THE FACTS ABOUT TIGERLILY

Scotland Edinburgh

The indefatigably girly Tigerlily opened at the 'posh end' of George Street in June 2006. The street-facing windows in the listed Georgian building are up-lit by pink neon at night, and an enormous disco ball rotates above the pink-carpeted stairwell at all times. The hotel reception desk is hedged between the two cocktail bars, one a giggly mix of more pink, silver, and mirror tiles, the other a more sober addendum to the busy, open-plan restaurant. Both serve a huge range of cocktails from Daisy Chains to Two Smoking Barrels. There is a popular lounge-bar/nightclub called Lulu in the basement. So far, so hen night; and certainly Tigerlily must be heavenly for a girls' night out. But there is nothing frivolous or remotely karaoke about the place: the service is upbeat and professional (polite young men with interesting facial hair in the bars; attractive young women in simple black dresses in reception); the restaurant serves a tight menu of brilliant, reasonably priced bistro food such as tiger prawns, lamb rump and sea bass, and interesting wines such as Suckfizzle Sauvignon Semillion from Australia. Upstairs, even the smallest of the 33 rooms and suites are roomy and beautifully decorated with Designers Guild fabrics and paintings by local artist Julie Franchetti, and the bathrooms are big, clever and grown-up. Hair straighteners are standard, as are Plasma-screen TVs, DVDs, free Wi-Fi and iPods. WHEN TO GO Hogmanay for fireworks on Calton Hill. ROOM TO BOOK One of the high-ceilinged Georgian Suites, if you can afford it. CONTACT 125 George Street, Edinburgh (0131 225 5005; www.tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk). COST Doubles from £175; Georgian Suites from £295