Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is a modern hotel situated in the heart of Edinburgh, offering guests a comfortable and stylish stay. With its prime location on Market Street, it provides easy access to major attractions such as Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile. The hotel features contemporary rooms equipped with high-quality furnishings and amenities, including flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi. Guests can enjoy a cozy atmosphere in the hotel's lounge bar, which serves a variety of drinks and snacks. Ideal for both leisure and business travelers, the hotel combines convenience with modern comfort.
What each source says
- Priceline 4.4 5,542
- Tripadvisor 4.0 3,087
- Google 4.4 2,368
- Expedia 4.6 1,010
Bar length is review volume, so you can see how much weight sits behind each score. Captured 2026-08-26.
What visitors single out
Liked
- Excellent Value Despite Edinburgh's high cost of accommodation, many travelers find this hotel offers a high-quality, reliable experience that is well-priced given its premium, central location.
- Friendly and Helpful Staff Guests consistently praise the service, highlighting staff who are exceptionally welcoming, polite, and often accommodating with early check-in requests or luggage storage before and after stays.
- Inviting Lobby and Bar The stylish lobby and bar area are highly rated as relaxing spaces to unwind, providing a cozy atmosphere for drinks after a long day of exploring Edinburgh.
- Modern and Clean Rooms The rooms are frequently noted for being spotlessly clean, modern, and featuring highly comfortable beds, which guests find essential for a restful stay in the city.
- Unbeatable Location Centrally situated near Waverley Station, this hotel provides effortless access to both the Old Town and New Town, making major tourist attractions and public transit easily walkable.
Criticised
- Basic Bathroom Inconveniences Bathrooms are often described as cramped, lacking privacy due to poor door seals, having no ventilation fans, and failing to provide adequate shelving for toiletries.
- Lacking In-Room Amenities Guests frequently express disappointment over the absence of standard glassware, mini-fridges, and irons, citing the use of disposable paper cups as particularly off-putting for a hotel.
- Potential for Noise and Poor Views Some rooms, particularly those on lower floors or facing alleys, experience noise from the street or neighbors, or offer dungeon-like views of blank walls rather than the city.
- Small and Minimalist Rooms Many guests report that rooms are compact and lack sufficient storage space, such as closets, drawers, or mini-fridges, making them feel tight for longer stays or multiple suitcases.
- Temperature Control Issues Multiple reviewers mention difficulty controlling room temperatures, noting that rooms can become uncomfortably hot or stuffy, with limited ventilation or ineffective heating and cooling systems.
The longer read
Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is widely lauded for its exceptional, unbeatable location. Situated directly across from Waverley Station and just a short, steep walk from the historic Royal Mile, it serves as an ideal base for exploring Edinburgh. Guests consistently find the proximity to both the Old and New Towns, combined with easy access to airport buses and trams, to be the hotel's greatest asset. For travelers relying on public transport or those wishing to explore the city primarily on foot, this location is difficult to surpass. The hotel itself, housed in a renovated building, exudes a modern, stylish aesthetic that blends contemporary comfort with historic charm, making it a visually appealing, highly-rated choice for city-break visitors.
However, potential guests should be aware of the trade-offs associated with these compact, efficient rooms. While they are almost universally praised for being spotless, comfortable, and well-maintained, they are often described as compact or small. Many reviewers note the lack of traditional closet space, drawers, or in-room amenities like a mini-fridge, iron, or safe, which can make longer stays feel significantly cluttered. While the beds and pillows receive high praise for their comfort, the minimalist design may not suit travelers accustomed to more spacious accommodations. Additionally, guests in certain sections of the hotel report a labyrinthine layout, requiring navigation through multiple hallways or elevators to reach their rooms, which can be challenging for those with mobility issues or heavy luggage.
Service is a consistent highlight, with the staff frequently commended for being helpful, professional, and genuinely welcoming. Many guests appreciate the hotel's policy of allowing early check-in when possible and providing secure, efficient luggage storage, which allows travelers to maximize their sightseeing time. The bar and lobby lounge areas are social hubs, frequently described as cozy, inviting spaces perfect for relaxing with a drink after a day of exploration. Regarding dining, while the atmosphere of the shared areas is praised, the continental breakfast received mixed feedback. Several reviewers find the price high for the selection offered—which typically consists of cold items rather than a hot, cooked breakfast—leading many to suggest local alternatives nearby as better value alternatives.
Noise and room temperature control are recurring points of discussion. Because of the hotel's central location, street noise can be an issue for front-facing rooms, and some guests noted sound transmission between internal rooms. Temperature control is also a known frustration; without individual air conditioning in many rooms, guests have reported discomfort during warmer weather or struggles with heating. Despite these minor functional drawbacks, the vast majority of guests express high satisfaction, viewing the hotel as a clean, convenient, and reasonably priced option. If you prioritize location and cleanliness over room size and extensive amenities, this hotel remains a top-tier, reliable choice for your visit to Scotland's capital Edinburgh.
A synthesis of published third-party reviews. Not written by Breaks.
Getting there
- Phone
- +441312200730
- Website
- motel-one.com/hotels/edinburgh/hotel-edinburgh-royal
- Check in
- 15:00 · out 12:00
Facilities
- 24 Hours
- Accessible
- Air Conditioning
- Baggage Storage
- Bar
- Bath Shower
- Cafe
- Complimentary Instant Coffee
- Complimentary Tea
- Hair Dryer
- Housekeeping
- Internet
- Non Smoking Hotel
- Non Smoking Rooms
- Room Service
- Seating Area
Against the neighbourhood
Rated 4.3 against a median of 4.4 across the 93 venues we hold for Edinburgh, where the most-reviewed is Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh.
Booking
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What this page cannot tell you
- Descriptions and review summaries are supplied by the source index and are reproduced as published; they are not independently verified by Breaks.
- Ratings and review counts are point-in-time snapshots and drift constantly. Check the venue's own site or the rating provider for the current figure.
- Opening hours change seasonally and at short notice. Confirm with the venue before travelling.
- Category labels come from the source index and are occasionally wrong — a venue may be filed under a type that does not match how it trades.
- Straight-line distances understate real walking distance, especially where a river or railway sits between two points.