voco Edinburgh – Royal Terrace By IHG

voco Edinburgh - Royal Terrace occupies a run of Georgian townhouses on the northern flank of Calton Hill, looking out across Regent Gardens. It is a four-star hotel on a quiet residential terrace rather than a main thoroughfare, which matters more than it sounds when you are arriving with a dog after a long drive or heading out for a last walk at eleven at night.

Dogs are specifically listed as allowed, and the property flags a pet charge without publishing the amount, so settle it when you book. What owners travelling with dogs pick out is the room-level preparation: a dog bed and bowls set out in the room before arrival rather than produced on request. The front-desk welcome draws the same comments, with staff greeting the dog rather than merely tolerating it, which is not a given in a central city hotel of this size.

The setting suits a dog well. Regent Gardens sits directly opposite, though it is a private residents' garden, so ask the hotel what access it can arrange. Calton Hill is a few minutes uphill for a proper stretch and the best view in the city, London Road Gardens is a short walk east for the daily basics, and Holyrood Park with Arthur's Seat is a longer outing that is still comfortably walkable from the door.

Two things to weigh. Breakfast variety attracts the occasional lukewarm note, and a Georgian terrace conversion means rooms differ in size and layout from one townhouse to the next, so flag your dog's size when you book rather than on arrival. Best suited to owners of small and medium dogs who want a stylish, central Edinburgh base with green space at the door and a welcome that extends past the reception desk.