The Best Boutique Hotels in Edinburgh

Hidden on one of Edinburgh’s Old Town streets, this Cowgate hotel is a knockout hybrid of storied Walter Scott romance and Gothic chic; if Dracula had a dapper Scottish cousin, this would be his lair. Cue unapologetically extravagant decor, with plush four-poster beds, a haberdashery’s worth of crushed velvet and dark velour and a mood-setting assault of red, purple and plum. There are two bars, a 1920s one with a distinctly Art-Deco vibe and a palm-draped outdoor garden. It’s not exactly subtle, but brilliant all the same.

Your fellow patrons at this Bruntsfield-located, all-day destination are laptop-glued freelancers, imbibing students and out-of-towners on getaways. It’s a mix drawn in by the hotel’s vibey, on-trend design, which is best displayed in the Drafthouse pub and Conservatory Dining Room. In fact, the wooden flooring is made from upcycled troop carriages, used during WWI and WWII. Highlights of the fresh doubles and snug rooms are arty fashion-mag prints, feature lamps and front-row views of leafy Bruntsfield Links.

If only everywhere in Edinburgh had a glass-roof garden. This is the main draw of this fun-loving New Town hotel, restaurant and tap house, with compact, fuss-free rooms. Allow time for enjoying the in-room perks – stocked Smeg fridge, cocktail-ready room service, bespoke bath products – but don’t skip on what’s outside your front door: namely, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and boutiques on Multrees Walk. Socialise in the bar over a copper tank-poured beer, or linger over breakfast until midday, it is up to you. Oh, and did we mention the restaurant’s notorious “Lobster and Crab French Toast”?

With its front lawn afternoon teas, vintage whisky tastings and Orcadian touches – courtesy of the transplanted owners – this is the Victorian-era boutique you’ve always dreamt of. The 35 suites and cosy wee doubles are democratically split across two refreshed heritage houses, both with Neoclassical design and enough swit-swoo flourishes to get you rethinking your own interiors. Like your rugby? The hotel’s West End location is only a drop goal’s kick away from Murrayfield Stadium.

Run by Michelin-Star chef Paul Kitching and his partner Katie O’Brien, this exquisite, if eccentric, restaurant with rooms on Calton Hill stands out like a sore thumb. It doesn’t embrace the dyed-in-the-wool tartan look, nor does the kitchen trot out the same old tasting menus found elsewhere; out goes the wild game and seafood, in comes smoked salmon with curried banana and haggis porridge. But you shouldn’t only stay here for the food. Alongside the glam cocktail lounge on the first floor, the spacey doubles are as stylish as Edinburgh gets.

Night owls need only apply. Located amid the cocktail bars and clubs of George Street, this dolled-up city centre restaurant with rooms and basement club comes front-loaded with Wonderland decor and a vibe that says everyday is Saturday. In-room frills include music playlists to get the party started and a hodgepodge of events downstairs, from cocktail and burlesque classes to cheerleading. Next day, head-soothing perks include in-room breakfast and an on-demand DVD library to ease the hangover. We especially love the Black Room with its in-wall fireplace and hanging egg chair.

If the Scottish Highlands — with their shaggy-haired cows, clan kilts and baronial castles — are on your mind, this Monarch-of-the-Glen-style city centre manor provides a fitting substitute. It has peacocks and Highland cattle, rolling lawns and kilted doormen, plus stellar views of volcanic Arthur’s Seat. Inside, the design is Steve McQueen meets Brigadoon (1954), with a mix of stag antler armchairs, gilded mirrors and public rooms straight from a Speyside hunting lodge.