Prestonfield

Prestonfield is recognized as one of Scotland’s must luxurious hotels for a reason. Everything at the hotel has been thought through to create maximum impact, and the public rooms are filled with exquisite antiques, oil portraits, velvets, brocades, and passementerie galore. Wood-burning fireplaces are lit in most drawing rooms, and guests can find a chair (and parlor) to their liking, request a cocktail, and read a book or listen to the flames crackle while gazing out the window at the peacocks roaming the vast estate lawns. The only sport offered is ultra-civilized croquet, but the hotel has a series of running trails, and there is a golf course adjacent to the property. Ben Franklin and Dr. Samuel Johnson were among the estate's guests during the 18th century, and they and other historically significant visitors are represented in various was throughout the hotel. The Whisky Room is particularly eccentric, with its walls hung with equestrian portraits and the other furnishings heavily adorned with antlers. Lots of antlers. Even the public men's room is a work of art. The hotel is a wonderland, as if Alice had fallen down a rabbit hole into the estate of a fun, flamboyant, detail-obsessed collector.

The Prestonfield is located in southeast Edinburgh, 20 minutes by car from the city center. The hotel sits on 20 acres of park and landscaped gardens, with spectacular views of Arthur’s Seat and the ruins of Craigmillar Castle. It is a five-minute walk to the main road, and, from there, guests can hop a local bus for a 25-minute ride to the center of town. The Edinburgh Prestonfield Golf Club, an 18-hole course designed by James Braid, is right next door to the hotel.

Rooms at the Prestonfield are opulent, fantastically designed, and each one individual. Each piece of furniture is one of a kind, and each room has a color scheme and theme. Many of the rooms have velvet-lined walls, and all the beds have mounds of pillows. Bespoke media cabinets hold flat-screen TVs, CD and DVD players, and well-stocked minibars. Bathrooms are modern with a sumptuous boho feel, lined in Venetian glass mosaic tile and marble, with designer toiletries. The Owners’ Suite is hidden in a private tower, with silk-upholstered walls, a bathroom lined with books, and a freestanding silver bathtub.

Prestonfield features a destination restaurant, Rhubarb, opened by chef James Thomson, Scotland’s best-known restaurateur. One of Prestonfield’s former owners introduced rhubarb to Scotland on the estate, and the restaurant pays homage in terms of color scheme and Thomson’s commitment to using local produce and artisan suppliers. Vegetarians are not neglected here. The opulent dining room is a spectacular setting, but there are private dining rooms, as well, including a romantic room for two. Classic afternoon tea is served throughout the drawing rooms and, in summer, in the gardens and gothic tea house. Cocktails are served throughout the public rooms.