--- title: "The Guards Hotel vs Thistle Hotel: which hotel is better?" description: "Pick The Guards Hotel. It leads in 2 of 3 categories. The Guards Hotel or Thistle Hotel in Edinburgh? Compare guest ratings, location, amenities, rooms and…" url: https://stayversus.com/en/compare/the-guards-hotel-edinburgh-vs-thistle-hotel-edinburgh/ language: en source: StayVersus (https://stayversus.com) retrieved: 2026-10-21 --- # The Guards Hotel vs Thistle Hotel Both are in Edinburgh, 440 m apart. Here is where each one is stronger. Guesthouse · West End ## [The Guards Hotel](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/the-guards-hotel-edinburgh/) - **Guest rating:** 7.5 · Good - **Location score:** 9.1 - **Score by category:** 2 of 3 [Check rates](https://stayversus.com/go/2200159/agoda/?lang=en) Guesthouse · West End ## [Thistle Hotel](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/thistle-hotel-edinburgh/) - **Guest rating:** 7.6 · Good - **Location score:** 8.4 - **Score by category:** 0 of 3 [Check rates](https://stayversus.com/go/2224886/agoda/?lang=en) The short answer ## Pick The Guards Hotel It leads in 2 of 3 categories. 440 m apart. ### Why is The Guards Hotel better than Thistle Hotel? 1. 390 m closer to public transport (−390 m) 2. 38 more restaurants and cafés within 500 m (+38) 3. Allows pets 4. Earlier check-in (14:00 vs 15:00) (−1h) ### Why is Thistle Hotel better than The Guards Hotel? 1. More guest reviews (170 vs 66), so the rating is more reliable (×2.6) 2. Later check-out (11:00 vs 10:00) (+1h) ## All compared facts Every category is scored from 0 to 10 with the same formula for every hotel. | | The Guards Hotel | Thistle Hotel | | --- | --- | --- | | Score by category | | Guest rating | 7.5 | 7.6 | | Location | 9.1 (+0.7) | 8.4 | | Facilities | – | 4.2 | | Spa & wellness | – | 0.0 | | Public transport | 10.0 (+2.2) | 7.8 | | Ratings & reviews | | StayVersus score | 7.8 (+0.1) | 7.7 | | Guest rating | 7.5 | 7.6 (+0.1) | | Number of reviews | 66 | 170 (+104) | | Google rating | 3.1/5 | 3.6/5 (+0.5) | | Google reviews | 235 | 309 (+74) | | Rank in Edinburgh | top 91% | top 93% | | Location | | Location score | 9.1 (+0.7) | 8.4 | | Distance to West End centre | 290 m | 150 m (−140 m) | | To public transport | 160 m (−390 m) | 550 m | | To the airport | 9.7 km | 9.7 km | | Restaurants within 500 m | 144 (+38) | 106 | | To the nearest food shop | 90 m (−390 m) | 490 m | | Shops within 500 m | 11 (+5) | 6 | | Sights within 1 km | 20 | 20 | | Rooms & building | | Rooms | 10 | 15 | | Floors | – | 4 | | Newest building or renovation | – | 2012 | | Listed amenities | 7 | 14 (+7) | | Policies | | Check-in from | 14:00 (−1h) | 15:00 | | Check-out until | 10:00 | 11:00 (+1h) | | Amenities | | Parking | ✓ | ✓ | | Bar | ✓ | ✓ | | Pets allowed | ✓ | – | | Smoke-free | ✓ | ✓ | | Coffee or tea maker | ✓ | – | | Blackout curtains | ✓ | – | | Free Wi-Fi | – | ✓ | | Car hire | – | ✓ | | Concierge | – | ✓ | | Laundry | – | ✓ | | Luggage storage | – | ✓ | | Breakfast | – | ✓ | | Room service | – | ✓ | | Meeting rooms | – | ✓ | | LGBTQ+ friendly | – | ✓ | | In-room safe | – | ✓ | | Which hotel suits you | | Sightseeing on foot | ✓ | – | | Business trips | – | ✓ | ## Live prices around both hotels Real nightly rates from booking partners for the dates you picked above. Tap a price for the offer. ## Location 440 m apart The Guards Hotel: city centre: 1.5 km, nearest station Haymarket ScotRail: 160 m, Edinburgh Airport (EDI): 9.7 km, 144 places to eat within 500 m, 20 sights within 1 km. Thistle Hotel: city centre: 1.4 km, nearest station Haymarket ScotRail: 550 m, Edinburgh Airport (EDI): 9.7 km, 106 places to eat within 500 m, 20 sights within 1 km. ## Weather in Edinburgh [Edinburgh weather: 15-day forecast](https://atlasofseasons.com/en/united-kingdom/scotland/edinburgh/weather) ## The Guards Hotel or Thistle Hotel: common questions ### Which is better, The Guards Hotel or Thistle Hotel? The Guards Hotel leads in 2 of 3 categories, including location, public transport. ### Which is cheaper, The Guards Hotel or Thistle Hotel? Prices change by date. Pick your dates above to see both nightly prices side by side. ### Which hotel is closer to the centre? Thistle Hotel is closer: 150 m from the centre, against 290 m for The Guards Hotel. ### How far apart are The Guards Hotel and Thistle Hotel? The two hotels are 440 m apart in a straight line. ## More match-ups - [The Guards Hotel vs No.32 Hotel](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/no-32-hotel-edinburgh-vs-the-guards-hotel-edinburgh/) - [The Guards Hotel vs Haymarket Hotel](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/haymarket-hotel-edinburgh-vs-the-guards-hotel-edinburgh/) - [Thistle Hotel vs B+B Edinburgh](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/b-b-edinburgh-edinburgh-vs-thistle-hotel-edinburgh/) - [Thistle Hotel vs No.32 Hotel](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/no-32-hotel-edinburgh-vs-thistle-hotel-edinburgh/) - [Thistle Hotel vs Haymarket Hotel](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/haymarket-hotel-edinburgh-vs-thistle-hotel-edinburgh/) ## Compare now Updated 6 Oct 2026. Data: Agoda, Overture Maps, OpenStreetMap, OurAirports and hotels' own websites. We may earn a commission from partner links; it never changes the comparison. [How we score](https://stayversus.com/en/about/) --- Source: https://stayversus.com/en/compare/the-guards-hotel-edinburgh-vs-thistle-hotel-edinburgh/. Facts are compiled by StayVersus from partner data (Agoda), Overture Maps, OpenStreetMap, OurAirports, public Google Maps listings and hotels' own websites. Scores use one formula for every hotel. Methodology: https://stayversus.com/en/about/