Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel

You're standing on the Grassmarket—that mad cobbled square where Edinburgh's most dramatic history played out—and you've actually got a decent hotel that doesn't feel like a corporate chain trying too hard. The Apex occupies a prime corner spot here, all glass and steel, which means you get those views of the castle that make your mates back home jealous. The rooms are spacious and modern without being sterile, the beds are actually comfortable, and there's a restaurant and bar downstairs where locals pop in for something proper rather than just guests grabbing breakfast. It's the kind of place where you can properly settle in, rather than just crash between whisky tours and Royal Mile wandering.