3 Best Hotels in West End, Edinburgh and the Lothians

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.

Standing out along an elegant and tranquil West End terrace, this excellent B&B is the Scottish outpost of supertrendy B+B Belgravia of London; the imposing Victorian mansion combines grand public spaces with affordable modern accommodation. An elegant entrance, hallway, and handsome original features—including marble and carved wood—are complemented by quirky lights and furniture. The building has a double-height library and a lounge bar crammed with interesting artwork and antiques, as well as views down to leafy Dean Village and the Water of Leith from the large breakfast room. The contemporary bedrooms offer muted colors and simple but stylish decor: think gray walls, large artwork, and big comfy beds.

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.