Top 10: the best Edinburgh hotels with pools
An insider's guide to the best Edinburgh hotels with indoor and outdoor pools, featuring the top places to stay for rootop swimming pools and serene hydro pools, as well as saunas, steam rooms, spas and fitness centres.
The Balmoral
Edinburgh, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
This neo-Renaissance building with its massive clock tower has been an Edinburgh landmark for more than a century. With elegant bedrooms and over-the-top marble bathrooms, a spa, gym and swimming pool, recently refurbished Palm Court for champagne afternoon teas, this is a 21st century version of a grand hotel. There are 188 rooms of which 20 are suites. The most expensive overlook Princes Street, the Castle and Arthur’s Seat. Read expert review From ￡280per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
? The best Edinburgh hotels with spas
Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa
Edinburgh, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
This modern hotel has everything you would expect from the brand, with bells on. Although predominantly aimed at business travellers, the location, range of rooms and services and well-regarded restaurant make it the perfect choice for travellers who like to know exactly what they’re getting. Facilities include a business hub and the best spa in town, with a 19-metre infinity swimming pool, thermal suite with seven treatment areas, Espa treatments, gym, café and utterly relaxing rooftop hydro-pool. Read expert review From ￡150per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
An imposing and historic building in the heart of Edinburgh, with a Galvin restaurant, Guerlain spa and swimming pool. One of the premier locations in the city, it’s great for shoppers and sightseers alike. Enjoy views of Edinburgh castle, excellent breakfasts and fabulous afternoon teas. The corporate branding is inescapable, but thanks to a light touch and a respectful nod to the building's history as a great railway hotel, it hasn't drifted entirely into mid-Atlantic. Splash out on a ‘Castle View’ room for a heart-swelling outlook on life in Edinburgh. Read expert review From ￡155per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Scotsman Hotel
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
This five-star hotel is a bastion of solid confidence and quiet style in a commanding position offering great views over the city. You can swim in the stainless steel pool, have an Aveda spa treatment, hang out in the North Bridge Brasserie or just gaze out over the city from your turret bedroom. There’s also a vast gym. Or curl up with pop-corn and ice-cream for Sunday afternoon classic films in the private screening room. It's perfectly poised between the Old and New Towns, 10 minutes from Waverley Station. Read expert review From ￡111per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
? Britain's best hotels with outdoor pools
Apex Waterloo Place Hotel
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
Charles Dickens — once a guest in Edinburgh’s first purpose-built hotel — certainly would not recognise this latest incarnation. It displays its intent from the moment you enter the dramatically contemporary lobby: palely gleaming marble floors, deep purple walls and snazzy lighting. The Yu Spa, though a little compact, has a gym, steam and sauna rooms, ozone pool and a good choice of both Elemis and Yu Spa Signature treatments, including a ‘Frangipani Body Nourish’ and ‘Lime and Ginger Salt Glow’. Read expert review From ￡80per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Norton House Hotel and Spa
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
Driving down the long front avenue through fifty-odd impeccably landscaped acres, it is hard to believe there’s an airport only two miles away – the only clue is the soft growl of passing jets. This 19th-century mansion is a comfortable stepping off point for flights or a peaceful alternative to staying in the city. There’s 24-hour room service (including breakfast in bed) and free access to the 18-metre pool, 'wet' spa and health club for hotel guests. Read expert review From ￡113per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Roxburghe
Edinburgh, Scotland
8Telegraph expert rating
A long-established, 199-room hotel in a city-centre location. It has a wide choice of rooms, a small spa and health club, an attractive and busy brasserie-style bar/restaurant, and several pleasant residents’ lounges where guests can relax over a drink, lunch or afternoon tea. The spa has Decléor face and body treatments plus sauna, steam room and fitness classes. The hotel is located on the corner of Charlotte Square and George Street, with shopping, eating and drinking all on the doorstep. Two deluxe rooms have terraces with views of the castle. Read expert review From ￡138per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Macdonald Holyrood Hotel
Edinburgh, Scotland
7Telegraph expert rating
This four-star hotel is a bit of a Cinderella, suffering from a shrinking-violet location and food that isn’t always happily ever after. But with comfortable rooms (consider upgrading) and a compact spa, 14-metre swimming pool, sauna, steam room and well-equipped gym it’s definitely worth considering, especially for families or as part of a special deal. There’s also a small candlelit relaxation room with loungers and soft woollen throws. Read expert review From ￡80per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Village Urban Resort Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
7Telegraph expert rating
Imagine a health club with rooms and you won’t be far wrong. It’s a faux-hipster-meets-shopping-mall mash-up, but with better upholstery. The fitness club is impressive: a 20-metre pool; a vast gym full of shiny equipment; a spinning studio with 40 bikes; studios and classes; and a sauna, steam room and whirlpool spa. So you can sweat, steam, swim, spin and spa before hitting Starbucks, or the bar and grill, then retire to pleasingly simple, comfortable bedrooms. Read expert review From ￡69per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
7Telegraph expert rating
You’ll find no tartan here, despite the 16th-century exterior - inside it’s contemporary all the way. It has a small spa, gym and pool, is family-friendly and has the great asset of city centre parking. If you’re looking for a slightly (but not alarmingly) cooler mid-range brand, this one’s for you. The Melrose Spa offers hot stone and oil massages, facials and beauty treatments, with a well-equipped fitness room, sauna and steam room. Read expert review From ￡93per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Apex Grassmarket Hotel
Edinburgh, Scotland
7Telegraph expert rating
The Grassmarket has a fantastic location, right in the thick of things looking up at the castle, looming over the picturesque and lively old marketplace. You’ll find a smart swimming pool, sauna and fitness room. There’s a small car park, too. Service can be a bit clunky, but it’s always well-meaning. Bedrooms are modern in typical chain hotel-style. There are the big televisions you would expect, bottled water and lighting that can be controlled from the bed. Read expert review From ￡72per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com