Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh Review

The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh

The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh has a fabulous address: 1 Princes Street.  It simply couldn’t be better located especially if you arrive by train as it is literally above Waverley Station.  Staying somewhere like this is wonderful if you are out and about in town as it’s just so easy to get back to.  We loved being able to saunter into our hotel from Princes Street.

An architectural gem, the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, was built at the turn of the century and was completed in 1902.  It was one of the great railway hotels with renaissance style architecture. It really does fit in with the classical architecture on Princes Street and it’s opposite the General Register House designed by Robert Adams.  Inside it has the classical good looks that you’d expect from such a handsome exterior.

The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, is part of the Rocco Forte group, so as you’d expect it’s a luxurious, stylish hotel.  The communal areas are well kept and characterful.  I loved the main staircase, although I expect most guests use the lifts.  During the festival this is one of the places the bigger names tend to stay in, so you can do a little star spotting.

Breakfast is served in the main restaurant area.  The first day we caught the tail end of breakfast and I think there were a few issues as our breakfasts arrived without bacon.  The second day we arrived for breakfast earlier and it was much better.  A lovely freshly prepared full cooked breakfast with plenty of other options to supplement or replace.  We enjoyed reading the morning papers whilst we dined and it was a very chilled out experience.

The Bedroom

Our room was very comfortable and there were lots of little touches to help make our stay an enjoyable one.

The bed was enormous – must be a super king I’d think at least.  So big we almost got lost in it.  As you can see bottled water was provided for our use.

There were lots of little details.  A great selection of fruit, plus the necessary tableware to cut it and eat it.  The chocolate truffles were to die for.

The Bathroom

The ensuite bathroom was equally luxurious.

 

I loved the fun James Bond themed decor in the bathroom.  As you may know, Sean Connery, the first James Bond, was from Edinburgh.  So the Balmoral have chosen to theme a number of their bathrooms around this famous son of the city.

As you would expect a number of high quality toiletries are provided including soaps, shower gel, moisturiser, shampoo and conditioner.  There are also tissues, face cloths, cotton buds and cotton wool.

The bathroom is very spacious.  There is a vanity area opposite the toilet at the far end.  In the main part of the bathroom there’s a bath with shower over.  Opposite this is a generous sink with marble surround.  It’s great to have so much space to put your bits and pieces.

Conclusion

The Balmoral Hotel has probably the best address and location of any hotel in the city.  It’s a top class hotel, so it’s the perfect place to stay, if you want a memorable visit to Edinburgh with a touch of luxury.