My Recommendations for Accommodation in Edinburgh (For Every Budget)

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One of the most common questions I’m asked about visiting Edinburgh is ”where should I stay?” – well lucky for you, I know Edinburgh really well. I lived in the city for two years, and now I live in the next town over. I’m constantly in and out of the city, and I’m often invited to hotel openings, and exploring the accommodation for myself and my clients. In this article, I’m sharing my top picks for where to stay in Edinburgh, no matter your budget or travel style.

Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in the world- and beauty does come at a cost. The biggest complaint I hear from travellers is that reasonable accommodation is already full, or it’s too expensive.

I have sorted through my favourite accommodation to suit everyone- whether you’re travelling on a budget, or you’d like the ultimate luxury. I also have my favourite options for families and groups- and all of these choices are located near the city centre, unless otherwise specified.

This guide isn’t going to do a deep dive into every single detail about each recommendation- instead, I have listed my top three recommendations for each category (budget hotels, lunxury hotels, family-friendly accommodation etc).

I’ve included a link for each recommendation, which includes more information about the accommodation itself, facilities and so on.

I hope this guide takes the stress out of finding a place to stay in Edinburgh!

On a budget?

If you are travelling on a budget, avoid staying in Edinburgh during August when the festivals are on. Accommodation triples in price at this time of year!

General Recommendations for Accommodation in Edinburgh

The Royal Mile in Edinburgh (left/top); Exploring Edinburgh in winter (right/bottom)

I’ll start with my general recommendations for accommodation in Edinburgh, which is the type of accommodation I would book for myself and my husband. Our perfect accommodation is what I like to call affordable luxury, or middle-range. We want to be comfortable, but since we’re spending most of our time exploring, our focus is a comfortable bed, clean, modern interiors, and excellent customer service.

My hotel recommendations for Edinburgh

These are the options I recommend to everyone unless they specifically ask for budget or high-end options.

• Motel One Princes Street – excellent location on the main street in New Town, across from the Waverley train station (average of £220 per night during summer)
• Apex Grassmarket – located in a central location in the Old Town in the Grassmarket area with lots of pubs and restaurants nearby (average £275 per night during summer)
• Ibis Styles St Andrews Square – of all three Ibis hotels in Edinburgh, this is the best one with an excellent central location in the New Town (average cost £275 per night)

Hostels in Edinburgh

Castle Rock Hostel

• Castle Rock Hostel (adults only) – Excellent location next to Edinburgh Castle. This hostel also has activities and events- including a weekly pub crawl that’s a lot of fun.
• Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel – If you’re looking for a quiet, non-party hostel, I highly recommend this one.

My top tip for visiting Edinburgh

If you are visiting Edinburgh, I highly recommend signing up for my Planning A Trip To Edinburgh Workshop. I created this workshop with my friend and Lonely Planet Scotland author, Kay Gillispie, who is a resident in Edinburgh. In this 90-minute workshop, we share all our tips and hidden gems in the city- and you even get our Food + Drink Recommendations Map. It will make planning your trip SO much easier, saving you a lot of time figuring everything out yourself.

Budget hotels in Edinburgh

I want to clarify something quickly- anything under £200 a night is what I consider to be ‘budget’ for Edinburgh. While I usually feel a budget hotel is under £100 per night across the rest of Scotland, Edinburgh is a super expensive city, and the average cost of a budget hotel is much higher!

Anyway, these are my choices for simple, budget style hotels in Edinburgh:

• Premier Inn – My top recommendation for a budget hotel in Edinburgh. Premier Inn is a chain and they have hotels throughout Scotland. They also have several hotels throughout the city with the Edinburgh City Centre hotel being the most central. Expect basic, clean and tidy, no-frills accommodation.
• No11 Boutique Hotel & Brasserie – There are two rooms at this hotel (the Small Double and the Standard Double) that are priced under £200 a night. It’s slightly out of the city centre- a 17-minute walk to Princes Street, the main street in the New Town.
• Yotel Edinburgh – This hotel is in an excellent location in the New Town, and you can get rooms priced at £149 per night in the summer and as low as £115 in the autumn/winter.
• Grove House Hotel – This is a great wee hotel, but it’s located in Fountainbridge, which is slightly out of the city centre (it’s a 20-minute walk to Edinburgh Castle). The average price tends to be between £130-£200 per night.
• The Bruntsfield Hotel – Slightly out of the city centre (a 20-minute walk to Edinburgh Castle) but a well-priced hotel with some rooms priced under £200 per night during the summer.
• Moxy Fountainbridge – A well-priced chain hotel that is a 20-minute walk to Edinburgh Castle.
• Point A Hotel – Great location and close to the Haymarket train station. The cheapest rooms tend to be quite small, and some without windows, but if you don’t plan on spending much time in your room, it’s fine.

Accommodation suitable for families

If you’re travelling with kids, I recommend staying in an apartment or self-catering property. I also suggest looking at Airbnb as you will find many self-catering options there.

• Heeton Concept Aparthotel Queen Street – Great location and a bit quieter for families. They have family rooms, self-catering facilities, and a free crib upon request.
• Wilde Aparthotels Grassmarket – Another apart hotel that has family rooms. Some have views of Edinburgh Castle!

Edinburgh too expensive?

If you find that even the budget hotels are out of your price range, never fear- Edinburgh is an expensive city! I recommend staying in Glasgow or Stirling, and ride the Scotrail train into Edinburgh. There are regular trains from both cities, but the accommodation in much cheaper (especially in Stirling!).

Luxury accommodation in Edinburgh

• House of Gods – For a luxury hotel, House of Gods is surprisingly affordable. Expect OTT elegance- a hotel for movie stars.
• The Balmoral – Easily the most recognisable luxury hotel in Edinburgh, The Balmoral is for you if you want a luxury hotel in the city centre.
• The Witchery By The Castle – Famous for its restaurant, The Witchery is just a few steps away from Edinburgh Castle and provides accommodation that makes you feel like a King or Queen living in the 18th century.
• Fingal Hotel – Luxury on a boat! The Fingal Hotel is a five-star luxury floating hotel in Leith, two miles from the city centre.

Looking for authentic Scottish clothing?

If you are in Edinburgh and looking for authentic, Scotland-made kilts, tartans and accessories, be sure to visit ScotlandShop on South Queensferry Street. They have plenty of options to choose from in-store, and they also create bespoke, tailored clothing (like my Cameron of Lochiel skirt in the photo above!). They have international delivery, so if you’re visiting Edinburgh and want something made and sent home, they can do it! You can also book an online appointment with them at home to take your measurements and pick up your tartan creation in-store.

You can save 10% using my discount code KIWI10 (this works in-store, online and at any of ScotlandShop’s events).

Accommodation suitable for large groups

• Monkton House – a super quirky castle on the outskirts of Edinburgh that can sleep up to 21 people.

Were you successful in finding accommodation based on my recommendations? I’d love to hear about your experience!

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