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Best for traditionalists
£££ THE BALMORAL
Edinburgh’s original grande dame, this
opulent Victorian railway hotel stands
proudly at one end of Princes Street near
Waverley station, and can’t be beaten when it
comes to elegance. From the tam o’shanter-
clad doormen who usher you into the marble
foyer, to the ‘scent butler’ who provides a
masterclass in fragrance for guests staying in
the botanically inspired Bowes-Lyon Suite,
it ticks all the luxury boxes. There’s even a
Gaelic poet-in-residence. The Balmoral has
plenty to appeal to gourmets, too: guests can
sip Champagne in the Palm Court dining
room, settle in for a dram (500 varieties and
counting) in the bijou whisky bar, Scotch, or
tuck in to AA Rosette-winning fare at Number
One restaurant. It’s sheer class.
ROOMS: From £200. roccofortehotels.com
Best for local living
£ EDEN LOCKE
Yoga classes, fire-dancing workshops and
complimentary walking tours every Saturday
with guides who have been affected by
homelessness — these are not your average
hotel perks. But then aparthotel Eden Locke
is all about taking the ‘living like a local’
concept to a new level. Check into one of its
bright, pastel-toned studios, apartments or
suites in a six-storey Georgian townhouse and
you’ll find a yoga mat in the wardrobe, for a
class at nearby East Side Yoga, and a cocktail
kit in the kitchen. Downstairs, the Mayvn cafe
dishes up pastries and great coffee by day and
natural wines in the evening.
ROOMS: From £89. lockeliving.com