I can't believe some of the reviews that have been put on here lately for the Balmoral, I'm glad they weren't there when I booked our stay because I may not have gone and we would have missed out on so much!!

It was amazing, fantastic, can't fault it, even though we had a fire alarm at 8 one morning!

It was expensive, that's without doubt and we had a superior room which was more expensive and had incredible views and a huge bed, bath etc.. it was fantastic from the minute we walked in. We got treated like royalty everywhere we went and with everything we wanted.

Yes, it's expensive and you really are paying for everything you get but it's worth it, we just thought - well it's once in a lifetime so let's make the most of it.

We had champagne afternoon tea there too which was gorgeous, we swam every day and the pool was lovely and quiet.

The only thing we didn't do was have breakfast - couldn't face it for £15 each. We just went to John Lewis down the road and had a lovely breakfast there instead.

Reception was so helpful, the concierge would bend over backwards for you they really wanted to please. I would recommend this to anyone if I thought they could comfortably afford it. I'd love to go back but I think we'd have to save for a few more years !!

Fantastic location from which to explore an amazing city. However, the dacor is disturbingly, minimalisticallly, modern considering the glorious stone presence of the building/city,especially for the price. This fact was a topic of discussion among several persons staying there at the same time frame as us. The leather bedskirts do not fit properly, plastic lamps, waterstained shades, curtains off hooks, truthfully the comfort/class/5 Star visual is definitely missing. Services usually excellent but computer glitches caused the Hotel to think that we were only there for 1 day and when we returned from siteseeing the 2nd day we were greeted with a frosty note stating that we were over the checkout time. Upsetting as we were there for 4 days total. Also, the business/computer room had 1 computer/printer Out of Order and realistically more computers are needed. One of the bar/restaurants was closed for renovations and although the Restaurant ONE has superbly presented gourmet food and excellent service with prices to match, we would recommend other restaurants in the city instead based on city virews, menu choices. The Bollinger Bar is fun but might consider putting water features on the large walls inside on either side of the doorway. Again, dacor too minimalistic. Being mindful of everything, we might consider staying there again but for fewer days.

I stayed two nights in September 07 while on business and the overall view is that it's an acceptable hotel in a great location and with better than average staff.

The room was a very good size, with a comfortable bed and fantastic views down Princes Street and across to the castle. It was clean and housekeeping do a great job.

The Bollinger Bar was a pleasant and welcoming space, with friendly staff and the harpist playing during afternoon tea is a nice touch. She's there every day, apparently.

Some problems though, which surprised me for a hotel at this price and with the Forte name attached. Firstly, as other reviews indicate, the place does still need more work in terms of appearance and general decor. There were cheap ceiling tiles in the bathroom which had been dislodged (presumably through drafts or maybe maintenance) and cheap cotton blinds which looked as though they'd been sourced from Ikea. The shower head was too low for anyone over 5'8", so kneeling in the bath to actually get the water from the shower was an experience I'm not keen to have again. I'm 6'4" so it was a joke...

The TV failed on the second night and wasn't working again by the time of check-out; I couldn't find any in-room tea-making facilities (nice minibar, but is a kettle too much to ask for?) and the air-conditioning is pretty useless - I had to open the windows to cool the room and Edinburgh city centre is naturally a noisy place for most of the day.

I went on business and thought it overpriced for what it is. If you're thinking of going on your own budget, look around and spend your money more carefully. Anything over £115 a night would be generous and you will find better hotels in Edinburgh with fewer stars.

Had a very enjoyable time at the Balmoral. Everything from the valet parking on arrival, check-in, room (quiet room as requested when booking), concierge, to housekeeping and room service was faultless. I hope they keep up the good work as we plan to return again next year.