Charlotte Square, New Town · Hotel
Seven linked Georgian townhouses on the New Town's finest square, with a glass-roofed garden restaurant, spa and pool.
Kimpton Charlotte Square occupies a row of Georgian townhouses on the square that Robert Adam designed as the western full stop to James Craig's New Town grid. From the pavement it reads as period architecture and nothing else; inside, the interiors are contemporary, colourful and a good deal more playful than the address suggests.
The centrepiece is the Garden, a glass-roofed courtyard restaurant filled with planting that works as a bright breakfast room and a comfortable place to sit out a wet afternoon. There is also a spa with a swimming pool, steam room and treatment rooms, plus BABA, a Levantine restaurant and bar that has become a destination in its own right for Edinburgh diners rather than just hotel guests.
Rooms number around 200 and vary considerably given the joined-up townhouse layout — some are neat and efficient, others generous with high Georgian ceilings and windows onto the square. Expect good beds, decent coffee, and the Kimpton house touches of an evening social hour and a genuinely relaxed attitude to dogs, which are welcomed without a supplement.
The location is the quiet, elegant end of the centre. Princes Street is two minutes away, the Scottish National Gallery about eight, and the castle a fifteen-minute walk uphill. That makes it a strong choice for couples and for anyone who wants city-centre convenience without the Old Town's late-night noise. It is also well placed for the Book Festival, which uses Charlotte Square Gardens itself in August.