The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh

1 Princes Street, Old Town, Edinburgh, EH2 2EQ, United Kingdom. (show on map)

Expert reviews

Frommers review:

“For sheer class, this grande dame still has the edge. Yes there are other luxury hotels in the Scottish capital but they haven’t got the Olga Polizzi pizzazz. Taste, style and luxury seep out of the walls.”

Featured as Frommer’s Exceptional Choice in Edinburgh.

Fodors review:

“This grand landmark property, below the clock tower marking the east end of Princes Street, is a pretty special introduction to the Scottish capital. The lively buzz in the hotel’s beautiful turn-of-the-century-esque lobby makes you feel as if you’re at the center of Edinburgh high life.”

Featured as Fodor’s Choice in Edinburgh.

Forbes review:

“One of Edinburgh’s most instantly recognizable landmarks, The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel was first conceived as a railway hotel — it sits adjacent to Edinburgh Waverley train station. Today, the Victorian-era baronial-style property remains one of the Scottish capital’s most luxurious stays.”

Telegraph review:

“Although an Edinburgh landmark for more than a century, there’s nothing old-fashioned about this quietly elegant Forte flagship. Luxurious bedrooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant, lavish afternoon teas, relaxing spa and the best service in town add up to a sophisticated 21st-century version of a genuinely grand hotel.”

Guest rating

This an aggregated customer review rating of The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh. We have taken customer review ratings from hotel booking sites, search engines, the official hotel website and other travel platforms. This is the average of all those ratings. We only list places that have a customer review rating of at least 4.0 out of 5.0

4.6 out of 5.0

Ranked 4th in Edinburgh

194£172$240¥25440C$187A$187HK$1879S$316SFr225¥1524kr1980kr1449kr1869

What guests liked

All you need to know

The Balmoral is a stunning 5-star hotel located in the heart of Edinburgh. While this hotel opened in 1902 under the name “North British Hotel,” the Balmoral is now an entirely contemporary operation. This hotel has a luxurious interior, state-of-the-art amenities, and impeccable service.

The Balmoral is situated in an ideal location for those looking to explore the city. It’s within walking distance of many of the city’s top attractions, including Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile. Nearby, you’ll also find plenty of shops and restaurants.

The rooms at The Balmoral are modern and comfortable. All rooms have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, complimentary WiFi, and minibars. Suites also have private balconies, living areas, and complimentary newspapers. You’ll notice muted creams, purples, greens, modern furniture, and striped carpet throughout each space. Some rooms have gas fireplaces, courtyard views, or city views.

The Balmoral also has a range of services and facilities to make your stay more enjoyable. These include 24-hour room service, a concierge, and valet parking. Guests can also take advantage of the hotel spa, which offers a range of treatments, including facials, massages, and manicures. The hotel also has a fitness center, bar, and restaurant. There are several meeting rooms available for business events and functions.

The Balmoral is the perfect choice for a luxurious stay in Edinburgh. With its modern amenities, stunning location, and outstanding services and facilities, it’s no wonder that The Balmoral is one of the city’s most popular hotels.

 

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Location

Recent guest reviews

5.0
Rosalind

11 April 2024

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Balmoral.

Multiple choice for breakfast, excellent assortment. Staff friendly, helpful and professional. All facilities clean and comfortable.Th

Nothing.

5.0
Adam

7 April 2024

An amazing hotel, fantastic location and atmosphere

Fantastic location, very friendly and professional staff, amazing atmosphere and decor. Wonderful bar and Number One restaurant was incredible, expensive but worth every penny

Our bathroom was small and getting into the bath to have a shower was a challenge as it was a very high step up. An elderly person just wouldnt stand a chance, you would need to ask about the shower

4.5
Penelope

7 April 2024

Lovely hotel, leaving tipping to be at the discretion of the guest please.

Lovely hotel. Staff couldn’t have been more helpful.

Service tip of £30 per day being automatically added to the bill for the room maid. Never had this at ANY 5 star before. We asked for it to be taken off, which it was, but we left the hotel with this on our mind and it tarnished an otherwise exceptional stay.

5.0
Grant

5 April 2024

Exceptional

Staff and service were exceptional

5.0
Elizabete

30 March 2024

Exceptional

Everything was good. The staff was very friendly.

5.0
Brenda

28 March 2024

Brilliant.

Great but felt it was cold.

To have been a bit warmer.

5.0
Sarra

24 March 2024

We had a fanstasticstay at this hotel

The staff were brilliant and welcoming. The hotel was pretty and the rooms were gorgeous.the bar area was welcoming and provided excellent service.

The bath filled up but these things happen.

4.5
Cydney

21 March 2024

Fabulous

Views. Friendly and accommodating staff.

Food wasn’t up to par with the property.

5.0
Mike

20 March 2024

Exceptional

Excellent service and professional staff

4.5
Chris

19 March 2024

Memorable

spa

weather

5.0
Ben

18 March 2024

The perfect weekend city break.

Beautiful setting, views and decor. Staff were so friendly and polite. Rooms were clean and included everything you could need. Breakfast was amazing, so much to choose from, fresh ingredients, local produce and traditional recipes.

Not a lot to be unhappy about. You’re paying for the luxury, the convenience and the little extras. So it is absolutely worth it to pay that extra premium for the relaxed, welcoming Scottish hospitality. The hidden costs are service charges at breakfast (fair enough), and room services and there are two a day (also not included in the price of the room).

5.0
Gillian

17 March 2024

Truly Amazing

Everything - absolutely stunning

Nothing

5.0
Weber

16 March 2024

Exceptional

Location was excellent, property was gorgeous, staff was exceptional, and the room was beautiful and spacious. There were nice touches offered daily - cookies and milk for kids, slippers and turn down service for adults, and fresh waters in ample supply. I would rebook in a heart beat, and this is easily one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in.

N/A

5.0
Juliet

15 March 2024

Fantastic Family Friendly Property in the heart of beautiful old town Edinburgh!

This hotel is very close to all of the important sites in old town. Excellent customer service, valet parking was spectacular. They were awesome with my 11 yr old son. His turn down service each night included milk and cookies, a stuffy and even a book to read before bed. This place is fantastic for families and has excellent food and drinks in facilities within the hotel. You really don’t have to leave for anything but site seeing.

I wish these nicer hotels had foam mattresses or at least toppers. As a side sleeper, a harder bed wreaks havoc on my hip bones. The older I get the harder it is for me to sleep well anywhere but on my Temper-Pedic Mattress at home.

4.5
Darren

11 March 2024

A proper Scottish experience

Staff were excellent. Room was great. The hotel has so much character

Trying to get parked is a no-no, loads of roadworks in the city. The hotel parked my car in the end

5.0
David

10 March 2024

Excellent weekend break in a stunning Hotel

Quiet room and comfy bed friendly staff nothing was too much trouble. Made to feel very welcome will definitely return

Nothing

5.0
Hiroka

8 March 2024

Amazing location, great for family and very kids friendly.

Location is perfect and easy to get to all the main sightseeing place. The room was bigger than I expected.

5.0
Onur

7 March 2024

Exceptional

Wonderful everything at this hotel

4.5
Joseph

7 March 2024

Good

location, room, thought the breakfast expensive. had the continental

Thought restaurants expensive

4.5
Suzanne

3 March 2024

Friendly and excellent customer service luxurious without being stuffy

The pool was fresh and not busy

Nothing, we are regular guests and love it

5.0
Marie

2 March 2024

Our stay at the Balmoral was excellent 5star

The breakfast was superb

You couldn’t better it

4.0
甲斐

27 February 2024

Not perfect. Maybe I expected too much

It was honour to staying at this hotel. Rich atmosphere and feeling special

It was a little disturbing that cleaning staff rings door bell at late night. I realised later on that in room bar drink charges were on my bill even though nobody touched anything and i was not given an oppotunity to check the bill before payment, that seemed a little bit unfair to me,,,

4.5
Andy

26 February 2024

Fabulous

My girlfriend and I recently enjoyed a lovely weekend getaway at The Balmoral in Edinburgh to celebrate her birthday, and it was a delightful experience overall. Right from the start, we were impressed by the attentive and friendly service provided by the staff. They were always on hand to assist us with anything we needed, making us feel welcomed and well taken care of throughout our stay. Our room was clean, comfortable, and tastefully decorated, meeting our expectations for a luxurious 5-star hotel. We appreciated the attention to detail and the quality amenities provided, which enhanced our overall enjoyment and relaxation. What really made our stay special was the charming ambiance of the hotel. Whether we were lounging in the cozy common areas or dining at the onsite restaurant, there was a sense of tranquility and sophistication that added to the romantic atmosphere of our trip. In summary, The Balmoral offered us a delightful retreat in Edinburgh. With its excellent service, high standards of cleanliness, and inviting ambiance, it provided the perfect setting for a memorable birthday celebration. We would definitely consider returning in the future.

Nothing really.

5.0
Sebastian

25 February 2024

Fantastic!

Great Hotel in the heart of Edinburgh. We felt in home. The staff is very nice. We were traveling with our toddler and the hotel was prepared to receive us with her.

4.5
Kellie

21 February 2024

fantastic stay made to feel so welcome by all the lovely staff! our room had views to the castle

we were treated so well right from the beginning from the concierge who took our car to valet area reception staff were so lovely and chatty - I cant remember his name but the Italian man on reception friday evening was a credit to the hotel we were upgraded to a lovely room with views to the castle - everything was so positive we really loved our stay

the spa was disappointing

Hotel facilities

Food & Drink

  • - Restaurant
  • - Bar
  • - Breakfast in the room
  • - Kid meals (additional charge)
  • - Wine/champagne (additional charge)

General

  • - Room service
  • - Non-smoking rooms
  • - Facilities for disabled guests
  • - Family rooms
  • - Lift
  • - Safety deposit box
  • - Heating
  • - Non-smoking throughout
  • - Air conditioning

Business facilities

  • - Meeting/banquet facilities

Reception services

  • - 24-hour front desk
  • - Express check-in/check-out
  • - Luggage storage
  • - Concierge service

Activities

  • - Sauna
  • - Fitness centre
  • - Spa and wellness centre
  • - Massage (additional charge)
  • - Hammam
  • - Indoor pool
  • - Indoor pool (all year)
  • - Beauty Services
  • - Facial treatments
  • - Manicure
  • - Pedicure
  • - Body treatments
  • - Body scrub
  • - Body wrap
  • - Spa facilities
  • - Steam room
  • - Spa lounge/relaxation area
  • - Spa/wellness packages
  • - Back massage
  • - Neck massage
  • - Foot massage
  • - Head massage
  • - Hand massage
  • - Full body massage
  • - Fitness
  • - Personal trainer
  • - Fitness/spa locker rooms
  • - Walking tours (additional charge)

Cleaning services

  • - Laundry (additional charge)
  • - Ironing service (additional charge)
  • - Daily housekeeping

Parking

  • - Parking garage

Pool and wellness

  • - Sun loungers or beach chairs
  • - Swimming pool
  • - Swimming Pool

Miscellaneous

  • - Face masks for guests available
Check availability 194£172$240¥25440C$187A$187HK$1879S$316SFr225¥1524kr1980kr1449kr1869