Accommodation
Winter is beautiful in Edinburgh and the holidays are one of the most fantastic times to visit the Festival City. Whenever you're visiting, Edinburgh has the right hearth for you to warm your bones and hang your hat.
Edinburgh has a limitless supply of accommodation regardless of season and there’s always a wealth of ideal options for the festival visitor. Short term edinburgh festival lets are available through a number of agencies providing self catering apartments for breaks from a few nights to a full month. Please visit our travel partners for the best inventory of short term festival apartment and house lets rooms:
Discounted edinburgh accommodation search engines are a great at-a-glance look at available rooms and rates across Edinburgh. Rooms can be booked as early as a year in advance or on the same day. Signing up for email updates will keep you in the loop of any upcoming deals.
Scotland’s tourism agency VisitScotland also provides a booking service for all its registered providers over the phone or online. Callers can give a list of requirements and leave the booking agents search for suitable options that fit these requirements. Call 0845 22 55 11 for assistance.
Hotels across the region range from basic hotel accommodation to the unique grandeur of places like the Balmoral Hotel or the Caledonian Hilton. There’s also a wealth of boutique hotel options and mid price family friendly hotels. Self-catering holiday apartments, serviced apartments or one of Edinburgh’s many camping and caravan parks are creative options and all have excellent links to the city centre. During August, a number of Edinburgh residents rent out their own apartments either through a short term letting agency or directly through websites such as edinburgh.gumtree.com. There is often less expense but more risks involved with booking an apartment directly through a landlord so be certain to weigh up every option before doing so and avoid paying the full cost in advance of your visit.
As a Mecca for backpackers and budget travellers Edinburgh has numerous hostels to choose from. Some are privately owned and many are members of the Scottish Youth Hostel Association (SYHA). For solo visitors travelling to Edinburgh’s Festivals, hostels are good value for money and a perfect place to meet like minded festival goers. As well as shared dormitory accommodation most hostels have one or two private single or double rooms. Other affordable alternatives include staying on campus at some of Edinburgh’s Universities (only an option from late June to September) and budget B&B accommodation.
Staying in Bed & Breakfast or Guesthouse accommodation in Edinburgh can be a wonderful opportunity to get to know and learn from Edinburgh locals as well as enjoy the experience of staying in traditional Victorian and Georgian homes. From grand old buildings to intimate hideaways, B&B and Guesthouse accommodation can provide the perfect base for starting your festival adventure from.
Where available, keep an eye out for VisitScotland’s grading system, which covers everything from visitor attractions to types of accommodation. These are graded on a 1–5 star basis giving a clear indication of cleanliness, ambience, hospitality, service, accommodation standard and food.
