Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre

What our travelers say

The Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre earns its stripes on location alone. Sitting just off Picardy Place in the New Town, it puts groups within easy walking distance of Princes Street and Edinburgh Waverley Station — a genuine advantage after a long travel day, when the last thing anyone wants is a lengthy transfer across a city built on hills. Group leaders have noted the particular relief of stepping off a coach and finding restaurants right across the street, ready for a first evening meal without needing to coordinate another move. The complimentary buffet breakfast is a consistent positive mention, and early room availability on arrival has helped at least one group get settled and out the door ahead of schedule — a small but meaningful logistical win. That said, there are a few practical realities worth factoring into your planning. The hotel runs a single working elevator, which can create bottlenecks when a full group is moving bags between floors at the same time. Rooms are distributed across multiple floors rather than clustered, so shepherding a student group from one end of a corridor to another takes a little more coordination than usual. The lobby is compact, which means pre-departure briefings or large group gatherings work better elsewhere. Groups facing outward toward Picardy Place should also expect some ambient noise from the tram stop outside — light sleepers may want to request interior-facing rooms. Overall, this property is a solid, no-surprises choice for school and student groups touring Edinburgh on a structured itinerary. The three-star standard keeps expectations appropriately calibrated — clean, comfortable, and functional rather than luxurious — and the central position genuinely supports a packed sightseeing schedule. It works best for mid-sized groups comfortable with a little self-sufficiency; very large groups may find the logistics of shared spaces and a single elevator a tighter squeeze than ideal.

In Edinburgh’s New Town, this Georgian building is just a 5 minute walk from bustling Princes Street and Edinburgh Train Station. It offers free Wi-Fi access and serves a free buffet breakfast every morning. Modern rooms at Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre each have satellite TV and free tea and coffee. The private tiled bathrooms all feature a shower and a hairdryer.