Just a sporran's throw from Waverley Station and the Royal Mile, the German budget design hotel chain spun into town on a tartan Arne Jacobsen chair at the end of 2012, catapulting a second hotel onto Princes Street in 2014. Along with location, price, design, and service are key concepts—and this spot delivers on all. In each property, there's a nod to the location, so along with the tartan makeover of the signature chairs, there's a photographic mural of sheep in the lobby bar and a fluffy scattering of sheepskin rugs. Add a dash of cowskin, tropical fish on a loop on the flatscreen television, and a buzzing crowd of business travellers on a budget, and you get the vibe. In the rooms, the things you don't need have been scrapped—like a wardrobe. And soap. There are hangers, a rail, and multipurpose body and hair wash. The towels are fluffy and white, however, and despite its city center location there's no outside noise. The double-glazing on this historic building works, but internally, the walls are a bit thin: I was woken by a neighbor's alarm.