In Edinburgh's West End, Charlotte Square is the grand finale of Robert Adam's New Town, and The Kimpton occupies seven of its beautiful, honey-sandstone townhouses. A stroll from George Street and the boutiques, cafes and restaurants of the New Town, it's an eminently stylish abode - just like the locals that you're sharing the square with. Inside, the mood is cosmopolitan clubhouse: deep velvets, oxblood leather, layered tartan and some fantastically oddball art. There's also an underground spa with a 12-metre pool, a Levantine restaurant doing proper charcoal-grilled mezze, and a glass-topped courtyard everyone gravitates to.
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The hotel is actually seven townhouses, all knitted together, so the inside is a happy warren of staircases and surprises, oxblood leather, jewel-bright velvets and travel-themed art. The beating heart is The Garden, a glass-roofed courtyard flooded with daylight where locals tap at laptops over coffee and pastries. In the evening, BABA is the place for cocktails and Levantine mezze. Downstairs, the spa is magnificent. You'll find a mood-lit pool, sauna, steam room, the famous Swell Room and a whole roster of classes.
There are 199 rooms and 18 suites spread across the seven houses. All are dressed to evoke the golden age of travel with plenty of leather, heavy drapes, and low writing bureaus - and a scarlet bedside phone in every one. You'll also find a tuck box of treats, a fridge with complimentary milk and water, plush robes and a yoga mat rolled up and waiting. Bathrooms are marble-clad with rainfall showers. The entry-level Essentials rooms are snug, so size up to Premium or a suite if you like room to sprawl. There's also No. 33, a self-contained townhouse within the hotel if you want the best.
You're a few minutes' walk from almost everything (but just remember the hills). Wander the Royal Mile up to the Castle, or duck down to Dean Village and the Water of Leith for the prettiest five-minute escape in town. Book an Invisible Cities walking tour, led by guides who've experienced homelessness and know Edinburgh from angles not guidebooks. Peek at the Georgian House museum next door at No. 7 to see how the square lived in 1796. Then come home for a swim, a sound bath and a martini (in whichever order the day demands).
The Swell Room, the UK's first sound wellness space. You recline in a vibro-acoustic armchair and don't just hear the Hebrides, Lofoten and Cape Verde, you feel them hum through you.
Ask the concierge about borrowing a Strathberry bag for your stay (the Edinburgh-designed label, favoured by certain royals!), and make sure you're at BABA Bar from 5 to 6pm for complimentary wine and local tipples.
On-site evening dining takes place at BABA, which is good but not the best. Although, that's no hardship in a city this stuffed with restaurants.
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