Edinburgh Hotels with Bars

This hotel, nestled at the foot of Calton Hill, was the perfect summer escape. It's incredibly convenient for exploring Calton Hill and other attractions, including the train station. Just across the road, there's a John Lewis department store, making it a quiet oasis right in the heart of things. The rooms are spacious, and I loved that there were plenty of outlets for charging all my devices 😅. Before heading out for a Highlands tour, I grabbed some water, chocolates, and snacks from the small shop opposite the Reception, which was super convenient. The staff were patient and helpful, which I really appreciated. Next time I'm in Edinburgh, I definitely want to try the hotel's 1802 restaurant, I've heard good things about it. Plus, the seating area right outside the hotel entrance was great for resting and managing luggage. 👍

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.

Good hotel. We stayed with friends for one night in a family room. Breakfast was included and started at 5:30 AM, which was convenient for us as we had an early morning departure. I recommend this hotel.

Super stay! The hotel is ideally located, right next to a tram stop. The room is clean, modern, and very quiet. The Wi-Fi connection is excellent. The breakfast is delicious and varied. Nearby, there's also a shopping center with a cinema, a bowling alley, a roller park, and many other activities. This is a real plus for families with children.

The hotel room and bathroom were indeed too small; there wasn't even enough space to open a suitcase, so it had to be stored under the bed. The view outside the room was decent. The main advantage is the hotel's excellent location, right opposite Haymarket. You can walk almost anywhere, which is incredibly convenient, and there are bus stops right outside. The hotel breakfast was just so-so, with limited variety and options. It was a typical English breakfast, not bad. The reception service was mediocre, especially the male front desk staff who gave me the wrong room number twice, even though I showed him the room number written down. He seemed unbothered and unwilling to help.

Brilliant location especially for the fringe festival, it meant I was able to catch a show after checking out as they had free festival shows downstairs in the bar. My light was broken and unusable, but other than that the dorm on the 4th floor was quiet enough didnt hear any of the noise from the bar downstairs which is great, only issue was from guests not from the hostel itself, guests on the last night came in at 1.30am and started making their beds as only one of them had made their bed during check in, I guess the hostel could advise guests to make their beds at check in instead of waiting until they come back to do it, or explain general expectations of sharing rooms with others to be mindful of other guests as the 3 girls didnt turn the light off or stop talking in the room until 4am and then left the room again at 7.30am

Excellent Location, but Serious Security Lapses I recently stayed at this hotel and found it to be a bit of a mixed bag. While there are some undeniable perks to the property, a few significant service and security issues made for a rather unsettling experience. The Highlights Prime Location: This is easily the hotel's strongest suit. It’s situated right next to Haymarket station, and there is a bus stop literally just outside the front door. Getting into the city centre takes no more than 10 minutes, making it a perfect base for exploring. Commendable Service: The reception team provided a decent welcome. I’d like to give a special mention to Shreyas, who was incredibly helpful and professional throughout our interactions. Quality Dining: We ate at the on-site restaurant and were pleasantly surprised. The food was of a high standard, and the waitstaff were attentive and friendly. Room Maintenance & Tech Issues Unfortunately, the shine started to wear off once we settled into the room: Housekeeping Oversights: Despite this being a multi-day stay, the complimentary water bottles were never replaced after the first day. Faulty Tech: The in-room tablet was practically useless. It kept restarting due to a battery fault; ironically, it even cut out while I was trying to use it to contact reception. Privacy Concerns: When we requested extra toilet roll, the staff member who delivered it attempted to walk straight into the room using their key, rather than knocking and waiting for us to answer. It was a complete breach of basic hospitality etiquette. A Major Security Concern The most distressing part of the trip occurred on our second day. Upon returning to our room in the evening, we were shocked to find the main door open. It appears the cleaning staff had failed to secure the door after finishing their rounds. Finding your hotel room left open to the public is, quite frankly, scary. It’s a massive security fail that overshadowed the rest of the stay. While the location is brilliant, the hotel desperately needs to tighten up its staff training and safety protocols. Would I stay again? Only if I were certain that the security and maintenance issues had been addressed.

Issue with overlapping bookings. Someone was assigned the same bed as me after I moved in, but after telling reception, she got an upgrade to a private single. The best part of the hostel is the central location. The worst part was the bathroom that was out of order on my floor so I had to use the main one 3 floors down.

We had a pleasant stay at the hotel overall. The location is a bit far from the main tourist attractions, but it was still manageable and didn’t significantly affect our trip. The room was comfortable and clean, and we appreciated the overall atmosphere. However, we did notice a few areas for improvement. One thing that stood out was the placement of the power outlets, which were quite far from the bed. It made charging our phones a bit inconvenient, as we had to sit at the table while waiting, especially when uploading photos and sharing our experiences. Despite these small inconveniences, we still enjoyed our stay. With a few minor improvements to the room amenities, the experience could be even better.