Where to stay in United Kingdom

Edinburgh now has a tourist tax

On 24 July 2026 Edinburgh became the first city in the UK to charge a visitor levy. If you booked before you read this, check what your accommodation is collecting.

• The rate is 5 percent of the accommodation cost, capped at 5 consecutive nights.
• It applies to hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses, self-catering flats and short-term rentals alike.
• It is calculated on the room only. Meals, drinks, parking and transport are excluded.
• It caught bookings made from 1 October 2025 for stays on or after 24 July 2026, so a booking you made last year for this summer is very likely subject to it.
• Glasgow and other Scottish councils are following, and several English cities already levy a small charge through business-improvement districts. Manchester has charged roughly GBP 1 a night since 2023.

What to expect otherwise

• VAT is included in quoted room rates, so the price you see is the price you pay outside Edinburgh.
• Breakfast is often not included and is frequently poor value compared with a café.
• British hotel rooms are small, particularly in London and in converted period buildings. This is not a scam, it is the building stock.
• Book far ahead for Edinburgh in August. The Festival and Fringe fill the entire city and prices triple. The same is true of any city on a major football weekend.

Beyond hotels

• Pubs with rooms are one of the best value options in the country, especially in the countryside, and usually include a good breakfast.
• B&Bs remain a genuine British institution and are often cheaper and warmer than a chain hotel.
• Premier Inn and Travelodge are the reliable budget chains, frequently cheaper than hostels for two people sharing.
• YHA and Hostelling Scotland run hostels in places commercial operators do not go, including some remarkable rural buildings.
• Short-term rentals need a licence in Scotland, and London caps entire-home lettings at 90 nights a year. Listings that ignore these rules do get pulled.