Guide Books Discounts

Go through the following list of great offers of guide books. You may find your next travel destination

• Lonely Planet – Buy 2 books, get a 3rd Free

• The Venice for Rookies guide

• The Book Depository – Special features

• Amazon Bargain Books

Been there competition: daybreak/twilight

Been there competition: daybreak/twilight:

Here are the best images from the hundreds that Been there readers sent in this month. Click through the gallery to see the winning photograph

Jamie Oliver's guide to the West Country

Jamie Oliver's guide to the West Country:

From the Somerset farmer whose cider 'tastes of the orchard' to the publican who forages for ingredients, Jamie takes us on a tour of the West, as his new TV series, Jamie's Great Britain, starts tonight

Ranjit Dhaliwal

Pascal Wyse

Low-cost airlines in North America

Do you want to visit the North America and to see Pacific as well Atlantic coast? Try low-coast airlines. The best low-cost airlines in the North America there are Virgin America, WestJet and Frontier Airlines (based on Skytrax World Airline Awards 2011).

5 tips for booking Thanksgiving flights

5 tips for booking Thanksgiving flights: Feasting on turkey aside, brace yourself for that other Thanksgiving ritual: joining a nationwide mad dash to make it to a family gathering and back. Here are tips for a smoother journey.

How to take a career travel break

How to take a career travel break: Here's what you need to do: take a break from your career and travel the world for an extended period of time. How does that sound?

Spotted by Locals

Spotted by Locals (see Wikipedia page) is the blog that won Travel Blog Award (2009, Lonely Planet) or "Best Travel Website" Award (2010, Guardian). Why is this blog so specific? It provides information on approximately 38 cities in Europe. This information should not come from the visitors, but directly from the people who live, study or work in these cities. I tried find some post about Rome and Prague. The web page got back some recommendations to the cafes, restaurants, bars and so on. I wonder how much is the real recommendations and how much goes to PR articles written to order. The only way how to find out it is to have personal experience.

Further, the site offers an iPhone application and the possibility of buying city guides in PDF format. Prices are € 3.99.

 

The 4-Hour Workweek and Travelling

I recently read an interesting book The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. The book is mainly dealing with a very modern (celebrated and cursed) self-improvement, but you can get a couple of travel tips, especially in chapters 12 and 14. There are interesting links to general travel sites such as Virtual Tourist, Escape Artist, and World Travel Watch. If you have a problem with the packaging, try the web One-Bag. In the future we will offer other links from this book.

12 funny ‘lost in translation’ photos

12 funny ‘lost in translation’ photos:

Have you seen funny mistaken translations on your travels abroad?

In the Lost in Translation photo contest on the Lonely Planet Facebook page, travellers are posting some of their best photos of #epictranslationfail from around the world – and the results are surprising and hilarious. The contest is only a few days in, and already some of the submissions have been creating waves of giggling around the Lonely Planet offices. Here is a sampling of some of the staff favourites so far:

1. Do not give that cow the keys, no matter what it says

Your vehicle. He is not responsible for it. - Photo submitted by Michael H.

2. Don’t press that red button

Really? At the lift??? – Photo submitted by Nadx S.

3. Proof that there are lost in translation moments even within the English speaking world

Crosswalk? In London. - Photo submitted by Melia B.

4. Everyone enjoys riding the Norse

Feeling Lucky? (Inner Mongolia-2009) – Photo submitted by Amy H.

5. Kids these days

Get a room! - Photo submitted by Steve W.

6. Wait, this sign doesn’t mean ‘camel parking’?

The best place to park your camel – Photo submitted by Kate M.

7. Never fear, the anti-fire things are here

Things for anti-fire – Photo submitted by Dave K.

8. This might be a good time to turn around

Should I run or stop??? – Photo submitted by Belén G.

9. Welcome to Obviousville

It’s obvious. - Photo submitted by Masdyanna B.

10. Man, it’s cold as ice to take Foreigner’s luggage.

How I got a new free suitcase over in China… - Photo submitted by Klara U.

11. This has all the makings of a romantic comedy

Coca-Cola way or Pepsi way…..Which one should I take?? (Carmelo, Uruguay) – Photo submitted by Andrea D.

12. Probably best to follow these instructions

What kind of orphans are we talking here? Taken in Nairobi, Kenya – Photo submitted by Jesse O.

Do you have a great lost in translation photo from your travels? Enter the contest on the Lonely Planet Facebook page (end date: 17 November) for a chance to win an iPad and the new Lonely Planet Offline Translator apps, and vote for your favourites!

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Never get lost in translation again with Lonely Planet’s new Offline Translator apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.

Wanderfly

I got a suggestion to a tool for travel planning – Wanderfly. Very attractive home page offers to enter parameters your your planned trip – start and target of the trip (you do not need to select only the cities but also continents, countries or regions), your interests, estimated cost, when and for how long you want to travel.

I tried to find something about Tuscany during the autumn (end of October). System chose four places in Tuscany, including Florence and Siena. I also marked interest (outdoors, adventure and food) but I get offers just for restaurants, sights, a gym, water park :-(.

Of course, Wanderfly offers tickets and accommodation such as another tools. I think it's just one of many similar systems, which has a very interesting graphic design.

Airlines try to hike fares. But will they stick?

Airlines try to hike fares. But will they stick?:

Holiday travelers may want to lock in airfares while they still can. At least two U.S. airlines are raising prices for the first time since late summer and others may follow.

Late deals for October half-term

Late deals for October half-term:

The half-term holiday is only days away but it's not too late to get away. We've rounded up 10 late deals for families, from kids' camps in Wales to campervanning around Spain

Cornwall

Just because summer's over, doesn't mean you can't enjoy a seaside break. Kids love rockpooling whatever the weather, and a blustery walk along the shore is the perfect way for adults in the party to build up a thirst en route to a cosy pub. Among the beachside properties still available to rent this half-term is Sea Owl from Cornish Cottages (cornwallscottages.co.uk). The barn is two miles from Newquay, and costs from £549 (sleeps six) for a week's stay from 22 October. The company also lists some excellent late deals for next week.

A little further north, between Bude and Padstow and sitting on 2½ miles of spectacular coastline, is Trevigue Farm (01840 230492, trevigue.co.uk). The 16th-century farm offers both B&B and self-catering cottages and lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 300 yards from the highest cliffs in Cornwall, so ideal for walking and wildlife. Eastwood cottage sleeps four and costs £650 for seven days from 22 October; Tregather sleeps nine and costs £1,500; Samphire House sleeps 8-10 and costs £1,396 (from 21 October) – although the owner is "happy to haggle" over these prices.

Mallorca

It's in the mid-twenties in Mallorca this week and there's plenty of sun – certainly warm enough for a dip in the pool. Mallorca Farmhouses (0845 800 8080, mallorca.co.uk) has reduced the price of some of its villas by up to 50%, including the three-bedroom C'an Picassa, a traditional home in the hills near Pollensa which has a large garden and pool.
• It sleeps six (or seven with an extra bed) and costs £452 for the week, excluding flights. On kayak.co.uk flights from London or Manchester are available from around £265 return (with Ryanair), flying out on 22 October

Greek islands

U Tracks is an adventure company specialising in mostly self-guided tours around Europe. Its Ionian sailing and cycling adventure explores little-known coves of Ithaca, Meganisi and Paxos by boat, and sleepy villages and ancient sites by bike. Its sailing trips are run by an experienced crew, including a cycle guide, and the £1,350 price tag covers seven nights' B&B on the boat (from 22 October), some lunches and dinners, bike rental, and transfers to and from Corfu airport.

Malta

Scuba diving is a difficult sport to pursue en famille, at least until they get old enough to join you underwater, but then it gets pricey. This trip is a great compromise – stay on Gozo, Malta's pretty, sleepy little sister in a private farmhouse with a pool and you can dive some of the best sites in the Med while the kids are looked after.
• Dive in Style's (020-7978 0505) week-long self-catering package costs £2,250 for two adults and two children and includes flights from London airports (more expensive from regional airports) and transfers from Malta to Gozo. A dive package for two adults with six (mostly shore) dives, and a total of 24 hours' childminding (an experienced babysitter comes to the farmhouse) costs an additional £500

Portugal

If you're a family of walkers, U Track's Algarve itinerary starts in the pretty town of Silves and ends in the village of Sagres, with up to five hours a day walking through orange groves and valleys, and along ancient paths of the Cape St Vincent national park and coastal routes. The seven-night trip costs £690, including B&B in small family-run hotels. Both trips are available half-term week.

Sounds too energetic? The Algarvean eco-retreat Muxima (i-escape.com/muxima) is an idyllic, super-child friendly cluster of African-inspired guest houses, an hour's drive from Faro, run by a couple with two children. Set in a forest but close to the beach, you can also try your hand at archery and there are (free) mountain bikes available. Booked through i-escape, a week's stay costs £244pp, based on two sharing a double

Campervanning across Spain

Wicked Campers' (0808 234 8461, wickedcampers.co.uk) vans are pretty gaudy, covered in graffiti-style designs, but the kids will love them and as cheap trips go, this is a great option for families with an adventurous spirit and/or who love Spain. You can pick up in either Barcelona or Málaga and drop off in the same place, or drive the length of the country by picking up in Málaga and dropping off in Barcelona seven days later, with no extra charge (you can usually do it the other way round, too, but there is no availability next week).

In theory the multi-seater sleeps five with three on a mattress in the back of the van and two sharing a tent (supplied), but that would be pretty snug. A water tank, miniature sink and cooker are squeezed into the back, but you'll need to pitch up at a campsite with facilities if you want to shower. Camping Spain is a comprehensive guide to campsites in Spain.
• Seven days' hire costs £199, including insurance for two drivers, unlimited mileage and 24-hour roadside assistance. Flights not included. For 22 October, one-way flights from Stansted to Málaga start at £63 with Ryanair, or from £119 from Gatwick to Barcelona with Monarch

Glamping in Wiltshire

For families who love the outdoors but, for obvious reasons, don't want to brave camping under canvas in autumn, there's a brilliant solution sitting in a field in Wiltshire. The Ark is a cute wooden hut created by woodworker James Noble in the grounds of Puckshipton House near Avebury. Getting to it involves a tractor ride and the facilities are relatively primitive – shower water is heated by a Kelly kettle which is hoisted into the trees and there's a compost loo, but the hut, which James describes as "gothic style", is insulated with sheep's wool and has a wood burner, so you should be warm as toast once tucked up in bed. Inside there's a double hob, or cook alfresco on the outdoor firepit. And for emergency pints and meals prepared by someone else, the Seven Stars pub at Bottlesford is a mile away.
• With a double bed and two singles, it sleeps four. Pets are welcome too. Available from 21 October: three nights cost £290, four £380 and five £470

Turkey

It's easy to be sniffy about all-inclusives – until you have children; then they start to make sense, not just economically but in terms of the sheer amount of stuff there is to do. At Neilson's (0845 070 3460, neilson.co.uk) Club Adakoy on the waterfront in the Turkish resort of Marmaris, you can waterski and wakeboard, play tennis or mountain bike. And for younger ones there's a kids' club for children from four months.
• Half-term week costs £544 per adult and £494 per child (plus an extra £126 for interconnecting rooms for a family of four), including flights from Gatwick departing 24 October, transfers, accommodation on a club-board basis (breakfast, lunch, four evening meals), all tuition including sailing, wind-surfing, tennis and mountain biking, and free use of the kids' club

Egypt and Andalucía

Explore (0844 499 0901, explore.co.uk) has an extensive range of specialist trips from group tours for families with toddlers to teen breaks. There is availability on its seven-day Highlights of Egypt family tour, departing on 22 and 24 October and taking in Luxor, Aswan and Cairo. The price of £1,052 per adult and £967 per child (or £492pp without flights; minimum age five), includes flights, B&B accommodation, one dinner, transport and guide.

There are also places on the eight-day Family Active Andalucía trip, departing on 23 October. Highlights include a stay in a converted village house in the Sierra de Aracena, canoeing and cycling in spectacular scenery, and beach time on the Ilha de Tavira. The price is £854pp including flights or £615 without (minimum age six).

Kids' camps in north Wales and Isle of Wight

If you have to work through half-term or even if your idea of a holiday is (whisper it) a week without the kids, then Camp Beaumont (0800 655 6560, campbeaumont.co.uk) could be the answer. A week at its Colomendy centre in north Wales (suitable for 7- 15-year-olds) costs £199 and includes all sorts of fun stuff, from zip wires to kayaking and abseiling.

Or The Island, a 100-acre camp on the Isle of Wight with a surf school and watersports on offer, is aimed at 10- 15-year-olds, also costs £199 and includes beach games, quad biking and archery.
• Book by telephone by 5pm on Friday 21 October quoting "October offer". Insurance must be purchased separately at a rate of £30 per child

• Family holidays

Isabel Choat

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Frequent Flyers

The Internet provides many various information describing the benefits of frequent flyers programmes (e.g. WebFlyer or Frequent Flyer). But look at the interesting infographics The future of loyalty is social. It is the great interconnection of the world of airlines and social media.

Great walking ideas

Great walking ideas:

The National Trust Walking Festival, New Forest hideaways and a cottage for Christmas

Take me there: National Trust Walking Festival

There's more to the National Trust than stiff old stately homes. The charity manages some of Britain's wildest and most beautiful landscapes and is encouraging people to explore them with the launch of its first nationwide Walking Festival (22-30 October). There are hundreds of walks to embark on, from gentle family rambles to challenging 18-mile hikes. All offer an interesting take on the landscape, from a night hike in Sheringham Park to see the nocturnal wildlife to an archaeology walk at Stonehenge. And the real beauty of walking on National Trust land is that you're never far from a tea shop. For details, visit tinyurl.com/68bejk9

Joanne's travel clinic: A cottage for Christmas

The dilemma I've been given the task of booking a cottage for Christmas for a family group of eight adults and four children. We want a big country house, but all the good places seem to be booked up. Have I left it too late? Julia M

Jo replies Large houses do get snapped up well in advance, but there are still some (Christmas) crackers to be found. Monaltrie House in Royal Deeside offers tartan and tweed, four-poster beds, open fires and skiing in the nearby Cairngorms national park (£4,535 for a week, hoseasons.co.uk). A cluster of small cottages can work just as well for a large group and will give everyone some breathing space. Treworgey is a group of 10 cosy Cornish cottages. Not only is there a fab games room and farm animals to keep the kids amused, but the owners will supply festive goodies, such as mince pies and a tree. Book three properties (sleeping six, four and two) for £3,469 per week (premiercottages.co.uk). The four cottages at Pilgrims House in Bacton, Norfolk, sleep 18 and come with indoor pool and sauna (£4,000 per week, norfolkcottages.co.uk). There's a beach nearby for a bracing Boxing Day walk and everything for the festive period is supplied. This being Norfolk, they'll even throw in the turkey.

Three of the best: New Forest hideaways

With autumn's colour in the trees and the first chill in the air, the New Forest is a magical place to be at this time of year. Here are three brilliant boltholes for a seasonal escape

1. The Pig, Brockenhurst Stylish but unstuffy, the Pig promised to redefine the country house hotel experience when it opened this summer. Job done (01590 622 354; thepighotel.co.uk)

2. The Master Builder's, Buckler's Hard Between forest and sea, this quirky hotel combines ethnic chic with a maritime setting (01590 616 253; themasterbuilders.co.uk)

3. Chewton Glen, New Milton A country house classic which gets everything right, from the spa to the scones served with afternoon tea (01425 275 341; chewtonglen.com)

• If you have a travel dilemma, email Joanne O'Connor at magazine@observer.co.uk

• Walking holidays
• Family holidays
• Self-catering
• Short breaks
• Hotels

Joanne O'Connor

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Free Flights to Japan

In recent days the media spreads information on free airline tickets to Japan. We would like to summarize all information that are often contradictory. Japan offers 10,000 tickets, but ...

... they are not completely free. You will need to describe your journey to Japan on the Internet.

... although it is advised that this is a competition but rather a lottery.

... for participation you need to send a list of places that you want to visit in Japan.

... the competiotion/lottery begins after six months in April 2012.

... the project has not yet been approved (no allocations from the budget).

Detail information can be found on the Japan National Tourism Organization, which published the original article 10,000 Free Flights to Japan.

10 of the best outdoor activities in Edinburgh

10 of the best outdoor activities in Edinburgh:

Edinburgh and its beautiful surroundings are perfect for outdoor pursuits such as cycling, walking, boating, and even a seaside trip. Here are Michael MacLeod's favourites

• As featured in our Edinburgh city guide

Hillwalking in the Pentlands

There are no mountains here but 100km of signposted paths with rewarding views. As with cycling, local walking groups and the ranger service welcome visitors. When it snows in Edinburgh, this is the place most likely to get the white stuff. Easily accessible from the city centre by bus, the Pentland hills are a peaceful sanctuary on the city's doorstep, but come prepared for changeable weather.
• Midlothian Snowsports Centre, Hillend, midlothian.gov.uk/info/200131/snowsports_centre. Open 9.30am-9pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-7pm at weekends. Pentland Hills ranger service: 0131-445 3383

Picnic at Cramond seaside village

A favourite for rollerbladers, Cramond's promenade links to its landmark causeway – a stunning walkway over the River Forth to Cramond Island where you can take lunch and throw the crusts to the seabirds. Before you set foot on the causeway, check the signs displaying tide times – useful if you don't want to get stranded. If the tide is in, visit the 15th-century Cramond Kirk, built on the site of a Roman fort. The number 41 Lothian Bus will get you back to the city centre in around 20 minutes.
• Cramond beach, Cramond

Sprint, swing and skate at Saughton Park

As well as a 400m running track, grass and artificial football pitches plus adventure playground, this council-run sport complex now has a new skatepark. Its 2,100 sq metres of concrete bowls and street features are proving so popular that the Focus skateboard shop left its city centre location to set up in new premises here, in the west of the city.
• Stevenson Drive, 0131-444 0422, Saughton Sports Complex, Edinburgh Skate Park. Open from 8.30am-10.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-6.30pm at weekends. Football pitches from £46 per hour, skatepark is free

Sailing on the Union Canal

The Lochrin Basin is an ideal place to start your exploration of the canal as it curves out of the city's Fountainbridge area. A barge can be hired from Re-Union Canal Boats. Rowing boats can be hired on Sundays from the Edinburgh Canal Society's boathouse at Ashley Terrace – weather depending. Its picturesque setting in Polwarth is shared with the Forth Canoe Club, the oldest of its kind in Scotland. The club produced slalom canoeist David Florence who won a silver medal for Team GB at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. If you just want a legal excuse to get in the canal for a swim, a community-run raft race takes place every July.

Getting fit in the Meadows

The heart of the Scottish capital is surely the Meadows, providing a full range of sporting activities. While strolling the Meadows' criss-cross paths, be careful not to get hit by a golf ball. The 36-pin short-hole course on Bruntsfield Links is free to use and a popular place to walk off a hangover. At the west end of the park are 16 pay & play outdoor tennis courts, which inevitably fill up during Wimbledon but offer coaching sessions year-round. Each spring 1,000 runners take part in the Meadows Marathon and most summer weekends the Meadows Cricket Club players can be found using the pavilion, which has its own community-owned cafe.
• Melville Drive, 0131-444 1969/0131-443 0101, Meadows Tennis. Tennis courts £8.50 per hour

A classic British seaside experience at Portobello beach

Seek out a past-time of yesteryear on this mile of sandy beach, popular with kite-flyers and bucket and spade wielding toddlers. There are plenty of decent cafes and pubs along the promenade. Visitors keen to hit the waves should head to the boat park at the foot of Bath Street where they'll find the RowPorty project: two community skiffs available for everyone to use. Porty, as it's known, is also home to an organic market held in Brighton Park on the first Saturday of the month.
• Portobello Sailing and Kayaking Club, 57 Bath Street, sailporty.org.uk. Rowing lessons open to all, no experience necessary. After two weeks of lessons, membership is required, starting at £20 per year for children and £40 for adults

Birdwatching at Duddingston Loch

Situated in the shadow of Arthur's Seat, this natural freshwater loch is home to a wide range of species. Late afternoon is a good time to visit as the birds create an almighty chorus of noise. The northern shore of the loch is always accessible by foot, while the southern shore includes the Scottish Wildlife Trust's reserve and bird hide, only open by prior arrangement but well worth making the effort for a truly unique experience just minutes from the city centre. Sturdy walking boots or wellies are recommended.
• The Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve entrance is at Duddingston Road West, 0131-312 4775. Admission free

Off-street cycling on the Edinburgh Innertube

The city's defunct inner-city railway lines are now popular bicycle routes. Visitors should definitely download or order a free Innertube Map, designed in a London Tube style by a local charity. While most routes are adequately maintained, the Innertube's team of volunteer "ambassadors" use social media to report problems on the paths and share stories from the communities around them. The team is creating new, clear colour-coded markings/signage. The Leith Cycle Co is a reliable place to hire a bike – from as little as £12 for half a day. The Edinburgh 20 Milers riding group welcomes visitors who just turn up to their guided rides.
• Leith Cycle Co, 276 Leith Walk, 0131-467 7775, leithcycleco.com. Open 8.30am-5.45pm Mon-Sat and noon-5pm Sunday

Learning in the Royal Botanical Garden

The events calendar at the Botanics is packed all year round with workshops, cultural performances, walks, talks and exhibitions. "Show and tell" sessions offer the chance to quiz the experts for tips on keeping your own garden looking good. The recently built John Hope Gateway building hosts a brilliant range of participation initiatives, allowing kids to study plants through top-spec microscopes while the grownups can learn new pruning techniques from the Botanics' professionals. Go to the top of the Chinese rock garden for one of Edinburgh's most incredible panoramic views.
• Entrances at Inverleith Row and Arboretum Place, 0131-248 2909, rbge.org.uk. Open from 10am with glasshouses closing at 5.30pm between February and October and 3.30pm between November and January

History walks in Holyrood Park

Managed by Historic Scotland and free to enter, Holyrood Park's archaeological history means it's a scheduled ancient monument. At its heart is Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano that's relatively easy to climb. The park's ranger service is very active, holding regular archaeology days and guided tours. Start your exploration at the Holyrood Park education centre – designed by the city's own architectural superstar Malcolm Fraser – on Queen's Drive just behind Holyrood Palace to find out what's on.
• Ranger service, 1 Queen's Drive, 0131-652 8150, historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/learning/ranger

• Michael MacLeod writes for the Guardian

• Edinburgh
• Top 10s
• Short breaks
• City breaks
• Boating holidays
• Walking holidays
• Cycling holidays
• United Kingdom
• Europe

Michael MacLeod

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10 of the best boutique hotels in Edinburgh

10 of the best boutique hotels in Edinburgh:

From the fashion label hotel with bags of bling to the theatrical extravagance of the original restaurant with rooms, Edinburgh sets a flamboyant high note for stylish places to stay in the city, says Lucy Gillmore

• As featured in our Edinburgh city guide

The Witchery

James Thomson is Scottish restaurateur-hotelier royalty. Back in 1979 he opened The Witchery by the Castle in a rundown, 16th-century building on the Royal Mile. One of the first restaurants with rooms, its overblown extravagance set the benchmark for hedonistic style – and today is an antidote to the bland, beige boredom of so many boutique hotels. Tucked away inside a straggle of buildings, the sumptuous suites are darkly theatrical: the Armoury, Library, Inner Sanctum, Old Rectory, Sempill, Vestry – and the latest, Heriot. Think baroque splendour, reams of heavy brocade, antique four posters, roll-top baths, wood panelling and lavish drapes. It's the ultimate romantic bolthole.
• Castlehill, The Royal Mile, 0131-225 5613, thewitchery.com, doubles from £325 including breakfast hamper and a bottle of champagne on check in

21212

When it opened in May 2009, 21212 injected a shot of adrenaline into Edinburgh's dining and, by default, hotel scene. Michelin-starred Paul Kitching and his partner Katie O'Brien enlisted Glasgow-based Burns Design to convert the listed four-storey Georgian townhouse into a restaurant with four luxurious rooms – plus private dining spaces. "The Pod" has a cool cream leather circular banquette and kitsch cherubs on the wall. The restaurant is the main draw, of course – the five-course menu (£67) a theatrical gourmet extravaganza (there's the obligatory window on to the kitchen's drama). But the fact that you can simply stumble up the sweeping staircase – carpeted with a striking black and white Timorous Beasties giant moth design – to bed is an added attraction.
• 3 Royal Terrace, 0131-523 1030, 21212restaurant.co.uk, doubles from £175 B&B

Hotel Missoni

More design hotel than boutique (there are 136 rooms), the Missoni is, without doubt, the most glamorous place to bed down in Edinburgh – and that's without taking into account its location just off the Royal Mile. That an Italian fashion label chose this low-key capital to launch its first hotel in 2009 is still a pinch-yourself-in-pleasant-surprise moment. From the doormen in Missoni kilts to the beautiful bar staff and bible-like cocktail list its style credentials are unquestionable. Creative director Rosita Missoni incorporated the trademark zigzags, geometric patterns and vibrant colours into the hotel design creating dazzling interiors, while Giorgio Locatelli collaborated on the restaurant, Cucina. And then there's the spa …
• 1 George IV Bridge, 0131-220 6666, hotelmissoni.com, doubles from £180 room only

Prestonfield

Another notch on James Thomson's belt is the most opulent boutique hotel in the capital, Prestonfield. This glamorous hideaway was once home to the Lord Provosts of Edinburgh and has stellar historic credentials alongside a quirky claim to fame: Alexander Dick introduced rhubarb to Scotland (hence the name of the hotel's restaurant and its prominence on the menu). Thomson took over what had become a faded hotel in 2003 and restored it with his signature flamboyance. The 18 rooms and five suites now ooze sensuality and indulgence. With views over parkland to Arthur's Seat it has the feel of a country estate while being just a five-minute hop by taxi from the city centre.
• Prestonfield House, Priestfield Road, 0131-225 7800, prestonfield.com, doubles from £195 B&B

One Royal Circus

This boutique B&B on one of the city's most elegant Georgian crescents feels like a rather grand home from home. The library is dominated by a giant blue pool table while the drawing room on the first floor has parquet floors, floor-to-ceiling sash windows, a baby grand piano, a roaring fire, giant gilt mirrors, 19th-century painted ceilings and retro bar. The five contemporary rooms are scattered from the second floor with its views over Royal Circus Gardens to the basement – which is also where you'll find the mini-gym. There's everything you need from a boutique hotel – apart from a restaurant but then there are plenty on your doorstep – free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, super-king beds Frette bed linen, L'Occitane toiletries, Philippe Starck bathrooms, plus a sense of freedom from having this glamorous pad virtually to yourself – the owners live round the corner.
• One Royal Circus, 0131-625 6669, oneroyalcircus.com, doubles from £178 B&B

Tigerlily

Behind the graceful facade of yet another Grade A-listed Georgian building, within teetering distance of the city centre's boutiques and bars, is one of the grooviest hotels in the capital. Tigerlily has a tangible sense of fun and bags of bling – a mirrored mosaic wall in the bar, shocking pink bar stools, a giant cloud light plus rotating disco balls. The 33 individually designed rooms are luxuriously decked out with vivid Designers Guild fabrics, bespoke four-posters, mirrored console tables and Perspex chairs. To get the party started there are pre-loaded iPods and straightening irons as well as a hairdryer – you've got to love that, and in the basement, Lulu's nightclub.
• 125 George Street, 0131-225 5005, tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk, doubles from £225 B&B

Le Monde

George Street is high-street chic by day, and high-heeled hectic hedonism by night. At the other end of the street from Tigerlily is Le Monde. The 18 rooms and suites are named after cities and styled accordingly. Paris is all fancy swirls and ornate gilt and burgundy flourishes, New York is a classic Manhattan loft apartment with exposed brickwork and parquet flooring while Los Angeles has white leather sofas and framed photos of Hollywood stars. The nightclub in the basement is called Shanghai … you get the drift. The theme might be a little overdone but it works.
• 16 George Street, 0131-270 3900, lemondehotel.co.uk, doubles from £175 B&B

The Bonham

The Town House Company once owned a clutch of hotels in Scotland's capital: alongside The Bonham, there was The Howard, Channings and the Edinburgh Residence. However, after catapulting glitzy Blythswood Square in Glasgow on to the hotel scene two years ago, the company sold its smaller properties to concentrate on the two boldest. The Bonham is an understated 19th-century Victorian townhouse – housing a psychedelic sea of colour. You'll need your sunglasses in the foyer: think warm wood-panelling, purple and grey checked carpet, a vivid crimson spiral sofa and modern artworks. There are 48 rooms to choose from – but only one has a decadent freestanding Edwardian copper bathtub.
• 35 Drumsheugh Gardens, 0131-274 7400, townhousecompany.com/thebonham, doubles from £123.50 B&B

The Glasshouse

Behind a 150-year-old church facade at the top of Leith Walk is one of Edinburgh's more unusual boutique hotels: The Glasshouse has a dining room (where breakfast is served) but no restaurant or bar, although you can order 24-hour room service. Not that the lack of restaurant is a hardship with so many gourmet options nearby – just a slight quirk. Apart from that the 66 rooms and suites are slick and sleek with the usual high thread counts and downy duvets as well as floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city or on to the two-acre lavender-swathed roof garden. The suites also come with a complimentary decanter of whisky in case you fancy a nightcap.
• 2 Greenside Place, 0131-525 8200, theetoncollection.co.uk, doubles from £144 room only

Number Ten Edinburgh

Number Ten is, unsurprisingly, at number 10 on Gloucester Place. It's an unobtrusive, genteel address: a Grade A-listed building on a gracious, cobbled New Town street on the edge of the leafy, village-chic of Stockbridge with its boutiques, delis and cafes. The interiors, however, are in sharp contrast to the historic facade. Black is the predominant colour. The carpet is black and white striped, the original shutters are painted black, chairs in the restaurant and bar are black velvet. There are 28 rooms and suites with Philippe Starck bathrooms and decorated out with imported antique Chinese furniture – in black. Yet although the design is quite masculine, the tranquil location and historic house ambience soften the overall effect.
• 10 Gloucester Place, 0131-225 2720, numbertenedinburgh.com, doubles from £118.80 room only

• Lucy Gillmore is an Edinburgh-based travel writer

• Edinburgh
• Hotels
• Bed and breakfasts
• United Kingdom
• Short breaks
• City breaks

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Hotel de Crillon, Paris

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Hotel Louis C. Jacob, Hamburg

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The Atlantis, Bahamas

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