Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Check out hotel rates at up to £400 for a room

HOTELS across Edinburgh are charging bumper rates of up to £400 a room during the Fringe – despite hundreds of rooms still being available across the city.

An investigation by The Scotsman found huge fluctuations in what potential festival-goers could be charged if they decide on a last-minute trip to Edinburgh.

There are rooms available in at least 30 hotels for this Friday and Saturday, despite this weekend traditionally being one of the busiest of the year in the city, with the Fringe, book festival, Tattoo and Edinburgh International Festival in full swing.

But operators were looking for more than £200 to stay in Novotel, Holiday Inn and Macdonald Hotels.

The Missoni, the George and the Glasshouse still had rooms on Friday and Saturday, but were charging up to £400, £300 and £250 respectively.

The Radisson, on the Royal Mile, is looking for £330 for a room on Saturday night, while the Glasshouse, next door to the Playhouse is charging £300 for the same night.

When The Scotsman tried to find a last-minute booking for last night, we were quoted £350 for one at the Missoni, just yards from the Royal Mile on George IV Bridge, while the George Hotel – near the Assembly Rooms and Spiegeltent on George Street – was £225 a room.

The Balmoral and the Scotsman were among the few hotels we found to be full last night.

Even when it comes to “budget hotels,” Premier Inn was charging £154 for its hotels on Princes Street and at Haymarket for a late booking.

The cheapest deal The Scotsman could find for a last-minute hotel deal in Edinburgh was the Merith House Hotel, on Leith Links, which was looking for just £78 a room.