The Balmoral is undisputedly the most iconic and famous hotel in Edinburgh. And I feel ridiculously lucky to have been able to spend a night there.
The location of the hotel is unrivalled: it's right in the heart of the city, in between the old and newer parts of the town, bang on the main shopping street, with views over the gardens and castle. It's also right next to the station making it perfect for travellers.
As you'd expect, everything oozes luxury, from the perfect flower-beds and tartan trouser-clad porters at the entrance, to the beautiful white tablecloths and fine silverware in the restaurants (and room-service!).
Every room in the hotel is decorated in traditional style without feeling too old-fashioned. It's opulent but not stuffy. Elegant but cosy.
I was very lucky to be staying in a deluxe king-bed room, and yes, I may have let out a little squeal as I walked in.
Let me show you round...
The room was spacious with a high ceiling, meaning it felt big and bright.
The view from my window was amazing - I could see all the way down Princes Street, the Scott Monument, the gardens, the castle and the old town. To have the window open and the sound of bagpipes floating up from below (because in Edinburgh you can always hear bagpipes) was wonderful.
And just look at that weather!
My bed - oh, this bed! - was the stuff of dreams. To start with, it was huge. The bedlinen was perfectly crisp, the duvet cosy but not too stifling, the cushions and pillows were plush and it was beautifully made-up.
And what was extra lovely was that when I came back to my room after going out for dinner, the bed had been turned down and the slippers laid-out for me to get ready for bed.
Also, I really liked the slippers. They were more stylish than the usual hotel ones and v comfy. I thought it was really cute to have a man's and woman's pair, but the latter were too small for me. And it's not just because I have clown feet - my normal-feet-sized friend Emily found them too small too! Thank goodness I don't have a boyfriend.
Anyway.
What's more, upon my return to the room, my used mug had been replaced with a clean one, as had my towel; the teabags, complementary water bottles and loo roll had been replenished AND they'd left a card detailing the weather forecast the next day. Amazing service or what?! Aaaaand this is why I love luxury hotels.
There was a small selection of magazines laid out, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
To make my stay yet more special, I was welcomed with the most wonderful fruit plate (complete with thistle), chocolates and shortbread. The dream. And I just loved that everything had a Scottish twist - the truffles were cranachan and the teabags (which were pleasingly plentiful) were Brodies of Edinburgh.
Alongside all the drinks you have to pay for in my well-stocked mini bar, there was a little bottle of fresh milk which, let's be real, is a crucial element in a good cup of tea. None of that UHT nonsense.
The marble bathroom was fab. There was under-floor heating, a heated towel-rail, towels and flannels of all different sizes and literally all the toiletries. I'm talking shampoo, shower gel, conditioner, soap AND body lotion. And even a shower cap and sewing kit too.
No word of a lie, the shower was one of the best I've ever had. There was the over-head shower which obvs make you feel like you're in the rain, as well as a hand-held one. Is it excessive to use both at once? Well I totally did. I'm all about that cleanliness. What's more, while showering you look out at that epic view of the city again, which was v cool.
There were two white Balmoral robes hanging up just waiting to be snuggled into, but I actually found they weren't that comfy. My robe wasn't as soft as I'd have liked it to be, alas.
Before I went to bed, I decided what I wanted for breakfast the next morning.
In advance? you ask. Well yes. The Balmoral offer to serve breakfast in your room, and let's be real, breakfast in your PJs is always the way to go, am I right.
So, before 3am you have to tick boxes on a form saying what you want and at what time, then you hang it on your door and go to bed knowing a wonderful breakfast will be delivered when you wake up.
I'm not exaggerating when I say I spent a good half hour trying to decide what to have. There was so much choice and I wanted everything, but that would've been ridiculous. What can I say? I really like breakfast. I eventually made my mind up though. Phew, I know.
The next morning, after waking up in a cloud of luxurious, cosy, softness and watching a bit of TV with a cup of tea, my breakfast arrived bang on time.
It was beautifully presented on a trolley-slash-table, just as it would've been in the restaurant. But I was in my PJs. Winning.
So, what did I have? To drink, I had the Balmoral blend tea and a glass of freshly-pressed apple juice, both of which were perfectly lovely.
For my first course (because all the best breakfasts have multiple courses), I enjoyed a bowl of Bircher muesli with stewed prunes on the side. I know they're divisive but I absolutely adore prunes and think they're super tasty with oats. My Bircher muesli was perfect - it was super creamy but also had some bite thanks to the flaked almonds hiding alongside the Scottish oats.
And because I was feeling very Scottish, I decided I couldn't not go for the Scottish breakfast. You can choose exactly which aspects of the breakfast you'd like, so here's what I had:
Haggis, black pudding, sausage, tatty scone, hash brown and poached eggs. And what was great was there was a little hot cupboard thingy under the table which meant my cooked breakfast stayed warm until I was ready to eat it. Ingenious.
It was so tasty - just look at that runny yolk!
Despite the fact that I'm not a big meat-eater, I love haggis and black pudding. Maybe it's because my dad used to give me black pudding a lot when I was little. Have I ever mentioned I have a Scottish father? Well I do. Shout-out to Dad and my Scottish roots!
I mean sure, I didn't need any more food after my first course, but I do love a hearty Scottish breakfast and I eat one so rarely.
Enjoying it all in my beautiful room at the Balmoral was a real treat.
I never wanted to leave! But unfortunately I had to. I only hope I'll be back sooner rather than later!
I was a guest at The Balmoral but I genuinely loved it and would never write anything I didn't truly believe. Promise.
