“I stayed in the world’s most romantic hotel – it’s closer than you think”
I’m not surprised that The Witchery has been named the world’s most romantic hotel by Big 7 Travel. I stayed there with my partner, Joel, a couple of years ago and its Gothic opulence, combined with the intimacy of being in one of its nine beautiful suites, melted both of our hearts.
The Witchery is a 16th-century mansion on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, nestled beside the gates of the city’s famous Traitors-esque castle. Each suite is unique and looks like something from a film set – think Shakespeare In Love or Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet.
We found the hotel entrance hidden at the end of the atmospheric Old Town Close and knew we were in for a treat when we had to fight our way through crowds of people taking pictures of the flower-filled alleyway.
Feeling a bit like movie stars, we were shown up winding stone stairs to the appropriately named Inner Sanctum suite, complete with extravagant velvet furnishings, a grand four-poster bed and a huge bust of Queen Victoria to bring us back down to earth!
We opened the door to Champagne on ice (included in every stay), beautifully arranged with flowers in the anteroom of our bedroom – just a taste of the romance to come. There were modern touches such as a Nespresso machine, as well as a stunning view over The Royal Mile from a platform big enough for a table for two if you wanted to order room service.
Tempting as it was to spend our entire stay in this beautiful Gothic bedroom, the next morning, we tore ourselves away from the rolltop bath (not easy!) for a delicious traditional Scottish breakfast in the baroque Dining Room.
We then spent a wonderful day together day exploring Edinburgh Castle and the city’s fascinating museums before relaxing in the soft candlelight of The Secret Garden, one of the hotel’s two fairytale-like dining rooms. We were served hand-dived scallops, roasted halibut and tarte tatin – all delicious – before wandering hand-in-hand back to our four-poster.
And romantic staycations, like the one we had, are proving increasingly popular. The Hilton hotel chain has found that nine out of 10 most-searched destinations for Valentine’s Day this year are in the UK, with Edinburgh in the top three.
So, if you’re looking for a getaway with your partner, look no further. From personal experience, I know that The Witchery really is the most romantic hotel in the world to stay in!
Double rooms cost from around £575 a night, including breakfast.
For more romantic getaways, check out some from our collection at Good Housekeeping Holidays here:
LAKE COMO, ST MORITZ & BERNINA RAILWAY
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