The Glasshouse Hotel
The Glasshouse hides contemporary rooms and a vast rooftop garden behind a restored 19th-century church façade, creating one of central Edinburgh’s most unexpected boutique stays.
The Glasshouse sits at the eastern end of Edinburgh’s New Town beside St James Quarter and Calton Hill, only about five minutes on foot from Waverley Station.
Guests enter through the preserved façade of Lady Glenorchy Church, built in the 19th century, before emerging into a thoroughly contemporary hotel that deliberately contrasts with the historic exterior.
Rooms and suites have been recently refreshed and focus heavily on views, with Garden Rooms looking across the rooftop landscape and selected Balcony Rooms and suites opening toward Calton Hill, the city spires and even the Firth of Forth.
The hotel’s defining feature is its expansive rooftop garden and terrace, a rare open-air sanctuary in the centre of Edinburgh. The Snug adds an open fire and a collection of hundreds of Scotch whiskies for a distinctly Scottish evening ritual.
The Glasshouse is best for travelers who want Edinburgh’s sights immediately outside but prefer a modern boutique hotel to a tartan-heavy grand property, particularly when private outdoor space and city views matter.
