TL;DR

Prime Old Town spot: Right in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic centre.
Stylish contrast: Contemporary interiors inside a centuries-old stone building.
Modern comfort: Part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection — design meets reliability.
Vibrant surroundings: Perfect if you enjoy the buzz of the Royal Mile.
Historic charm: Views of St. Giles’ Cathedral and Edinburgh’s timeless skyline.
Check prices here

The Old Town Chambers Hotel in Edinburgh offers contemporary lodgings in a pretty unbeatable, historic centre, location.

Its chic, contemporary accommodation sits comfortably inside a building with enough gravitas to complement the Gothic drama of St. Giles’ Cathedral.

The stone exterior looks perfectly at home on the side of the bustling, centuries-old streets, yet the interior touches on post-industrial.

The dramatic beams in the lofts and exposed stonework in some of the suites are undeniably modern.

We like the idea, but it comes off a tad contrived. You’ll want to be comfortable with a bit of idiosyncrasy to truly enjoy it.

Yet, all in all, it’s one of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, so you’re getting reliable comfort with chic design in a location that’s hard to beat.

If you need history, just look out the window.

As long as you look forward to the buzz of the Royal Mile, Old Town Chambers will suit you perfectly.

What are the rooms like?

Number of rooms: 82 suites and lofts of various sizes.
Spacious stays: Studio-style suites with kitchenettes and dining areas.
Home comforts: Full kitchens with dishwashers and microwaves.
Loft charm: Vaulted ceilings and skylights create bright, airy spaces.
See each room in detail here

It’s essentially all Suites, starting with the open-plan Studios.

They’re basically guestrooms with kitchen amenities. They use single double beds or two twins to make room for the tiny little dining areas and plush seating.

Some may find the studios too small. The one-bedrooms are larger and, have more division between the spaces and sofa beds.

Accommodation goes up in size then to the impressive 3-bedroom Penthouse, but in between we’re most charmed by the Lofts.

They have vaulted ceilings that the taller among us might want to avoid, but they’ve adapted successfully with the contemporary design, and the angled skylights can make rainy days romantic.

Decor is decidedly modern, with white walls clustered with small frames and nice swathes of colour in accent walls, furnishings and plush couches.

We especially love the wooden flooring at Old Town Chambers, it adds a much more flat-esque feel to the space than your typical hotel carpeting.

Amenities are modern as well, with TVs sporting Chromecast and full kitchens featuring dishwashers and microwaves.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

On-site dining: Luckenbooths offers all-day meals with local ingredients.
Flexible eating: Full in-room kitchens for self-catering stays.
Great breakfast: Scottish porridge and baked goods worth lingering over.
Fitness focus: 24-hour gym with proper equipment and good space.
Nearby choices: Surrounded by dozens of restaurants and pubs.

The best difference between Old Town Chambers and an apart hotel is, if you don’t feel like cooking, you don’t have to.

First, you’re walking distance from a host of different restaurants, but you don’t even need to go outside.

You can dine all day at Luckenbooths, a family-friendly, locally-focused restaurant with a greenhouse of a terrace that’s perfect for a lazy lunch.

Breakfast is top-class porridge, lunch features all sorts of delectables perched on bready goodness, and dinner has a sidebar on the menu just for steak.

The menus are rather small, and for longer stays we’d recommend taking advantage of either the surrounding restaurants or the in-room kitchens.

In addition, you’ll have a 24-hour fitness centre. It is well-designed with a decent amount of space that actually works as an in-house fitness centre rather than a throwaway hotel gym.

How is the location? Anything interesting nearby?

Central base: Right on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Walk everywhere: Close to Edinburgh Castle, Waverley Station, and museums.
Historic to modern: Easy access to both Old and New Town attractions.
Nature within reach: Calton Hill and Arthur’s Seat just 15–20 minutes away.

As long as you’re prepped for the business of the Royal Mile, the location of Old Town Chambers is hard to beat.

If you want something more relaxing, we’ll send you to one of the side streets, but there’s no denying the easy access to basically all of Edinburgh’s attractions.

Waverley Station is right behind you, with all of Old Town stretched out in front.

Getting between the tourist-filled history of Old Town and New Town’s cosmopolitan charm is just a matter of a 5-minute walk.

The Royal Mile stretches from the 16th-century Holyrood Palace to the iconic and unmissable Edinburgh Castle, and you’ll be in the middle.

The hotel is slightly on the side of the Castle, meaning you can dawdle as much as you like, and it’ll still take less than 20 minutes to get there.

It’s closer to 5 if you avoid all distractions, but there are many and they’re usually fun to indulge in.

Museum visits are also easy, 5 minutes towards the University campus for the stunning National Museum of Scotland or a 10-minute adventure down a close for the National Galleries.

If you prefer nature, you’re arguably on the wrong side of the city, but it doesn’t take long to get anywhere when you’re this central.

The base of Calton Hill is just 15 minutes, if your goal is the views, or trek the 20 to the edge of Holyrood Park for an adventure among the Salisbury Crags towards Arthur’s Seat.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“We reserved 2 units – 3 bedroom for son & family and 1 bedroom for my husband and me. The 3 bedroom apartment was amazing and worked out perfectly for 2 adults and 3 young children. Our room/suite was also great for the 2 of us – everything we needed – mini fridge, dishes, cutlery, coffee maker, etc. Location is great – close to tons of restaurants, shopping, Edinburgh Castle and other tourist attractions. Checking in was a breeze; Ian at reception was fantastic – took our bags to our unit while we were waiting for rest of the family to check in….”

“Everything. We had to move out of our previous hotel because it was dirty. We booked here at short notice and were pleasantly surprised by this place. Our room was beautiful with a view over Edinburgh. Spotlessly clean and staff so friendly….”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”Room was in another building. We had to get help finding it. No parking nearby….”

”We booked a room for 3 adults with a sofa bed. We had to fold the sofa bed out and find the bedding that was in an IKEA bag in the laundry cupboard. The sofa bed was broken and a bit difficult to fold out. For the price we paid for the room, I thought this may have been done for us….”

> Read all the reviews right here