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Best Hotels in Edinburgh (2026)

Where you stay in Edinburgh shapes your trip. The Old Town puts you among the main sights, with Virgin Hotels Edinburgh on Victoria Street and budget beds at Kick Ass Grassmarket below the castle, though the area is busy at night. Around Waverley station, Market Street Hotel and Motel One Edinburgh-Royal are ideal if you arrive by train and want to walk everywhere. The New Town is calmer and more elegant: The Balmoral at the east end of Princes Street and Gleneagles Townhouse on St Andrew Square are the luxury choices, and Kimpton Charlotte Square fills Georgian townhouses at the western end of George Street.

For something different, Prestonfield House offers a country-house stay in its own grounds beneath Arthur's Seat, with free parking. Stockbridge and Leith suit travellers wanting a more local base, with good restaurants nearby. Book as early as possible for August, when the festivals push prices up and availability down, and for Hogmanay. Remember that Edinburgh's visitor levy applies to hotel stays, and that many central hotels have no on-site parking, so arriving by train, tram or bus is usually easier than driving.

8 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Our top 3 hotels in Edinburgh

  1. The Balmoral Luxury grand hotel, New TownRocco Forte's five-star landmark at the east end of Princes Street, opened in 1902 as a railway hotel, with a spa, whisky bar and famous clock tower.
  2. Gleneagles Townhouse Luxury boutique hotel and members' club, New TownThe Edinburgh outpost of Gleneagles, a 33-room luxury hotel in a Georgian building on St Andrew Square with The Spence restaurant and a rooftop bar.
  3. Prestonfield House Luxury country house hotel, PrestonfieldA five-star country house hotel in 20 acres of parkland beneath Arthur's Seat, with 23 opulent rooms and suites and the all-day Rhubarb restaurant.

Hotel

1. The Balmoral

Luxury grand hotel$$$$New Town

Rocco Forte's five-star landmark at the east end of Princes Street, opened in 1902 as a railway hotel, with a spa, whisky bar and famous clock tower.

View details — The Balmoral