Edinburgh is a city rich in history, with beautiful medieval architecture and many tourist attractions. Knowing where to stay in Edinburgh in terms of location is easy, but it takes planning and lots of tips to get it right.
High rates are common in the Scottish capital, especially in summer. And the currency doesn't help much - after all, it's the pound sterling.
Fortunately, the location of most hotels in Edinburgh is very good, making it easy to get around the city on foot.
Below we'll show you the best neighbourhoods to stay in Edinburgh, with suggestions for hotels that offer good value for money, including budget hotels.
Read our special tips in the full article on What to do in Edinburghwith over 25 worthwhile attractions!
Where to stay in Edinburgh in the New Town - Princes Street?
Princes Street Gardens with Edinburgh Castle in the background
Princes Street is the main street of Edinburgh's New Town, the most recent area of the centre, but dating back to the 18th century. It's a historic place, but recent by Scottish standards.
With its neoclassical and Georgian architecture, the New Town has international chain shops and hotels, great access to public transport and is the city's most modern shopping centre.
In the New Town, there are a variety of hotel types, from guest houses to chain hotels. For travellers looking for flats to rent, the area is also very good.
It's worth noting that Princes Street is very busy. If you want to stay somewhere quieter, the streets further away from Princes Street are good choices for where to stay in Edinburgh.
It's definitely worth staying near Princes Street, because you'll have plenty to do during the day as well as at night.
Check out some great accommodation in Edinburgh's New Town below:
Best hotels in Edinburgh near Princes Street
Accommodation at ibis Styles Edinburgh St Andrew Square
CoDE Co-Living - The LoFT - EdinburghCoDE Co-Living - The LoFT - Edinburgh : bed in dormitory from £18. CoDE Co-Living is one of the best hostels in Edinburgh. As well as having an excellent location, this hostel has good communal areas, such as a kitchen, and is praised for the cleanliness and privacy of its beds.
Haystack Hostel: bed in a dormitory with a daily rate from £18. Haystack Hostel is another very good hostel in Edinburgh, with its friendly service and super central location.
Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre: double room from £45. The Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre is one of the best located cheap hotels in Edinburgh. The rooms are simple and standardised, but are praised for their cleanliness.
ibis Styles Edinburgh St Andrew Squareibis Styles Edinburgh St Andrew Square: double room from £50. The ibis Styles Edinburgh St Andrew Square is one of the best budget hotels in Edinburgh, with modern rooms and a great location. In the same price range is the YOTEL Edinburgha large, modern hotel.
Elder York Guest House: double room from £60. The main plus point of the Elder York Guest House is its location, just 500 metres from Princes Street. There are rooms of various sizes in the guesthouse and breakfast is included in the rate. In the same price range is the Frederick House Hotelwhich stands out for its location.
Motel One Edinburgh-Princes: double room from £70. Motel One Edinburgh-Princes is one of the best value-for-money hotels. With its super central location, good-sized rooms and professional staff, the Motel One Edinburgh-Princes stands out among the hotels in Edinburgh. In the same price range, there are the excellent studios at the Eden Lockewhich also has well-decorated larger flats.
Native Edinburgh: studio from £75. The Native Edinburgh apart-hotel has the best studios and flats in Edinburgh, with a sophisticated atmosphere and excellent facilities.
Angels Share Hotel: double room from £90. Angels Share Hotel is a well-located boutique hotel, ideal for those who prefer modernity and excellent facilities. In the same price range, there are flats in the sophisticated Edinburgh Castle Apartments.
Apex Waterloo Place HotelApex Waterloo Place Hotel : double room from £100. The Apex Waterloo Place Hotel is one of the best hotels in Edinburgh, with charming, good-sized rooms and great facilities.
York Place Apartments by Destination Edinburgh: 2-bedroom flat from £110. York Place Apartments is great value for money for those travelling in groups or with the family, with up to 4-bedroom flats.
Where to stay in Edinburgh in the Old Town - Royal Mile?
The Royal Mile is the main thoroughfare of the Old Town, Edinburgh's oldest neighbourhood. Travellers who choose the Royal Mile want to be close to the sights, as well as plenty of shops and restaurants.
The Old Town is the best option for those who only have a few days in the city and want to feel the medieval and historic atmosphere. Everything is very photogenic there.
As the Royal Mile is very popular, the best value-for-money hotels on where to stay in Edinburgh are in the streets close to the Royal Mile.
Check out the good hotels in Edinburgh in the Old Town below:
Best hotels in Edinburgh near the Royal Mile
Accommodation at CoDE Pod - The CoURT - Edinburgh
CoDE Pod - The CoURT - EdinburghCoDE Pod - The CoURT - Edinburgh : bed in a dormitory from £18. The CoDE Pod is super centrally located in the Old Town, but doesn't suffer from noise. In addition to the location, travellers really like the modern structure and service. In the same price range is Castle Rock Hostela smaller hostel, but equally well located and praised.
Leonardo Edinburgh CityLeonardo Edinburgh City: double room from £50. Leonardo Edinburgh City is one of the best cheap hotels in Edinburgh in the city centre, a basic hotel with comfortable rooms. In the same price range is the super central Ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge.
Aparthotel Adagio Edinburgh Royal MileThe Adagio Edinburgh Royal Mile Aparthotel is a studio with a daily rate from £60. The Aparthotel Adagio Edinburgh Royal Mile is one of the most popular aparthotels, precisely because it is economical and has studios with excellent facilities. The location is super central.
Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity Edinburgh Grassmarket: studio with a daily rate from £70. Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity Edinburgh Grassmarket is one of the best aparthotels in Edinburgh, also offering large flats, ideal for families. In the same price range, there is the excellent Motel One Edinburgh-Royalone of the most booked hotels in the whole city.
Apex City of Edinburgh HotelApex City of Edinburgh Hotel: double room from £80. Located in one of Edinburgh's most historic streets, on the Grassmarket, the Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel has good-sized, well-decorated rooms that are also very modern. Without a doubt, the Apex City is a good choice for where to stay in Edinburgh. In the same price range is the Hotel Du Vin Edinburgha traditional Scottish hotel.
Cheval Old Town Chambers: flat from £115. The Cheval Old Town Chambers has the most charming and sophisticated flats in the city.
Flats in Edinburgh
In Edinburgh, there are 584 flats or accommodations offering flats with a rating of 8 or more on the Booking website. In other words, these are accommodations that are really praised by travellers.
Another plus point is the location, because there are great flats in both the New Town and the Old Town.
Take a look at our suggestions for excellent apart-hotels, some of which have already been mentioned:
Eden Locke: studio with daily rates from £65;
Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity Edinburgh Grassmarket: studio from £70;
Destiny Scotland New Town Apartments: studio with daily rate from £70;
No. 1 Apartments - George IV Bridge1-bedroom flat from £95;
Cheval Old Town Chambersflat from £115.
Here's an important tip: Edinburgh gets absolutely packed during the August festivals, which take place over three weeks.
The end-of-year celebrations also get Edinburgh buzzing. The whole shebang is known as Hogmanay. The best tip we can give you is to book your accommodation early.
Map of the best hotels in Edinburgh
The map above shows the location of the hotels in Edinburgh mentioned in this post, as well as some of the tourist attractions. Click on the "arrow button" to access the map legend.
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We hope the information on where to stay in Edinburgh has been useful for planning your trip! Read the other articles about our trip to Edinburgh and find out What to see in Edinburgh!
Enjoy your trip!