Where to stay in Edinburgh: My Review of Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

One of my favorite travel experiences ever is my ten day road trip through Scotland. During that time, I fell in love with Edinburgh! It might even be my favorite city in all of Europe- now I just can’t stop going back to visit.

Happily, I found a way to get myself back to Scotland! I added time in London this time around- and brought our 3 year old along with us.
We spent 3 days in Edinburgh, and had a great experience staying at Virgin Hotels. I strongly recommend this spot to all travelers visiting here!

Some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you!).


If you’re asking yourself, “where should I stay in Edinburgh??”, and want to stay in the heart of old town (and in a boutique hotel at that!), then Virgin Hotels Edinburgh is your spot!
Located on the popular Victoria Street, the hotel is within walking distance to all the main sites in old town. Just a block from the Royal Mile, this truly is the perfect location to base yourself.
rooftop bar edinburgh scotland
View from the hotel rooftop lounge
With unique and eye-catching decor, you could easily spend all day inside just enjoying its many amenities.
While my personal favorite is the rooftop lounge and its incredible view of Edinburgh Castle, there is plenty more to explore!
church room virgin hotel edinburgh scotland
Our beautiful room with church size window
Given how high quality and centrally located the hotel is, it also has reasonable prices:
There are a large variety of rooms to choose from, starting at about $270 for “Chamber King Castle View” or $390 for the “Grand Chamber Suite”.
If you really want to go all in, you can opt for the “Sir Richard Suite” (~$1,200 per night).
eve restaurant virgin hotels scotland
Eve: This is where hotel guests have breakfast too!
The hotel has a trendy bar near the entrance, the Edinburgh Commons Club, and a larger bar and restaurant space below called Eve (named for the mother of Virgin’s founder, Richard Branson).
We love that they also have a complimentary cocktail hour for guests!
It definitely motivated us to check out that area of the hotel, and spend some time chatting with the staff about their favorite things to do in the city.
eve edinburgh courtyard
The courtyard of the Eve Restaurant
The hotel also has several fun and unique lounge areas. There is a library filled with game boards, antiques, and other quirky oddities.
We also like the art-filled common spaces where you can read, socialize or enjoy a drink!
The hotel rooms themselves are spacious and beautiful with bold retro decor (I especially love the mini fridge and rotary phone!).
The televisions are equipped with a platform to easily utilize room service too.
hotel room church virgin edinburgh
Entry area to our room
Our room was built into the facade of an old church that was on this property, and the church sized windows are beautiful!
where to stay in edinburgh
In our room, we loved the mini bar options, and the sliding door that allowed us to separate the room into two distinct spaces. This was very handy when we needed our toddler to go to sleep earlier than us!
edinburgh hotel virgin hotels
Street view of our room and the original church structure incorporated into the design
We had a crib provided by the hotel, and then put our son in the separated space with the lights off.
We also had a great street view, but didn’t have any issues with noise, even on a weekend.
review of virgin hotel edinburgh
Since we had spent the last two weeks driving across the UK, we had our rental car with us.
While I do wish there had been a closer and more convenient parking option, we were relieved they have an agreement in place with a local garage to park at a discounted rate.
It did take my husband about 20 minutes to walk to the garage from the hotel however, so keep this in mind when planning.
Beautiful interior spaces
The hotel also has a great variety of food options. You can eat at their on site restaurant (Eve), or order in for room service.
Breakfast was a highlight for us- there are several options and for me the pancakes were fantastic!
While I personally am never the type to work out while on vacation, the gym there is impressive too! There are plenty of machines, free weights, etc. to choose from, and towels and a water cooler as well.
Me enjoying one of the lounge areas near Commons Club Bar
Overall, the staff at this hotel are very attentive. The gentlemen at the front entrance were so kind and helpful to me juggling all our luggage (while I was pregnant and also trying to mind my 3 year old!).
We definitely felt spoiled during our stay at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, and had so much fun exploring the property!
More views from the hotel rooftop

More helpful links:

♥ Get yourself some travel insurance– honestly, don’t go abroad without it!
♥ Find organized day trips or tours all over Scotland

Get my packing list (in checklist form) sent to your inbox!

    Unsubscribe whenever!


    Pin this post for later!

    Centrally located on Victoria Street near the Royal Mile, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh was the perfect place to stay during our time in Scotland!

    As always, all reviews and opinions are my own. However, we were hosted guests of Virgin Hotels Edinburgh and received a complimentary stay in exchange for this post.

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply