With its fairytale castle upon a rock, or the lion-shaped hill which happens to be an extinct volcano in the middle of the city, there is plenty for children to admire in Edinburgh. Edinburgh has long been famous as a gothic labyrinth of cobbled streets and jagged spires, with a certain boy wizard putting it on the map for young folks in more recent years. Besides gruesome dungeons and underground vaults, museums packed with robots, skeletons and dinosaurs, and an abundance of family-friendly festivals all year round, the Scottish city also has parks and green spaces galore. A broad range of hotel options can be found close to the main attractions, offering teen spa treatments, rubber ducks for bath time, kid-friendly pools and board games. These are the best family hotels in Edinburgh.
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1. The Balmoral Hotel
£££ | SPA | POOL | Best for Harry Potter fans
Princes Street has unrivalled Edinburgh Castle views, retail heaven at St James Quarter and the Balmoral Hotel, where families are likely to disappear for afternoon teas and dips in the indoor swimming pool. Design-wise, the hotel has all the character of Hogwarts, with clock tower, turrets and ornamental balconies and, if the kids are bookworms, you might fancy a splurge on the magical JK Rowling Suite, where the Harry Potter author penned the final instalment of her wizarding saga. Travelling with little ones? There are two-bedroom family rooms, bespoke family itineraries that can include teen spa treatments, complimentary meals for under threes and discounted meals for older children.
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2. Radisson Blu
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for history
Hidden inside a turreted townhouse in the historic heart of the Royal Mile, this hotel is only a few minutes’ walk from a succession of spots that will allow families to connect with medieval Scottish history. There’s 15th-century John Knox House, St Giles’ Cathedral, the Real Mary King’s Close and Museum of Childhood — all child-friendly and golden tickets for a memorable family holiday. As for the hotel, its pool, sauna and steam room are for all ages and family rooms and suites come with toned-down silver decor and sofa beds.
3. Prestonfield House
£££ | Best for little lords and ladies
If your brood is tired after city sightseeing and in need of fresh air and open space, Prestonfield House is a go-to mini-Highlands hotspot. Tucked away in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat, the city’s 300-million-year-old dormant volcano, it’s more baronial hunting lodge than city centre hotel, and comes with acres of parkland, a croquet lawn, a putting green and a golf course. Little ones will love the Highland cows and posing peacocks while city lovers will be reassured by a ten-minute cab ride back into the action.
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4. The Raeburn
£ | Best for suburbia
A short walk from Edinburgh’s greenest attraction, the Royal Botanic Garden, this boutique bolt hole is primed for Edinburgh connoisseurs and repeat visitors who want a different perspective on the urban centre. It fits in snugly among the vintage stores, delicatessens and coffee shops of well-to-do Stockbridge and has become a honeypot in recent years for young families; thanks to its beer garden and cosy restaurant, its public spaces have become the stomping ground of sun-drowsy babies and off-duty parents. Rooms-wise, there are rainforest showers and espresso machines and most have peekaboo views of the local cricket pavilion and sports grounds.
5. Norton House Hotel and Spa
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for early departures/late arrivals
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It may be surrounded by 55 acres of woodland (cue picnic hampers on the lawn, a dog-walking map and a fairy house trail), but this handily-located Edinburgh Airport stopover is also within easy reach of the city centre. The stately home vibe and Renaissance architecture might at first give the impression of a stuffy country house, but that’s before you discover family swim times at the pool, board games, puzzles and popcorn-fuelled film nights. What also works for parents here are the interconnected family rooms.
6. Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh — The Caledonian
£££ | SPA | POOL | Best for castle views
Connecting rooms, an indoor pool and an interior that used to be the ticketing hall and main station of a former rail station — all combine to create a glorious sense of space for families. There’s no need to stress about meal times, as there are three fabulous restaurants (Peacock Alley is for kid-friendly afternoon teas; Grazing by Mark Greenaway for pint-sized portions) and days fill up with discovering nearby Princes Street Gardens, historic Haymarket and the shoulder-to-shoulder sights of the Royal Mile. In particular, CameraObscura, with its townhouse of illusions, will keep even the pickiest kids happy.
7. The Roseate
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££ | Best for river walks
Located in moneyed Murrayfield, this duo of townhouses is a safe distance from the pubs and bars of Haymarket and the West End, but close enough to the Water of Leith for easy strolls to some of Edinburgh’s most memorable spots (namely, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh Zoo and time-stopped Dean Village). While it might feel like a sophisticated pad where kids should be seen and not heard, services can be geared to little ones: cots are free, extra beds can be added to any of the king rooms or suites, and there’s a kids’ menu too.
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8. InterContinental Edinburgh The George
£££ | Best for carnivores
This relative newcomer to the hotel scene has bones older than most others in Edinburgh city centre. The building has been a grand hotel since 1881, but it has lived through various incarnations, rebrands and owners, with the clever InterContinental group clocking that, alongside all the usual tartan trimmings, visitors might now also want a barista-run coffee shop inside their hotel and Le Petit Beefbar, a high end beef restaurant featuring mini Angus burgers, tempura popcorn and porcelain plates decorated with Apple emojis. Unflappable staff will guide you through the best set up for your room (sofa beds, rollaways and doubles are all available), and there’s one family suite with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Better still is the central location: an exhaustive list of Edinburgh highlights is right on the doorstep.
9. Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
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££ | SPA | POOL | Best for golfers
Teenage swingers and old timers needing a golf buggy will relish this out-of-town resort’s two championship courses, as well as the comforting spa and pool combo beside this castle hotel in Edinburgh’s western suburbs. The headline is US President Joe Biden and his security entourage staying here during 2021’s United Nations climate change conference and you can get an idea why when seeing how much greenbelt land the resort fills. This is a big hotel, yes, but it doesn’t scrimp on kid-friendly service. There are tennis courts and a nature walk, but also pizza-making classes and an indoor camping experience.
10. The Pavilion at Lamb’s House
££ | Best for time travelling
It’s not all fanfare and pomp like the Princes Street hotels, or romantic and louche such as those in the Cowgate or West End. This is a self-catering sanctuary tucked away in Leith and one designed to resemble an 18th-century garden pavilion. It’s a three-storey affair with vaulted ceilings and fireside armchairs, and the rooms wouldn’t look out of place in Digory Kirke’s house in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; one even has a Victorian box bed. What also works here is the location: curious families will love all the restaurants and maritime heritage of The Shore, including the magnificent Royal Yacht Britannia.
11. Cheval Old Town Chambers
££ | Best for large groups
Any stay in Edinburgh should take in a yomp up the Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat from the bottom of the Canongate, and there’s really no excuse not to when staying at this central all-apartment residence. It’s discreetly hidden away down one of the Royal Mile’s wonky side streets, but inside is home to several sprawling two and three-bed apartments and penthouses for up to six. Each one is individually styled — from gothic lair to New York-style loft apartment with swoon-worthy views — and, for those who don’t fancy self-catering, there’s a restaurant on the ground floor. The chief draws at Luckenbooths, named after the timber-fronted tenements which once crowded the Royal Mile, are children’s menus and keep-them-busy colouring books.
12. Eden Locke
£ | Best for shopping
Cross family-friendly appeal with grown-up style and you’ll get the USP of this apartment-style hotel that’s slap back in the thick of things on George Street. It’s all about minimum fuss, which explains the cafe-cum-bar style reception and make-yourself-at-home sofas and beanbags. The plush, design-led apartments are big enough for a cot or pull-out bed and there are fully equipped kitchens for fussy eaters or early nights with weary kids.
13. Kimpton Charlotte Square
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for foodies
A series of Georgian-era townhouses reworked as an Edinburgh hotel? It’s hardly news. But where this property excels is in its two mismatched restaurants, both of which are family-friendly and should have parents and children leaping from their chairs. First up for little gourmands is chef patron Stuart Ralston’s Aizle (a spectacular Scots-Japanese culinary tryst), then Baba, a journey around the Levant with charcoal kebabs and lemony-mint mocktails. If more treats are required, there’s a subterranean lair with a lap pool.
14. Village Edinburgh
£ | POOL | Best for the Royal Botanical Garden
Blow the budget options are always plentiful in Edinburgh but more affordable accommodation can be found in this family-friendly hotel close to the Royal Botanical Garden and the majestic Fettes College. The heated indoor pool is a bonus for children (watch out for the set times when children are allowed in) and the watery charms of Newhaven harbour, Portobello beach and Cramond esplanade are easily accessible along cycle paths. There’s a health club, Starbucks and pub with grill on the premises. Rooms affectionately known as Double Doubles can be booked for families of four, or five including a baby in a crib.
15. Native Edinburgh
££ | Best for location and home comforts
In a Georgian building on elegant Queen Street, these luxury serviced apartments allow you to live the life of a stylish New Town resident, with a housekeeping team to clean up after your children. When not exploring the playparks of Princes Street and Inverleith Park, separate bedroom and living room spaces allow kids and adults to take time-outs from one another and there is a private kitchen, handy for any tricky or unpredictable meal requirements. A chic crashpad, it’s also handily within walking distance of tram stops, train stations, the main landmarks, plus the high end shops along Multrees Walk.
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Additional reporting by Claire Sawers
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