Frequent traveller both to Edinburgh and around the world and I frequently stay at 5 star hotels. I was looking forward to a night at the Balmoral but was disappointed. This is a huge flagship hotel and I had expected better

The room (434) was small and looked out onto a grotty inner courtyard. This was a standard double and although the furnishings were Ok I would not class as 5 star. Carpet has some unidentified red stains. Staff were polite but impersonal. Had a number of problems with the hot water, hairdryer not working properly and had to change rooms. Additionally, the management have decided to not to offer tea and coffee facilities in the room, which considering the room rate is very mean - as not everyone wants to ring for room service & pay the charge. As a business traveller I usually appreciate this facility, espiecally after a long journey. Bathroom was OK, and the pool & spa whilst small (15m) was nicely done

When complained to the staff upon check out I recieved no response apart from to offer me a discout for a future stay - which I don't plan to take. I paid a reasonable amount for the room and feel that for the level of service, and the size of room this was overpriced. Location is great, but then so are a number of other hotels such as the Scotsman, The Howard, Raddission etc, all of which offer better value.

Did not eat at the hotel as after the problems decided to take my business elsewhere. Food is expensive and suggest if you pick this hotel you get a B&B rate as the in room b/fast was expensive.

Overall disappointing

We've just returned from our honeymoon and spent 3 nights at the Balmoral.
When we checked in the reception staff were lovely and asked us lots of questions about how the wedding went. We were shown to our room personally and greeted with two glasses of champagne - a great start to the honeymoon. We also returned from dinner on the first night to find our bed covered in red rose petals - a lovely touch.
Apart from a disappointing meal at Hadrians our stay couldn't have been better. Our room was large and very comfortable. The staff were attentive and friendly but gave us plenty of privacy. I'm sure we'll be back.

Recently stayed at the Balmoral with my girlfriend and it is everything that you would expect of a famous 5* hotel.

Service

Flawless and attentive. From gettiing your bags to your room, to booking restaurants, to parking your car (at a price). Nothing is a problem for the staff, every person we had dealings with was exceptionally professional and helpful.

Location

On princes street, you can't get much more central! Easy to walk around all the main sites.

Rooms

Decorated in modern style with a great plasma tv, bathrooms where fine (if perhaps a little dated), and the bath butler offering is a nice touch. Bed was very comfortable and the room extremely quiet.

One thing to note is that the cheaper rooms do not have a view, so check this if it is a key criteria for you.

Price

We booked through a discount site so got this at 1/3rd of normal rates, which i would say is fair for this hotel. Personally i would not spend rack rate to stay here, I think you could get something truly fabulous for what they are asking. However if you see it at a discount then it is well worth considering.

I have recently returned from a very nice three night stay at Edinburgh’s lovely Balmoral Hotel.

The hotel is a huge Victorian building which dominates Princes Street. Inside it manages to get the balance between quality and friendliness spot on. The staff were very approachable and we received a lovely welcome from a lady who showed us to our room.

The facilities of the hotel are good too – the pool is nice and the hotel bar is a nice place to have a drink before and after an evening out.

My one disappointment with the hotel was Hadrian’s restaurant. We contacted the restaurant manager in advance and asked for a quiet table which they didn’t give us until we asked to be moved. And the food, whilst ok was not what you expect for a five star hotel. My wife is vegetarian and £18 for a bowl of dried pasta and pesto seemed to bear no relation to the £20 I paid for lamb, when you consider the cost of the ingredients. We didn’t try the hotel’s Michelin starred restaurant but hopefully it’s considerably better than Hadrian’s.

Food apart, I would not hesitate to return to a lovely and friendly hotel in a quite exceptional location – right in the heart of the city.