The best boutique hotels in Edinburgh

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A classy, small hotel with an intimate, club-like feel. Deep, dramatic colours, bold wallpapers, tasteful tweeds and the warm-coloured accents of Asian rugs provide a decorative link that flatters both the old and the new, enhanced by the choice of good original art and interesting photographs that reflect the owners' family connections to both Edinburgh and Orkney. The Ba' Bar (named after a traditional Orkney game), with it's comfortable chairs, Chesterfield sofas and big bay window is a cosy place to linger.

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From £ 205

per night

If owner James Thompson has a motto it must be Oscar Wilde's 'nothing succeeds like excess'. The formal park and virginal white 17th-century house might make you think of Jane Austen heroines, but the leopard skin carpet certainly won't – there's a Puckish sense of mischief at play in the midst of all the over-the-top the opulence and extravagantly sustained scene-setting, as well as a sincere commitment to both dazzle and delight. Riotously Rococo bedrooms are straight from the pages of a bodice-ripping romance.

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From £ 329

per night

Imagine a chic godmother – old money but addicted to post-war Dior. If she designed a hotel it would look like this: part country house; part stylish swank. With elegant bedrooms, dramatic restaurant, state-of-the-art gym, wellness treatments and an exclusive rooftop bar, it doesn’t get much more glamorous than this. The attention to detail is particularly impressive; the execution first-class throughout – think traditional luxury with discreet mod-cons.

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From £ 425

per night

If Pugin designed Gothic revival love nests they would look like this: an outrageous riposte to modern minimalism realised in nine fantasy suites close by the gates of Edinburgh Castle. Darkly, deeply sumptuous, utterly indulgent and slightly (delightfully) mad, these secret dens of overblown delight are the ultimate expression of an overheated imagination, realised with a meticulous, theatrical attention to detail. The suites are situated either above the famously atmospheric Witchery at the Castle Restaurant or on the opposite site of the Royal Mile, secreted in Jollie's Close.

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From £ 525

per night

If the rooms are anything to go by, Tigerlily is a downright sexy enclave of sheer, spoiling indulgence, and not for aesthetes or the faint-hearted. It's all uber-sparkly and blingy to the point that you may wish to consider wearing sunglasses to breakfast if you've overdone it the night before. The design in the bar/restaurant runs from eye-popping pop art to a wall of fake ferns, with plenty of mirrored glass mosaic. You'll find it's practically compulsory to have a cocktail or six, before moving into the restaurant where on-trend semi-fast food is the order of the day.

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From £ 261

per night

You’ll find Fingal tucked up in her own cosy berth near the huge ships and towering cranes of the working docks of Leith. She is a grand little ship, polished to a high gloss with décor that respects the ship’s working history without going overboard. Imagine a miniature luxury liner with an Art Deco via 1930s Hollywood feel, all luxuriously deep carpets, curvaceous wood panelling, leather and sparkling glass. On the beds you'll find custom-made throws by local weaver Araminta Campbell. Her studio is just along the road – private tours can be arranged.

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Cabins from £ 300

per night

So hip it hurts, in a very design-led manner. New York architect’s Grzywinski+Pons’ design is Georgian Edinburgh outside, Shoreditch inside. Pale oak floors, plenty of pastels with the odd squirt of mustard and self-conscious quirkiness creates a light-hearted but seriously on-trend feel. The heart of it all is the pistachio and vanilla coffee lounge/bar, with seating largely occupied by people tapping at their tablets, spiky plants in terracotta pots and an abundance of light. The 72 studio apartments offer more space (just) than a hotel.

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From £ 175

per night

No expense was spared in creating this popular bar/restaurant with boutique rooms in a great neighbourhood. Expect rich colours, plenty of tweed and toned-down tartan, faux-Victorian bathrooms, oak floors and colour-coordinated books as décor in the small ‘library’ lounge. Rooms come with luxurious bathrooms, delicious cocktails and upmarket extras, from GHD straighteners to espresso machines. It's surrounded by independent shops, restaurants and a Sunday market, but is only a 15-minute amble to the city centre.

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From £ 190

per night