The best concierge in Scotland, the best rack of lamb and steaks in the city, the funniest and most pleasant General Manager—the hotel on Charlotte Square may not have any flags or red carpets outside (it is a heritage site after all), but it is the friendliest in town. It was the Scottish Hotel of the Year in 2014. GM Marcello, food and beverage man Wilfred and award-winning front desk man Gavin Stirling and their staff make sure that your stay in this excellent 199-room central hotel is memorable. They also insist that you try affogato (an ice cream with coffee and amaretto). They’ll do anything for you—although they leave the scalp massages and pedicure files to the experts in the Balance Spa.

The hotel is located on the Charlotte Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Named after King George III’s queen and daughter, and mirroring St Andrews Square in the other side of the city, Robert Adam’s Charlotte Square was completed in 1820. The townhouses have been recently redeveloped. The gardens were laid out in 1808 and feature a statue of Prince Albert—unveiled by his widow Queen Victoria in 1876. In August, the square hosts the Edinburgh International Book Festival. No. 5 was once the home of National Trust for Scotland, Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland, and No. 7 is open to the public as The Georgian House.