100 Princes Street Review

Located on Edinburgh’s most famous thoroughfares and offering what has to be one of the most enviable vistas of the city from any hotel window, 100 Princes Street is the latest addition to the family-owned Red Carnation Hotels collection, and arguably its most exclusive. Evocative of a private members’ club and a celebration of Scottish exploration, the property features 30 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, ‘The Wallace’ dining room, bar and lounge and ‘Ghillie’s Pantry’, an elegant private dining space offering over 200 whiskies along with custom whisky experiences. The Luxury Editor recently stayed so read on to discover more about this truly one-of-a-kind luxury hotel in the heart of the Scottish capital.

Occupying a landmark building that once housed the Royal Overseas Club, now owned by Red Carnation Hotels, who have a track record in delivering flawless ultra-luxury hospitality with properties across London’s Mayfair, South Africa, Geneva, Ireland and now Edinburgh. The building’s legacy has been preserved, enhanced and celebrated through a meticulous restoration led by designer Toni Tollman and the creative minds behind the hotel groups Xigera Safari Lodge and Ashford Castle, which sees imagery and styling of Scottish explorers and botanists woven throughout the communal spaces and guest quarters.

At its entrance, an affable doorman welcomes you inside, stepping off this historic stretch of Princes Street and into the entrance lobby, the transition from city bustle to refined sanctuary is immediate. The atmospheric ground-floor atrium delivers such dramatic elegance it’s unlike anything else in the city. Deep mahogany panelling with gold detailing sits next to towering Doric columns, black marble flooring, and a sculptural palm-glass lamp, while a glowing circular motif on the wall behind the concierge desk nods to celestial navigation, a thematic prelude to the voyage-like experience that awaits.

Ahead, the central staircase leads to guestrooms and the communal spaces, serving as both a functional feature and visual centrepiece with its hand-painted mural ribboning its way up all five floors. Charting the global journeys of Scottish botanists, each stair level showcases different regions they explored and the plant species they introduced, all presented through the lens of late Victorian and Edwardian design aesthetics. Culminating on the fifth floor with a chandelier, designed to resemble a vintage hot air balloon, adding a final touch of adventure to the journey.

Check-In

With a concierge desk on the ground floor, check-in is a relaxed affair taking place in ‘The Wallace’ on level two. As a resident-only hotel, 100 Princess Street offers a uniquely intimate experience, with a team dedicated to providing personal, attentive, and an ‘anything, anytime’ service to every guest during their stay. The Wallace (named after William Wallace) functions as the hotel’s dining room, bar, library and lounge and serves as a perfect introduction to the hotel’s atmosphere, with Suite guests greeted with an additional welcome indulgence of a complimentary glass of champagne upon arrival. The Wallace is a space that rewards a slower pace, so sit back and relax by the fire, leaf through one of its coffee table travel memoirs, and enjoy the views of Edinburgh through its bay windows.

Location

It’s a brief five-minute walk to and from Waverley Station and a further ten minutes on foot to the Old Town and the Royal Mile. The city’s main shopping destinations St James Quarter and Multrees Walk, are on your doorstep alongside Harvey Nichols, and for those drawn to Edinburgh’s Georgian elegance, George Street, which runs parallel behind the hotel, offers grand period architecture and boutique shopping. Outside, trams from Princes Street whisk you down to Edinburgh’s vibrant Leith Docks, while heading in the other direction takes you to Edinburgh Airport in just 35 minutes. 

Rooms & Suites

30 guest rooms and suites feature bold, immersive and theatrical aesthetics throughout, walls and soft furnishings are cloaked in bespoke Highland-inspired tartan, some rooms offer a palette of deep green, and some others are red. Polished black lacquered doors with brass detailing evoke the elegance of vintage luggage trunks, while studded porthole shutters lend a clubroom atmosphere. Offset by period portraits and bespoke furniture, many rooms have uninterrupted views of Edinburgh Castle. Bathrooms continue the theme of discreet luxury, wrapped entirely in veined marble slabs in warm brown and sand tones, along with luxurious walk-in rainfall showers and bespoke amenities as standard, while select rooms include bathtubs and twin vanities.

Suites & Signature Suites

There are five categories, two Terrace Suites each offer private outdoor space (this is virtually unique in Edinburgh’s city centre), with one Terrace Suite also able to interconnect with another room for larger guest parties. Junior Suites are bright and spacious, with a day bed and unobstructed views of the castle, while the One Bedroom King Suites provide a homely sense of space with a separate lounge and feature fireplace. Suites also come with an array of extras, including a welcome drink on arrival, nightly turndown service, in-room welcome fruit and ginger cookies, along with a bottle of Champagne on ice for Junior Suites and above.

The two Signature Suites are particularly special. The Isobel Suite, named after Arctic explorer and botanist Isobel Wylie Hutchison, is an open-plan space with high ceilings and a marble bathroom featuring both a tub and a walk-in shower. The Archibald Suite, the hotel’s largest, honours explorer Archibald Menzies with an expansive layout, castle-facing windows, a lounge area with fireplace, and a spacious bathroom and separate guest WC, with both suites facing out to Edinburgh Castle.

The Isobel Suite

The Archibald Suite

Where I Stayed – Junior Suite with Castle View

During my stay, I was hosted in a beautiful Junior Suite with Castle View located on the second floor close to The Wallace. Spanning a generous 28 sqm, the suite features a king-size bed dressed with crisp linens and two stacks of embroidered pillows. A day bed positioned by the window offers an ideal spot to take in the view of Princes Street Gardens below. Whilst the rooms’ tartan-lined walls, a signature of all rooms in the hotel, create a cosy ambience, capturing the spirit of Scotland.

Suites include a welcome of fresh fruit and ginger cookies on arrival. Each room is equipped with a flat-screen TV, a Nespresso machine, and a well-stocked minibar, complete with fresh milk for coffee and tea, a safe, bathrobes and slippers along with a whimsical ‘Do Not Disturb’ door sign made from a traditional kilt sporran.

Clad entirely in striking green-veined marble, the bathroom feels both dramatic and serene. The vanity is topped with polished stone and flanked by twin basins, a heated towel rail comes with an abundance of monogrammed towels and a deep-soaking bath includes a rainfall shower and hand shower. Toiletries are bespoke and come in heavy black glass bottles displayed neatly in a chrome rack featuring Epsom salts, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash and the final luxury underfloor heating.

Suites include a turn-down service, with water replenished, millionaire’s shortbread in a glass dome placed next to the bedside table and slippers laid out.

Food & Drink

A series of intimate, interlinked rooms, The Wallace feels less like a hotel restaurant and more like an old-world private club. Reserved exclusively for hotel guests, it serves breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, and relaxed all-day dining. Emerald velvet sofas and studded leather armchairs are paired with low-set, brass and bevelled glass top vintage travelling campaign furniture. The recurring motif is that of exploration, antique sailing ship models, maritime oil paintings, and etched leather wall panels that evoke the textured grain of a well-travelled steamer trunk lining the walls, while a globe rests in one corner, inviting you to give it a spin.

The bar is set against a backdrop of spirit bottles and a mirrored wine wall, topped with black marble and flanked by studded leather stools, while two vintage Art Deco lamps sit on either end of the bar, casting a warm, glow across its top.

Executive Chef Wilhelm Maree has designed an all-day menu offering classic dishes with a modern twist. Divided into small plates and larger dishes, it includes firm favourites such as the Classic Caesar Salad and Tuna Niçoise, along with more contemporary options like Haggis Bon Bons, Smoked Salmon Latkes and a Scottish Lobster Roll. A commitment to working with the best quality local suppliers means ingredients are of the highest standard. Fish and seafood are sourced from Eddie’s Seafood Market, while charcuterie comes from East Coast Cured. George Anderson & Sons supply fresh fruit and vegetables, cuts of meat are provided by John Gilmour Butchers, and slow-churned butter is courtesy of Edinburgh Butter Co.

We opted for our own favourites, Fish and Chips, Dry-Aged Aberdeen Angus Burger and for my vegetarian brother, the Lentil Cottage Pie. For dessert, don’t leave without trying Bea’s Cheesecake, a beloved staple at every Red Carnation hotel, made from the family recipe of Beatrice Tollman, the company’s president and founder. Along with the classic Sticky Toffee Pudding, served with copious amounts of butterscotch sauce for good measure, both an excellent ending to a dinner.

Breakfast

Breakfast runs till a leisurely 11 am, served à la carte, choose one item from the continental selection and one from the cooked menu, and if you need a pick me up to get the day started, why not pair things up with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa? 

Whisky Tastings

Ghillie’s Pantry, the name deriving from the Scottish Gaelic word for the assisting attendant on highland hunting, stalking, and fishing expeditions, is the hotel’s private dining area, which also holds an exceptional whisky collection of over 200 whiskies (and still growing).

Curated by Head Bartender and Whisky Ambassador Dario Orsili (read our interview with Dario here), Dario provides guests with bespoke tasting experiences, guiding you through a world of rare and historic drams. At the time of writing, there are three whisky-tasting experiences on offer.

• The Livingstone Exploration (£85pp): A journey through five whiskies from five different Scottish regions.
• The Archibald Legacy (£150pp): For those who already enjoy whisky,  a more premium, rare selection, still regionally based.
• The Hundred Heritage (£250pp): Our premium tasting, featuring rare drams from closed or decommissioned distilleries, truly once-in-a-lifetime liquids.

Final Thoughts

100 Princes Street is intimate and immersive, where every detail feels meaningful and considered. It offers a fresh take on five-star accommodation in Edinburgh, and for luxury travellers seeking a truly elevated and experience-rich base, this is more than just a place to stay, it is something truly special. 100 Princes Street is included in our guide to the best hotels in Edinburgh.