The Guards Hotel vs Thistle Hotel
Both are in Edinburgh, 440 m apart. Here is where each one is stronger.
GuesthouseWest End
The Guards Hotel
- Guest rating
- 7.5 Good
- Location score
- 9.1
- Score by category
- 2 of 3
GuesthouseWest End
Thistle Hotel
- Guest rating
- 7.6 Good
- Location score
- 8.4
- Score by category
- 0 of 3
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?
- 1390 m closer to public transport−390 m
- 238 more restaurants and cafés within 500 m+38
- 3Allows pets
- 4Earlier check-in (14:00 vs 15:00)−1h
Why is Thistle Hotel better than The Guards Hotel?
- 1More guest reviews (170 vs 66), so the rating is more reliable×2.6
- 2Later 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 vs Thistle Hotel: which hotel is better? | 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 | – | ✓ |
Price for your dates
Prices come from booking partners and can change. The final price is shown before you book.
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
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.
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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