AreaStays
A row of Georgian townhouses on Charlotte Square in Edinburgh's New Town, seen from the street on a clear day

Mike Shaw / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Edinburgh

Where to Stay in New Town, Edinburgh

New Town sits across Princes Street Gardens from the Old Town, a grid of wide Georgian streets laid out from 1767. Princes Street runs along its southern edge with views back to the Castle, George Street cuts through the middle with boutiques, bars, and restaurants, and the whole district ends at the grand Georgian terraces of Charlotte Square.

What it's actually like to stay here

Elegant and orderly compared to the Old Town — broad straight streets, sandstone Georgian terraces, upscale shops and restaurants. George Street has its own lively bar scene on weekend nights, but the surrounding residential streets stay quiet.

Stay here if

Best for couples and architecture lovers who want Georgian elegance and upscale shopping, still within an easy walk of the Castle and Royal Mile.

Stay elsewhere if

Consider Old Town instead if you want to be right beneath the Castle and immersed in medieval streets — New Town is close, but it's still a walk across Princes Street Gardens to reach the Royal Mile's sights.

Walkability
Excellent, and easier going than Old Town — the streets are flat and laid out on a grid, without the cobbles and steep closes of the Old Town.
Noise at night
Quieter at night than Old Town overall, though George Street itself gets lively with bar and restaurant crowds on Friday and Saturday nights.

Best Hotels in New Town, Edinburgh

Tigerlily

★★★★
  • 🏆 Our overall pick
  • 🎉 Best for nightlife

Our take A boutique hotel right on George Street that pairs individually designed rooms with its own well-regarded restaurant, bar, and basement club downstairs — a strong all-round pick for a New Town stay.

Good for

  • Couples
  • Nightlife

Couples and anyone who wants to be in the middle of George Street's restaurant and bar scene.

Why we like it

  • Each room is individually decorated, rather than following a single template across the hotel
  • On-site restaurant, cocktail bar, and a small nightclub in the basement, all under the same roof
  • Right on George Street, with Charlotte Square, Princes Street, and the walk down to Old Town all close by

What to know

  • Being above its own bar and club, some rooms can pick up noise from downstairs on weekend nights
  • George Street itself gets busy with bar crowds on Friday and Saturday nights
Check availability on Booking.com

Kimpton Charlotte Square

★★★★★
  • ✨ Best luxury

Our take Seven Georgian townhouses joined into one 5-star hotel on Charlotte Square, Robert Adam's grandest New Town address — full spa and pool facilities, in the quietest, most architecturally striking corner of New Town.

Good for

  • Luxury travelers
  • Couples
  • Architecture lovers

Couples and luxury travelers who want a landmark Georgian address at the quiet end of New Town.

Why we like it

  • Occupies seven interconnected Georgian townhouses on Charlotte Square, one of New Town's most architecturally significant addresses
  • Full-service spa with an indoor pool, unusual for a hotel in a historic building like this
  • Charlotte Square is at the quiet, residential end of New Town, a short walk from George Street and Princes Street

What to know

  • Spread across several joined townhouses, room layouts and corridor routes vary more than in a purpose-built hotel
  • It's a 15-20 minute walk to the Royal Mile and Old Town's sights, further than staying in Old Town itself
Check availability on Booking.com

Nira Caledonia

★★★★
  • 🤫 Best for a quiet stay

Our take A small boutique hotel across two Georgian townhouses on a quiet residential street at the edge of New Town — a genuinely calmer base than George Street or Old Town, without giving up the walk into the center.

Good for

  • Couples

Couples who want a quiet, residential New Town street rather than George Street's bustle, while staying an easy walk from the center.

Why we like it

  • Set across two adjoining Georgian townhouses on Gloucester Place, a quiet residential street
  • Individually decorated rooms, several with Georgian architectural features like fireplaces and high ceilings preserved
  • About a 10-15 minute walk from George Street and Princes Street, without the noise of staying directly on either

What to know

  • Split across two townhouse buildings, check-in is only at number 6 — confirm which building your room is in
  • It's further from the Royal Mile and Old Town's sights than most other hotels in this guide, closer to a 20-25 minute walk
Check availability on Booking.com

Transportation & practical information

Edinburgh Waverley train station is a short walk from the east end of New Town, and the tram line runs the length of Princes Street. Old Town is about a 10-minute walk away across Princes Street Gardens.

Skip the rental car. The Old Town's streets are narrow, cobbled, and often one-way, parking in the center is limited and expensive, and everything in this guide is walkable or a short bus ride away.

Frequently asked questions

New Town or Old Town — which should I stay in?
Old Town puts you right beneath the Castle in the middle of the medieval streets. New Town is a short walk away, quieter at night, and has its own Georgian architecture and upscale shopping streets. Both are easy walking distance from each other.
Is New Town central?
Yes — it's directly across Princes Street Gardens from the Old Town, about a 10-minute walk from the Castle and Royal Mile.

Related areas

Grassmarket in Edinburgh's Old Town, with historic tenement buildings and Edinburgh Castle rising above them

Mike McBey / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Old Town

Best for: First-time visitors, Architecture lovers, Nightlife

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