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Edinburgh · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels near Town Centre

Katarina Novak

Katarina Novak Britain and Ireland

Updated 1 September 2026 · 6 Edinburgh hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Edinburgh, out of the 6 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.3 down to 4.

All five are inside 600 m of Town Centre, so you can walk it.

Comfort Inn Edinburgh - Columbus

Highest rated of the five

Comfort Inn Edinburgh - Columbus

★★★★★4.3 from 604 reviews

Comfort Inn Edinburgh - Columbus comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.3 from 604 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 5 star property, found under poi and around $112 a night on the dates we checked.

6 hotels in Edinburgh qualified for this list and five made it. Hampton Inn Columbus/Taylorsville/Edinburgh is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Gymopen to guests, not a partner pass down the road
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Comfort Inn Edinburgh - Columbus1

    Comfort Inn Edinburgh - Columbus

    ★★★★★4.3 from 604 reviews

    300 m from Town Centre, about a 4 minute walk

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. Hampton Inn Columbus/Taylorsville/Edinburgh2

    Hampton Inn Columbus/Taylorsville/Edinburgh

    ★★★★★4.4 from 727 reviews

    500 m from Town Centre, about a 6 minute walk

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  3. Hilton Garden Inn Columbus/Edinburgh3

    Hilton Garden Inn Columbus/Edinburgh

    ★★★★★4.4 from 1,068 reviews

    600 m from Town Centre, about a 8 minute walk

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  4. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Columbus Edinburgh by IHG4

    Holiday Inn Express & Suites Columbus Edinburgh by IHG

    ★★★★★4.5 from 675 reviews

    500 m from Town Centre, about a 6 minute walk

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  5. Best Western Edinburgh/Columbus5

    Best Western Edinburgh/Columbus

    ★★★★★4 from 776 reviews

    500 m from Town Centre, about a 6 minute walk

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

6 Edinburgh hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating first and on how close they are to Town Centre second, then took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Katarina Novak

Katarina Novak Britain and Ireland

Works long ward rotations, then blocks four days off and disappears. Specialises in short trips done well, mostly cities within three hours' flight. Twenty-two logged so far.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.