Best boutique hotels in Edinburgh: Where to stay for romance and Old Town views

Our pick of the top boutique places to stay in Scotland’s capital, from Victorian villas to a quirky floating hotel

Oct 25, 2024 - 21:01

0 12

Best boutique hotels in Edinburgh: Where to stay for romance and Old Town views

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

From the medieval closes of the Old Town to the regal townhouses of the Georgian New Town, Edinburgh is a city brimming with character. Days can be spent exploring independent shops on winding alleys, discovering the storied history of castles and palaces, and hiking up an extinct volcano. And that’s just the city centre. On the fringe of the city, Edinburgh’s old suburbs come with a history of their own, from the former mill estate at Dean Village to the 18th-century warehouses at Leith.

A stay in Edinburgh should be accompanied by accommodation that reflects the city’s quirks. That’s why boutique hotels are the best option for a weekend break in the Scottish capital, where cosy lounges are lined with gilded books, plush rooms are tucked away in the eaves of old buildings and extravagant afternoon teas are served in the restaurant. Here’s our pick of the best boutique hotels in Edinburgh.

The best boutique hotels in Edinburgh

At a glance

1. The Roseate

The Roseate gives colourful vibes to a Victorian property

The Roseate gives colourful vibes to a Victorian property (The Roseate)

Warm rose stone greets you at The Roseate Hotel in Edinburgh’s West End. Sumptuous accommodation is housed across twin Victorian villas, standing regal within manicured grounds. Rooms feature decadent copper soaking tubs, some making the most of huge bay windows overlooking the gardens. In the restaurant, a menu of the freshest Scottish produce is served and the bar is stocked with an exceptional selection of single malt whiskies – the perfect welcome to the Scottish capital.

Address: 4 West Coates, Edinburgh EH12 5JQ

2. The Raeburn

The hotel is in a great neighbourhood, so you’re catered for inside and out

The hotel is in a great neighbourhood, so you’re catered for inside and out (The Raeburn)

In Edinburgh’s well-to-do Stockbridge neighbourhood, The Raeburn is surrounded by independent shops, an eclectic array of brunch spots and intimate wine bars hidden in basement nooks. If you’re not out for a nightcap, stay in and enjoy one of the best bar gardens in the city, shimmering with fairylights in summer. The restaurant serves Scottish dishes cooked with finesse and the rooms are a stylish medley of William Morris print, dusty pink walls and sprawling king-sized beds.

Address: 112 Raeburn Place, Edinburgh EH4 1HG

3. The Scott

A place of pure 18th-century splendour

A place of pure 18th-century splendour (The Scott)

Turrets, grey stone and gardens bursting with rhododendrons paint a picture-perfect scene at The Scott Hotel. It looks like a miniature medieval castle set in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat but it was built in the 1750s as a Baronial house for its namesake; Alexander Scott. It’s pure 18th-century splendour inside with rich wood panelling and grand fireplaces in the lounges, and a glorious frescoed ceiling in the restaurant. The most basic bedrooms are tucked in the eaves but still feel like modern luxury. Just beyond the doorstep, the sprawling expanse of Holyrood Park waits to be explored.

Address: Pollock Estate, 18 Holyrood Park Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5AY

4. Fingal

Beds are cloud-like at the Fingal

Beds are cloud-like at the Fingal (Fingal)

And now for something completely different. This floating hotel used to be a Northern Lighthouse Board ship that supplied lighthouses across Scotland with supplies and parts. Since its retirement, the vessel has been permanently moored in the trendy Leith neighbourhood and turned into a quirky boutique hotel. Duplex cabins provide deluxe accommodation across two floors and the “penthouse” suite comes with access to the entire aft deck as a private terrace. The onboard restaurant is an afternoon tea destination in Edinburgh but, stepping off the gangplank, you’re just a short walk from The Shore where Michelin-starred restaurants sit alongside buzzing cocktail bars and brunch spots galore.

Address: Alexandra Dock, Edinburgh EH6 7DX

5. 23 Mayfield

Wake up here after a sound sleep before tucking into an award-winning breakfast

Wake up here after a sound sleep before tucking into an award-winning breakfast (23 Mayfield)

Housed in a beautiful bay-windowed Victorian villa, 23 Mayfield offers luxury stays outside the city centre. Mahogany sleigh beds, dark wood panelling and tartan splashes create an old-world feel to the plush bedrooms. It’s an easy bus journey from this Southside spot into the centre of town, but be sure to save your exploration for late morning. The breakfasts at 23 Mayfield are award-winning, using home-grown produce in their full Scottish offerings which deserve your full attention.

Address: 23 Mayfield Gardens, Edinburgh EH9 2BX

6. The Rutland

You’re close to the heart of the city at The Rutland

You’re close to the heart of the city at The Rutland (The Rutland)

It’s all about the location at The Rutland. At the west end of Princes Street, it’s in the heart of the action and almost in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. Indeed, many of the rooms come with an enviable castle view. Ascend a regal staircase within the Edwardian building to individually styled hotel rooms. Beautifully decorated apartments offer the freedom of self-catering with the benefits of hotel amenities onsite. Apart from stylish rooms, this place also boasts one of Edinburgh’s best steak restaurants.

Address: 1-3 Rutland Street, Edinburgh EH1 2AE

7. Prestonfield House

Stay here if you want peace and quiet from the city

Stay here if you want peace and quiet from the city (Prestonfield House)

This country manor sits within sprawling gardens in a southern Edinburgh suburb and is perfect for those seeking a little peace and quiet from their city stay. Peacocks strut around the grounds and a 17th-century Baroque mansion houses a stunning array of themed rooms, from the purple velvet in the decadent Provost Suite to the sleek silver and stark midnight blue in the Benjamin Franklin suite. Rhubarb Restaurant in the dramatic garden room is a destination dining experience in its own right, named for the fact that Prestonfield House was the first house to propagate rhubarb in Scotland. The fine dining menu remains an homage to locally-grown produce.

Address: Priestfield Road, Edinburgh EH16 5UT

8. House of Gods

House of Gods is kitsch, sultry and it’s oh-so-dramatic

House of Gods is kitsch, sultry and it’s oh-so-dramatic (House of Gods)

Unleash your inner diva with a stay at House of Gods in Edinburgh’s Old Town. It’s kitsch, it’s sultry and it’s oh-so-dramatic with its ultra VIP packages, milk and cookies on demand in every room, and cocktail bar Hemingway would envy. Each room is an ode to maximalism in rich reds and pitch blacks with glinting golden touches. Four-poster beds create the image of a dark fairytale – perfectly complementing the hotel’s Old Town locale.

Address: 233 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JQ

9. Hotel du Vin

The restaurant as well as the rooms are a highlight here

The restaurant as well as the rooms are a highlight here (Hotel Du Vin)

Tucked in a historic building in Edinburgh’s Old Town, Hotel du Vin was once a poor house, then an asylum and then a science lab. This 18th-century building is now a labyrinth of surprisingly colourful and exceptionally plush rooms. The original stonework shines through, but each room comes with all mod cons for a comfortable stay. The restaurant is a highlight where Scottish produce is married with French style and (as the name suggests) the wine cellar has one of the finest collections in the city.

Address: 11 Bristo Place, Edinburgh EH1 1EZ

10. The Bonham

Tuck yourself away in this Victorian townhouse

Tuck yourself away in this Victorian townhouse (The Bonham)

Rooms at The Bonham either come with a view of leafy Drumsheugh Gardens or out to the shimmering Firth of Forth beyond Edinburgh. It’s in the regal New Town, where wide boulevards house fine-dining restaurants, designer shops and classy bars. Basic double rooms are a sumptuous mix of velvet and tufted leather, and suites are even more extravagant with full living rooms in huge bay windows. The hotel is dotted with artworks from Richard H Driehaus’ private collection. Dining at No. 35 restaurant is a real treat, especially sampling the “afternoon cheese” – an afternoon tea dedicated to some of the finest cheeses from across Scotland.

Address: 35 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh EH3 7RN

11. Black Ivy

In Edinburgh’s well-heeled Bruntsfield neighbourhood, Black Ivy is just across The Meadows from the Old Town. Each of the 21 bedrooms inside overlooking the green expanse of Bruntsfield Links. Enjoy a lie-in in your luxury room; brunch here is served until 5pm and cocktails can be enjoyed on the terrace until 1am. This place is perfect for night owls.

Address: 4 Alvanley Terrace, Edinburgh EH9 1DU