Market Street Hotel

Market Street Hotel calls itself Scotland's original design hotel, and it is part of the Design Hotels group and the Carlton Collection. It stands at 6 Market Street in the Old Town, about a minute's walk from Waverley station, which makes it one of the most convenient hotels in the city for anyone arriving by train. It is a four-star hotel.

The style is fresh and contemporary, with Scottish culture and heritage woven into the design, including the unicorn, Scotland's national animal, as a recurring motif. Room categories range from Cozy rooms to Vista rooms with city views, Roomy rooms and Roomy Bath rooms with a bathtub, and the Mhor Suite. Accessible rooms are available. Twin rooms are very limited and can only be requested through the reservations team, and there are no interconnecting rooms, which is worth knowing for families.

The highlight is Nor' Loft, the rooftop champagne bar on the seventh floor, with views over the New Town, Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument. It serves breakfast to hotel guests and later switches to a menu of caviar and Scottish sharing dishes, with more than 20 champagnes on the list. Reception is also on the seventh floor, so the views greet you on arrival.

Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is until 11am, with early check-in from 10am available for a fee. Luggage storage is free on arrival and departure days. There is no car park at the hotel; guests can use the APCOA car park at Waverley station at a discount, but note that both the hotel and the car park are inside Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone, so check your vehicle's compliance before driving in.

Market Street Hotel suits couples, solo travellers and anyone arriving by train who wants a stylish base without the size of a grand hotel. The location is central: Princes Street is around three minutes' walk, the Royal Mile around four minutes, and the Scottish National Gallery and Princes Street Gardens are just across the valley. Cockburn Street, with its independent shops and cafés, climbs to the Royal Mile from nearby, and the City Art Centre and Fruitmarket gallery are on Market Street itself.