AlReady2Go

Just found out that we'll be able to add a few nights to our trip next April and decided on Edinburgh. Can anyone give me suggestions on where to stay? Would like it to be somewhat central for sightseeing as we will only be there for 3 nights. Also, with the bad exchange rate between the dollar and the pound would like it to stay in maybe the 100-125 pound range if possible? We're in our 50's so don't need much of a night life but a place with a little character would be nice. Thanks for any and all suggestions and if there's something we shouldn't miss would love to hear about that also.

alanRow

Travelodge Edinburgh Central Hotel
33 St. Mary's Street
Edinburgh EH1 1TA

is as central as you'll get at a decent price unless you fancy staying in a hostel. They do a lot of offers but it can be very hit & miss if you can get them. Go to their website and click on the "£26 save rooms" link as that will show even cheaper rooms if they are available. Note it's unlikely you'll be able to book yet

However Edinburgh is very small so you don't need a central hotel as public transport is frequent and it's unlikely you'll end up more than 20 minutes travel from the centre

SloJan2

WE just stayed at the Inverleith Hotel. Not central but the public transportation is phenomenal. Easy, polite and efficient. I paid 79 pounds for a small double. I would recommend bumping up the room although a small double was Ok for 1 person who was under 5 ft. 4 inc.

Great breakfasts, good service and nice people.

Jay_G

You could also have a look at the Apex City hotel.

Not much in the way of character, it's a little corporate, however it is central and some of the rooms have views over the castle.

Pretty reasonable rates as I remember, and within walking distance of all the town centre attractions.

caroline_edinburgh

If you'd like somewhere with character and are prepared to spend £100-120 pn, would you be interested in one of the grander B&Bs, maybe in the New Town ?

Cheapo chain hotels like the Travelodge Alan mentions, plus the Premier Travel Inn, Ibis & Holiday Inn Express, are cheaper, but lacking in character. Which is more important, price or character ?

Here are some examples of the type of posh B&B I'm talking about :-

http://www.ingrams.co.uk

http://www.aboutscotland.com/edin/al...rtterrace.html

http://www.pringlesingle.com/

Those 3 are all owned by people I know a bit and are very nice.

If you like this idea, try also googling on Edinburgh New Town B&B.

HeleneW

My husband and I just returned from the UK last week. We stayed at 2 Cambridge Street in Edinburgh, a B & B. You can see the Edinburgh Castle from right outside the front door. The location is perfect for getting to other parts of Edinbrugh.Buses are easy to use. The charge was 100 pounds per night. Erlend and Helene are superb hosts. Erlend even drove us to pick up our rental car the day we left Edinburgh to travel south. The both of them could not do enough for us. The breakfasts are gourmet and rooms have lots of character. Check out their web site. You won't be disappointed. Helene

janisj

One of caroline's links doesn't work. here is the right url http://www.aboutscotland.com/edin/albertterrace.html

caroline_edinburgh

Oh, thanks Janis - sorry about that.

Frances

I'm planning to try and stay everywhere I fancy in Edinburgh over the next three years and the next trip has us booked in the Coldstream Lodge in Myreside Rd. This was recommended to me by a couple from Vancouver Island who were on a train here in North Wales recently.They stayed there an extra two nights because they liked it so much.
The rate is £68 pernight per room and the address is www.Coldstream-Lodge.co.uk.
So far I have stayed at the Marriott about £100(lovely beds, rooms that had a double and two singles, quiet, parking ,good breakfast but about 8 miles out although on a regular direct bus route )Kenneth Mackenzie Suite, Richmond Place £56.50 per room including a good breakfast (BUT poor poor soundproofing so you will be kept awake by people talking in other rooms),10 Park Place-about £90 including breakfast(-very nice , quiet go again) and the Ibis just off the Royal Mile next to Chocolate Soup.-about £65-no breakfast( very quiet and a king size bed-these are not standard we just struck lucky and were allocated a disabled room.) All except the Marriott are easy walking distance to everything important.

sandyatlanta

We stayed at the Diplomat Hotel last summer. About $200/night. It's a small hotel in the Calton Hill area. You can easily walk to the Royal Mile. We really liked it and would stay there again. Several good restaurants nearby, too. There is no elevator - we stayed on the 5th floor! I think there are only 16 rooms. There's plenty of parking on the street if you have a car.

ppm

We stayed at The Royal British on Princes St. It is a bit older, but it made a great base since it is centrally located to everything. We got a great deal on the British Airways Vacation website (I believe it was $135/night).

caroline_edinburgh

Frances, you may already know this, but in case not... Myreside Road is not very convenient for buses into town - it's about a 10-15 minute walk uphill to the nearest main bus route.

Note also there are 2 Marriotts - if you stayed in one about 8 miles out it must have been the Marritt Dalmahoy ? The other is in town, on the Glasgow Road on the way out to the airport.

meks

The three places which have consistently been getting the best independent reviews in Edinburgh for some time are
The Knight Residence, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Scotland.html Website www,theknightresidence.co.uk
Geralds Place, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Scotland.html website www.geraldsplace.com
and the
Apartment By Castle, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Scotland.html
website www.abc-edinburgh.co.uk
The are all in or around the city centre and could be what you are looking for as they add a bit of character and are a bit special.

schuba

http://www.elmview.co.uk/.

Frances

Caroline our next trip is at the start of term and so we are coming by car with all the trugareddau that a twenty year old needs for a year in Edinburgh. We thought that as we have a car we'd look a little further out and also my daughters flat next year is in Arden St so that is why we are in this area.
Our next trip after that will be by train and for 4 nights so we will then try somewhere more central but perhaps somewhere that requires a minimum stay- I am thinking of three places, but I'd love to try the Malmaison and they have this special offer on a Sunday night which would cost £51. As we'd also be staying Friday Saturday and Monday though it would mean moving twice!
The Marriott WAS the one in Glasgow Rd as it was start of term last year and so once more we had a car.

alanRow

Arden St is in one of Edinburgh's permit parking zones, so you might have problems with the local parking nazi's if you park there

Frances

That's one reason why we've booked Coldstream Lodge because they have parking(Do you remember "There's a hole in my bucket".....) !

AlReady2Go

Thank you all for such great suggestions. I'm out of town right now on business but as soon as I'm home I'll start looking into these. I would like to stay as central as I can...with only 3 days I want to be able to see and do as much as possible. If there's any other places I should consider...please let me know. I love reading all about each one...that way I get to know more about Edinburgh before I get there.
Thanks again.

Zermatt2

I've been to Edinburgh 2 times. Once, I stayed in a hotel with a group of friends on Princess Street for Hogmanay (New Year's Eve.) I'm sure that would be expensive. The other time, a friend and I stayed in a bed and breakfast....don't remember the name, but it was really quite nice, and inexpensive. It was very close to the main sites you want to see. I'd check out a B&B if I were you.

caroline_edinburgh

Frances, I used to live in Arden Street (number 37) ! It's not very near Myreside Road, though - it's about a 10 minute drive or 25-30 minute walk. But I agree parking at your accommodation is a very valuable feature if you'll have a car.

What a splendid word, trugareddau ! I assume it's Welsh ? Are you from Wales ? DH is from Swansea & his parents now live in Pembroke, so I'm only too familiar with the looong drive between Edinburgh and south-west Wales.