Where to stay in Edinburgh

Edinburgh splits its accommodation along the same geological fault that divides the city. The volcanic ridge of the Old Town drops steeply to the Georgian grid of the New Town, and the price map follows the contour line: luxury clusters around Princes Street and the Royal Mile, budget pods and hostels tuck into the closes and stairwells of the medieval core, and mid-range aparthotels fill the dressed-stone terraces beyond Haymarket. Past the center, suburbs like Corstorphine near the airport, Currie along the Water of Leith, and Queensferry under the Forth bridges trade walking access for quieter rates and parking. This is not a city where you need a car; the tram runs from the airport to York Place, and most of what visitors come to see sits within walking distance of Waverley Station. The real choice is not luxury versus budget but ridge versus grid, medieval noise versus Georgian calm, and how far you are willing to walk uphill after dinner.

1. 1

   New Town, Edinburgh

   Georgian grid between Princes Street and Queen Street, central Edinburgh

   Full-tier Georgian elegance from budget pods to Michelin-star luxury on flat, walkable streets with a direct tram to the airport.

   The Georgian grid of New Town, Edinburgh stretches from Princes Street Gardens north to Queen Street, and the full tier spread sits within that walk. The Balmoral anchors the luxury end beside Waverley's clock tower, scoring 9.6 and asking $769 a night — the rate buys the Michelin dining and the address, not just the room. Skip the overpriced set-menu places near the station; the locals head to the lanes off Thistle Street for dinner. Mid-range travelers do well at the Heeton Concept on Queen Street, where an 8.7 and $170 a night gets an aparthotel kitchen and enough space to unpack. Budget beds at CODE The Loft hold a remarkable 9.3 at just $49. New Town suits the traveler who wants dressed-stone order, flat sidewalks, and an easy tram to the airport from St Andrew Square.

   1. Budget

      CODE The Loft - Edinburgh

      The Loft is really central in the city and the beds were comfortable. We traveled with 4 people and had the whole room for us. The best part is the cooperation with The Court and that you can particip

      9.3 rating ~$49/night
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   2. Mid-Range

      Heeton Concept Aparthotel Edinburgh Queen Street

      I just wanted to follow up regarding the situation we encountered when we arrived. We had booked three double rooms for two nights so that our group could stay together. Unfortunately, we were informe

      8.7 rating ~$170/night
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   3. Luxury

      The Balmoral Hotel

      This is a classic British-style hotel in Edinburgh, highly recommended by a friend. Due to a change in our itinerary, Ctrip was very responsible in communicating with us, but the hotel refused to adju

      9.6 rating ~$769/night
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2. 2

   Edinburgh Old Town, Edinburgh

   Medieval ridge from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace along the Royal Mile

   Vertical medieval living inside the Castle-to-Holyrood ridge, trading flat walks for atmosphere at every price point.

   Footfall echoes up the closes between the Castle and Holyrood, and Edinburgh Old Town, Edinburgh puts you inside that medieval noise. At $38 a night, Code Pod – the Court holds a 9.4 right on the Royal Mile beside the church — the strongest budget score in central Edinburgh and proof you do not need to spend to sleep well here. The luxury tier, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, scores 9.3 at $309 and delivers design-hotel polish in a city that often defaults to tartan-carpeted tradition. Don't bother with the generic chain rooms clustered around the bus station; the Old Town's value is vertical — the narrow wynds, the tenement stairwells, the sense of being inside the city's history rather than next to it. The trade-off is gradient: every walk home climbs, and the festival crowds in August turn these streets into a slow-moving queue. Stay here for the atmosphere and accept the hills.

   1. Budget

      Code Pod – the Court - Edinburgh

      I visited at the end of March, and Edinburgh was still quite cold, especially with the strong winds. The hostel's location is excellent, right by the church on the Royal Mile, making it easy to walk t

      9.4 rating ~$38/night
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   2. Luxury

      Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

      Lovely hotel, exquisite rooms. Great friendly service from all the staff. Wish there were more Virgin hotels around based on my experience here.

      9.3 rating ~$309/night
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3. 3

   West End, Edinburgh

   Theater district and residential crescents around Haymarket, western Edinburgh

   Haymarket-adjacent calm with theater-district energy, a flat walk east to Princes Street, and direct trains to the airport.

   The Lyceum's marquee hums with theater traffic on Grindlay Street, and West End, Edinburgh quiets past Haymarket into residential crescents. The Bonham scores 9.3 at $328 a night in a Victorian townhouse on Drumsheugh Gardens — ask for upper floors, since the lower rooms do not match the promise. Mid-range, the Hampton by Hilton on Coates Gardens holds an 8.9 at $167 and delivers the reliable Hilton template without pretending to be boutique. Skip the tired guesthouses on the side streets that trade on proximity but deliver nothing the Hampton does not beat on breakfast and service. The West End's advantage is Haymarket station: direct trains to the airport and Glasgow, and a flat walk east to Princes Street without the Old Town gradients. It suits the traveler who wants center-city access on a calmer street, not someone chasing nightlife or medieval atmosphere.

   1. Mid-Range

      Hampton by Hilton Edinburgh West End

      An extremely comfortable and pleasant room to stay. What I liked most: a big bed, carpeting, long couch, many sockets, tea set, many towels and hygiene supplies, thermostat, big windows. However, ther

      8.9 rating ~$167/night
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   2. Luxury

      The Bonham

      I can only say that I love and hate this hotel. I had a bad stay experience. Can you believe I spent 2,700 yuan to book a room in the basement? ! The pictures of the hotel room are seriously inconsis

      9.3 rating ~$328/night
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4. 4

   Edinburgh

   University quarter and residential areas south and west of Edinburgh's Old Town

   Honest value outside the walking core, best for longer stays and families who trade central noise for quiet rates.

   At about $65 a night with breakfast included, Summer Stays at The University of Edinburgh gives this area its value anchor — student halls near Holyrood, scoring 8.9, with Arthur's Seat rising behind the campus. The mid-range Slateford House Apartment holds a 9.0 at $148 for a ground-floor flat with its own front door, better suited to travelers staying several nights than a single overnight. Avoid the serviced apartments that charge center-city rates for addresses that still need a bus; this area's honesty is that it sits outside the walking core, and the prices reflect it. The trade is straightforward: you bus into the Old Town, but you come back to a quiet street and a room that costs half the Royal Mile equivalent. It suits families and longer stays more than a weekend city break.

   1. Budget

      Summer Stays at The University of Edinburgh

      25 mins walk from the city, Holyrood distillery nearby, you can also hike up to Arthur seat in 30 mins. Can get to supermarket in 15 mins. Breakfast included and you can order breakfast box if you hav

      8.9 rating ~$65/night
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   2. Mid-Range

      Slateford House Apartment Ground Floor Main Door

      9.0 rating ~$148/night
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5. 5

   Edinburgh Old Town

   Grassmarket square below Edinburgh Castle's south face

   Pub-ringed cobblestones beneath the Castle at Edinburgh's cheapest central address, built for backpackers and night owls.

   Noise drifts up from the Grassmarket below the Castle's south face, and Edinburgh Old Town on this lower level means pub-ringed cobblestones rather than the souvenir corridor one terrace above. Kick Ass Grassmarket holds an 8.9 at just $24 a night — the cheapest bed in central Edinburgh that still scores above the mid-range threshold. The locals know this square for the Friday-night crawl, so light sleepers should pack earplugs alongside the bunk booking. Don't bother with the hostels further from the center that charge similar rates without the location; at $24 in the Grassmarket you are paying for the address as much as the mattress. The square connects to the Cowgate strip downhill and the castle approach uphill, and the Lothian Road bus stops reach Leith and the coast. It suits solo travelers and backpackers who want noise and company, not couples after quiet.

   1. Budget

      Kick Ass Grassmarket (18+)

      It's a good hostel, right in the center, a couple of minutes' walk from all the sights. I liked everything, but there was one downside: I was cold in the evening. At first, I thought someone had opene

      8.9 rating ~$24/night
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6. 6

   Queensferry

   Historic harbour town on the Firth of Forth, northwest of Edinburgh

   Waterfront quiet under the Forth Rail Bridge, a deliberate overnight away from the city for travelers who came for the view.

   The Forth Rail Bridge shimmers across the Firth from the harbourfront at Queensferry, and the whole settlement exists in relationship to that crossing. Orocco Pier sits directly on the water, scoring 9.0 at $136 a night — a rate that buys the bridge panorama through the dining-room windows and a walk-out-the-door waterfront that central Edinburgh cannot match. Skip the airport hotels further inland that charge similar rates for a car-park view; at $136 the Orocco delivers more character per pound than anything near the motorway. The trade-off is distance: Queensferry sits northwest of the city, and the bus into the center takes long enough that evening plans in the Old Town require commitment. The locals treat the town as a day-trip destination, not a base. Staying here works best as a deliberate choice — a quiet night on the Firth after a day in the city, not a commute hub.

   1. Mid-Range

      Orocco Pier

      Great place to stay plenty around to do and great location with a sea and view of the forth rail bridge

      9.0 rating ~$136/night
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7. 7

   Broughton

   Northern end of Leith Walk, above Edinburgh's New Town

   Lived-in LGBTQ quarter at backpacker prices, where the bars outlast the tourist zones and the tram reaches the airport.

   Leith Walk thrums with bus and tram traffic at its northern head, and Broughton begins where the transit lines converge before dropping toward the docks. At $37 a night, Edinburgh Central Accommodation scores an 8.0 — honest for the rate, with functional dorms and a location that puts the New Town shops and the Leith restaurant strip both within walking distance. The locals know Broughton as Edinburgh's LGBTQ quarter, and the bars along Broughton Street keep the area alive after the tourist zones go quiet. Avoid the guesthouses on side streets that charge double for less transit access; the budget tier here is priced for what it is, and the tram connects to the airport in a single ride. Broughton suits the traveler who wants a lived-in neighborhood at backpacker rates, not a hotel-corridor experience.

   1. Budget

      Edinburgh Central Accommodation

      Another night staying at this hostel. We stayed in a six-person female dorm. Except that the drainage is quite bad at the shower room, and the bunk bed is noisy when i move, everything is good and cle

      8.0 rating ~$37/night
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8. 8

   Broughton, Edinburgh

   Picardy Place junction at the top of Leith Walk, Edinburgh city center

   Chain-hotel reliability at a central tram stop, predictable and well-connected without neighborhood character.

   Picardy Place buzzes at the junction where Leith Walk meets the top of the New Town, and Broughton, Edinburgh centers the Holiday Inn Express right at that crossing. At $159 a night with an 8.6, the hotel delivers the IHG template — clean rooms, reliable breakfast, tram stop at the door — without pretending to be more than it is. The locals skip the hotel restaurants along this stretch and walk down toward Leith for dinner, and you should follow their lead. Better than the chain hotels near the airport that charge similar rates but strand you outside the city; here the Old Town is a downhill walk through the east end of Princes Street Gardens. This area works for the traveler who wants central access and brand-name predictability, not for someone seeking neighborhood character or boutique design.

   1. Mid-Range

      Holiday Inn Express EDINBURGH CITY CENTRE by IHG

      Clean & spacious room. Good breakfast. Located in the city center. Easy access to public transport. I took a tram from the airport & just got off in front of the hotel. It was very convenient for you.

      8.6 rating ~$159/night
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9. 9

   Corstorphine, Edinburgh

   Suburban corridor along the A8 between Edinburgh Airport and the city center

   Commuter-suburb rates near the airport and Edinburgh Zoo, trading atmosphere for convenience and parking.

   At $121 a night, Corstorphine, Edinburgh undercuts the city center from the A8 corridor between the airport and Haymarket. The Holiday Inn EDINBURGH holds an 8.5 here — a dependable score for a suburban address that delivers clean rooms and conference facilities over atmosphere. Skip the airport park-and-fly boxes that charge nearly as much for a car-park view without bus links into town; the Corstorphine road puts Edinburgh Zoo within walking distance and a regular bus toward Haymarket. The locals know Corstorphine as a commuter suburb with a decent high street, not a destination, and that honesty is the area's advantage: you get what you pay for at a rate that reflects the location. It suits the business traveler catching an early flight, the family visiting the zoo, or anyone who values sleep and parking over a postcard address.

   1. Mid-Range

      Holiday Inn EDINBURGH by IHG

      Absolutely amazing. We arrived very late due to heavy snow- they checked us in and organised an extra bed literally within 2 minutes of arriving. The service is efficient and rapid. The gentleman who

      8.5 rating ~$121/night
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10. 10

    Currie

    Village on the Water of Leith at Edinburgh's southwestern edge, near Heriot-Watt University

    Traditional pub-inn at village prices for Heriot-Watt visitors and travelers heading into the Borders.

    The Water of Leith drifts through Currie at the southwestern fringe of the city, and the area feels more village than suburb. Riccarton Inn scores 8.5 at $58 a night — a traditional pub-with-rooms where the bar faces the road and the bedrooms sit at the back, kept clean and quiet by staff the reviews single out. Don't bother with Currie if you want to walk to the Royal Mile; the bus into the center takes commitment, and there is no tram this far out. The locals use this corridor as a commuter belt, not a visitor base, and staying here makes sense only if you are visiting Heriot-Watt University next door, driving onward into the Borders, or simply want the cheapest clean room within the Edinburgh postcode. It is an honest budget stop that does not pretend to be anything else.

    1. Budget

       Riccarton Inn

       We stayed twice at the Riccarton Inn. It's traditional with a pub up front and rooms at the back. Very clean and the staff was helpful and friendly. This is not a hotel chain but an individual inn.

       8.5 rating ~$58/night
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This is an early version of the Edinburgh list. We add picks as we test more places.