The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh

Magical Stay at The Balmoral

Without a shred of doubt, The Balmoral Hotel, under Rocco Forte’s wings, is the crown jewel of Edinburgh. It has stood there since 1902, positioned perfectly in the middle of Edinburgh, nestled between The Royal Mile and George Street—ideal, except if you have a car; parking around can be tricky. Luckily, they offer valet parking. The Balmoral runs like a Swiss watch; every bit and part works in harmony. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a “Grande Dame” hotel.

But that was not the reason why we chose this hotel. It was for the only purple door in the hotel, room 552…

Room 552 at The Balmoral.

Room 552, J.K. Rowling Suite

As massive Harry Potter fan, my wife trembled with excitement as we approached the door to Room 552. This famed suite is where J.K. Rowling lived for six month and completed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book in the beloved series. Despite some modern updates, the suite retains elements of its literary past, including Rowling’s old desktop.

It is a very cozy room with a special layout, and we can understand why she chose it. Especially considering she might have received the same treatment as us upon checking in.

Sometimes there is a bottle of Champagne waiting, but here it was a bottle of Macallan 12 Year Double Mature. Just to state, this is Scotland, not France. Sláinte!

Info

Visits

First time

Nights

3

Room Type

J.K. Rowling Suite

Room Change

None

Air Conditioning

Silent and perfect.

Blackout Curtains

85%

Breakfast

Good buffet and menu to order from.

Wifi

Ok

Highs & lows

The bottom line

Will we return?

Yes

Worth the money?​

Yes

Address