Where to Stay in Edinburgh: The Ibis Royal Mile

Wondering where to stay in Edinburgh? Read on for the perfect affordable option right off of The Royal Mile in Old Town!

When traveling to a new place for the first time, I always try to find accommodations that are central, convenient, comfortable, and affordable! The Ibis Royal Mile in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland ticked all of those boxes (and many more). I did a lot of research on where to stay in Edinburgh and Ibis definitely seemed like the best option! It was the perfect spot to stay for easy exploration of Edinburgh by foot and immediately felt like home. Since it was my first time visiting Scotland, I really wanted to book a place that was in the center of it all, but still somehow get a good night’s sleep. Staying at the Ibis, I got to have both!

First Impressions

I was traveling with a friend and we arrived at Edinburgh Airport early, weary after a long red-eye flight. Our journey from the airport to the center of the city was easy and pleasant, and the bus we took dropped us off about five minutes away from the Ibis Royal Mile! Real talk moment: that five minutes might turn into ten if you (like us) have fairly heavy suitcases to drag up beautiful, winding Cockburn Street. It’s a lovely introduction to the city of Edinburgh and worth the huffing and puffing, let me tell you.

Once you reach the top of Cockburn Street, you’re on the Royal Mile and in the center of it all. You simply cross the Royal Mile and walk through Hunter Square, and arrive right in front of the Ibis! Bonus points: there is a Starbucks on the corner and a Civerino’s right next door which serves great pizza and pasta and is open late. Juuuust in case you’re thinking of hitting up a pub or two before hitting the hay (or grabbing a pint at 9 a.m. after a red-eye flight). No judgment.

As soon as I walked through the front door, I felt at ease and comfortable – and also loved the unique design style and open concept space. It felt so welcoming and cozy, with plenty of space to sit and chat or plan out your day in Edinburgh.

We were immediately greeted by the kind and friendly Ibis Royal Mile staff, who offered us tea and coffee, and the manager, Simon, who came over to welcome us and give some pointers on where we should go in the city. Even though it was way before check-in time (around 10 a.m.) they let us check into our room early, which was so appreciated! Jet lag is no joke, y’all.

The Room

They gave us a beautiful room with huge windows that looked out onto Hunter Square, and fulfilled all my childhood dreams of having a window seat! (Alas, I only sat on it once since we were constantly out and about during our brief time in Edinburgh.)

There were two things I noticed immediately:

1. The entire hotel (and our room) looked spotless. Clean as a whistle. After experiencing quite a few nice but not very clean hotels on my travels, seeing a super clean hotel makes me giddy. It also makes me feel so much more at ease, which is huge when you’re jetlagged and travel-weary.
2. The lobby area was incredibly welcoming and comfortable. So many hotels have stuffy, uninviting reception desks. Not Ibis! Tons of space to sit (at tables or on couches), space to work or relax, board games stacked neatly in the window inviting guests to play, a full bar with coffee, tea, liquor and beers on tap. The beer was on tap, not the liquor. I digress.

I requested two beds (one for me and one for my friend) and honestly wasn’t expecting to sleep half as well as I did. Ibis has their own brand of “Sweet Beds” which are indeed pretty sweet. They’re just the right amount of firmness and super comfortable. Even on twin-size beds, my friend and I both slept great!

Things To Note

• There was only one outlet next to the beds in our room, which is always a bit of a downer when you’re so obsessed with technology that you like to sleep beside it. In all fairness, there were other outlets in the room. So if you’re slightly more sane than my friend and I and can handle letting your tech charge more than two inches from your face…you’ll be just fine!
• Since I usually travel solo, I sort of forgot that Europe doesn’t really believe in providing two double beds (AKA two queen-size or even full-size beds in a double room, like the USA does). If you ask for two beds, they’ll almost certainly be twin beds. I definitely got used to sleeping on smaller twin-size beds again, but I was very excited to dive into my bigger bed as soon as I got back to New York City! If you’ve never traveled around Europe with a friend (and are a bit “Princess & The Pea” like I am), this might take a little getting used to.
• There are lots of pubs and late-night spots near the Ibis Royal Mile, which I saw some guests mention in their TripAdvisor reviews. However, we found that our room was well-insulated from outside noise and despite plenty of evening revelers, we were never kept awake! (And our room was directly facing the square, above and across from several bars, as you can see below.)

Travel tip!

Although you shouldn’t need it at the Ibis Royal Mile, I always recommend downloading a white noise app (I use Sleep Cycle, which tracks sleep and acts as a white noise machine) before you travel. If you ever do encounter unwanted sounds on the road, a white noise app can make a world of difference and drown it all out. I simply used it every night during this trip, even in quiet rooms like this one, because it’s part of my nighttime routine.

The only thing we had any trouble with was the TV. For some reason, it just didn’t work. We did mention it to one of the hotel staff, who kindly came up to the room and attempted to fix it. She wasn’t able to figure it out, and said she’d call someone else about it, but we never heard back. Obviously, we weren’t in Edinburgh to watch Scottish cable TV, but I do love a good accent…

One nitpicky item – neither my friend or I were big fans of the soap/body wash dispenser. The soap itself was totally fine, but the dispenser was a little wonky and kept falling off. Not a huge deal at all, just a quirky thing to note. That being said, the design of the room and hotel itself were fantastic and everything felt very easy to navigate the entire time! Bonus points for a great shower with good water pressure. Water pressure can make or break my whole day, just sayin’.

Breakfast of Dreams

I was seriously impressed by the hotel’s breakfast offerings, which were fresh, plentiful, and quite different to any other hotel breakfast I’d seen! There were so many options – everything from a yogurt bar, delicious plain and chocolate croissants, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, to various types of fresh fruit, bread and marmalade, oatmeal, fresh juice, the whole nine yards. There are plenty of options for where to stay in Edinburgh, but in my opinion, Ibis’ breakfast bar alone set it apart from all the other hotels that I looked at!

Ibis Royal Mile even has an egg boiler (which I’d never seen before)! You can take a fresh egg, pop it into a cute little egg basket, and boil it in the machine to get it to the exact style of egg that you desire. Tell me I’m not the only one that would get excited by this. Okay, I probably am – it clearly doesn’t take much to entertain me.

Breakfast is an optional add-on, but well worth it in my opinion! If you’re looking for a quick way to grab a healthy, full breakfast without having to leave the hotel (hi, not a morning person here), you’ll appreciate the convenience and variety in Ibis’ breakfast spread.

Planet 21: Accor’s Eco-conscious Attitude

Accor Hotels is proud of its commitment to eco-friendly hospitality, which I appreciate! Their Planet 21 campaign was evident throughout the hotel, from the lobby to the hotel bathrooms. Planet 21 promises to reach 21 specific goals and continue its longstanding efforts to contribute to the development of local communities, reduce water and energy consumption and limit the environmental footprint of its hotels. I wish more hotels were as dedicated to being environmentally friendly!

A Ghostly Evening

When the Ibis Royal Mile staff invited me to stay with them, they also offered up an Edinburgh specialty: a ghost tour with Mercat Tours! I knew I had to say yes. Who says no to a ghost tour in Edinburgh? Come on.

We took a walking tour that wound its way through the nearby streets and closes, which (if you’re unfamiliar) are skinny alleys and passageways that connect Edinburgh and have quite a fascinating history! We had a tour guide who was super into it (a must) and I have to admit, I jumped more than a couple times as he told us creepy local stories and guided us through the haunted Blair Street Underground Vaults. I definitely needed that dram of whiskey by the end.

The tour we took was this one if you’re interested. And here are some more sights to see in Edinburgh, if you need some ideas!

Heading to Edinburgh soon?

If you’re wondering where to stay in Edinburgh and interested in booking your own stay at the Ibis Royal Mile, click here to check out available dates and rates. I truly had a wonderful stay and would definitely recommend booking a room if you’re looking for a hotel that is both conveniently located and reasonably priced. (A rare find, let me tell you.)

I hope to go back to Scotland soon with more time to explore the beautiful city of Edinburgh, and I will definitely be returning to the Ibis Royal Mile! If you’d like to read about my experience touring the Scottish Highlands (and see some jaw-dropping photos!) check out this post next. Need more reasons to visit? Check out these beautiful photos of Scotland to help inspire you!

You can book a stay with the Ibis Edinburgh directly by using this link or use the handy-dandy search box below to check available dates and rates:

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Disclaimer: I was graciously hosted by the Ibis Royal Mile during my stay in exchange for an honest review. (Thanks Ibis!) As always, all opinions, breakfast buffet hysteria and water pressure evaluations are entirely my own.