distilleries
Almost hiding in plain sight on the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road, the Rutland is tucked away inside the Huxley, a living room of sorts for West End locals having breakfast, coffee and after-work drinks. Beyond that is a lovely 12-bed hotel with eclectic decor, peekaboo Edinburgh Castle views, serviced apartments and some of the Lothians’ most welcome butcher block steaks at Kyloe Restaurant & Grill. Other reasons to stay are the swanky new Johnnie Walker Princes Street crowd-pleaser across the road and the Edinburgh Gin Distillery next door — two boozy experiences fit for lovable Scottish rogue Rab C Nesbitt.
Spa N
Pool N
Price ££
11. Stay Central Hotel, Cowgate
Best for budget
While the almost subterranean Cowgate is most commonly the realm of late-night drinkers and clubbers, it’s also home to budget visitors aplenty looking for a steal. Which is to say there are plenty of student-friendly hostels and hotels in the area, the best of which is this ridiculously cheap and cheerful pad for groups and city breakers. Perks include about en-suite rooms with TVs, on-demand movies, iPod docks and rainfall showers.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £
12. The Scott Hotel, Newington
Best for electric cars
Looking for an 18th-century baronial manor with grand dining room, fireplaces and stained glass windows? You’ve come to the right place. This super-slick property is located within the University of Edinburgh residential grounds and fizzes with local hospitality and old world charm — the Red Room bar is a corker, while the restaurant overlooks lovingly tended private gardens. The rooms have been given a recent refresh, so too the car park with electric vehicle recharging stations. You might think the hotel is named after Edinburgh’s most famous Scott, polymath Walter, but you’d be wrong. It’s a tribute to Alexander Scott, the original owner of the stately home.
Spa N
Pool N
Price ££
13. B+B Edinburgh, West End
Best for whisky
On a backstreet of Georgian townhouses, this B&B is as unassuming as budget hotels in Edinburgh get. Slip away from the bustle of the city centre to read a book in its gorgeous wood-panelled library, or spoil yourself with a cream tea in front of a period fireplace. For something stronger, there’s also a whisky-stocked residents’ bar for a dram. Up the grand staircase, you’ll find sophisticated rooms with tiled bathrooms, while the street-side rooms on the highest floor come with retina-filling castle views.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £
14. Motel One Edinburgh Royal, city centre
Best for families
Your journey to Edinburgh may be long, but the final steps to this central hotel are anything but: it’s a haggis throw away from Waverley station and the tram stops near Princes Street. Away from the busy streets, this has just the right amount of tartan-infused style: look for the hotel’s signature turquoise-brown plaid in drapes, armchairs and headboards, as well as a light installation made from whisky decanters and a trophy wall of artistic sheep heads. The designers have also brought the outside inside in another way — by planting native ferns and Highland mosses. As for the rooms, aim high for those with gothic skyline views. Children under 12 stay for free.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £