Edinburgh business travel · NovaBid
Where to stay in Edinburgh for a business trip
Stay near where the meetings are. Edinburgh is compact, but it is hilly and often wet, and a twenty minute walk each way, twice a day, costs a team more than a cheaper room saves. This guide matches each part of the city to the work that usually takes people there, then explains how NovaBid lets independent Edinburgh hotels in the right area send private offers for the trip. Free for the business.
NovaBid is signing its founding independent Edinburgh hotels now. Businesses join the list and post first, the day the fifth hotel is live. What opening depends on.
Which area of Edinburgh should my team stay in for a work trip?
Pick the area by the meetings. For offices around George Street, St Andrew Square and Charlotte Square, stay in the New Town. For the Exchange district, the EICC or Haymarket station, stay in the West End. For the Scottish Government at Victoria Quay, stay in Leith. For Edinburgh Park, South Gyle or Gogarburn, stay in West Edinburgh, near the tram and the airport. For the Royal Infirmary and the BioQuarter, stay on the south side. The Old Town is beautiful but busy with visitors all year, and is rarely the best base for a working week.
Written and checked by Thomas Mellot, founder of NovaBid, who has worked in hotels and bars in Edinburgh, Amsterdam and the Alps. About Thomas.
Last reviewed . We correct these pages when the facts change; tell us if something here is wrong.
How to choose
Map the meetings first, then choose the area. The cheapest room in the wrong part of town is paid for in taxis and lost time, every day of the trip.
Check the dates before the area. In August and over Hogmanay rates rise across the whole city, so booking early matters more than the postcode. The Edinburgh hotel prices guide lists the weeks to watch.
For a team, one hotel beats three. People arrive together, eat together and leave together, and one booking is easier for finance.
Count the evenings as well as the days. A client dinner in the New Town is a short walk from a New Town hotel and a taxi from West Edinburgh.
How NovaBid fits
01
Post the trip with the area you want
City, dates, how many people, budget per head per night, and the part of Edinburgh that suits the meetings. Each person gets their own room.
02
Independent hotels reply privately
Hotels that match the request send one private offer each: the rooms, the rate for those nights and what is included. Nothing is published and nobody else sees the offer.
03
Compare, pick, pre-pay
Offers sit side by side. Pick one and pre-pay through Stripe, with one booking confirmation for finance. If nothing suits, accept none and nothing is charged. NovaBid is signing its founding Edinburgh hotels now; businesses post first once five hotels are live.
Planning an Edinburgh trip? Edinburgh hotel prices by date · Join the Edinburgh list
The areas at a glance
| Best for | Getting there | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Town | Financial and legal firms around George Street, St Andrew Square and Charlotte Square | A few minutes on foot from Waverley station | The most popular area with business travellers, so midweek rooms go first |
| West End and Haymarket | The Exchange district, Lothian Road and the EICC | Haymarket station, and the airport tram | A good base for a team arriving by plane or from Glasgow |
| Leith | Victoria Quay and businesses around the Shore | The tram to the city centre | Often better value than the centre, with good restaurants |
| West Edinburgh | Edinburgh Park, South Gyle and Gogarburn | The tram, close to the airport | Fewer hotels and quiet evenings; book early when a big event is on |
| South side | The Royal Infirmary, the BioQuarter and the university | Buses from the centre | See the BioQuarter page for detail |
| Old Town | One night near the Royal Mile or Holyrood | Walkable from Waverley | Busy with visitors all year and noisy at night in parts |
Pricing
Free for businesses.
No markup on the rate, no subscription and no per-booker fee. The hotel pays a published commission on a paid booking.
Frequently asked
Is it better to stay near Waverley or Haymarket?
Waverley for the New Town and the Old Town. Haymarket for the West End, the Exchange district and the airport tram.
Where do London teams usually stay in Edinburgh?
Most stay in the New Town or the West End, close to the offices around George Street and the Exchange district, and a short walk from the station they arrive at.
Is Leith too far out for a business trip?
No. The tram links Leith to the city centre, and it is the natural base for meetings at Victoria Quay. It often costs less than the centre.
Where should we stay for meetings at Edinburgh Park or Gogarburn?
In West Edinburgh, or in the West End with the tram out each morning. Staying in the Old Town for meetings out west means crossing the whole city twice a day.
Do we pay the visitor levy wherever we stay in Edinburgh?
Yes. The Edinburgh visitor levy applies to paid overnight stays anywhere in the city, including work trips. The visitor levy guide explains what it costs and what to check on the invoice.
Try it for one trip
Join the list to post an Edinburgh trip the day the fifth founding hotel is live. Hotels then send private offers, and nothing is charged until you confirm one.
Join the list