Edinburgh's Old Town packs more character per square meter than most cities. The boutique hotels here occupy buildings with real history: former newspaper offices, Victorian asylums, and 17th-century taverns. You get rooms with original features like curved bay windows, roll-top baths, and ceiling-high wood paneling, plus modern touches like rainfall showers and Bluetooth speakers. These are not cookie-cutter chains; each property has its own design angle, from the Missoni patterns at Radisson Collection to the dark wood and linen at Hotel Du Vin.
Staying in the Old Town puts you within a 10-minute walk of Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, and Princes Street. Most of these hotels offer free WiFi, some have on-site cinemas or private parking (Radisson Blu has a pool), and breakfast is generally included or available. Budget ranges: Motel One starts around $120 per night for compact rooms, while The Scotsman and Hotel Du Vin go from $200 to $350 for suites with more space. If you want to be on the main drag, The Inn On The Mile sits right on the Royal Mile itself. For a livelier base near Grassmarket's bars, try Grassmarket Hotel or Stay Central Hotel-both have 24-hour front desks and good breakfast options.