Victoria Street / Old Town

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

★★★★★

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh was the brand's first hotel outside the United States, and it opened in 2022 in one of the most characterful corners of the Old Town, where curving, colourful Victoria Street meets the Cowgate below George IV Bridge. The hotel incorporates the historic India Buildings, and its signature space, the Oculus Lounge, sits beneath the building's original domed cupola — a circular room that is one of the most striking hotel lounges in the city. The style throughout is playful and contemporary with a Scottish accent: tartans and tweeds reinterpreted in bold colours, quirky art, and the brand's signature Chamber rooms, which divide the space into a dressing area and a separate sleeping area with a sliding door, plus large showers and well-designed lighting and storage. Suites add more space and, in some cases, views over the Old Town rooftops. Dining is a strength: the Commons Club, the hotel's main restaurant and bar, serves Scottish fare with international flair in a moody, romantic room meant to evoke old Edinburgh, and Eve offers relaxed Italian-inspired food and drinks for sharing. Bars serve craft cocktails into the evening, and there is a 24-hour gym. The location is the hotel's great asset: the Grassmarket's pubs and restaurants are at the foot of Victoria Street, the castle is a short climb above, the National Museum and Greyfriars are a few minutes' walk, and the Royal Mile is directly overhead via George IV Bridge. Prices sit in the upper-middle to luxury bracket, and the hotel is popular with younger couples and groups of friends who want style and buzz rather than period grandeur.

Living in it: the Chamber layout works well for couples and friends sharing, giving privacy for getting ready while one person sleeps. Rooms vary considerably in view and light because the hotel threads through old and new buildings on a steep site, so ask about the outlook when booking — some look over Victoria Street's colourful façades or toward the castle, while others face inward. Expect a sociable atmosphere in the public spaces in the evening, especially at weekends, and during the festivals the whole area is buzzing until late.

Base math: for Old Town sightseeing, this is one of the best-placed hotels in the city. The castle, the Royal Mile, the National Museum of Scotland, the Real Mary King's Close and St Giles' are all within roughly ten minutes on foot, and the Grassmarket's restaurants are on your doorstep. Waverley station is a fifteen-minute walk, partly uphill, or a short taxi ride. The trade-off of the location is noise in the evenings at weekends and the steepness of the streets around it — bring luggage with good wheels.

Price and fit: rates are high in August, at Hogmanay and on rugby weekends, and more reasonable in late winter. The 5% visitor levy applies to the first five nights. Choose Virgin if you want a lively, modern base right in the Old Town with good food and drink on site; choose the Balmoral or the Townhouse for classic luxury, or the Witchery for pure romance. Check the hotel's events calendar too — it runs Fringe and Hogmanay programming of its own.