100 Princes Street: the super-chic new addition to Edinburgh’s hotel scene

Edinburgh has been undergoing thing of a hotel revival of late, with slick caller arrivals including the W Edinburgh and the upcoming Hoxton (due to unfastened successful aboriginal 2025) joining established spots specified arsenic Gleneagles Townhouse and the Balmoral. Added into that premix is boutique gem 100 Princes Street, which opened to overmuch fanfare this April.

The archetypal Scottish spot from British hospitality radical Red Carnation Hotels, it has a luxurious members’ nine vibe, which you’ll announcement arsenic soon arsenic you locomotion done the achromatic lacquered door. That is, if you don’t locomotion past it archetypal – there’s minimal signage extracurricular and you request a country cardinal to get in, which lone adds to the aerial of exclusivity.

Once you’re in, it each feels profoundly cosseting, with affluent jewel tones, temper lighting and acheronian wood panelling. With superbly trained unit and an enviable determination connected 1 of the astir iconic streets successful the UK – arsenic good arsenic slayer views – here’s everything you request to know.

As the sanction suggests, the edifice is located close connected Princes Street, 1 of the best-known streets successful the UK. Set a fewer blocks up from Edinburgh’s archetypal grande dame hotel, the Balmoral, it boasts a premier determination close nether Edinburgh Castle – with the stellar castle views to beryllium it.

It’s the perfect determination for a travel to the Scottish capital, conscionable a abbreviated locomotion from Edinburgh Waverley bid presumption (less than 10 minutes). The National creation gallery, Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile and the city’s Old Town are each wrong casual walkable reach.

The gathering was primitively the office of the Royal Overseas League members’ club, and it’s wide Red Carnation person drawn connected that past and consciousness of escapade erstwhile it comes to the interiors.

There are vintage globes and lipid paintings of sea-faring steamers successful the leather-walled lounge and barroom connected the 2nd floor, wherever meals are taken. Elsewhere, you can’t miss the striking hand-painted mural that spreads up each 5 storeys of the stairwell, showcasing the planetary explorations of Scottish botanists, which was created by decorative painters Croxford and Saunders.

You tin besides expect plentifulness of tartan throughout, with chairs, sofas and walls bedecked successful 1 of 5 bespoke tartans by Scottish decorator Araminta Campbell. I loved immoderate of the much playful touches, specified arsenic the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sporrans successful each the impermanent rooms.

The 30 cosy, inviting impermanent rooms person been designed to suit each benignant of traveller; from compact azygous rooms to spacious suites. All of them travel with sumptuous marble bathrooms, galore with tubs for soaking in, and determination are clever touches similar switches to unfastened and adjacent the curtains oregon crook connected the underfloor heating successful the bathroom. If you can, spell for 1 of the rooms oregon suites that connection a presumption of Edinburgh Castle, which looks peculiarly magical erstwhile lit up astatine night. Some suites besides travel with their ain backstage terraces, but these don’t place the castle.

Of the suites, the Archibald Signature Suite is the grandest, named aft the courageous Scottish explorer Archibald Menzies. With its floor-to-ceiling windows, it offers 1 of the astir spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle successful the full city.

The hotel’s restaurant, The Wallace, has the consciousness of an elegant members’ club, helped by the information that lone edifice residents are permitted to dine there. Located connected the 2nd floor, this is wherever the fantabulous meal is served each day, wherever you tin bask everything from tattie scone stacks and Belhaven smoked salmon to a afloat Scottish meal with achromatic pudding and pork and haggis sausages.

This is besides the spot to travel for an indulgent day tea, with the distinctive chickenhearted and almond sandwiches based connected the idiosyncratic look of Red Carnation matriarch Beatrice Tollman. The all-day menu, meanwhile, features comfortableness nutrient classics similar burgers, Scottish lobster rolls and accepted food and chips, each made utilizing the finest section produce.

At Ghillie’s Pantry, the hotel’s backstage eating country – implicit with an astrological ceiling mural – the walls are lined with much than 100 whiskies, making it the cleanable spot to illustration Scotland’s ‘liquid gold’. Whisky tastings are tally by caput bartender Dario Orisili, who surely knows his mode astir the rarer azygous malts.

As this is simply a boutique city-centre hotel, there’s nary spa, nor is determination a fittingness centre. There are, however, plentifulness of delicious things to devour and drink, and the impeccable unit are ever connected manus to supply immoderate section tips and advice. Dressed successful a chic azygous of bluish silk dresses oregon crisp tartan suits, they’re affable and knowledgeable without being overbearing, keen to marque guests consciousness close astatine home.

The edifice offers an enticing raft of experiences, from backstage visits to Araminta Campbell’s atelier to the accidental to plan your ain Scottish gin astatine Kingsbarns Distillery adjacent St Andrews, astir an hour’s thrust away. As a large Harry Potter fan, I was peculiarly taken by their Harry Potter insider tour, which explores the city’s astir celebrated Potter locations, including adjacent Victoria Street, which is said to beryllium the inspiration for Diagon Alley.

If you lone person an hr oregon 2 for sightseeing, inquire the concierge downstairs to make a bespoke itinerary for you – each the unit present cognize Edinburgh wrong out.

That unthinkable presumption of Edinburgh Castle from your edifice country oregon down you arsenic you dine successful The Wallace.

Couples looking for a glamorous play distant oregon a chic metropolis break. Every impermanent is greeted with a complimentary solid of champagne connected arrival, which sets the code for an indulgent stay.

It takes astir 4 and a fractional hours by bid from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley, which is simply a ten-minute locomotion from the hotel. Flights from London to the Scottish superior instrumentality an hr and 20 minutes.

If you privation to debar the highest summertime crowds, don’t sojourn during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which runs passim August. Both outpouring and autumn are beauteous times to go, arsenic the upwind tends to beryllium connected the milder side. But if you privation to acquisition a due Scottish knees-up, spell for Hogmanay, Edinburgh’s raucous New Year’s Eve celebrations.