Tigerlily

It’s enough to make the rest of Edingurgh’s hotels feel a bit buttoned-up by comparison. Though it’s hidden away inside a listed Georgian townhouse, you’ll know Tigerlily instantly — it’s the one Georgian townhouse with a line out the door, composed of revelers waiting to get in to Lulu, the nightlcub down in the basement.

The basement bit, as it turns out, is key. Anyone who’s ever tried to get a good night’s sleep in one of the world’s lesser disco boutiques will be instantly wary. But that queue’s not for you — checking in you’ll be whisked to reception, and then through the teeming lobby lounge and upstairs, to find a room that’s as restful as the crowd downstairs is restive, decked out in oversized sofas and overstuffed duvets.

The look isn’t entirely sedate — bright splashes of color feel playfully Swinging Sixties — but it’s pretty far from the empty flash of many design boutiques. And of course all the luxuries are accounted for, including spacious, almost decadent bathrooms and all sorts of techno-goodies from plasma TVs to PSPs. Tigerlily’s restaurant occupies a stylish space, and is actually quite a good one. Drinks, however, are the main attraction, whether in the lobby lounge or downstairs at Lulu — hotel guests skip the line and walk straight in.