Edinburgh Hotels in the Heart of an Historic City

Edinburgh is one of Europe’smost visited capital cities. Though it is not huge in comparison to most of the other European capitals it has bags of history, culture and an energetic buzz common to university towns and cities. Edinburgh is also the seat of Scottish government making the city a magnet for tourists looking to stay in Edinburgh hotels. The city is best known for the huge New Year’s Eve party and fireworks display near the castle but it need not be new years for visitors to have a great time as the capital has some great nightlife.
Edinburgh is a treasure trove for visitors looking for some memorable cultural highlights too. Most visitors start with the castle, perched atop of the city it is the focal point for national celebrations, hosting one of the world’s most raucous New Years party’s. The royal mile stretches from the castle to Holyrood house, the historic royal palace still used by the monarch today. Along the royal mile is the controversial new Scottish Parliament building and the Museum of Edinburgh housing a number of historic local treasures.
Despite projecting the image of an historical city Edinburgh has a thriving music scene with everything from live Jazz to Latino house music. Visitors that have stay in Edinburgh hotels in the city centre will be close to their pick of venues. Many of the old buildings in the city have cavernous cellars that now house a few bars and clubs close to all of the main daytime attractions. The selection on offer ranges from the hip and trendy Opal Lounge to the unashamedly mainstream and fun Po Na Na located among the Georgian splendour of New Town.
For great value for money right in the heart of town holidaymakers should look no further than the Holiday Inn Express on Edinburgh’s royal mile. The hotel is a well equipped three-star with decent facilities but close enough to all of the best restaurants bars and attractions to stop guests getting too used to the decor.
The Royal Terrace hotel is a great four-star offering with bags of character and a grand entrance to welcome guests through the doors; a good introduction before holidaymakers see the best of what is on offer. Some of the suites have interesting, original designs that will make for a memorable stay and there are views over the Firth of Forth and the hotel’s beautiful terraced gardens.
For that bit more the Five-star Sheraton Grand hotel is a good place to stay for those who have a slightly bigger budget and want to stay in the best of Edinburgh hotels. The hotel has direct views of Edinburgh castle which looks fantastic at night. There is also a state of the art gym and fitness suite as well as a few excellent restaurants to temp guests to dine in.