Situated in the centre of Edinburgh, the Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is 5 minutes’ walk away from the train station, and only half a mile from the Castle. Guests can reach the historical St. Margaret’s Chapel, the Half Moon Battery and David's Tower within 10 minutes' walk. Edinburgh airport is only 9 miles away.
The rooms feature an en suite bathroom with shower, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, and stylish, modern furniture.
The historic market square Grassmarket offers a variety of bars and restaurants and it is situated less than half a mile from the hotel.
Guests at Motel One Edinburgh-Royal can also reach historical places such as Cockburn Street and the Royal Mile within 5 minutes’ walk. The award-winning Scottish Storytelling Centre, 10 minutes’ walk away, offers fun activities for families as well as evening entertainment.
Score from 3457 reviews
Superb
8.8/10
Rooms: 208
(Search)
Address: 18-21 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1BL 
(Map)
Motel One Edinburgh-Royal - Photos
What people say
The Motel One hotel was truly a great experience. From start to finish,
it was comfortable, peaceful and in a great location. Even the service
was great - we had originally been booked in a room where the ac
wasn't working but then we were moved to a beautiful room
overlooking the garden and bridge that was very spacious and
comfortable. The facilities are great, all modern and clean. Also, the
bed is super comfortable; showers are relaxing and brand new - there was
even an excellent hair dryer. all reviews »
I fell in love with it from the minute I sent an email asking about early check-in as my flight would arrive at 8:25 a.m. At the very least could I leave my luggage. They put me on the early list and gave me explicit directions on how to get to the motel from the airport! That was excellent. I got there and they were able to check me in early. The setting is an old castle looking building. Inside the lounge/seating area is chic/trendy! They serve breakfast which I never did try as I was off ear.
We have stayed 2 nights for a weekend city break. It coincided with 6 nations, so it was a busy weekend in Edinburgh. While all the other city center hotels had increased their prices extortionately, Motel-One still kept it reasonable, so it was great value for money for this superb location. Don't let the name "motel" fool you, it is was very comfortable compared to many other "hotels" and actually was one of the cleanest hotels I've ever stayed.
We have arrived late in the night for and were.
Overall I was very happy. Stayed in this hotel two nights and its great
for short city break.
Right in the centre of Edinburgh, I don't think there is other location in city that could compete with Motel One.
Nice design in rooms and the lobby so cozy I didn't want to leave it. Bar open 24 hours and staff are friendly and efficient. I was glad I didn't see any strangers in either so felt very safe at all times.
Beds in rooms are fantastic, comfortable with nice fresh linen. Extremely clean t.
The hotel is a stones throw away from Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile, Princes Street and Waverley Station so ideal location for a city break. It was spotlessly clean and very fresh looking. The room was a good size double and comfortable. It also had the added bonus of being able to control your own room temperature which is a nice touch. The bar is 24 hours if you are a resident, even though i don't drink i could get soft drinks and take back to my room. Another great touch is the 12pm.
Location was fantastic, 2mins from train station, staff were very
friendly, held our cases for us until the room was ready and then again
the following day as we had several hours shopping to do before our
train journey home. The fire on the T.V. in the reception area makes the
place feel very welcoming, which the staff continued to do through out
our stay, the same fire on the T.V. as we entered our room was again
very effective. The shower was really refreshing, almost spa like, the
room was .
An extremely positive experience. Already at check in you felt welcome
and cared for. Staff was a charming and cheerful receptionist. It really
felt like you were the most important and the only guest.
The hotel is ideally located in the center of Edinburgh. Airport bus stop 100 meters from the hotel. Many of the sights are more or less around the corner. In other words, walking distance to everything. Location could not be better.
The hotel is new and it shows. Modern, fresh and clean. Relativ.
Hi,i stayed at Motel One on a Business trip from 15th Aug to 17th
Aug'2013. I was allocated room 619 which had wheel chair access .
The location of this hotel is excellent as it is was next to waverly
station and also very close to princes street. There are pubs and
restaurant next door.My Double room was surprisingly large with big
window. The bathroom was also quite big and there was also
tea/coffee machine. The led tv was nice and was always switched on
with fish tank view which was pleasant.
I've stayed in Motel One hotels before and it's the best chain of budget hotels by far at the moment - this is no exception and I hope they keep their standards up now as they expand into the UK. The location here is brilliant for the station, castle, Royal Mile, Princes St., etc. It's in two historic buildings beautifully refurbished. Rooms are brand new, well-equipped, comfortable beds. Breakfast buffet excellent as is bar service later in the day. Wifi works well. Staff all very friendly &am.
The hotel is really new and its facilities are amazing. It is perfectly located just a few metres from the Airlink bus stop, so it is handy for late or early flights. Also, it is within walking distance to most tourist attractions in Edinburgh and shopping areas. The staff were very friendly and helpful. It was so nice of them to change our room as the one we had was a little cold - it had astonishing views but a lot of windows which made it a little cold for us Mediterranean people ;).
Great location from the station, easily within walking distant to all
attractions and shopping, was slightly worried before getting to the
hotel as was a lot cheaper than other hotels for the night we booked so
was really surprised at the place. Staff were excellent, no waiting
around, the bar is there for you to relax in while you consider where
you will visit. First class, will definitely stay again when we visit
Edinburgh and would certainly recommend the hotel to others.
I have stayed in many budget hotels across the UK including the market leaders and Motel One beats them all. Every part of the Motel has been well considered. The staff are friendly and welcoming. The interior design throughout the building is very pleasing to see.
The rooms are clean, comfortable, quite and warm. Budget accommodation does not have to be cheap in style and comfort. I applaud Motel One Edinburgh for getting budget accommodation right - well done.
The "live fire" video with sound effects - fabulous. My spacious, comfortable room and compact, functional modern bathroom with rain-shower and thick white cotton towels that really dry you, don't just slide over your wet skin. The swift, efficient check in and check out. The view from my room. The simply unbeatable location, one minute from Waverley. The attractive, welcoming lobby and bar. The design and colour scheme.
Loved it all.
The location of the hotel is excellentonly a few meters from Weaverly, AirLink buses and right at the middle of Old Town and New Town. It has been very thoughtful that they have placed EU plugs to the rooms. The staff is very friendly, kind and helpful. The breakfast buffet is tasty and the lounge is quite relaxing. The room was fresh, clean, wide and relaxing. If I will ever visit Edinburgh again I will stay there for sure!.
Staff are exceptional, very efficient and friendly. Room was stylish and comfortable as ever, love the shower. Breakfast is good, continental-style but everything fresh and very well-presented. Location is perfect, only minutes' walk from the Royal Mile, Princes Street, the Airport bus and the railway station. Some rooms even have views apparently although mine faced inside. Still my favourite hotel in Edinburgh.
Completely new motel in old building located in the center just one minute walk from the Airlink bus. The staff was very helpful and professional. Rooms were small but with all you need. Comfortable beds with duvet. Our room had a view to another building very close but was very quiet. Our friends had a room nearer the street with more noise from traffic – and pubs. Breakfast was continental and delicious.
The shower was amazing in our room, view again was brilliant, we looked towards Princess Street. Bar Staff, had a good laugh with. We had a double room, bed was two singles together, but in me and my partner opinion was very comfy, we both slept very well. We would definitely go back, as area of the hotel is what we were looking for, 30 seconds walk from Waverly. I would recommend to others (and we have).
Anonymous
Solo traveller
United Kingdom
5 October 2013
Really good value, price doesn't vary regardless of time of year. Rooms are quiet and comfortable, if a bit difficult to find a consistent temperature, but very clean and stylish. Staff are excellent, always friendly and efficient. Location is ideal, only minutes' walk from the railway station, Airport bus, Princes Street, Royal Mile.
the location is fantastic for the station, tour buses, princes street, royal mile and also some lovely, quirky shops and cafes round the corner in cockburn street. the rooms were all clean, modern and very well equipped. the size of the rooms varied but well designed for such an old building. the public areas were also really impressive. would definitely recommend and would love to return.
Simply had everything we needed at a great price. Staff were very
friendly, rooms were fresh and simple (liked the tv fire). Bar area was
a great touch, really useful to meet people, get a snack ( had a
toastie) and have a drink. Breakfast was better than I had expected, a
nice selection. All very good and all who stayed would stay again and
recommend to others at the current price.
Hotel was clean,excellent room service. We asked for extra pillows and they were delivered to the room within minutes of the request. The staff were pleasant and helpful. The bed was comfortable. Excellant idea to have single quilts for a double bed.
I've recommended this hotel to everyone interested in going to Edinburgh. I've also looked to see locations of other Motel One.
Location was ideal for me, in the city centre but a couple of minutes walk from the busiest thoroughfares. Check-in and -out very efficient with friendly staff who really cared that everything was right for me. Very stylish with a clear continental influence, my room was very comfortable and quiet. Breakfast was self-service and all fresh produce. I will stay again.
Reception staff are very efficient and personable, always keen to ensure
I have everything I need for my stay. Motel is very stylish and room
comfortable with everything I need. Location for me is ideal, within a
few hundred metres of both the Royal Mile and Princes Street, yet still
amazingly quiet for being in the city centre. Breakfast is continental
and fresh.
The location was perfect. We were across the road from the railway
station and from the point where all the tourist buses and airport buses
left from. We could walk to most attractions and restaurants around us
were excellent. The rooms were a good size and very clean and
comfortable. The breakfast suited us. It was a European buffet, not an
English breakfast!.
Hotel was clean and well presented. Staff were polite, smartly dressed
and offered 24 hour reception service. Great location just outside
Waverley station so was near shops/food places/castle.
Entertaining to be given a map with directions to your room, with the advice you have to cross a small glass bridge over a back alley to get the their "other building".
The location was fantastic but it was just a lovely smart, stylish, simple hotel. The room was great - with the option of the tea/coffee tray it had everything we needed. The hotel was quiet despite being by the train station and the staff were very friendly and helpful. We didn't eat or drink at the hotel so can't comment on the breakfast or bar.
The price is amazing for what you get and the location, i looked at equivalent hotels and they were twice the price and either airport or in leith. I had a city view room and a great view of princess st gardens, its a shame i only had a flying visit for a party. The staff were friendly and the room and bathroom nice and spacious.well done motel one!.
Location is ideal for City Centre and the Royal Mile. Only a few minutes' walk from the train station. Staff are excellent, efficient, helpful and friendly. Rooms are stylish, perhaps a bit basic, but very comfortable and quiet. Breakfast is optional and adequate, good value. This is my preferred hotel in Edinburgh and I'm happy to recommend it.
Location and price were what made me book and I wasn't sure what to expect as I had not stayed with Motel One before.
The hotel was perfect for my requirements, a one night stay in a comfortable, safe environment. I will stay there again.
The hairdryer was the best I have ever used and would like to buy one if anyone knows where I can get one?.
Location right next to train station, airport bus, castle, shopping, old town. Triple glazed windows so totally quiet room. Very nice (very German) breakfast. Small room but not cramped. Comfortable and attractive furnishings. Extremely pleasant staff. Very good price. Much better than expected and I will definitely stay again.
We travelled to Edinburgh for the Six Nations and this hotel was
perfectly located next door to Waverley station and near the Royal Mile.
Everything we needed was within 5 minutes of the front door. The room
was spotless and had everything you need. We also appreciated theatr
check in as we arrived on a late train.
Location is ideal for city centre, only a few minutes' walk from the railway station, the Airport bus, Princes Street and the Royal Mile. The rooms are stylish and comfortable. Continental breakfast is fresh and good value. I've always found the staff to be friendly and efficient. I recommend Motel One to others.
The location was ideal for my purpose, it was easily accessable by rail, it was crisp & spotlessly clean, the staff were wonderfully helpful & efficient & smiled even as you passed them by, the shower room was immaculately clean & I slept extremely well on the comfortable & well defined bed.
Decent hotel with nice staff. I had a health issue they checked my stay 3 hours earlier. The hotel is just between old edinburg and new. Very near to daily tour bus station, airport transfer and train. Beatiful location. Oh and we ate the best breakfast in our one week britain journey, others were terrible.
My room was quite small, but very modern, well maintained, and clean. I had a little trouble connecting to the facility's wifi initially, but once connected it worked great. The location, right on Market Street just below the Royal Mile makes this a great base from which to wander the old town district.
We missed our plane, but there was no problem with the rearranging our
accommodation. Staff were kind and very helpful. Breakfast was really
tasty. Hotel is very clean with perfect location - near both new and old
part of the city, near Airport bus and about two minutes by slow walk
from Royal mile.
Modern and tasteful decor. The shower was amazing! Lovely staff. Easy check in and out. Couldn't ask for a better location. We were allowed to leave our luggage after check out which allowed us to enjoy our last day. Very easy and simple to adjust the heating in the room to your personal preference.
The Motel is superbly placed, situated less than a minute walk from Waverly station. It is spotlessly clean ...I even did the finger test !
The room we stayed in was on 2nd floor on the station side and it was very quiet with the comfiest beds. The room was a good size ideal for a short break.
I liked the simplicity of the design. The room we had was spacious and sparely but cleanly decorated. I liked the coffee cups!, the duvet on the beds, the firmness of the mattress and the pillows.
The location is also excellent-- right next to the Royal Mile and next to the airport express.
My room was very clean and the staff were all very nice. The bar and lounge area were very pleasant. Nice comfortable bed although I wouldn't call it queen size. The bathroom was very nice and the shower was excellent. Also the room was very cheap for Edinburgh city centre on a Friday night.
it is the best hotel I lived in UK. the location is near to both railway station and the castal, and easy to take bus to airport. the room is clean and romantic. staffs are professional. it is allowed to check out at 12pm, hotel would like to help customer to store luggage in reception room.
The location was excellent; the hotel is just across the road from the stop for the airport-bus. The room was very clean, as was the common areas in the hotel. The staff was friendly and very helpful when we requested left luggage facilities both on the day of arrival and day of departure.
I felt as if i was walking into a 4* hotel rather than a motel!!!! It was fabulous,spotless and such a quiet and relaxing place to stay,in the heart of city! bedrooms r amazing and such clean bathrooms! will defiently recommend it and without a doubt stay here again wen in edinburgh!! :).
The location was very good and just a few minutes walk from the
train station and princess street. The staff were friendly and
helpful. The room was clean and comfortable. The shower was very
good. Check out was 12 noon but they kept our luggage for us until
our train departed at 3.30pm.
Very efficiently organised German run hotel. So clean and quiet despite being busy. The bed was comfortable. The shower efficient. Fluffy towels. Free Internet (they even loan you an iPad with a deposit). Approx 20 yards from the Airlink bus stop, perfect if you have an early flight.
A new modern hotel with comfortable clean room and friendly helpful
staff. Continental breakfast had adequate selection. Cost £7.50
Excellent location, 5 mins walk to Waverley train station. Short walk
to The Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. I highly recommend staying at
this hotel.
The hotel is excellently located...close to the train station, shopping areas and tourist attractions. The hotel is very clean, very quiet and the staff was really very friendly and helpful, the facilities are new. We lived on the 6th floor and the view from the room was awesome.
I know it's probably a common thing but I liked that I could store items there while traveling farther afield. That way I wasn't bogged down by so much luggage. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Plus it was conveniently located to everything i.e. train, city centre.
Great value for money. the room was extremely clean. i mean EXTREMELY. Great location as well, 5 mins to the train station. lots of people complained about the breakfast, which i think it was excellent. It had everything i need, bread, salami, fruit, juice, coffee, boiled eggs.
Everyone was very nice and helpful. The room was beautiful, clean and comfortable. The location was excellent for the train, shopping and sightseeing. The breakfast was delicious. The lounge very comfortable with the fireplace and fleece throws. We thouroughly enjoyed our stay.
The first room we got put in had no ac and ventilation, so they need to
maintain some other rooms; however they moved us the second we
complained to a beautiful spacious room with large windows, so try to
request for those rooms immediately. Also the breakfast finishes quite
early, at 10 am - could be pushed till 11 am, just to give people bit of
a chance to take their time in the morning on their holiday! Other than
that, nothing at all to complain about :).
Their room numbering was a bit strange, 400s were not on the 4th floor as you'd normally expect. The signage were clear though, so it was not a big problem.
Small window in the room and facing the wall of other building with
windows. I kept curtains closed most of time and at the end felt a bit
claustrophobic.
Had Internet code from reception and logged in on iPhone but it automatically logged out every now and then. Speed was fine.
Nothing negative to report about the hotel or my stay there.
Double bed, not twin beds, although not a problem as I was travelling
with my sister, £84 for room only I thought was a bit expensive, but
understand it was the location that effected the price.
The only negative was that it was somewhat thin-walled. Both from
outside and from neighbors. Some rooms (my among others) have no
window to look through. Only a small window that sits high, which
however can be opened for fresh air. But it can give a little
claustrophobic feeling.
There's no car park, so if you arrive by car you have to park at Waverley, which costs £18 prebooked for 24 hours. So try not to arrive by car!.
Only problem we had (which wasn't too much of an issue) were the two
single duvets on a double bed - not really ideal for a couple but to be
honest we were so tired by the time we had got to bed it didn't
cause to much of a problem.
For me there is nothing not to like about Motel One in Edinburgh.
The limited storage space for clothes. Not important for two nights but could be a problem over a longer stay.
The breakfast was a little overpriced.
Bedrooms are beginning to look a little tired and in need of freshening up.
Internet at the room was sometimes quite slow (unlike the lobby) and the login (which has to be repeated) was troublesome. Perhaps a start-up problem like the missing air condition.
None in our opinion.
grumpy night manager on sat night.
A couple people in our group noted that there few sockets in the room,
and would be a little inconvenient if on business. Slightly strange
arrangement of floor numbers and lift levels, but not difficult to work
it out. All other comments very positive.
The room was a bit hot. The air conditioner didn't work efficiently.
Bed was uncomfortable, strange to have 2 single quilts on a bed instead
of a full size quilt. Room temperature gauge did not alter the room
temperature. Despite turning it down to the lowest setting possible, the
room was uncomfortably hot all through the night.
small point but a lot of the tv channels on the freeview wouldnt load up.
The only negative comment I would make is that when I arrived last morning to drop my luggage off the carpet area in the entrance and breakfast area looked like it needed hovering.
This is not a complaint at all, but if you are looking for "Scottish" character in your hotel, go elsewhere. This is a generic modern European hotel.
We didn't eat breakfast as it felt like daylight robbery for what
was on offer. There are plenty of pubs offering a Scottish breakfast
within a minute's walk. The Internet was also extremely slow.
The only thing that I did not like was that the TV would not seem to switch off at night by the remote control, & not at all without me removing the key card from the power activation slot - but it could have been my lack of understanding of the system as opposed to a problem with the system itself!.
I don't have anything bad to say about the place -- it fit my needs quite well.
Hotel is totally new and thereof you can smell a light odor of paints
in some common areas. Also, we are used to more soft beds from
continental hotels.
The only downfall was the bed. The pillows were not the usual size or filled as much as I would have liked. A bit of a sore neck and kept awakening during the night because of the pillow. The bed was a little firm. This may just be my personal preference. Two separate single duvets on a double bed but didn't bother me at all.
Although the room was a good size the bathroom fell short. It was exceptionally clean but so tiny it was funny! it was a bit like walking into a wardrobe, I would imagine someone who was a little larger would really struggle as the doorway was tiny too.
I didn't like the lack of a phone in the room. My cell phone did not work because the US system is different than Europe. So this made communicating difficult. Perhaps they can provide phone service for those who need it.
Just a small thing but due to the design of the hotel and where it is situated finding my room wasn't the easiest task ever. Was also a little noise from the street at 7.30 am but this was not the hotels fault.
The rooms are quite small, but having stayed in a Motel One before, I was expecting this.
possibilty yo have a toilet on same level as reception!.
No tea and coffee in rooms you had to ask at reception and got a tray if
you left a deposit of £10.
Room view, faced a brick wall. A long distance walk through a bit of a rabbit warren to some of the annex rooms.
Nothing I can think up. Maybe better way of cooling rooms especially on higher floors. They stayed stuffy all night and the ac didn't work well if at all.
the only drawback was the wifi, which was diffcult to connect. and the speed wasn't very impressive.
No wash cloths for bathing.
