Edinburgh Festivals: Where to look for last-minute accommodation
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
Self-catering apartments
Airbnb’s relatively recent arrival has given the capital’s accommodation options a welcome boost. For a week’s stay in an unoccupied house or flat in Edinburgh during August, the price ranges between from £90 to £200. For a private room, you might pay as little as £35. Eventful Stays.com provide a similar service. https://www.airbnb.co.uk/; http://eventfulstays.com/
Serviced apartments
Upmarket serviced apartments such as The City Bothy (£610 for a week’s stay) and The Knight Residence fill up quickly, and the majority are now sold out. Last-minute cancellations notwithstanding, you’re unlikely to find one. This two-bedroom penthouse apartment on Quartermile is one of the last available, and also one of the most expensive at more than £4,600.
Hotels
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdOn hotel booking sites such as booking.com, most deals below £1,000 for a week’s stay for two will include student halls and whatever guest houses remain. Highly-rated hotels include the Malmaison in Leith for around £1,750, the Jurys Inn on Jeffrey Street at around £1,800, and the Roxburghe Hotel at just under £2,000.
Hostels
Cockburn Street’s Edinburgh Backpackers, one of the cheapest options available, offers accommodation in a 14-bed mixed dorm for seven nights for £185 – just over £25 per night. Rates for private rooms vary wildly; private student accommodation blocks such as Brae House, in Abbeyhill, would cost more than £700 for a double room for a week. (You’ll often find such accommodation in the “hostel” sections of websites.) Hostels such as Euro Hostel Edinburgh Halls (around £57 per night) and Edinburgh Metro Youth Hostel (around £53 per night) are ideal for single occupants looking for central locations. http://www.hostelworld.com/
Camping/Glamping
Based at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, the camping and glamping complex run by Campingninja is accessible via bus and tram. For glampers, a festival teepee with two single beds costs just shy of £400; other options such as the glamping pods inch up in price. For campers, space for your own tent is available from around £200 for seven nights, or £15.00 per person per night. Pre-pitched tents – including two and four-person tents as well as a luxury bell tent – are also available. Some space has been allocated for campervans too. http://edinburghfestivalcamping.com/; http://hostivalonline.com/events-and-festivals/2013/02/04/edinburgh-fringe-festival/
• Quoted prices are for two adults sharing, unless otherwise stated
DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY