Hotel
Gleneagles Townhouse
The Edinburgh outpost of Gleneagles, a 33-room luxury hotel in a Georgian building on St Andrew Square with The Spence restaurant and a rooftop bar.
The Balmoral
Rocco Forte's five-star landmark at the east end of Princes Street, opened in 1902 as a railway hotel, with a spa, whisky bar and famous clock tower.
At a glance
- Type
- Luxury grand hotel
- Area
- New Town, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Price
- $$$$ · Luxury
- Hotel class
- 5-star
- Official site
- roccofortehotels.com
Good to know
- Spa
- Whisky bar
- Afternoon tea
- Restaurants
- Suites
- Event spaces
Why we recommend it
The Balmoral is one of Edinburgh's great landmark hotels, standing at 1 Princes Street above Waverley station, with its clock tower visible across the city centre. It opened on 15 October 1902 as the North British Station Hotel, designed by William Hamilton Beattie and completed by his assistant Andrew Robb Scott after Beattie's death. Today it is run by Rocco Forte Hotels, and its clock is famously set three minutes fast so that travellers have a little extra time to catch their trains. J.K. Rowling finished the final Harry Potter book here in January 2007, in a room now named the J.K. Rowling Suite.
The hotel has 167 rooms, including 20 suites, with categories ranging from family rooms to the Forte Suites, and suites designed by Olga Polizzi. The hotel even has its own bespoke Balmoral tartan.
Food and drink are a big part of the experience. Number One is the hotel's fine-dining restaurant, Brasserie Prince serves French-Scottish bistro dishes and Bar Prince offers drinks and lighter options. The Palm Court is known for afternoon tea, and SCOTCH, the whisky bar, has more than 500 Scottish whiskies. The hotel holds four AA Rosettes for its dining. The Irene Forte Spa provides treatments and relaxation for guests, and there are ten meeting and event spaces.
The Balmoral suits couples on a special trip, luxury travellers and anyone who wants to be in the centre of everything. Families are well catered for with family rooms and suites. Reservations can be made through Rocco Forte's website, by phone or by email. Afternoon tea in the Palm Court and dinner at Number One should be booked in advance, especially at weekends and in December.
The location is hard to beat. Waverley station is directly below, so arriving by train from London or Glasgow involves no more than a short walk. Princes Street, the St James Quarter and the New Town's shops are on the doorstep, and the Royal Mile is a few minutes away up the North Bridge or Cockburn Street. Calton Hill is around five minutes' walk east, and the Scott Monument and Princes Street Gardens are just to the west.
The Balmoral FAQs
How many stars does The Balmoral have?
The Balmoral is a five-star hotel.
When did The Balmoral open?
It opened on 15 October 1902 as the North British Station Hotel.
Why is The Balmoral clock fast?
The clock is set three minutes fast so that travellers have extra time to catch their trains.
How many rooms does The Balmoral have?
It has 167 rooms, including 20 suites.
What restaurants and bars are there?
Number One, Brasserie Prince, Bar Prince, the Palm Court for afternoon tea and SCOTCH, a whisky bar with more than 500 whiskies.
Is there a spa?
Yes, the Irene Forte Spa.
Where is The Balmoral?
It is at 1 Princes Street, EH2 2EQ, directly above Waverley station.
Which suite is linked to J.K. Rowling?
She finished the final Harry Potter book in room 552 in January 2007, now the J.K. Rowling Suite.