11 Best Hotels in Edinburgh and the Lothians, Scotland

The attention to detail in the elegantly appointed rooms and suites, where colors and patterns echo the country's heathers and moors, and the sheer Edwardian splendor of this grand, former railroad hotel make staying at The Balmoral a special introduction to Edinburgh. Here, below the landmark clock tower (with its clock set three minutes fast to ensure locals don't miss their trains), the lively buzz makes you feel as if you're at the center of city life. The hotel's plush, Michelin-starred Number One restaurant serves fantastic Scottish seafood and game, Brasserie Prince promotes French cooking with Scottish produce, and fancy afternoon tea is served in the gorgeous glass-domed Palm Court. The whisky bar serves more than 400 malts and blends accompanied by unusual bar snacks. If you overindulge, recuperate at the luxurious spa.

Baroque opulence reigns in this 1687 mansion, with rich velvet curtains, gold-framed portraits, and alabaster-sculpted busts adorning the grand and eccentric public rooms, and equally plush decorations in the guest rooms. This style reaches its apex in the impossibly indulgent Owners Suite, complete with a draped four-poster bed, antique-filled sitting room, and library-style bathroom. The romantic Rhubarb restaurant is suitably sumptuous with its theatrical decor and a menu featuring Scottish beef, venison, monkfish, and hake. Outside, the hotel's 20-acre grounds are home to Highland "coos" (cows), peacocks, and grouse.

Set within two Victorian town houses that sit across the road from one another, with each offering a selection of beautifully appointed rooms and suites, this hotel is one of Edinburgh's most luxurious boutique options. The rooms in both properties—Dunstane House and Hampton House—are tastefully furnished with incredibly comfortable king beds, smart TVs, and Nespresso machines, while the suites also include beautifully upholstered sofas and Fired Earth roll-top baths. The hotel also has a good restaurant serving meals and snacks all day long, as well as a bar stocked with a tempting range of Scottish whiskies, gins, and beers. It's a little out of town, but that means it's lovely and quiet, and a convenient location for those traveling to and from Edinburgh Airport (or those going to Murrayfield for the rugby).

Leave it to one of the United Kingdom's most forward-thinking hotel chains to convert a Victorian-era asylum into this understated luxury property, which combines a real sense of history with contemporary decor and trappings. The 47 amply proportioned rooms are all individually designed, though you'll find each combines original architectural elements with modern conveniences. There's also French-style Bistro du Vin, a mezzanine bar, a cigar area, a well-stocked wine cellar, and a whisky snug, where 270 different varieties of the "water of life" are ripe for sampling. It may have a brutal history, but today it's a great place to relax in the heart of the city.

Nominated for several style awards, this chic boutique hotel at the west end of Princes Street offers 12 guest rooms with flamboyant fabrics and classic furnishings, as well as nine stylish serviced apartments, a flexible option for a family or two couples traveling together. The building itself is thought to have been the residence of Sir Joseph Lister (1827–1912), who performed the world's first successful surgery using anesthetic—but no such measures are needed to guarantee a good night's sleep here today. Enjoy a meal in the excellent Kyloe Restaurant & Grill or end your day with a whisky in The Huxley Bar.

Permanently berthed in the Port of Leith, Fingal cuts an elegant figure, rising up amongst the urban port landscape like a beacon from the past. This handsome ship was a former Northern Lighthouse Board service vessel. Built in 1963, she spent 30 years supporting lighthouses around Scotland’s west coast. In 2019, Fingal’s latest incarnation–as a luxury hotel–opened, and is now maintained by the team behind the Royal Yacht Britannia. Staying in this boutique “floating” hotel offers a kind of quiet, understated luxury that shines most beautifully in the warmth of their staff.

Glass walls extend from the 19th-century facade of a former church, foreshadowing the daring, modern interior of one of the city's original, and best, boutique hotels. Rooms are decorated in a minimalist, almost businesslike style, with soft browns and beiges blending with the dark wood and white linen. All have floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the New Town or the hotel's star attraction: the stunning rooftop garden with views of Calton Hill. If weather permits, order a decadent picnic basket—complete with sandwiches, Scotch eggs, cheeses, desserts, and your choice of two cocktails—and lay a blanket down on the grass to enjoy.

Built in 1775 for Edinburgh's elite, this row of five Georgian town houses in the heart of the New Town now hosts a luxury hotel. The grandiose property is home to 240 beautifully appointed rooms and suites, each with an understated—and very Scottish—palette of muted grays, browns, and blues. Some of the suites also offer spectacular views out over North Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth. But the best part of a stay here is the location, a three-minute walk from Princes Street and 10 minutes from the Royal Mile—ideal for exploring Edinburgh's main attractions. When it comes to dining and drinking, Le Petit Beef Bar serves steaks, shared platters, and street-food-inspired dishes, while Burr & Co coffee shop is a lovely spot for a cup of joe and a light lunch.

This magnificent turn-of-the-20th-century building, with its grand marble staircase and its fascinating history (it was once the headquarters of The Scotsman newspaper) now houses a modern luxury hotel. Muted colors and contemporary furnishings decorate the individually designed rooms. For peace and quiet, ask for an upper-story room with a view. The hotel's Grand Cafe serves lunch and dinner—as well an excellent afternoon tea—while snacks and drinks are available in the cozy Hide Bar.

An imposing and ornate red-sandstone building situated at the west end of Princes Street Gardens, "The Caley" has dramatic Victorian decor, beautifully restored interiors, and more castle-view rooms than anywhere else in the city. Constructed between 1899 and 1903 as the flagship hotel of the Caledonian Railway, its public areas have marbled green columns and an ornate stairwell with a burnished-metalwork balustrade. Now a Waldorf Astoria property, the hotel offers elegant, understated guest rooms and superb restaurants run by two of Scotland's most exciting and innovative young chefs: Dean Banks at the Pompadour and Grazing by Mark Greenaway.