Top 10: the best hotels near Edinburgh Castle
An insider's guide to the best hotels near Edinburgh Castle, featuring the top places to stay for romantic restaurants, elegant rooms, cosy bars and stylish interiors, near Waverley Station and the Royal Mile.
Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
An imposing and historic building in the heart of the city, with a top restaurant and a new spa. It's a modern take on the grand hotel: doormen in top hats, afternoon teas and women in furs alongside first-class connectivity, a fitness centre (with swimming pool and Guerlain spa) and impeccably refurbished rooms. These come in four grades, from Classic to Suites, decorated in lightly soothing or softly stormy colours. Splash out on a Castle View room for a heart-swelling outlook on life in Edinburgh. Read expert review From £155per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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G&V Royal Mile Hotel
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
The only five-star hotel on the Royal Mile, located between the George IV Bridge and the photogenic charms of Victoria Street. For a hotel with 167 rooms it feels remarkably personal, with graceful references to the past incorporated in the new Scottish designer-led revamp. Rooms come in Cosy, Signature, Superior and Deluxe, all with iPod docks and Nespresso machines. It’s a five-minute stroll up the Royal Mile to the castle, and room 507 has a huge window framing a fabulous view of it. Read expert review From £123per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Hotel Du Vin & Bistro Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
The Hotel du Vin group is known for its imaginative use of historically interesting buildings and this branch in the Old Town — close to the old Royal Infirmary and well-placed for exploring — is no exception. It is intriguingly located in an 18th-century former asylum, and carefully mixes original features with a sleek modernity. The mezzanine-level bar is convivial, great for people-watching and offers over a dozen wines by the glass plus, of course, a wine list of fun and adventure. Read expert review From £104per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa
Edinburgh, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
Located in Festival Square on the Lothian Road overlooking the west side of Edinburgh Castle is this modern hotel that has everything you would expect from the brand, with bells on. 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. There are 269 rooms in five categories, and these range from Classic to Grand Suite, all with a look best described as well-tailored. Read expert review From £150per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Motel One Edinburgh-Princes
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
Located bang opposite Waverley Station and handy for everything. The German Motel One brand brings strong design to budget hotels, leaving everyone else playing catch-up. Here that means an identity that is bold, distinctive and slightly bonkers. Rooms are pleasingly minimal, with white walls and accents of turquoise and dark brown; book a front-facing room for views of the castle. Public areas are stylish, fun and functional; bedrooms are simple triumphs of good design using the house style with a lighter touch. Read expert review From £69per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Doubletree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre
Edinburgh, Scotland
7Telegraph expert rating
This city-centre hotel is not on the most salubrious-looking street in Edinburgh, but it’s in a central location close to the Grassmarket, with a great view of the imposing south side of the castle, and good restaurants nearby too. Although strongly corporate, the welcome is as genuinely warm as the complimentary cookie handed out on arrival, while the more stylish bar and restaurant areas make up for regimentally uniform but convincingly comfortable bedrooms. Read expert review From £81per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Inn on the Mile
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
This former Royal Mile bank — a scaled-down layer cake of classical stone with colonnade and pediment — has been successfully converted into a lively pub with unexpectedly serene hotel rooms above. It's on one of the busiest locations in the city – the corner of the Bridges and the Royal Mile. This is a great location for sight-seeing if you want to be in the thick of things. The breakfast menu is short and straightforward, the main menu has fairly predictable staples and the occasional Scottish reference. Read expert review From £72per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Witchery by the Castle
Edinburgh, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
This extraordinary collection of fantasy suites near Edinburgh Castle is the ultimate romantic hideaway: sumptuous, indulgent, and slightly (delightfully) mad. The nine suites are an antique dealer’s dream: the rooms set-dressed with fascinatingly eclectic clutter; all jewel-coloured velvets, silks and brocades, carved wood, gilding and candle-light - think decadent ecclesiastical. Beds are dramatically draped or four-postered (or both); chin-deep bateau baths are perfect for sharing. Read expert review From £235per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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, the most expensive of which look out over Princes Street, the Castle and Arthur’s Seat, over-the-top marble bathrooms, a spa, gym and swimming pool and Number One restaurant (Michelin star-holder for 13 years), as well as a brasserie, the Balmoral Bar and a dedicated whisky bar, this is a 21st-century version of a grand hotel. Read expert review From £280per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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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 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. The 61 rooms and three suites are an entertaining take on clubby traditional meets contemporary design. Minibars have complimentary water, juice and snacks and bathrooms have a faintly Art Deco feel. The Juniper Cocktail Bar is bright and buzzy, leading into a quieter area with inviting high back chairs, perfect for a quiet loll. Read expert review From £99per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
