A bed for the night? Start the bidding at £260

FINDING a hotel room for two tomorrow night in Edinburgh is almost impossible, even if you are willing to offer over the odds when booking.

The Evening News rang round city hotels today, posing as a customer and insisting that money was "no object" in a bid to secure accommodation.

The George Hotel in George Street, which caused controversy by reportedly offering a single, double or twin room for £999 this Saturday, was fully booked.

Staff there suggested they could still find space at its sister hotel, The Roxburghe, in Charlotte Square, from around £260.

The Balmoral Hotel in Princes Street only had superior deluxe queensize rooms to offer from £475. The Caledonian Hotel at the other end of Princes Street had rooms with panoramic views of the Castle going from £370 a night.

And the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Festival Square, could only offer to put customers on a waiting list for available rooms, with prices beginning at around £375.