The Directors’ Suite at The Edinburgh Grand is somewhere I would build a trip around. Give yourself time for Edinburgh, certainly, but leave enough of the stay free to enjoy the address you have checked into. This suite deserves far more than a hurried arrival and a place to leave your bags.

I stayed in the Directors’ Suite, and my verdict is an enthusiastic one. For me, this is the best suite in Scotland. The grandeur is part of it, but so is the sense of history seeping out of the walls, and the personal attention that made such an impressive address feel welcoming.

The Edinburgh Grand puts the grand into the city in a way that feels entirely at home here.

An entrance with presence

At 42 St Andrew Square, the hotel occupies a former banking headquarters in Edinburgh’s New Town. The entrance sets the tone, with substantial stone columns, an imposing doorway and the hotel’s name above it. It is a building with presence, and one that rewards a closer look.

Inside, the sweeping staircase is a highlight in its own right. Curving white walls, patterned floors and decorative metal balustrades draw the eye through the building. Looking down through those successive curves gives you a lovely sense of its scale and craftsmanship.

There is a particular pleasure in staying somewhere whose architecture is part of the experience. You notice the route to your room. You look up. The building gives you something to enjoy between the practical moments of checking in and heading out.

The hotel became Scotland’s first member of Marriott International’s The Luxury Collection in July 2025. It is a fitting association for a property whose appeal is so closely connected to its setting and history.

Inside the Directors’ Suite

The suite’s wood panelling is its defining feature. Warm, richly coloured timber runs around the rooms, with carved details and substantial door surrounds giving the interiors depth and a strong sense of permanence.

In the sitting room, green velvet sofas and patterned armchairs bring colour and softness to that architectural framework. The bird and botanical motifs are particularly beautiful. Against the wood, they give the room a warmth that makes you want to settle in.

The fireplace anchors the seating area, with its richly veined stone surround and artwork above. There is an appealing balance between the formality of the room and the comfort of its furniture. I particularly like the way the pieces have been brought together: the patterned cushions, low table and generous seating all give the space a purpose beyond looking impressive.

This is what I want from a suite at this level. Somewhere to sit properly, have a conversation, read or take time over a drink. Somewhere you can enjoy being in for a whole afternoon.

The dining space adds to that residential feel. A substantial table gives the suite scope for entertaining, and the kitchen makes a longer stay a practical possibility. Having the freedom to decide how you use the space is a significant part of its luxury.

The bedroom carries the same character through. Tall windows and full length curtains sit alongside more wood panelling, while an upholstered headboard brings the bird and botanical pattern back into the room. White bed linen keeps the centre of the space fresh and simple.

There is lovely attention to the composition: the bedside lighting, the green chair at the window, the dressing screen and the substantial furniture at the foot of the bed. It all belongs to the same considered interior.

What stays with me is the suite’s individuality. It has a recognisable character, and that matters enormously when choosing somewhere for a special stay. I want to remember the room itself as clearly as the city outside it.

The personal touch

Walking down the corridor and hearing “Good morning, Mr Stewart” is one of the moments I remember most clearly. It was a small gesture, but it made the welcome feel personal.

The building makes an extraordinary first impression. That recognition from the staff gave the stay a warmth to match it. I felt known as a guest, and that mattered just as much to me as the scale and history of the suite.

The Wandering Barman

I tried the Wandering Barman during my stay and enjoyed a gorgeous twist on a whisky cocktail. That experience gave the suite’s generous sitting room another reason to be used and enjoyed.

The concept brings cocktails to your door, with a bartender preparing drinks and introducing a little conversation and theatre to the experience. Scottish spirits and distilleries are part of the story, giving it a connection to the place you are visiting.

Having the experience brought to me made the suite a fuller part of the stay. There was a pleasure in enjoying the room with a carefully made cocktail, rather than treating it simply as somewhere to get ready before heading out.

It also speaks to a more personal idea of hospitality. A memorable hotel needs moments that people will talk about afterwards, and the Wandering Barman gives The Grand a particularly charming one.

A destination within the city

The strength of The Edinburgh Grand is how much you can make of a stay within the building.

The Spa at The Edinburgh Grand brings facials, massage and body rituals together with Skeyndor treatments and individual consultations. Its focus is on treatments, with three treatment spaces and private changing facilities. Booking time here gives a city break a welcome opportunity to slow down.

The Register Club provides another pace again. With breakfast, afternoon tea, drinks and dining, it gives the hotel a social space you can return to at different points in the day. I like a hotel where meeting someone for tea or arranging a drink feels as natural as staying the night.

Then there is Lady Libertine for the later hours. Across two levels, its cocktails, food and programme of music and entertainment bring a livelier side to the building. It is an appealing way to round off an evening, with your suite waiting upstairs.

That combination makes The Grand a destination in its own right. A treatment, afternoon tea, time in the suite and a night at Lady Libertine could comfortably shape a whole visit.

And when you do want to explore, St Andrew Square is an excellent starting point. Waverley Station, Princes Street, Multrees Walk and the New Town are close by. You have the convenience of a central address alongside accommodation that gives you a reason to linger.

My verdict

The Directors’ Suite is a stay I would recommend for a significant birthday, an anniversary or simply the pleasure of choosing somewhere exceptional.

Its appeal lies in the whole composition: the panelling, the furniture, the generous living space and the character of the building around it. Add the Wandering Barman and the choice of places to unwind, eat and enjoy the evening, and there is substance behind the name.

The grandeur and history explain why the Directors’ Suite made such an impression on me. The personal welcome explains why I would return. Together, those are the reasons I put it at the top of my own list of Scottish suites.

The Edinburgh Grand gives you every reason to enjoy the city, and just as many to enjoy staying in.

Craig Munro on making The Grand feel like home

Craig Munro, Cluster General Manager

What does “home away from home” mean at The Edinburgh Grand?

“Our aim is for guests to feel comfortable making The Grand their own. The suites give them the space to settle in, while the team brings the warmth and personal attention that make a stay feel familiar. That might mean understanding how someone likes to spend their morning, helping them discover Edinburgh or giving them the freedom to enjoy a quiet evening in. We want the building to impress people and the welcome to make them feel they belong.”

What makes The Grand a destination in its own right?

“There is a lovely rhythm to a stay here. Guests can take time for a treatment in the spa, meet friends in The Register Club and enjoy an evening at Lady Libertine, all within The Edinburgh Grand. Together with experiences such as the Wandering Barman, those different spaces allow people to shape the stay around themselves. Our ambition is that they leave with a connection to the hotel as well as to Edinburgh.”

The Edinburgh Grand, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Edinburgh
42 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2AD