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The Balmoral Hotel
Our very expensive suite was comfortable and a bit odd. Oddly shaped with tiny alcoves of no use. The bedroom was very comfortable, the bathroom fine enough. Living room featured a useful dining table.
It is the JK Rowling (of Potter fame) suite because herself stayed in it whilst completing one of the tomes.
Service is excellent here. Everything else is a bit odd. Had I an extended stay in Edinburgh, I'd seek another venue. For a night or two, the place is a trip. But FAR FAR too expensive for what it delivers.
Check In
Swift, easy, no fuss. As our taxi pullef up to the entrance we were greeted by a kilted Hibernian giant who was very kind and grabbed up all our bags in two hands. We were enchanted from that moment on.
When I stayed here during the Fringe festival, I had a large regular room and it was odd too: strangely shaped with a weird electrical switching system. Maybe because I didn't have a suite, I experienced lousy service. Also when I was there, I had to walk through the tea room to access my room; that was odd too. I wouldn't go back either.
There is huge variability with Rocco Forte hotels, some are very nice, some suck. This one sucks
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My weird experience at the Balmoral (also during festival/fringe festival time when all hotel rooms in the city were full) is that when I went to my room upon arrival, one of the first things I did (SOP for me) was to check whether the door to the connecting room was properly secured or not. It was not. When I turned the door knob, it instantly opened to a suite that was apparently occupied by some family that fortunately was not in their suite at the time. I immediately inspected the door and tried to figure out a way to lock it. It could not be locked from my side as a real metal key was apparently needed. I called the front desk, waited (unwilling to leave my belongings in a room that strangers could obviously access at will), called again and was told that it would be fixed that evening or perhaps sometime the next day as they were busy and would need time to find the key and send a staff member to my room with the key. I said that this wasn't acceptable and the hotel employee reassured me that my neighbors were a nice family and I shouldn't worry. I demanded to speak to the manager immediately. The problem was ultimately solved within a few hours, but in the meantime I was scared to leave my room and scared to stay there, nice family or not......
Thanks for the review, I was just planning a stay here. I am a little confused that you said you don't recommend it, but said that you "were enchanted from that moment on", and that you liked the location, service, room, food, etc. Was it a case of the good not being enough to outweigh the negatives of the odd room and cost? Thanks.
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I've stayed at the Balmoral a number of times, and it is an odd hotel. I do like the REN toiletries, though. If you're looking for consistency and professionalism (although not necessarily at the 5-star level) the Sheraton is pretty good. Well-run, rooms well laid out and organized with plenty of electrical outlets, and no surprises.
Enchanted yes ... in the sense of an alternate reality, an odd time warp. Arrival was the best part of the stay
Originally Posted by Travlur
Thanks for the review, I was just planning a stay here. I am a little confused that you said you don't recommend it, but said that you "were enchanted from that moment on", and that you liked the location, service, room, food, etc. Was it a case of the good not being enough to outweigh the negatives of the odd room and cost? Thanks.
My wife and I had a late dinner at their Number One restaurant a few years ago. Service and food was fine until the end when it seemed as though all the staff had disappeared except for one who had been bussing tables. It took a while to get the check from her and I thought it was a lackluster way to end a high end meal. Unfortunately, that’s what I remember most about the meal.
This is one you definitely want to look at the room layout maps online prior to booking. As mentioned, there is a lot of wasted space that is paid for in some of the rooms with the alcoves.
Good location and charm- haven't been to the new restaurant under Alain Roux.
I hear better things about The Caledonian- and their rates are much more reasonable.
Still a few years off from The Rosewood opening if they can win their fight with council and preservationists.
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Originally Posted by Kent
This is one you definitely want to look at the room layout maps online prior to booking. As mentioned, there is a lot of wasted space that is paid for in some of the rooms with the alcoves.
Good location and charm- haven't been to the new restaurant under Alain Roux.
I hear better things about The Caledonian- and their rates are much more reasonable.
Still a few years off from The Rosewood opening if they can win their fight with council and preservationists.
And for more energized guests who love a good bar scene, the new W Edinburgh in the Ribbon project is slated to open in 2021. Having stayed at both the Balmoral and Caledonian (when it was still just a very nice Hilton), I am eager to see what the W will bring.
The Rosewood project is far from certain at this stage.
Where should we consider in Edinburgh? The most positive mention in this thread seems to be the Sheraton; Virtuoso lists a Radisson; the Rosewood is still at "has announced plans".
Is it too much to ask for a large nicely laid out room with a view in a good location?
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Having stayed previously at both the Balmoral and Caledonian (when it was just a Hilton), but being a Marriott Ambassador, I think we are leaning towards the Glasshouse Autograph Collection property for our 10th wedding anniversary trip to Scotland in 2020. (My husband proposed in the Highlands after our first stay at the Balmoral in 2008.) There doesn’t look to be a real favorite for the time being.
The Balmoral suites are oddly laid out and didn’t blow us away, and the price point always seemed too high for what ultimately was delivered. The Caledonian has the best Castle views, but not much else—and WA as a brand has disappointed far too many times for us to bother. The new W won’t be completed until 2021. The Rosewood remains a pipe dream.
Stayed there back in 2017 after playing some friendlies against Scotland. I quite liked it. Great location, nice rooms. Was just in a regular entry level room though.
This is one you definitely want to look at the room layout maps online prior to booking. As mentioned, there is a lot of wasted space that is paid for in some of the rooms with the alcoves.
Good location and charm- haven't been to the new restaurant under Alain Roux.
I hear better things about The Caledonian- and their rates are much more reasonable.
Still a few years off from The Rosewood opening if they can win their fight with council and preservationists.
Where can you find layout maps? All I can find are floor plans for conference rooms.