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    The Balmoral

    4.5 (73 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndHotels
    Open Open 24 hours

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    Desserts and birthday treat
    Connie H.

    Beautiful hotel where we took afternoon tea. I didn't love the initially offerings but did really enjoy the desserts and birthday treat they surprised us with. 'Rare afternoon tea' was NOT good at all. My husband had to send it back. My Earl Grey and the second offering of the Emperor's breakfast was good.

    The view from one of our windows
    Areej A.

    One of the most elegant beautiful hotels I have ever stayed at in Europe. Stunning hotel from the bottom to the top. Amazing staff no matter which department they are from. And the view is incredible as well from the rooms. I will definitely come back to this hotel next time I am visiting Edinburgh! Thank you so much for everyone who made it super special at this stay!

    In our room after a day out
    Lisa F.

    I certainly hope that if you are visiting Edinburgh for Christmas, that you stay here ! The service, the food, the overall experience leave you not wanting to exit !! Wow moments around every corner !!

    Andrea U.

    This 1902 Railway hotel is very prestigious and a landmark of Scotland's capital city. It combines stunning views with world-class facilities. There are 167 elegant rooms individually designed. The Palm Court is Michelin rated & known for their famous high tea under the glass dome. There is a famous whiskey bar, paying homage to Scotch, Scotland national drink. Here, kilted whiskey ambassadors help choose from over 500 varieties.

    Alex K.

    Five stars all the way. The place is amazing if you haven't been. Location is tight in the art of town. Walking distance to everything. Upon entering your greeted by the doorman who is gracious and friendly. The lobby is small but beautiful. There's an amazing floral piece that sits right in the middle. Pretty sure it changes often. Service was great. We stopped off a the bar/restaurant for something to drink. Didn't have much time to have dinner as we were meeting other people. Staff was all quite friendly and amazing. The host showed up to the bar. The bartenders that took care of us was amazing. The service level at this place is top notch. If your coming for dinner, highly recommend making a reservation as it does get pretty busy.

    Candace L.

    I stopped into Bar Prince on suggestion from a few ladies I met in Dublin who are from Edinburgh and told me The Balmoral was a must visit. I'm so grateful that they did, as it hadn't been on my to-visit list. It was raining and a perfect opportunity presented itself when I had an hour of free time before dinner nearby. Service was superb! I snagged a seat at the bar and ordered a Hemingway daiquiri. I'll without a doubt return in the future and hope to also do an afternoon tea. I wanted to visit Scotch, but they were closed on the days I was in town. If you aren't staying here and visiting, I'd suggest a visit.

    The entrance to the Number One restaurant- amazing food!
    Toma T.

    We picked the Balmoral hotel for our stay in Edinburgh because of it's convenient location-literally above the train station. Also, it's walking distance to the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, Scottish Monument and the Palace of Holyrood. The building itself is one of the most historic buildings in the city. We enjoyed everything: from the check in to the spa to the restaurants and finally the checkout- every interaction with staff was pleasant and enjoyable. The hotel is decorated in the traditional/modern Scottish style. It is definitely one of the most Instagramable hotels in the world.

    Afternoon tea was simply amazing. Service. Food. Environment. Bathrooms. Everything was a delight for all the senses.

    Prince Punch
    Charlie W.

    Brilliant! The bar service here is exceptional. The drinks tasted phenomenal. Definitely a five star experience! Highly recommend the prince punch.

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    7 months ago

    Amazing! Proper service and great food. Quite the history. A must do restaurant even if just a drink

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    7 years ago

    The Balmoral is a great hotel in the heart of Edinburgh. It seems kind of dated, but we enjoyed our stay.

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    Page 1 of 2

    The Balmoral Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Balmoral

    We had impeccable service in an incredibly elegant and beautiful tea room at the Balmoral Hotel in the Palm Court.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    The Grassmarket Hotel - Outside patio

    The Grassmarket Hotel

    (32 reviews)

    ££

    Grassmarket, Old Town

    This was the perfect hotel for a two night stay in Edinburgh. It's super centrally located and well…read morepriced. We were able to drop off our bags at 7 am and the room was ready by 12:30 pm. One of the major benefits for me is that they let you borrow a straightener from the front desk. My hair was so grateful!! The rooms are tiny but that's to be expected in Europe! The WiFi wasn't fantastic either but we really didn't need it much.

    This hotel is located in the Grassmarket area of Edinburg. It's just steps away from Old Town and…read morethe Royal Mile. Edinburg Castle is about a 15 minute walk. There is a restaurant in the hotel but there are a LOT of restaurants within walking distance. We had asked for a room with two beds thinking they would be single beds. (Our last experience with hotels in Europe was not a great one. We had a tiny room and a tiny bed,) When we got our room it was bigger than we expected. It had two beds-one was a king and the other a queen. What a nice surprise! There is no air conditioning in most hotels in Europe. With the windows open and a fan I was quite comfortable because the temp was around 60° the three nights we were there. The hubby who likes it much colder said it was bearable. The staff was friendly. The hotel was clean. I don't remember if breakfast is included in the price. There is a buffet breakfast or you can order off the menu. The last morning I ordered the smoked salmon, poached eggs, and sourdough toast off the hot menu. It was delicious. Had to have smoked salmon before I left Scotland...wish I would have ordered it sooner. Yummy. Would have given it 4 stars but with the lack of ac and having to climb several sets of stairs before you get to the elevator I'm giving it 3 stars. In all fairness, on occasion I did use the hotel ramp to get into or leave the hotel but that entailed walking through the rain. It did, however, lead you directly to the elevator.

    Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian  - Bloody Mary Bar at Breakfast

    Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian

    (104 reviews)

    £££

    West End

    High tea at The Court, Edinburgh -- such a lovely experience overall…read more The ambiance is beautiful and really sets the tone. It's $65 per person, so definitely more of a treat, but it felt worth it. We started with sandwiches -- about six per person. They were fresh and decent (we skipped the ham options), nothing extraordinary but a good start. Then came the pastries... oh my god. Absolutely the highlight. Delicate flavors, beautifully presented -- they genuinely felt like little works of art. Tea and coffee were unlimited, which I really enjoyed, and the serving staff were incredibly sweet and attentive throughout. A really charming experience, especially for the ambiance and desserts.

    We had very good customer service and experience until the last hour of our visit. At checkout,…read morecalled front desk for help with luggage, promised to send someone 'right up'. 15 min later called again because they never came right up. Bell desk proceeded to tell us should have left our stuff in room and just come down. As if we would know that after speaking with front desk. Finally bellhop brings our stuff down on the luggage cart, loses control, and dumped all our stuff on the wet filthy Edinburgh sidewalk. Brand new coats, my wife's toiletries rolling across the street. Of course, No accountability, immediately blamed it on 'colleagues' for loading it 'incorrectly'. picked everything up, got car loaded. I decided to tip him anyways because I worked service once upon a time and handed him a five. Instead of saying 'thank you', he said 'yeah'. Needless to say, his attitude and ungratefulness was unexpected after dumping our possessions into the middle of the sidewalk. My wife went back in to see if they could find a glove the same bell desk lost when they brought our items in for check-in. Same bellhop was completely flippant - "it's Edinburgh, we don't have your glove, anyone could have picked it up". very beautiful hotel, breakfast is excellent, fitness/spa very nice, customer service we received from everyone else was top notch. Will give them benefit of doubt, & probably come again, but might not ask for any more 'help' from bell desk.

    DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Edinburgh City Centre - Guest room

    DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Edinburgh City Centre

    (31 reviews)

    ££

    Old Town

    After a 4 hour bus trip through Scotland, this was a welcoming hotel. Warm chocolate chip cookies…read moreupon check in. We ate several meals here and the food was better than almost every other hotel. Great variety, made to order. Huge selection of foods.

    I love this hotel, and I say that after just the first night of a 3 night stay here! Well, there's…read morealways their famous warm and delectable chocolate cookie presented upon check-in, but that's just the tip of the iceberg for this particular location. This hotel has the major advantage of a supreme location as it's only a 10 minute walk from a host of famous Edinburgh attractions and highlights. Just some of those very nearby attractions are the Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum of Scotland, the Greyfriars Kirkyard cemetery, the Royal Mile, and the Grassmarket Market commercial district. Besides that and more, there are a ton of pubs and other eateries of all sorts of cuisines close by. Then there are their normal hotel amenities. It's a spacious hotel housed in a historic building built in 1892. The room we have is cozy and comfortable and we even have a nice 2nd floor view of Edinburgh Castle. Their breakfast buffet is a delicious and large spread of classic British goodies. All of the staffers we have met are helpful and wonderful. The Hilton chain staffers are also always able to look up my Hilton Honors member number for points even though I never remember it. I can't give this Doubletree a bigger thumbs up. Thank you!

    Hilton Edinburgh Carlton - Guest room

    Hilton Edinburgh Carlton

    (50 reviews)

    £££

    Old Town, Royal Mile

    During our stay in December, we liked the location of the hotel to the main attractions and…read moreproximity to various points in the city within walking distance. Once you check in, the staff does not really interact much with you. We barely got any insights to the city and the hotel, making it feel less welcoming. We were told to look at a paper for the restaurant hours and there was some remodeling going on that made it a bit inconvenient with only 2 elevators. The rooms were spacious and clean, but a bit outdated and stuffy. It was comfortable but you could definitely feel the old room. Edinburgh was welcoming and everything around it made worthwhile the stay.

    Everything could improve. The hotel is being renovated and the rooms that are being rented out…read moreare far below a four star property. There is no concierge to take luggage up to the room as advertised. There was no sheer curtain on the window so I could see directly into the hotel across the street which means they can see in to mine unless the blackout curtains are closed. There was no remote for the TV in the room. The bar provides ice for the rooms, however it is brought to your room with no lid on the public elevator so any sneeze or cough and your ice is contaminated. I called for ice and after waiting an hour I went to get it myself and saw the bartender pick said "Ice bucket" (a bucket without a lid is a wine bucket, not an ice bucket) off the floor from under the glass washing sink (unhygienic). Four days into my stay I brought my concerns and frustration to the assistant manager. She said the curtain would be hung and for my inconvenience I would get free breakfast for the rest of my stay (I was booked for two weeks and had mentioned I could have stayed at Premier Inn and gotten better service and free breakfast (as stated earlier breakfast was added along with executive club benefits which I wasn't interested in). I did go for breakfast which is served buffet style (£27 normally) and while the plates were hot, the food was not. I never ate there again. I spoke to the General Manager regarding my concerns and stated I thought I should receive a discount for the state of my stay (I was booked for two weeks). This did not happen. Instead he tried to insist I move rooms; a suite. I wasn't interested after unpacking and being there for five days already. I did request a discount for part of my stay. Hilton Honors was made aware, however they added 20,000 points to my account; after this experience why would I want to stay in a Hilton property again? To date, I've received no financial compensation for this deplorable stay. I'd avoid this hotel at all costs. The Scotsman is across the street, Radisson Blu around the corner and Marriott has properties also in Old Town. BTW, the General Manager told me he charged £7 for a cider in the bar "because he could"! Hardly the attitude a customer who has issues with their stay wants or needs to hear. Overall, I'd avoid this place like the plague...my stay was Jan 15-29, 2026.

    Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh - A dining area

    Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh

    (69 reviews)

    £££

    West End, Old Town

    We enjoyed our stay at the Sheraton Grand in Kraków so much that we decided to stick with this…read morebrand when staying in Edinburgh. I'm happy to say that it was a great decision. First of all, the location was perfect for us. It's right on Festival Square. Just look at the view that we had from our window on the 7th floor. The castle view is amazing! If you're a fan of concerts, then you'll also be happy that Usher Hall is right across the street from the hotel. The Edinburgh Farmers Market (every Saturday) is just behind the auditorium on Castle Terrace. There are many great restaurants all along Lothian, Fountainbridge, and everywhere in between as you walk up to Grassmarket. The great service started immediately with Ryan. He checked us in and made sure we had everything we needed. He was a great resource throughout our stay. The lobby was always neat as a pin. There's infused water available. The club is also accessed from this 1st floor area. We chose the Castle Suite which was very comfortable and spacious. The lighting and AC controls are modern and easy to figure out. There were plenty of electrical outlets (adaptable), and all were where we needed them to be. The bed was comfy, and house cleaning was great in getting the room ready in a timely matter on each day. I enjoyed the chocolate that was left for us each day at turn down. It was always a different flavor. The shower pressure and bath amenities were also great. We were also happy that our room included club access. It was great to be able to use their coffee machines throughout the day. I especially loved the fresh orange juice machine. Just insert a couple of whole oranges at the top and it produces a full glass of juice. Loved it! You'll also get access to the breakfast buffet at One Square on the 2nd floor. We did try it out on our last full day there. It had a larger variety of buffet items with table service. I especially liked the stuffed croissants. I think the one I had was filled with rhubarb. All the pastries were fresh daily. You can order an egg any way you like it, but you need to ask for it. It doesn't have the same open kitchen concept like the one in Kraków. I thought the breakfast buffet in Kraków was better. Although, I did get to try some unique Scottish items such as haggis and tattie scones. It was still well-done. I would most definitely stay here again. It made quite an impression on us for its comfortable amenities, good value, and location. Marriott Bonvoy members should be very happy here.

    Rooms. Beds cozy. I sank into them and slept soundly. 5…read moreStars. Very clean room, classy upscale I love the shower control and the hot water Red nightlight around the beds is a nice touch Their breakfast buffet was pretty good by most standards, but I couldn't find some things like fat-free or low sugar yogurt Their omelette and eggs Benedict were nothing to write home about.

    The Balmoral - hotels - Updated May 2026

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