The Balmoral Hotel

We stayed two nights at The Balmoral during the Fringe. We drove up around noon and were given assistance by Ian, the kilted doorman, who helped us park at the entrance, took our bags and escorted us to the check-in desk. Super helpful and friendly. He told us he could answer any questions about restaurants, pubs or shopping. We then checked in, although our room would not be ready until later, left our bags and our car and hit the town. We when got back later, we only had to ask for the key at the front desk. Our bags had been moved in to our room. We had a complimentary bottle of red wine and two fresh peaches waitng. We were on the top floor and had a view of the Firth of Forth looking North over the New Town. The room was very modern and well-appointed and the bathroom was great. Robes and slippers also supplied. Turn-down service in the evening with two bottles of mineral water. We ate breakfast downstairs at Hadrian's. Ridiculously expensive, but we didn't care. The host actually apologized to us when we arrived because he was not at his station (even though he was approaching and made eye contact with us). The continental breakfast had a great selection of smoked fish and cheese, in addition to rolls, breads and cereals. My wife forgot her make-up bag in the car. We described it to the conceirge, and it was brought up to our room within five minutes. They also told us they could help us book a show for the Fringe if necessary. The night before check-out, I called and said I would need the car brought to the front at 7:20. We came down at 7:15 and it was waiting. The staff here cannot be complimented enough. Very friendly and professional, each and every one. The room was great, and you can't beat the location. Truly an exceptional hotel!

We stayed at the Balmoral for 4 nights, starting from August 18th, 2005. I had booked a full year in advance an got an excellent rate @ 149 Pounds per night in a Deluxe room. After having read earlier comments of some reviewers who complained about a poor located room due to a low rate, I was a bit concerned to receive a noisy room adjecent to the suppliers´ entrance or something similar. Instead we got a wonderful and spacious room on the fifth floor (featuring a small turret in one corner) which was located away from the lift, so that no sound spoiled our sleep. In fact the walls and ceilings are so solid that you will never hear what your neighbour is doing (in contrast to many chain hotels which seem to specialise in paper-like walls, nowadays). Though I had not booked a room with a view ours featured the Firth of Forth to the left. The housekeeping team kept everything spotlessly clean, added personal touches (e.g. a bookmark for the book I was reading, being left on the bedside-locker) and was totally surprised to receive a tip from me. The staff in general was friendly, very efficient and anticipated our needs at all times. This is astounding as the hotel was fully booked. The only thing that is a minus in that respect is that the housekeeping staff could not keep up with the huge amount of work caused by the numerous departures on Sunday. Our maid did everything she could to keep up with her task, clearly enough it was not her fault. I can´t for the life of me understand why hotels (this is not the first time something like that has happened to me) are unable to handle those peak days. (Ever thought about extra staff on these days? Just a thought...) The food in Hadrian´s Brasserie was definitely outstanding, the best food I ever had in a hotel restaurant. We also tried Number One but unfortunately we were not very hungry this evening and so I cannot give a full account about the quality there. Still, the atmosphere was very refined, the staff both formal and friendly at the same time. Breakfast was excellent, as well. A wide selection of cheese, fruit, juices and cereals. Scrambled eggs were included in the Continental breakfast. Only if you wanted to have something specific from the kitchen (made to order) this came at 2,50 Pounds extra. And the best: One morning we were not very hungry and just had a cup of tea, orange juice and some toast. And we were only charged the items we actually consumed and not the full rate of 16 Pounds per person. Usually hotels do not care about how much you eat, so this was a welcome surprise. The Spa area comes with everything I need after a hard day in a crowded town (and gosh, was Edinburgh busy at this time of the year!) and I cannot understand any complaints in aforeposted reviews. OK, here and there things are a bit older and not as modern as in other hotels but this only adds to the fantastic character of this hotel. Many hotels I have stayed at tried to combine new and old elements to the winning of neither. But here at the Balmoral the disigners have really done a great job. As a conclusion I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough, if you are looking for a truly memorable stay in Edinburgh, go for it!

We stayed at the Balmoral for one night after a week of touring the Highlands by car. We arrived at the front of the hotel in our car around 9AM, and a doorman promptly greeted us by opening the door, a cheerful "Welcome to the Balmoral!" and escorting us to the front desk. He then gave us our claim tag, welcomed us again, and - even though he could see me reaching in my pocket for a tip - whisked away quickly and unobtrusively. Check-in was efficient, friendly, and we were given an deluxe category room with some very cool touches. Our luggage was brought up shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, the room was on the 1st floor (i.e. one story above the street) and was thus rather noisy. We had been escorted to the room by the front desk clerk, and had initially been happy, but we changed our minds and called to request a new room on a higher floor. Within an hour, they called to inform us that a new room was clean (remember, it was still the morning and we had checked-in early), and the front desk manager came up to the room to escort us to the new room. This room had a fabulous view of the main road leading to the Royal Mile, was completely silent, and although a little smaller, was every bit as luxurious. We also had a customized welcome note, signed by the front desk manager, thanking us for staying. Again, our luggage was brought for us once we arrived in the room. The concierge was excellent, both in his knowledge and demeanor, and - notably - wore a Clefs d'Or lapel pin. His colleagues were also very efficient and knowledgeable. I should emphasize that all the concierge staff and doormen were absolutely, definitively avoiding accepting any form of tips from us. I know enough about hotels to realize that they have been specially trained to politely, but non-verbally (i.e. pre-emptively) refuse a tip. The concierge also got us last minute prime-time reservations at one of Edinburgh's top restaurants; upon arrival, we knew that we absolutely would not have gotten a reservation without his help, it was that busy (and turnover was so delightfully relaxed). We took high tea in the Palm Court, which was a nice setting with good sandwiches and tea. However, the service was a bit slow with just two waiters and a manager; they could have used an additional waiter. Breakfast the next morning in Hadrian's Brasserie was excellent, with good service and a wide selection of hot and cold items. The only touch which would have been nice is an on-site chef for omelettes, etc., but those were available (at additional charge) from the kitchen. The pool area was very clean and attractive, with a complimentary juice and coffee bar. The pool was not particularly large, but it was deep enough for low-diving and it was zero-entry. The sauna was fine, and the steam room was exceptional. I usually dislike steam rooms but this was somehow special; perhaps the combination of lighting effects and a pleasant scent in the air did the trick. Check-out was promptly and efficiently handled. We were escorted to our car, and since there was another valet-parked car blocking our way, the doorman literally hustled to move it for us (again, avoiding any form of tip). On the dashboard he had left a box of mints and a card wishing us a safe trip and welcoming us back soon, perfectly aligned in front of the speedometer. Overall, the Balmoral was a superb hotel worthy of its 5-star status. Unlike a Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons, it was far less corporate-feeling, and it also had the cachet of being known for its name as an individual property rather than being part of a chain. Some who stay here might complain about the service being merely adequate, or the rooms simply 'okay,' but I suspect these people are seduced by the allure of chains and don't notice the many discreet touches this hotel has to offer in terms of service and facilities.

Just back from four days at the Balmoral. Had three rooms for my extended family. I'm sorry to be writing a negative review, but this hotel is definitely not a standout. When I read 5 stars, I think Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton. This property is most definitely not up to those standards. The primary thrust of my complaint is that the physical plant of the hotel itself is run down. Furniture and walls in public spaces and rooms are just plain beat up. Again, we had three rooms and not the cheapest in the hotel either, so I was able to see that these problems weren't a one-bad-room exception. Many of the items seem like ones that could be dealt with if the staff was more attentive (e.g., the picture hanging above the bed in one of our rooms had dropped below the matting so you could see the back of the frame -- nice!) I also found the staff to be nice enough, but nothing exceptional. Again, I don't like being negative, but have your expectations set at 2 to 3 stars when you visit the Balmoral.

The staff were wonderful, friendly and helpful. Room service was delicious efficent and reasonably cheap. Had a lovely time, and were thinking it was the nicest hotel we had stayed at until we entered the spa. Having high expextations from the rest of the hotel, the spa looked like it would better fit into a 3* hotel. There was only a small pool, sauna and steam room. The changing area had one room with a plastic curtain. Everything was in a poor state of repair and most things were rusty, handrails, lights tiles. Up until that point we would have happily recomended it, but with that sort of hotel, you go to relax, and it spoilt the stay. There were no tea making facilities either. That said the staff asked us to please write in about the spa, and were concerned about our opinion.

We enjoyed our stay at this hotel on 25.03.2005. We were in a Superior King room which was fairly basic but had a clean, modern bathroom, which is a priority for me. My one complaint would be that our room must have been a couple of floors over the bar or a banquet room as I was able to hear loud music until about 11:30pm. Had we stayed more than one night, I would have requested to be moved to a different wing of the hotel. Overall the service was very good to excellent. The buffet brunch at Hadrians was great, albeit pricey. Our one regret is that we didn't reserve a table at their Michelin star restaurant, Number One.

Stayed at The Balmoral Hotel for several nights March 2005. The hotel is wonderful and the staff was friendly and helpful. The location is fantastic and right in the heart of Edinburgh. The concierge staff were extremely knowledgeable about the city and the local area, including the Highlands. Additionally they also made excellent dining recommendations. Rooms were beautiful and good size, while we had a 'traditional room' there are 'modern rooms' as well. Note to animal lovers, the rooms are decorated with leather furniture and one modern room we saw contained a hide/fur-covered bench. Overall it was a very pleasant stay and we highly recommend this hotel to the business or leisure traveler.

I stayed in this hotel over my birthday weekend in February. I parked my car at the front door and was helped inside with my luggage. My car was then parked at a cost of £20 per night. The receptionist was lovely, she showed to my room and explained where everything was and how it worked. The room was a deluxe and I paid £120 per night. It consisted of a lobby area with a built in wardrobe, a large bathroom with a massive bath and two sinks and the main bedroom area which had a comfortable queen size bed, a sofa and a table with 2 chairs. The decor was immaculate and the room was spotlessly clean. The staff were wonderful, a lovely Australian man at the concierge desk spent some time explaining how the open top buses worked, and the staff at the spa (which was very relaxing) were lovely - I forgot my razor and the lady on the desk was happy to get me a spare one. I had a drink in the hotel bar, which was very nice (although a bit expensive), and it was served with complementary olives and vegetable chips. I could not get a reservation at the Number One restaurant on the night of my birthday, so visited The Witchery, which I would not recommend. Next time I stay I will book in advance to ensure I get a table at Number One. When I got to my room I found complementary wine and a card from the staff wishing me a happy birthday. All in all a wonderful experience - fantastic rooms, lovely staff and an excellent location.

Stayed 2 nights. Told we had been upgraded to a Superior room - what a disappointment. I think the hotel staff need to look up the meaning of the word "superior" - rusty bathroom floors, cracked bath panels, the shower screen rubber seal hanging down on to the floor, stained bedside tables and shabby furniture is not what I would class as superior? The hotel is a beautiful old building, to turn it in to a contemporary hotel inside, is beyond me. The interior seems to be a mish-mash of old and new, with neither winning. The Spa is excellent and the staff very attentive and pleasant. When checking out we raised our concerns (particularly, having to move rooms) and were told "we got the room at a good price" and were then charged another £30 a night for being moved to a bigger room! At the time we were complaining about the charge I noticed the two other people at the reception desk were also complaining about their rooms. This hotel is not 5*!