Explore 4-Star Hotels in Edinburgh

During the Edinburgh Festival, hotel prices across the city skyrocket, so I was really pleased to snag a capsule bed here. It's in a prime location, right behind St Giles' Cathedral, and stepping outside puts you right in the middle of the Fringe street performances. The facilities, environment, management, and service inside are excellent, and safety is well-managed. Even though I booked an 8-day stay in a mixed dorm, everyone was respectful, and travelers were very considerate of each other's space. The downstairs bar and restaurant offer great value for money, with guests receiving a 15% discount. The food and drinks are high quality. The only downside was the mattress, which was too soft and made sleeping and getting up a bit uncomfortable.

Location. Location. Location. The hotel is a 10 minute walk from the Edinburgh Airport. No need to worry about trams, taxis or Ubers.  If you want to go into Edinburgh, there is a tram that goes from the airport to the train station.  My room was clean and bright. The bathroom had all the amenities and great towels. Check in/out was quick and easy.

After arriving at Edinburgh Airport, I took the Tram to the West End stop, and then used navigation to walk to the hotel. The fare was £7.9 for adults, which I purchased at the self-service machine by the tram entrance. It's about a 15-minute walk to the Scott Monument, close to the city center. I arrived at 9 AM, and since a room was available, they allowed me to check in immediately. I stayed in a first-floor room, and the size was unbelievably large for the UK. Other floors are not like this. There's a hairdryer, iron, and ironing board. Shampoo is provided, but the body wash and hand soap are combined. No toothbrush or toothpaste. However, there's no kettle, coffee, tea, or mineral water in the room. You can get free tea and coffee at the bar near the check-in area on the first floor. There were some cleanliness issues; the underside of the toilet seat wasn't properly cleaned. The disabled facilities are very comprehensive.

Booked a twin room for a trip with the kids. The room was clean, no issues there, and the size is pretty standard for the UK. The bathroom was actually quite spacious, but the sink and basin design was terrible – especially the basin. It's a countertop basin with the faucet on the side (I don't usually take photos in hotels, so I forgot to snap one), and no matter how you use it, water splashes everywhere, all over the counter and the floor. The hotel doesn't provide complimentary bottled water; there's a message on the mirror encouraging you to drink tap water, which is fair enough. The tram station for the airport is very close to the hotel, but unfortunately, it was out of service on the day we were heading to the airport. We ended up dragging our luggage for about fifteen minutes to catch the Airlink 100 next to the train station.

Without doubt, this was one of our finest hotel stays in recent memory. From the moment we arrived, Novotel Edinburgh set the tone with a level of warmth and professionalism that genuinely stood out. The staff were incredibly helpful throughout and what really demonstrated this was a small but telling moment: we lost our key card during the stay, and it was replaced immediately, without any fuss or inconvenience whatsoever. It's the kind of effortless service that puts you completely at ease, and it's something you remember long after checkout. The breakfast deserves a special mention — it was simply top notch. The spread was so good that holding back was near impossible, and it's the kind of breakfast that makes you actually look forward to the morning. Freshly prepared, well-stocked, and served with care — it's one of the best hotel breakfasts we've had. The location is outstanding. Sitting just a mile from Edinburgh Castle, you're right in the heart of one of the most iconic cities in the UK. Public transport couldn't be more convenient either  buses are accessible right behind the hotel, making it incredibly easy to get around the city without needing a car at all. The one area that needs addressing is parking. The hotel's own car park is frequently full, which meant we had to use the nearby NCP instead. To the hotel's credit, they did provide a discount for the NCP - a thoughtful gesture that softened the inconvenience. However, it's worth noting for electric vehicle drivers: the EV charging at the NCP is painfully slow, so factor that into your plans if you're arriving in an electric car. A heads-up from the hotel at check-in would go a long way. Parking frustrations aside, Novotel Edinburgh is a brilliant base for exploring the city - exceptional staff, an unmissable breakfast, and a location that's hard to beat. We'd return without hesitation.

We booked this hotel not knowing that it is literally next to the zoo. So it was a pleasant surprise and we decided to include the Edinburgh Zoo as part of our itinerary when we were there. There’re bus stops infront of the hotel that conveniently transport us to the city centre in 15min; as well as to the airport. The bus systems there are superb and most of the times the buses arrived on schedule. There are no bottled mineral water, toothbrushes, toothpaste, comb or other sanitary products (except for shower gel, shampoo and handwash) provided in the room. However, there is a note pasted in the toilet that one has to ask for these items at the reception counter if one requires any of these. We didnt notice the pasted note in the toilet; thus we did not ask for these during our stay.. We were also surprised that there was no mini fridge or safe which are normally provided in a hotel room. Nonetheless we were happy when there’s an iron and ironing board in our room. We noticed that the housekeeping service usually starts around 9am. We were in the room at around 9.30am when someone from the housekeeping dept tried to open the door. So if you intend to wake up late, we suggest to keep your door locked and latched. Their housekeeping is efficient as we think they need to be on schedule but many times our used cups were not cleaned thoroughly (or replaced) as there were still stains in the cups. 1 day 1 of our half-drink bottled drinks was removed from the table which we presumed the housekeeper could have thrown it away. On the whole, it’s a pleasant stay for our family.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel that other travellers should know what to expect. I stayed in a single room on the top floor and was very disappointed, especially considering the price. The room was much smaller than I had expected and felt rather cramped. I paid £136 through Trip.com, even with a discount, and I simply did not feel that the room offered value for money. The room looked tired and dated. The carpet did not look very fresh, the furniture was old-fashioned but not in a charming or historic way, and there were marks on the walls that could easily have been touched up. The bedside lamp also appeared to be damaged, as the lampshade was noticeably crooked and could not be adjusted. I would also like to mention that the room and bathroom were clean, and the bed linen was fresh and clean. I knew when I booked that the room did not include a safe or a fridge, as this was mentioned in the description. However, for a four-star hotel at this price, I still feel that a safe and at least a small fridge should be provided. The television was also very small, and overall the room felt very basic for the price and hotel rating. The bathroom itself was a reasonable size, but it was not very practical. There was no shelf above the sink for toiletries, which was inconvenient. In the shower, the large shampoo and conditioner bottles were placed on the floor of the shower, meaning I had to keep bending down to reach them. I would also like to mention that access to the upper floors involves a very steep spiral staircase. I was aware that there was no lift, but I did not expect the staircase to be so steep and difficult to climb. As I was not comfortable in the room, I asked whether it might be possible to move to a different room. Unfortunately, there were no other rooms available. I had originally planned to stay in Edinburgh for another night, but I decided to move to a different hotel instead. The location of the hotel is good and convenient for Waverley Station, and the staff were polite and friendly. However, my overall experience did not meet my expectations for a four-star hotel, especially at this price. Unfortunately, I would not choose to stay at this hotel again.

The location is fantastic, very central, making it easy to get anywhere. It's surprisingly quiet at night too. There's a lift, so you don't have to lug your luggage, but don't expect any staff to help you with it. The front desk staff seemed more interested in their own conversations and didn't really pay attention to whether you were waiting for them. Service for foreigners is pretty much non-existent. The self-service breakfast was decent and had everything you'd expect.

everytg was amazing. we struggled to check in (after 5pm) and there was no staff. we reached abt 10pm at night and was left stranded at the door, no access code given at all to enter main gate … called and contacted property but no one picked up. if ur not going to have a 24/7 reception, at least make sure u hv someone tending to emergency help… after what was 30mins of waiting and calling did a guest walk down to open the door for us … horrible check in experience but everytg else was good

The room quality is on par with a 3-star hotel in China. The hotel staff were very friendly and provided excellent service, but the room layout was quite odd and winding. The bed wasn't very big either. It's super convenient if you want to visit Calton Hill, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're primarily interested in the city center, as it's about a 20-minute walk.