The best five-star hotels in Edinburgh

From wildly opulent to zen-like splendour, these are the most decadent places to stay in the Scottish capital

As Oscar Wilde once wrote, “nothing succeeds like excess” – a motto these dedicated purveyors of luxury take to heart. From the moment the concierge (more often than not in tartan trousers) opens the door to any one of our pick of the best five-star hotels in Edinburgh, you feel you’re in a place where nothing bad could ever happen and in the unlikely event something did, there will be someone to make it go away with a perfect martini, a massage, or both.
If you can manage to leave your room you’ll be assaulted by choice: which restaurant? Which bar? Will there be harps with your afternoon tea, or scones that float off the plate? Should you check out the spa first, before the malt whiskies? Whether it’s a great grande-dame or boutique beauty, once you’ve tried one of these hotels you may find that like children’s book character Eloise who lived in the Plaza Hotel, you may never want to leave.

Every hotel in this curated list has been visited by one of our expert reviewers, who are usually hosted on a complimentary basis. They stay for a minimum of one night, test at least one meal and trial other experiences that the hotel might have to offer.

9
Telegraph expert rating

Trending now