In this guide
💡 The Short Version: For a first visit, stay in the Old Town round the Royal Mile, or between Princes Street and George Street in the New Town: the hotels below are 0.03 to 1.0 km from St Giles’ Cathedral, and Waverley station is 0.1 to 1.0 km away. Stockbridge, Leith and the south side are quieter, 1.3 to 3.6 km out. Edinburgh charges a visitor levy of 5% of the room price before VAT on the first five nights, for stays from 24 July 2026. Prices change with the dates, so check yours on Hotels.com. Or book a walk: the Old Town History and Tales Walking Tourad is from £18 for 2 hours.
The areas, compared
Distances are straight lines from the hotels listed below, so a walk is longer. The Old Town is on a ridge and Stockbridge is downhill from the New Town, so the way back is uphill. Trams and buses are in Edinburgh public transport, and the airport is in Edinburgh airport to the city.
| Area | To St Giles’ | To Waverley | What it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town and the Royal Mile | 0.03 to 0.6 km | 0.1 to 0.7 km | A first visit, on foot |
| Princes Street and Waverley | 0.4 to 0.55 km | 0.1 to 0.3 km | An early train, the Christmas market |
| The New Town | 0.5 to 1.0 km | 0.3 to 1.0 km | Shopping, restaurants, Georgian streets |
| The West End and Haymarket | 1.6 to 1.7 km | 1.7 to 1.8 km | Haymarket station and the tram |
| Stockbridge | 1.3 to 1.9 km | 1.2 to 1.8 km | Cafés, the Water of Leith, a village feel |
| Leith | 3.6 km | 3.3 km | The waterfront, the Royal Yacht Britannia |
| Calton Hill and the east end | 0.6 km | 0.3 km | Waverley, the Playhouse, a quiet lane |
| The south side | 1.8 to 2.6 km | 1.9 to 2.6 km | Holyrood Park, Arthur’s Seat, Bruntsfield |
The hotels
The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com. Michelin’s Keys are the guide’s own ratings for hotels, and “Selected” means a hotel is in the guide without a Key.
Old Town and the Royal Mile
The castle, the Royal Mile, St Giles’ Cathedral and the Grassmarket are inside a few streets, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse is at the foot of the Mile. The hotels there, from 30 m to 600 m of St Giles’, are in hotels near the Royal Mile. The sights are in Edinburgh Castle tickets and the Royal Mile walk.
Princes Street and Waverley
The east end of Princes Street has the station, the Scott Monument and, in winter, the Christmas market: see Christmas in Edinburgh.
The Balmoral’s clock tower and the Scott Monument, with the castle behind. Photo: Mike McBey, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The Balmoral
1 Princes Street · 186 rooms · two Michelin Keys · Hotels.comad
The clock-tower hotel over Waverley station, 0.12 km from the platforms. Castle View rooms look across Princes Street Gardens to the castle, the whisky bar holds over 500 malts, and the hotel has a spa and a J.K. Rowling Suite. Number One, its restaurant, is a Michelin Selected restaurant.
Apex Waterloo Place Hotel
Waterloo Place · four stars · Hotels.comad
A Georgian building at the east end of Princes Street, 0.26 km from Waverley. Yu Spa, downstairs, has a heated indoor pool, a sauna and a steam room, and the hotel has a brasserie and a bar.
The New Town
The Georgian grid north of Princes Street holds George Street’s shops and restaurants, St Andrew Square and Charlotte Square.
Georgian terraces on Moray Place in the New Town. Photo: Stephencdickson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gleneagles Townhouse
39 St Andrew Square · 33 rooms · two Michelin Keys · Hotels.comad
Gleneagles’ first city hotel, a stone’s throw from Waverley. Guests can use the members’ rooftop bar, gym and wellness spaces, and The Spence restaurant is on the ground floor.
100 Princes Street
100 Princes Street, EH2 3AB · 30 rooms · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad
The former headquarters of the Royal Overseas League, next to the National Gallery of Scotland. Some rooms look at the castle.
W Edinburgh
1 St James Square · 244 rooms · Michelin Selected · Hotels.comad
A bronze coil above the St James Quarter, spread over three buildings. Michelin says the interiors have mirrored ceilings and skyline-facing suites, the restaurant is SUSHISAMBA, and the rooftop has panoramic views.
InterContinental Edinburgh The George
19-21 George Street · 240 rooms · Michelin Selected · Hotels.comad
Five Georgian townhouses with a modern addition, a hotel since 1881. Michelin says it lacks only a spa.
Kimpton Charlotte Square
38 Charlotte Square · 199 rooms · Michelin Selected · Hotels.comad
Seven Georgian townhouses facing the square. The hotel has a swimming pool, open 06:30 to 21:00 on weekdays and 07:00 to 21:00 at weekends, with set swim times for under-15s, and pours a complimentary glass at BABA Bar between 17:00 and 18:00 daily.
Eden Locke
127 George Street · 72 rooms · Michelin Selected · Hotels.comad
A Georgian façade with 72 studios and suites, each with a kitchen and a lounge area, so it suits longer stays.
The West End and Haymarket
West of Lothian Road, the Georgian West End has Haymarket station and the tram line to the airport, 1.6 to 1.8 km from the Old Town.
The Hoxton, Edinburgh
5-21 Grosvenor Street · 214 rooms · Michelin Selected · Hotels.comad
Eleven Georgian townhouses on Grosvenor Street joined into one hotel. Michelin says most rooms keep their original cornicing and sash windows, and the ground floor has a five-seat cinema and an Amalfi-inspired trattoria, Patatino. Haymarket station and the tram are close.
The Bonham
35 Drumsheugh Gardens · Hotels.comad
A boutique hotel in a house of 1872 on a leafy crescent. Many rooms look over Drumsheugh Gardens or towards the Firth of Forth and Fife, and the restaurant is called No. 35.
Stockbridge
A village within the city on the Water of Leith, with a weekly farmers’ market, cafés and restaurants. It is downhill from the New Town. The restaurants are in where to eat in Edinburgh.
The Water of Leith path at Stockbridge. Photo: Bill Boaden, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Nira Caledonia
6 and 10 Gloucester Place · 26 rooms · Michelin Selected · Hotels.comad
Two Georgian townhouses in the New Town, a short walk from Stockbridge. The hotel says that because of the building’s history it has no lift and no air conditioning. The restaurant, Blackwoods, serves a list of 25 Scottish whiskies.
The Raeburn
Raeburn Place · 10 bedrooms · Hotels.comad
A Georgian family home of 1832 turned into a boutique hotel, with a bar, dining room, library and terraces.
Leith
Edinburgh’s waterfront, about 3.5 km from the Old Town, with the Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal. Trams run from the city centre to Newhaven, and buses serve the rest: see Royal Yacht Britannia tickets.
The Shore in Leith, on the Water of Leith. Photo: Graeme Yuill, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Fingal
Alexandra Dock · Hotels.comad
A former Northern Lighthouse Board ship moored at Leith and turned into a floating hotel, with Classic, Luxury and Duplex cabins and a Skerryvore Suite with a private deck. The hotel calls itself an AA five-star hotel, and its Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar serves afternoon tea.
Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh Leith Waterfront
Leith · Hotels.comad
A few minutes from the Royal Yacht Britannia, with the Ocean Terminal shops a short walk away and a bus into the city from opposite the hotel.
Calton Hill and the east end
Parliament House Hotel
Off Waterloo Place, at the foot of Calton Hill · 53 bedrooms · Hotels.comad
Two Jacobean and Georgian buildings joined into a hotel, down a cobbled lane. The hotel calls itself a three-star hotel because the listed buildings do not allow a lift to every room, so tell it at booking if you need lift access. The Edinburgh Playhouse is a five-minute walk.
The south side
Residential and quieter. The sights are further off, but Holyrood Park and the climb to Arthur’s Seat start on the south-east edge: see the Arthur’s Seat hike.
Prestonfield House
Priestfield Road · 23 bedrooms and suites · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad
A five-star hotel with 20 acres of gardens and parkland in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat, 2.6 km from Waverley. Its afternoon tea is in afternoon tea in Edinburgh.
The Scott
18 Holyrood Park Road · 37 rooms · Michelin Selected · Hotels.comad
An 18th-century mansion in the Pollock Estate on the edge of Holyrood Park, where open green space and the climb to Arthur’s Seat start at the door.
Black Ivy
Bruntsfield Place · Hotels.comad
A hotel and restaurant in Bruntsfield that serves breakfast from 07:30 every day. The bar is open until 1:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, there is a Park View Terrace, and the rooms accept dogs.
The visitor levy
Edinburgh’s visitor levy has applied to stays since 24 July 2026 (City of Edinburgh Council).
- The rate. 5% of the cost of the paid overnight accommodation, charged before VAT, at the same rate every day of the year.
- The cap. It is charged on the first five nights of a stay only.
- Not charged on. Extras such as parking, meals, drinks or transport.
- Who pays. Anyone staying in paid overnight accommodation in Edinburgh, including tourists, people on business and UK and Scottish residents. It covers hotels, aparthotels, bed and breakfasts, guest houses, hostels, self-catering flats, short-term lets, boats and vehicles that stay mostly in one place, and campsites.
- Booked early. A stay on or after 24 July 2026 that was booked and paid for, in part or in full, before 1 October 2025 is not subject to the levy.
- Exemptions. The council lists people who are not away from a permanent home, such as those who are homeless or have refugee or asylum-seeker status, and a refund after the stay for people on certain disability and war-pension benefits.
Before you book
- Dates that fill the city. Edinburgh’s Christmas runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, Hogmanay from 29 December, and Burns Night is on Monday 25 January 2027. Scotland play at Murrayfield on Saturday 6 February, Saturday 13 February and Friday 5 March. The Science Festival runs from 3 to 18 April, the Royal Highland Show from 17 to 20 June and the Jazz & Blues Festival from 16 to 25 July. The Fringe and the Tattoo both start on 6 August 2027: see Edinburgh in August.
- Winter. The market, the ice attractions and Hogmanay are in Christmas in Edinburgh and Hogmanay in Edinburgh.
- Weather. The best time to visit Edinburgh gives the weather by month.
For the sights that need booking, see what to book before you go to Edinburgh. To fit them into days, see Edinburgh in one or two days. Where to eat in Edinburgh, afternoon tea in Edinburgh and Edinburgh food tours cover the meals, and day trips from Edinburgh covers the trips out.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Edinburgh for a first visit?
The Old Town, round the Royal Mile, where the castle, St Giles' Cathedral and the Grassmarket are on foot, or the streets between Princes Street and George Street in the New Town. The hotels in those two areas are 0.03 to 1.0 km from St Giles' Cathedral in a straight line.
Where should I stay in Edinburgh for an early train?
Near Waverley station. The Balmoral is 0.12 km from it, Gleneagles Townhouse 0.28 km, Apex Waterloo Place 0.26 km and Parliament House Hotel 0.32 km, in straight lines. The Hoxton at Haymarket is 1.8 km away but next to Haymarket station and the tram.
Is there a tourist tax in Edinburgh?
Yes. The Edinburgh visitor levy is 5% of the cost of the paid overnight accommodation, charged before VAT, on the first five nights only. It applies to stays from 24 July 2026 and to everyone, including UK and Scottish residents. It is not charged on parking, meals, drinks or transport.
Which Edinburgh hotels have a swimming pool?
Apex Waterloo Place has a heated indoor pool, sauna and steam room, and Kimpton Charlotte Square has a pool open 06:30 to 21:00 on weekdays and 07:00 to 21:00 at weekends. Apex Grassmarket Hotel, on the Royal Mile page, also has a heated indoor pool.
Which Edinburgh hotels hold Michelin Keys?
Michelin gives two Keys to The Balmoral and Gleneagles Townhouse, and one Key to 100 Princes Street and Prestonfield House. W Edinburgh, InterContinental The George, Kimpton Charlotte Square, Eden Locke, The Hoxton, The Scott and Nira Caledonia are in the guide as Selected hotels with no Key.
Is Stockbridge a good place to stay in Edinburgh?
For a quieter base with cafés and restaurants on the Water of Leith, yes. The hotels listed are 1.3 to 1.9 km from St Giles' in a straight line, and Nira Caledonia has no lift or air conditioning.
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