The Balmoral

This is our favourite hotel in the UK, for us it just doesn’t get better, anywhere! Exceptional service, beautiful food and wine, a fabulous building in a great location. Rooms are classy and elegant with luxurious bathrooms. We have to drag ourselves out when we stay at The Balmoral!

WOW! Have walked past this hotel many times when in Edinburgh and always wanted to stay here, so we treated ourselves and booked a 1 night stay. From check in, getting in the room earlier than expected, to the actual STUNNING room (deluxe room) through to the bar in the evening and finally breakfast the next day, the whole experience was absolutely second to none. We’ve stayed in 5 star hotels before, but this hotel totally exceeded our expectations. It is a different level. Every single member of staff we encountered fell over themselves to chat/see if they could help and all genuinely looked proud to be there, which is something you cannot buy as an employer, so this reflects so well on the brand. Already looking to book another trip, we have deep hotel regret now we’re not there and cannot wait to go back!

I had the absolute pleasure of staying in The Balmoral Hotel on the weekend of Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th February. We were visiting Edinburgh for the Scotland v Ireland rugby match. This was my 1st visit to the hotel but I had heard only wonderful things about it. Our 5 star stay began with the porter taking our bags and welcoming us to the hotel. As we arrived very early our rooms were not ready but they took our bags and not long after one of the rooms was available at 11am which was great. We ate breakfast in the hotel on 3 mornings and each time it was the best breakfast I have ever had in a hotel with a large variety of delicious food to choose from. The rooms we were allocated were next to eachother and they were both immaculate with lots of extra trimmings to help you enjoy your stay. There was a lovely box of whisky fudge and delicious shortbread biscuits. They also had a coffee pod machine with a variety of pods and a selection of teas too. The bathroom toiletries were luxurious and they even gave you sachets of a high quality facial serum and moisturizer. On turn down every night they would also leave you a sachet of night creme and lay your jewellery, perfume , cosmetics etc out beautifully on top of a clean face cloth. Also ,the room hairdryer was a GHD instead of the usual poor quality ones seen in most hotels. All of these extra touches made you feel welcome and important to the hotel and every member of staff we met from housekeeping to reception to bar / restaurant staff were so friendly and excellent at their jobs. A special mention goes out to Calder, who always greeted us with the most welcoming and friendly smile when we were in the bar and restaurant. I cannot find one bad thing to say about the Balmoral hotel and I really want to praise all of the staff for making sure our stay was amazing from beginning to end. This is truly a top class hotel and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious hotel to stay at in Edinburgh

Our 10-year anniversary stay at The Balmoral was meant to be a once-in-a-decade celebration, but instead, it was completely ruined by a series of shocking service failures, incompetence, and an outright refusal from management to properly rectify the situation. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that this hotel does not operate at a five-star standard. Our check-in process was a complete disaster—the receptionist left us standing in silence for 15 minutes while struggling to find upgrade options, only to eventually offer us a single overpriced alternative (£350 extra per night). There was no apology, no explanation, just an awkward and unprofessional start to what should have been a special occasion. Then came another issue—we were given the wrong room number. After lugging our bags upstairs, we discovered that our keys didn’t work. I had to go all the way back down to reception, where another staff member casually informed me that we had been given incorrect details in the first place. Again, no apology, just sheer incompetence. When we finally got into our room, we were greeted with what was meant to be a “welcome card,” but instead, it misgendered my partner, despite the fact that I had been in contact with the hotel beforehand. This kind of mistake is not just careless—it’s outright offensive. It was particularly upsetting on what was supposed to be a special trip for us, and it left us feeling like The Balmoral either does not care about LGBTQ+ guests or simply does not prioritise guest experience at all. Despite raising these serious concerns, management failed to take any meaningful action to make things right. After multiple complaints, we were eventually upgraded for just one night, but this did nothing to undo the damage already done. Our first night—our actual anniversary—was ruined, and rather than offering a real solution, they offered a bottle of champagne and an empty apology. We made what should have been a reasonable request—a complimentary night in the future so we could experience The Balmoral properly, without the failures and stress we endured this time. Instead, management flat-out refused, despite the fact that the J.K. Rowling Suite was sitting empty that night, meaning they could have easily accommodated us to make amends. Instead, they offered a minor upgrade on a future visit—assuming we’d even want to return after such a terrible experience. It is crystal clear that The Balmoral does not care about its guests, nor does it take accountability for its mistakes. They had multiple chances to make this right, yet they refused at every opportunity. I would strongly advise anyone considering this hotel to look elsewhere. If you want a hotel that actually values its guests and understands what five-star service means, this is not the place for you. I will not be returning, and I will be encouraging others to do the same.

Excellent stay,,lovely room. Everyone was very attentive and friendly Nothing was too much trouble , We enjoyed the afternoon tea Everything was just Excellent. .. We also enjoyed the delights of the Whisky Room ,the atmosphere was great and we were informed of all the types of Whisky,,, 450,!!!!