New hotels in Inverness

We track six new hotels in Inverness, three open and three announced, split between Church Street and the River Ness waterfront. AC Hotel by Marriott, the city's largest at 191 rooms, opened in October 2022 on Glebe Street; the most recent arrival is the 14-room Ambassador Hotel, which reopened two restored Victorian townhouses on Ness Walk in January 2026. KIN, on Church Street, is due to open in summer 2027. First-time visitors do best around Church Street; anyone wanting a quieter stay should look at Ness Walk or Ardross Terrace.

What to do

A weekend in Inverness

Inverness Airport has direct flights from several UK cities and a handful of European destinations, and the Highland Main Line links the city to Edinburgh and Glasgow by train in a little under four hours: most visitors arrive by one of the two rather than driving the full distance from further south. Two days is enough to cover Inverness itself. Start at Inverness Castle, overlooking the River Ness from its hilltop: the Inverness Castle Experience opened inside it in December 2025, with exhibitions on Highland history and a viewing platform in the South Tower looking out over the city and the Great Glen. From there, walk down to the Victorian Market for its covered 19th-century arcades of independent shops and cafes. Inverness Cathedral sits a short walk further along the riverbank, and the Ness Islands (a chain of small wooded islands linked by Victorian footbridges) make for an easy afternoon walk along both banks of the river. On the second day, most visitors take a half-day trip to Loch Ness: Urquhart Castle's ruins sit on the loch's western shore about 20 minutes' drive from the city, and boat cruises depart from Inverness and from Drumnadrochit. Culloden Battlefield, site of the 1746 battle that ended the Jacobite rising, is a similarly short drive east of the city, and can be combined with Loch Ness into a single busy day for visitors on a tighter schedule.

A full week

A week opens up the wider Highlands without changing base. Cawdor Castle, still lived in by the Cawdor family and set in extensive gardens, sits about 20 minutes east of the city. The Black Isle, the peninsula across the Moray and Cromarty Firths, is worth a full day for its coastal villages, Cromarty and Fortrose in particular, and the chance of spotting bottlenose dolphins from the shore. Speyside's whisky distilleries, roughly an hour east, make for a full day for anyone interested in whisky, with Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Cardhu among the names offering tours. The Isle of Skye is a longer day trip, about three hours' drive each way via the Skye Bridge, better suited to travelers with a car and a full week to spend, though several tour operators run guided day trips from Inverness itself. Inverness is also the standard gateway for the wider Great Glen, the geological fault line running southwest to Fort William: the Caledonian Canal and its Neptune's Staircase lock system near Fort William make for a scenic half-day if the itinerary stretches that far, and the drive along Loch Ness's southern shore is a quieter, less-trafficked alternative to the busier northern route most tour buses take.

Where to stay

Church Street and the city centre

Church Street runs through the heart of Inverness, close to the Victorian Market and Inverness Cathedral, and carries the highest concentration of new hotel activity in the city. River Ness Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals opened here in July 2021 inside a former Department for Work and Pensions office block, the first Radisson Individuals property in Scotland. A few doors along, KIN is under construction inside the former Highland Council offices, a £28.5 million, 72-room conversion due to open in summer 2027 from Kingsmills Hotel Group, the operator behind the five-star Ness Walk hotel and the longer-established Kingsmills Hotel: KIN would be its third Inverness property. Kingsmills first won planning permission for the conversion back in 2018, and the project stalled through the pandemic and construction-cost inflation before restarting with fresh financing from Barclays. This stretch of Church Street is the best base for anyone prioritizing walking distance to the castle, the market and the cathedral.

Ness Walk and Ardross Terrace

The River Ness waterfront south of the centre carries the city's smaller, boutique openings. Ambassador Hotel reopened in January 2026 on Ardross Terrace, a 14-room restoration of two 1874 Victorian townhouses with a new restaurant and library bar, a short walk from the centre along the riverbank. A short distance away on Ness Walk, the Royal Northern Infirmary Hotel has planning permission for a 45-room conversion of the B-listed former infirmary building, vacated in 2023, though no brand or construction date has been announced. Nearby on Huntly Street, the 10 Huntly Street Boutique Hotel is converting a former Royal British Legion club into a 19-room hotel, targeting an early-summer 2026 opening. This stretch of riverbank suits travelers who want a quieter, more residential setting within walking distance of the centre.

Glebe Street and the River Ness crossing

AC Hotel by Marriott Inverness opened in October 2022 on Glebe Street, on the site of a swimming pool that had stood vacant since its 1999 demolition. At 191 rooms it is the largest hotel in the city, overlooking the Kessock Bridge and within walking distance of Eden Court Theatre. It's the best fit for anyone wanting a larger, full-service hotel with river views rather than a boutique conversion.

Which hotel for your trip

First-time visitors

River Ness Hotel's Church Street address puts first-time visitors closest to the castle, cathedral and Victorian Market, with rates starting from £60 a night. AC Hotel by Marriott, a short walk along the riverbank, offers a larger-scale alternative with river views toward the Kessock Bridge at a similar price point.

Couples and boutique stays

Ambassador Hotel's 14 rooms across two restored Victorian townhouses, with its Talk of the Town restaurant and The Other Room library bar, is the pick for a smaller-scale, design-led stay on the riverbank. Once it opens, KIN's Church Street conversion is positioned as a four-star alternative from the same Highland group behind the five-star Ness Walk hotel.

Business travelers

AC Hotel by Marriott's scale and Glebe Street location, close to Eden Court Theatre's conference facilities, makes it the most practical choice for a business trip today among the hotels we track.

Travelers waiting on Inverness's next openings

Three projects remain unopened: 10 Huntly Street Boutique Hotel is targeting an early-summer 2026 opening, KIN is under construction for summer 2027, and the Royal Northern Infirmary Hotel has planning permission but no confirmed brand, room configuration or opening date yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in Inverness?

Among the six hotels we track, Ambassador Hotel is the most recent, reopening on 17 January 2026 on Ardross Terrace after a £6 million restoration of two Victorian townhouses.

What is the largest hotel in Inverness?

AC Hotel by Marriott Inverness, at 191 rooms, is the largest hotel in the city: it opened in October 2022 on the site of a former swimming pool on Glebe Street.

What new hotel is coming next to Inverness?

10 Huntly Street Boutique Hotel, a 19-room conversion of a former Royal British Legion club, is targeting an early-summer 2026 opening, ahead of KIN's summer 2027 debut on Church Street.

Is Inverness a good base for visiting Loch Ness?

Yes: Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness cruises are about 20 minutes' drive from the city centre, making Inverness the standard base for a Loch Ness day trip.

Which Inverness hotel is closest to the River Ness?

River Ness Hotel, on Church Street, is a short walk from the river despite its name; Ambassador Hotel on Ardross Terrace and AC Hotel by Marriott on Glebe Street both sit directly on the riverbank.

Are any Inverness hotels inside historic buildings?

Most of them. River Ness Hotel occupies a former government office block, Ambassador Hotel two 1874 townhouses, and the planned Royal Northern Infirmary Hotel and 10 Huntly Street Boutique Hotel are conversions of a 19th-century hospital and a former Legion club respectively, only AC Hotel by Marriott is a ground-up new build.