Limo Service in Edinburgh, IN

The awards will see hotels of all sizes and types honoured in a massive gala final on Thursday, May 15 at the DoubleTree By Hilton Glasgow Central. Known as ‘the Oscars of the hotel industry,’ the ceremony recognises those who excel in the vital sector that brings so much money into the Scottish economy and in turn generating much-needed income for other businesses.

The awards take in public endorsements, nominations and votes as well as mystery shopper style judging visits and face to face judges interviews for individual awards.

Prestige Scottish Hotel Awards director Warren Paul said: “It’s more important now than ever to shout about the people and businesses who go above and beyond day after day to deliver the very best in what they do. The hotels, rentals, teams and individuals recognised in this finalists list are the absolute leaders in their field, offering amazing customer service in all forms.

“Money is tight everywhere with the cost-of-living crisis seemingly now just an ongoing way of life, so we all need to know we are going to get a really good experience when we spend our cash on a break from the daily grind. That’s what these awards are about, a seal of approval for the public that you’re going to get a certain standard from a hotel.”

Here are 15 hotels in Edinburgh and the Lothians that made it to the final stages this year.

The awards will see hotels of all sizes and types honoured in a massive gala final on Thursday, May 15 at the DoubleTree By Hilton Glasgow Central. Known as ‘the Oscars of the hotel industry,’ the ceremony recognises those who excel in the vital sector that brings so much money into the Scottish economy and in turn generating much-needed income for other businesses.

The awards take in public endorsements, nominations and votes as well as mystery shopper style judging visits and face to face judges interviews for individual awards.

Prestige Scottish Hotel Awards director Warren Paul said: “It’s more important now than ever to shout about the people and businesses who go above and beyond day after day to deliver the very best in what they do. The hotels, rentals, teams and individuals recognised in this finalists list are the absolute leaders in their field, offering amazing customer service in all forms.

5. The Resident Edinburgh

The Resident Edinburgh is nominated for the Best 4-Star Hotel, Best City Hotel, Best sustainable Hotel, Best Pet Friendly Hotel and Best Team | The Resident

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6. Moxy Fountainbridge

The Moxy Fountainbridge is nominated for the Best 3-Star Hotel and Best Hotel Bar | Contributed

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7. Dunmuir Hotel

The Dunmuir Hotel in Dunbar is nominated for the Best 3-Star Hotel | Google Maps

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8. Voco Haymarket

The Voco Haymarket is a finalist for the Best 4-Star Hotel, Best Concierge, Best Sustainable Hotel and Best General Manager | voco / IHG Hotels / booking.com

The awards will see hotels of all sizes and types honoured in a massive gala final on Thursday, May 15 at the DoubleTree By Hilton Glasgow Central. Known as ‘the Oscars of the hotel industry,’ the ceremony recognises those who excel in the vital sector that brings so much money into the Scottish economy and in turn generating much-needed income for other businesses.

The awards take in public endorsements, nominations and votes as well as mystery shopper style judging visits and face to face judges interviews for individual awards.

Prestige Scottish Hotel Awards director Warren Paul said: “It’s more important now than ever to shout about the people and businesses who go above and beyond day after day to deliver the very best in what they do. The hotels, rentals, teams and individuals recognised in this finalists list are the absolute leaders in their field, offering amazing customer service in all forms.

9. The Scholar Hotel

The Scholar Hotel is nominated for the Best 4-Star Hotel, Best City Hotel and Best Team | Your Golf Travel

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10. Contributed

IHG Kimpton Charlotte Square is a finalist in several categories including the Best 5-star Hotel, Best City Hotel, Best Hotel Bar and Best Hotel Restaurant | Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel Photo: Submitted

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11. Apex Waterloo Place Hotel

The Apex Waterloo Place Hotel is shortlisted for the Best City Hotel Photo: www.booking.com

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12. Ibis Styles Edinburgh

The Ibis Styles Edinburgh is nominated in the Best Value Hotel and Best Sustainable Hotel categories | Google Maps

The awards will see hotels of all sizes and types honoured in a massive gala final on Thursday, May 15 at the DoubleTree By Hilton Glasgow Central. Known as ‘the Oscars of the hotel industry,’ the ceremony recognises those who excel in the vital sector that brings so much money into the Scottish economy and in turn generating much-needed income for other businesses.

The awards take in public endorsements, nominations and votes as well as mystery shopper style judging visits and face to face judges interviews for individual awards.

Prestige Scottish Hotel Awards director Warren Paul said: “It’s more important now than ever to shout about the people and businesses who go above and beyond day after day to deliver the very best in what they do. The hotels, rentals, teams and individuals recognised in this finalists list are the absolute leaders in their field, offering amazing customer service in all forms.

13. The Leonardo Royal Hotel

The Leonardo Royal Hotel is shortlisted for the Best Value Hotel and Best Team award | Andrew Godfrey Photography. Photo: Andrew Godfrey Photography

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14. The Leddie

The Leddie in East Lothian is shortlisted for the Best Boutique Hotel award | Gaby Soutar Photo: Gaby Soutar

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15. The Scott Hotel

The Scott Hotel is nominated for several awards including the Best Hotel Bar, Best Hotel Restaurant and Best General Manager | Submitted

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Scotland - Edinburgh in particular - has long been a magnet for visitors, and in 2024 asserted itself as one of the strongest hotel markets in the summer months, not just in the UK but in Europe. Last year, events including the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour played a critical role in boosting hotel performance and this year’s event schedule – which includes concerts by AC/DC and Oasis – means that Edinburgh will once again have a strong summer. However, a survey through the binoculars reveal that the future is not all sunshine and roses.

“Events have been a major driver of demand and hotel rates in Scotland,” says Cristina Balekjian, director of Hospitality Analytics UK at CoStar Group. “Edinburgh has the Fringe every year and if you look outside of Edinburgh, we have The Open and that helps to drive demand to hotels in and around Glasgow.”

Edinburgh vs Monaco

These events create periods of exceptionally high demand, allowing hoteliers to push pricing power to its limits. Data from CoStar shows that in the summer months of 2024 from June to August, Edinburgh saw YoY ADR growth of 14 per cent, on par with Paris and outperforming markets such as Monaco, Venice and Florence and on par with Paris.

Looking at August specifically, Balekjian noted that when comparing key markets in western, southern and Northern Europe as well as some key urban markets in the US, Edinburgh ranked fifth in terms of highest ADRs.

“Overall, across the summer, Edinburgh ranked 10th in the list and even above London last year,” she noted.

And while ever increasing ADRs may be enjoyable for some time, hoteliers need to be wary of a bite back, especially due to the city’s reliance on demand driven by events.

New evidence presented to the Scottish Parliment by The Fringe Society revealed that growing numbers of ticket buyers and artists being put off going to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe due to the soaring cost of accommodation in the city. One in four cancellations cited the cost of accommodation as a reason as accommodation costs during the event have risen by up to 300 per cent over six years

Tourist tax

The impending tourism tax also raises some concerns in relation to the impact it may have on visitor numbers.

In January, local lawmakers in Edinburgh approved a 5 per cent surcharge to overnight accommodations in the Scottish capital for hotel and lodging accommodations made for July 24, 2026 and onward. While city officials argue this revenue will help sustain infrastructure and enhance tourism management, local hoteliers and others worry about the impact.

Leon Thompson, executive director of UKHospitality Scotland, said he is worried extra taxation would only serve to make visitors' trips to Edinburgh more expensive and decrease their odds of returning.

“Not only has Edinburgh’s visitor levy been confirmed, but so too has the hit to the city’s competitiveness as a leading tourist destination. Our fundamental concern has always been that this levy will only serve to make visitors trips to Edinburgh more expensive, ultimately reducing their spending in the wider visitor economy and deterring future visits.”

Balekjian agrees that a close eye need to be kept on how tourist tax may affect demand but positively notes: “There are a lot of European countries that already have these in place and we haven't seen a massive impact from these taxes – apart from Amsterdam which has the highest taxes which has had a bit of an impact on Amsterdam hotels from an occupancy perspective.”

In 2024, Edinburgh's hotel occupancy reached 84 per cent, up 2.1 per cent year over year as average daily rate rose 10 per cent from £146 to £161.08 and revenue per available room increased 12.6 per cent. to £135.56.

Moving forward though, Balekjian forecasts stabilisation in the city’s hotel performance. “We’re forecasting a more stabilised revpar growth this year - at the moment we're forecasting Edinburgh ADR to grow about 2.9 per cent in 2025 and revpar about 2.4 per cent, with occupancy of 83.8 per cent.

However, the hospitality analytics company also predicts slight YoY reductions in occupancy, ADR and revpar for 2026, with the metrics down 1 per cent, 0.4 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.

On the topic of the tourism tax, Balekjian adds that from an investor perspective, many are starting to look into such taxes and examine how to account for those in their underwriting and strategies.

Reliance on seasonality

But while the city’s summer hotel prices is ranked as one of the highest in the world according to The Times, international visitor numbers are set to be aided by new direct flight routes to/from the Middle East and North America and 2024 transaction volumes in Scotland jumped 38 per cent YoY to £431 million as interest from US investors grow, Edinburgh’s dependence on seasonality also raises concerns.

Balekjian cautions that outside of peak periods, there may be challenges ahead if demand softens. “Outside of peak season – those summer months - when demand is not so buoyant, there could be some challenges that hoteliers could start facing in Edinburgh if there is not as much demand coming to Edinburgh and if that US inbound starts going away.”

To mitigate this, she suggests a more strategic approach to event planning. “Local councils and hoteliers should work together to ensure a more even spread of events throughout the year rather than concentrating them in summer months,” Balekjian advises. “This would help create more year-round stability and reduce the reliance on a seasonal bump.”

Perhaps this presents a solution to a lot of the potential issues, including overtourism in singular destinations, with organisations such as VisitScotland working to market other Scottish destinations. This is as investment in hotels particularly in markets such as The Highlands and Inverness are expected to continue as interest grows in more rural markets.

This follows Colliers’ 2024 UK Hotel Market Index placing Edinburgh at the top spot in terms of investment desirability due to its strong performance in both occupancy and average daily room rate during 2023 as well as revpar growth since 2019, with third place being Inverness, supported by the strong appeal of Scottish destinations to visitors together with a limited pipeline under construction and favourable build and land costs.

Positively though Savills anticipates another strong year for the Scottish hotel sector and Scotland is expected to remain one of the highest performing hotel markets outside of London in 2025.

“We continue to see year-on-year increases in transaction volumes and we expect transaction volumes will continue to outpace the 10-year average in 2025,” says Steven Fyfe, hotel capital markets director at Savills Scotland.

But it’s clear that while the sector is booming, its long-term sustainability hinges on managing overtourism, balancing pricing with consumer demand and working to ensure a more evenly distributed visitor economy.

A radical shift in the way Scottish higher education students are funded must be found by Holyrood politicians, according to the principal of Edinburgh University.

Sir Peter Mathieson said it is a "tragedy" that Dundee University faces the possibility of closure if it does not make major cuts, and it would also be a tragedy if others were to run into similar financial difficulties.

Sir Peter is facing anger from staff at the University of Edinburgh at plans to cut £140m from its spending - equivalent to at least a month's expenditure each year.

And in a wide-ranging interview with BBC Scotland, he said he cannot rule out compulsory redundancies at the 442-year-old institution.

Sir Peter said there will have to be a "radical re-wiring" of the way the university operates, with fewer courses and less organisational complexity and duplication.

"There are inefficiencies about the way we deliver things. This is a mammoth university with 22 schools and lots of duplication. We're very good at adding new things, not at taking things away," he said.

"We need to take a seriously look at the way we do things, and be responsible with the scale of operations we can afford to provide.

"So there's radical rewiring (needed) of the way we do our business, but also of political imperatives.

"If it's to be a political priority, then it has to be adequately funded to ensure its future."

He said student numbers are likely to remain at around 50,000 while the number of staff will fall from 18,500 - or 15,000 in equivalent full-time jobs.

But he declined to give a figure for the number expected to go.

The warning follows a sharp unplanned rise in the number and cost of staff over the last three years, which has not been matched by growth in income from overseas student fees.

The principal says there is no intention to close departments, and while some courses will close, existing students can be sure their current courses will be completed.

Sir Peter denied that nearly £1bn of financial assets controlled by the university could be tapped to deal with the shortfall.

And he warned that budget surpluses of £150m and £400m - reported by the university in recent years - cannot be sustained.

He also denied that the scale of the challenge is being exaggerated to push through reform, as staff unions have claimed.

Rapid growth and change

Across Scotland, rapid growth has been funded through a sharp increase in the number of fee-paying overseas students.

In the last academic year, Edinburgh secured £360m from overseas students, while the Scottish government paid £27m in fees for Scotland-based students.

A further £82m came from the fees paid by students from other parts of the UK, which amounts to nearly £28,000 for the standard four-year honours degree.

Universities in Scotland say that the Scottish contribution of around £7,500 per student per year is far below the cost of their education, and that international student fee income is proving an unreliable way to close the gap.

In the rest of the UK, fees are around £2000 more.

Dundee University is having to shed as many as 700 staff in response to a severe financial crisis, which is partly the result of a sudden drop in the number of overseas student recruits.

The most recent one-year figure was a 27% drop, and it is reported to have fallen more sharply in the most recent intake.

Sir Peter said it is "a tragedy" that the interim principal on Tayside says closure or break up of the university there is a possible outcome of the crisis.

"It would be a tragedy for Scotland if other universities were to get themselves into a similar situation," he said. "What we're doing here is to make sure we don't."

Other universities are taking action to reduce costs as student recruitment falls short of growth expectations. On Thursday, the University of Aberdeen followed Dundee, Edinburgh and Robert Gordon universities in announcing multi-million pound cuts.

The Edinburgh University principal laid down a challenge to Scotland's political parties to take urgent action on funding.

He said the funding shortfall in Scotland is worse than in England because of a tighter squeeze on fees per student, and because the number of recruits in Scotland is capped.

An independent assessment of Holyrood funding points to a drop of at least 22% in the real value of Scottish ministers' grants for higher education.

Sir Peter said ministers will either have to fund student tuition at a much higher level, or reduce the number of Scots going to university.

Otherwise, with volatile fee income from foreign students, he believes other funds have to be allowed.

He suggested options of a graduate contribution, or allowing universities to recruit Scottish students who are able and willing to pay towards their fees. At present, they are barred from attending if they cannot get a government-funded place.

There's frustration among vice-chancellors that the future of Scottish education is always framed in terms of 'fee or free', and Sir Peter says he is "not necessarily" in favour of charging for tuition.

"We need more income into the system, either through some kind of means testing or a post-graduate system of earnings repayment.

"Either we have tuition fees which are adequate to pay the costs, or we have another mechanism to pay the costs. If we had a hybrid system, where some people pay fees and some people don't, one possibility is that that's means-tested in some way."

Future funding models

Responding to Sir Peter's comments, the Scottish government's Higher Education Minister, Graeme Day, said:

"The sector is aware we are open to exploring the future funding model of universities, but we are clear that this government will not reintroduce tuition fees.

"Access to higher education must be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay.

"Broader financial pressures facing the sector remain, including the UK government's migration policies and its decision to raise employers' National Insurance contributions."

Sir Peter, who was raised by his mother after his father's early death, said he "would not have gone to university if we had to pay fees".

He also backed free tuition for students from lower income homes.

"Providing opportunities to people from less advantaged backgrounds is a very important priority for me," he added.

Situated just nine miles from Edinburgh, Dalgety Bay in Fife could be reached in minutes when driving from the capital, but for those not keen on the idea of drafting behind the wheel there are regular train services too. Despite its idyllic coastal charm, it has a rather offbeat claim to fame, being acknowledged as the UK's most "radioactive" town.

Having multiple times clinched the title of one of the Best Kept Small Towns, locals here are blessed with enchanting coastlines and ample greenery. This somewhat new-ish settlement emerged during the 1960s and has the distinction of being the first private enterprise new town.

Expect to see a bunch of historically significant structures while there, such as the characteristic old parish church, St Bridget's, and a slew of impressive towers and mansions. Among them, the romantic ancient Fordell castle and Donibristie, the erstwhile residence of the Earls of Moray and the subject of a charming old ballad, catch the eye.

In a gruesome encounter that unfolded in 1592, George Gordon, the Earl of Huntly, murdered his rival James Stewart, the 2nd Earl of Moray, by the seaside. This violent incident found mention in the popular ditty The Bonnie Earl O' Moray, reports the Scottish Daily Express.

Previously, it served as a base for the Royal Air Force and was home to a major aircraft repair depot.

Much of the industrial estate in the northern part of the town is constructed on the former runway of an airfield, with remnants of it still visible. The local tennis courts are situated on the concrete base of a hangar that was once used for aircraft repairs.

The town's historical connection to aviation led to a radioactive hotspot in Fife, which took over three decades to rectify. The coastline at Dalgety Bay was contaminated with radium from discarded World War Two aircraft, leading to a ban on public access from 2011 to 2023.

It's believed that the radioactive particles originated from radium-coated components in World War Two aircraft that were incinerated and dumped in the bay. Thousands of these particles have been discovered since 1990, although they pose only a low risk to public health.

Prof Paul Dale, who manages Sepa's radioactive substances team, commented: "The completion of this work is significant for Dalgety Bay and for Scotland's environment. Sepa have been clear in our requirements that remediation would be done once, and it would be done right - providing a permanent and positive resolution for the communities who lived with the environmental legacy of Second World War radium contamination for several decades. ".

Dalgety Bay serves as a commuter town, with many residents working in Edinburgh and commuting daily. House prices in the town are relatively average compared to those in the capital.

Italy is no stranger to a pilgrimage, with its Genoese and Venetian ports acting as hubs for Medieval Christians to set off from in order to reach the Holy Land.

But when two brothers, James, 39, and Thom Elliot, 41, quit their jobs and bought up a TukTuk in Sicily, the country was host to a new type of pilgrimage, one of pizza.

They took the van on a 4,500km trek from the foot of Italy all the way back to their home in London. On the trip they learned all they could about the true art of pizza making.

Their plan was simple, they planned to explore the length of Italy in search for the perfect variety of pizza - whether it be Roman, Sicilian or Neapolitan. Despite having two thirds of Italy still to traverse, both James and Thom knew what they were looking for after landing in Naples.

The brothers visited the oldest pizzeria in the volcanic city and their mind was made up. The thin base, airy yet crispy crust along with the simple and sloppy toppings captured their hearts and imaginations almost as much as the Naples natives.

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“When my brother Thom and I started Pizza Pilgrims we bought a little tuk tuk down in Siciliy and drove the van back to London over six weeks on a ‘Pizza Pilgrimage’ to learn all about Italian cooking, produce and most importantly the pizza,” James said. “When we arrived in Napoli we had never tried a Neapolitan pizza.

“We went to one of the oldest pizzerias in the city to try the pizza and it was a sort of pizza epiphany. It was charred, sloppy, mouth burningly hot, but it was unlike any pizza we’d tried before.

“We agreed then, even before the trip had finished, that we would put a pizza oven in the back of the van and start a Neapolitan street food truck back in the UK. We also immediately fell in love with the city.

“Naples is chaotic and mad but it has incredible energy and the people are so generous. They are so passionate about food and the produce of their region. Mozzarella and tomatoes are almost religious and the flavour is off the charts.”

Content with their vision they headed to London where they operated a pizza van, aptly named Pizza Pilgrims, across the English capital for two years. After tasting success, they opened their first restaurant in Soho before expanding to other locations in the city and eventually Wales.

The dynamic duo have now however set their sights on a foray north of Hadrian's Wall, eager to conquer the north with pizza where the Romans failed with empire. Their latest franchise Pizza Pilgrims will launch in Rose Street on April 14, welcoming diners to enjoy truly authentic and genuine Neapolitan pizza.

Now a lot of restaurants make the authentic claim, sometimes being flexible with the facts around their produce, but eager to show this is not the case with Pizza Pilgrims, Edinburgh Live was invited to Napoli to meet the chain's suppliers.

James led the tour of foodies, booking us into some of the most famous pizzerias in the city which ignited the brothers' love for the Neapolitan style. The passion for Pizza Pilgrims was clear to see, James would often produce an impressive command of the Italian language as he ordered pizza dishes before returning with a beaming smile as he watched us all melt at the fresh simple flavours.

The most impressive of our visits was to L'antica Pizzeria da Michele, founded in 1870, the restaurant is famous around the world for only offering two types of pizza, Margherita and Marinara. Locals snaked outside the takeaway window at lunch time - a sign this place was the real deal.

It is no surprise the Elliots were won after a visit to the historic establishment. The pizza was truly divine and is made in the style the brothers will bring to Edinburgh.

Keen to show the importance of ingredients, James led us to Caputo headquarters in the heart of the Italian city. Caputo are a family run flour producer which have been in operation since 1924 and they command an unbelievable level of respect amongst pizza makers across the country.

Naples is a city where the footballers share a similar level of social media following as their most famous pizza chefs. And these pizza making celebrities all have one thing in common, they use the diverse Caputo flour to produce their world famous meals - something the Pizza Pilgrims themselves have committed to.

“We’re obsessive at pizza pilgrims about creating the best pizza possible, as close to the true Napoli pizza as we can. The produce we buy is where it all begins.

“Our most important produce comes direct from Naples. The flour from Antimo at the Caputo Mill, the mozzarella comes in fresh weekly from Giovanni at Latteria Sorrentina and the tomatoes from Aniello the tomato farmer on the side of mount Vesuvius!

“People have been making pizza with these ingredients since it was invented over 300 years ago and it’s just so cool that we can do the same!”

Throughout our own mini three day Naples pilgrimage, it was made evident by the visit to the Spanish quarter, and the award winning rum baba producer, that James and Thom had fully immersed themselves in sourcing the truly authentic Neapolitan food.

They left no stone unturned, even affording us the opportunity to learn about the geology and history of the city from their now tour guide, Ferdinando on our journey from the airport.

James reiterated his excitement at getting to bring Pizza Pilgrims to Edinburgh throughout the trip and remarked on the similarities between the two cities. The people are passionate, proud and have volcanic characteristics coursing through their veins.

“Edinburgh and Napoli have a lot in common. A vibrant city with amazing people, a castle built on a volcano (albeit 350 million years extinct!), maybe just the weather’s a little different. We’re really excited to be opening in Edinburgh into one of the most vibrant food scenes in Europe!”

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Now Edinburgh has had its fair share of authentic Italian food over the years, having welcomed immigrants from the Stivale in the early and mid 20th century. Most communities across our capital have Italian eateries dotted around them, so it is fair to say there are high hopes and high expectations for what the Pizza Pilgrim brothers can deliver in our city centre.

We eagerly await their arrival. You can visit the Pizza Pilgrim website here.

And if you are ever in Naples and in need of a taxi/tour guide, be sure to check out Ferdinando’s business here.

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