Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Situated in the landmark India Buildings in Edinburgh’s Old Town, just a stone’s throw from Edinburgh Castle, the hotel has 222 Chambers and Grand Chamber Suites, as well as multiple dining and drinking outlets, all with their own unique space and distinct design. This includes Commons Club, Virgin Hotels’ flagship restaurant and bar that acts as a modern-day social club, and Eve, a vibrant all-day dining space, offering a progressive approach to late-night entertainment in Edinburgh. Virgin Hotels Edinburgh also has a rooftop sanctuary with unobstructed views of Edinburgh Castle.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Luxury
Location
1 India Buildings Victoria Street, Edinburgh EH1 2EX Scotland
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
4.4 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Virgin Hotels Edinburgh has garnered praise for its pristine rooms and stylish atmosphere, with the hotel's cleanliness and luxurious touches frequently highlighted by guests. Despite the acclaim for its prime Old Town location and the friendly hotel staff, some visitors have noted issues with noise from the bustling street life.
While the amenities earn rave reviews, travelers caution about the hotel not always offering the best value due to extra charges, and room experiences can occasionally be marred by noise and variability in cleanliness.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Eclectic
Rooms
Stylish
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Noise level
Noisy
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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Great location, style and amenities, with some takeaways...
Located at the tip-top of the historic Victoria Street--this is a truly unbeatable location for your home base in Edinburgh. Reviewing all of the reviews about noise, I asked to be placed in a room that would ensure as little noise as possible, which required upgrading to the Grand Chamber King Suite Room since those are the only rooms guaranteed to be on the side of the hotel away from the nightclub. However, there was still *some* noise from another neighboring bar one of the nights we were there. Something to consider for light sleepers.
The property’s rooftop deck had incredible views of Edinburgh Castle—however we were sad that it was closed on New Years Eve, as this was one of the main reasons we wanted to stay here in the first place. Service at the restaurants was a bit slow and not overly personal, which is something we noticed as a difference between another Virgin hotel we stayed at. (Ex: this hotel did not mention anything about us celebrating a birthday.)
There were some amenities we really enjoyed, like the heated bathroom floors, The Funny Library stocked with books and games, and one of the best surprises was Bonnar, the resident VIP (Very Important Pup), who added a charming touch of home to the experience.
The fully stocked mini-bar was also a nice feature, showcasing local Scottish tastes with items like the Holyrood Distillery’s special Commons Club edition gin. Even better, everything was priced at street rates—think $3-5 for a beer! Room service also pretty great-- ordering an $11 pizza on New Year’s Day and enjoying it without ever having to leave the comfort of your room was definitely needed.
Overall, I would recommend this for the location, cleanliness, and special amenities (and if you're traveling during the week, as the nightclub noise likely won't be an issue.) However, it did seem a bit overpriced and lacked the special personal touches that other luxury brand hotels have provided.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ferenc Szucs, Guest Services / Front Office at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Responded Jan 24, 2025
Dear sarahbethxox, Thank you for your feedback on your recent stay at The Virgin Hotels, Edinburgh. We are delighted you enjoyed the our centric location on the top of Victoria street. We are glad that you liked our quirky design and amenities such as the heated bathroom floors and The Funny Library. We appreciate your feedback on noise and service and will use it to improve. We apologize for the closure of the rooftop deck on New Year's Eve. This was to prevent safety of our guests, because of the strong wind alert. We value your feedback and will use it to continuously improve our guest experience. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back to our hotel in the future. Warm regards, Ferenc
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The hotel, staff and facilities were amazing. The rooms are extremely clean (no signs of limescale or dirt in the toilet/bathroom), or marks on soft furnishings. Everything is well presented. The design of the hotel is lovely and there’s a lot of seating areas around the hotel. Eve restaurant is lovely for breakfast. A menu is provided upon arrival to order from the kitchen and there’s a buffet in the middle with a small sized continental breakfast options. The commons club bar is nice, but very expensive - two rum and cokes cost £19! The location is really good, it’s an easy walk to anywhere and if you bring baggage, you can have your taxi drop off/pick up at the door to unload the bags. But there’s no parking near the hotel if you drive. The hotel to provide a ticket at the end of your stay to receive a discount on parking for St James’ Quater car park. Friday - Sunday overnight parking cost £30 rather than £48.
My only criticism is the £30 birthday package. I paid for this and received a blue ‘Happy Birthday’ banner that you can buy for £1 at any birthday shop/ supermarket and x3 grey balloons on the bed. I also received a hand written card from the staff which was lovely and a box of chocolates but none of it adds up to £30. After doing some research about the package (which I should’ve done before my stay), I’ve read that people received all of this for free when letting the hotel know in their special requests when booking. I expected balloons spelling ‘Happy Birthday!’ in theme with the hotel at least! Honestly, I’ve had better birthday packages which I’ve received for free/ paid for at 3/4 star hotels.
Overall the stay was really good!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kamila Dekerle, Guest Services / Front Office at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Responded Nov 24, 2023
Dear leahhaider2016, Thank you for sharing your experience at Virgin hotels Edinburgh. We really appreciate your review and are thrilled to hear that you had an enjoyable stay with us. It’s great that you found our chambers clean and comfortable and took advantage of our great bars & restaurants. I'm sorry that you felt that our birthday surprise package did not meet your expectations. It's really valuable feedback and we will look into making the package more fun! Thank you for choosing Virgin hotels Edinburgh, and we hope to see you again soon. Kamila
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We loved our stay at Virgin Edinburgh! The room was amazing with modern features. Loved the layout! The toilet and shower are each their own rooms with lights that auto on when you open the doors. We enjoyed the balcony views and the well-stocked mini bar with snacks.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ferenc Szucs, Guest Services / Front Office at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Responded Mar 31, 2024
Dear Cruiser29647818158, We very much appreciate you taking the time to review our hotel. It is always a pleasure to receive such positive feedback, and I will share your comments with our team. We hope to welcome you back soon when your travels bring you back to Edinburgh. Warm regards, Ferenc
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We just finished a 7 night stay at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh. This is listed as a 5 star hotel because of the superficial look and prices, but in terms of the rooms, cleanliness, service, and overall operations it's more like a 3.5-4 star. Not worth the extortionate price.
Our flight landed early in the morning around 8am, we were tired and were completely aware that we'd only check in if a room was available. It wasn't, which was fine, so we dropped off our luggage and went on to explore the city. The reception and concierge was surly, and cold.
The receptionist told us she would reach out to us when a room would be available, which was fine with us. She finally called us around 12pm and she gave us a room on the main floor.
The rooms have no bathrooms, just a sink, shower, and toilet in nooks inside the walls. I understand it was to save space, but the layout is absolutely HORRENDOUS. As you walk in with dirty shoes you have the bathroom sink and shower a few centimetres away from you. As a 5 star hotel, this is wild.
We were so tired when we entered the room and went straight to sleep, but after waking up and wanting to take a shower - the shower was filled with black mould and stunk of mildew. There were also no soaps, or toiletries in the room, and an overall musty feeling of uncleanliness.
You would think as a guest staying for 7 nights (!!) you would give a better room, but no.
I called the reception and they were proactive about it, and showed us another room but with a Queen bed, but we booked King. We were really tired and took the room, and luckily the shower and room didn't stink and feel musty, but the view was horrible.
In the 7 days, housekeeping only cleaned our room once, took away our bathroom slippers, and didn't replace them, and threw the shower caps in the garbage and didn't replace them. Room service food was also extremely poor quality.
Small things that really matter when staying at a luxury hotel were forgotten here, and to be honest, it is NOT worth the price.
Would never stay at a Virgin property again. They are more focused on upselling instead of customer comfort and satisfaction.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ferenc Szucs, Guest Services / Front Office at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Responded Nov 17, 2024
Dear Al S, We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback about your recent stay at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh. We're disappointed to hear that your experience didn't meet your expectations, particularly regarding the cleanliness and overall service. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we will use it to improve our services. We'll investigate the issues you raised, including the cleanliness of the rooms and the quality of room service. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and hope you'll consider giving us another chance in the future. Warm regards, Ferenc
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This is a tale of two halves. My partner and I, spent two nights at the hotel (Friday and Saturday), having never stayed at a Virgin hotel or in Edinburgh. On arrival and throughout our stay, the staff was friendly, particularly the reception and bar. The room was interesting, very unusual, with separate shower and toilet rooms and a sink in the first area you walk in. It had a large bed and a balcony. The room also had a table with bottles of whiskey, gin, etc., a kettle, a coffee machine, and a fridge stacked with software drinks. Everything was chargeable except the coffee. The décor of the room and all parts of the hotel are very unusual and certainly eye-catching. In addition, the hotel is built on a steep hill. When you walk into the reception, you are on floor 6, with our room on floor 2, albeit above ground level. The shine of the hotel soon wore off as aesthetics indeed overtook practicality. The pillows were so soft that they were almost useless, and the room we stayed in, 243, had the Virgin neon sign positioned at eye level, which created difficulties when trying to sleep. Additionally, the room is located just above street level, and the street is lined with numerous pubs. We endured noise, music, shouting, and so on, until 4 am on both nights. The table with the kettle was so cluttered with chargeable drinks and snacks that we had to put most of it on the floor to make coffee. The lighting is controlled by numerous touchscreen plates that are impossible to use when going to the bathroom at night. The toilet and shower were fine, but the sink only ran tepid water, which is no good for shaving. Money and effort were spent on the hotel, and the staff were great, but fundamentally, the essentials of a good hotel were lacking. Hot water, a coffee-making area, a quiet room, and easily adjustable lighting were absent. This hotel exemplifies the oversight of prioritising pretty décor over guests' needs. Would we stay again? No. I’m afraid I can’t recommend it.
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Date of stay: March 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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The idea is great. A beautiful building in the historical center, you can see the Castle from the window. The interiors are stylish and beautiful. The room has a modern air conditioning control system and room service, an original layout with a washbasin in the hallway. Nice minibar with glasses. Stylish furniture. But for a hotel the declared level of service is absolutely not enough. There are always queues at the reception. We couldn’t connect to Wi-Fi, tried many times, the identification site froze. It is not convenient to use the shower (there is nowhere to hang a towel). Stains on the sofa near the bed. Parking is very far from the hotel (expensive, the hotel gives a discount, but we didn’t get it right away, when we applied again for a new shift). The waiter at breakfast, taking an order from the menu, did not ask about tea/coffee. We lived with dogs and expected to receive bandanas as a gift (this is written about on the official website), but even after asking at the reception, they never gave us one... At the reception, any help is offered, in fact, formal answers based on primary information on the Internet. Apparently the abundance of tourists, the constant flow and lack of competition allows us to work according to the principle “it will do.” It's a pity.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My birthday trip to do city sights and enjoy eating and drinking in new restaurants. Virgin hotel was more expensive than usual destinations but we were celebrating and top of list for us was location . This hotel is on the heart of old town with so many key sights on your doorstep and a manageable walk to most others . Highly recommend on this location ! It’s a building which is converted so and they have kept the essence while adapting to the hotel needs . Yes it’s 6 floors and not a spacious US lobby style as that would not fit! It’s quirky with a few random twists and turns in the entrance level BUT this is no issue and it adds to the character fitting its location .
Highlights for us - the bar tender ! Yes not something I would usually rate but the sever was struggling with man down from team but we t extra mile to deliver . Wonderful cocktails which we really enjoyed . Small bar with cosy atmosphere again to our liking . Breakfast - lovely ! The style is relaxed , plenty of buffet options and cooked to order . We had breakfast included and made the most of the wonderful Scottish cooked breakfast twice . The servers had engaging approach but not intrusive .
Pet welcome hotel - we loved there were a couple of well behaved dogs also visiting and being made most welcome.
Concierge service was impeccable with quick and friendly attention from the moment we arrived and through our stay .
Anything you need reception was quick to process and deliver . Check out being 12 means you get more time than most hotels again , perfect!
The rooms - we had an outdoors terrace chamber and it allowed us to have some atmosphere when we wanted and cool air conditioning and silence when not. The beds are sumptuous and very cosy with touches like quality Aaron toiletries , wonderful eclectic mix of Scottish mini bar and snacks , all the travel essentials , hairdryer , iron and board , robes etc . Spacious walk in shower with seating area if desired . The decor was neutral but with nod to location . Lovely high quality brushed brass fittings throughout . Clever use of sliding “ hidden divider door “ with full length mirror . Energetic toilet flush so be warned ;)
Overall we loved the Virgin hotel and we would highly recommend to anyone . It’s popular with tourists with several parties staying however we never felt it was crowded or lacking personal service for all types of traveller .
Well done guys , you made the start of my 60th year a great way to kick off 12months of doing places we have not been to before !
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:We used the castle terrace car park . Hotel has a 50% discount so well worth it . On check...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ferenc Szucs, Guest Services / Front Office at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Responded Sep 6, 2024
Dear Jobyhere, Thank you for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that your birthday trip to Edinburgh was so memorable. Our team strives to provide exceptional experiences for all our guests, and we're thrilled that our unique blend of modern comfort and historic charm exceeded your expectations. We're especially pleased to hear about your positive experiences with our bar staff, breakfast service, and concierge team. Your kind words about our rooms and location are also much appreciated. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Virgin Hotel Edinburgh in the future. Warm regards, Ferenc
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This was a special trip, planned months in advance so that I could do a Leap Year proposal to my partner of over 10 years. Whilst there were a couple of issues on Day 1, these were resolved by the friendly and supportive staff and the Proposal day itself was perfect. The Chef’s Table with Emma Handley and Mel was anazing. We had the Japanese Menu with wine pairing- Wow! Thank you Emma and your team for making this so special! We will remember it always. The room was full of lovely and stylish options. The infrared/touch , room controls etc were great. The mattress so comfortable, and bedding so light but warm. It’s true the minibar is at high street prices and the Arran toiletries reminded us if being in a spa. Loved it so much I ordered some online when I returned home! There’s a lovely touch in the in-food safe being a drawer (cannot forget/miss anything when you go in) and veg room was spacious and I loved the mirrored room divider too. Our view of the castle was divided by the frame in the middle but had read this on the reviews beforehand and still got great photos. I think the hotel isn’t responsible as it is in an historic area and putting extra windows or wider patio doors wouldn’t be allowed. It was so close to everything too. The castle & St Giles Church only a few minutes walk away, Waverley station/princes St, 10 mins downhill, All in all a wonderful visit and would definitely return!
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:No need to take hairdryer. There’s a full size folding on in the room which is great, and there...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ferenc Szucs, Guest Services / Front Office at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Responded Mar 5, 2024
Dear Michelle, Thank you for taking the time to share your review of your recent stay at our hotel. We are thrilled to hear that your proposal day was perfect and that our staff was able to help resolve any issues you encountered on your first day. We are delighted that you enjoyed your experience in our room, from the comfortable mattress and stylish design to the innovative room controls and thoughtful touches. We are also happy to hear that you loved the Chef's Table experience with Emma Handley and Mel, and the Japanese menu with wine pairing sounds truly unforgettable. We are so glad that you had a wonderful visit and would love to welcome you back again in the future. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly if you have any questions or special requests for your next stay. Warm regards, Ferenc
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Our trip was planned as a mother/daughter trip, but then my husband decided to tag along. This threw a curve ball into our planning, as hotels for 2 are easy, but adding a third becomes a challenge. Since it was fairly last minute, our choices were narrow. Fortunately for us, the Virgin Hotel Edinburgh had availability and rooms that they consider "family" rooms. This consisted of two rooms next to each other, each with separate doors, but an additional door beyond the two, allowing us to lock the external and leave the other two unlocked should a family member need mom or dad.
The rooms are well appointed with comfortable beds, seating areas, well lit bathrooms that provide shower and toilets separate from sink and dressing areas.
They provide free water and coffee and tea as well as a sweet treat. Other items are available for purchase. There is a small refrigerator in each room as well.
The hotel hosts two restaurants and a bar as well as a small library. All comfortable.
The location of this hotel is perfect. Royal Mile and Grassmarket are right there affording easy access to quaint shopping, great coffee shops and the Edinburgh Castle.
The only down side is the club located just down the street that spills out onto the street. If we hadn't been so tired, the noise may have been a problem, but we were able to sleep. Just something to think about.
We woud definitely stay here again!!
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kamila Dekerle, Guest Services / Front Office at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Responded Aug 1, 2023
Dear Dancekos, It sounds like you and your family had a fabulous time with us at Virgin hotels Edinburgh, and it was a pleasure to have you! It’s great to hear that you found our chambers comfortable and enjoyed all the amenities and hotel facilities we offer. And I’m thrilled loved our central location, right in the heart of the old town. Thank you for pointing out the noise issues, we have just completed installation of acoustic double glazing to ensure our guests get great sleep and are not disturbed. Thank you for choosing Virgin hotels Edinburgh and for writing this lovely review, we hope to see you again soon. Best, Kamila
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In the center of Edinburgh. Nice rooms, quite spacious. The strong points of this property are the location, practically in the heart of Edinburgh and literally one step away from everything. And then breakfast, a la carte served by a very kind waiter. There is no buffet but you can ask for everything on the menu several times, and they will serve you everything at the table. Truly of the highest level, with local products, special mention for the best salmon of the whole trip! The points of criticism, in my opinion, are the long wait to check in and get the room. Furthermore, they charged us subsequently (after we had already returned home) an extra on the credit card (a small snack from the minibar in the room). Fall of style, with the cost of the room in my opinion they could also have offered that little snack.
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Edinburgh area.
PRICE RANGE
C$351 - C$695 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandEdinburgh
NUMBER OF ROOMS
222
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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