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The Balmoral Edinburgh
I hope this post will include the photos I uploaded. I just want to reminisce. Last June I did the Week in Scotland tour and it was fabulous. We had a very small group, only by chance, and we had great weather. Our last stop was Edinburgh and we stayed at The Balmoral. It's probably the most well known hotel in Edinburgh and it was a treat. I noticed that this year, Tauck is not booking The Balmoral anymore. Probably more cost effective to change hotels. I just wanted to post a couple photos of the Balmoral as a nostalgic look back on my trip. The price of these rooms is now over $800 a night, way over my budget should I ever return to Edinburgh on my own. Cheers to a good time in Scotland.
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I love the bar at the Balmoral!
Lovely room. So light and bright. Although wet marble floors can be such a hazard.
We're booked next year and you're right Cathy it's the Intercontinental Edinburgh George sqr at $583 per night per couple. The Kimpton Glasgow is $424. Thankfully Tauck applied the gift of time to the Edinburgh.
Lovely room, have a great time Cathy.
I stayed at The Balmoral in September with another tour company and then flew to Dublin to join Tauck's Best of Ireland. The Balmoral is outstanding. I've looked at England, Scotland & Wales and am not thrilled about the hotel used in Edinburgh. Not going in 23 but will look again for 24 when the itinerary comes out. So far, only 23 is out. I always do small group.
We stayed there in 2019 - LOVED the hotel! Getting in and out of the shower was a bit tricky, for a short person like me.
After the "official" tour was over, we moved to a more modest hotel, which was certainly a downgrade.
Sometimes you just have to stretch those travel dollars!😉
SGF - The tub was fabulous. First time I took a long soak on the entire trip. But yes, need to be careful getting in and out.
The Sheraton in Edinburgh is nice but certainly doesn't have the feel of the properties in older buildings. I loved being greeted at the entrance by the kilted doorman, the check in that included a "wee dram" and/or yummy shortbread. The breakfast buffet was excellent as was the welcome dinner. The rooms were modern and not luxurious though the mood lighting system was a bit of an adventure. Still, it's an excellent tour and I wouldn't forgo it just because of that hotel.
The Tauck rooms at the Sheraton were along the side of the building, so I contacted the hotel to pay for an upgrade to a “castle view.” It wast great! From our window we also watched a very large crowd of locals see Andy Murray win Wimbledon that year!
Alan - So let me get this straight your paid big money for a Tauck vacation, then paid more to upgrade your room so that you could watch a big screen TV from said room across a plaza of people to see Andy Murray play a Wimbledon? Sounds like a good plan. 😂😂
It is very disappointing thatTauck stopped using the Balmoral. We did the Week in Scotland and the Balmoral and Cameron House hotels were the absolute highlights. They no longer stay at either place. When we did the Scottish Isles cruise Tauck used the Intercontinental in Edinburgh and people were unhappy ( I have commented on this before …).. We were all put in the old part of the hotel.
Thanks, Claudia Sails. It's not for 23 because that'a already booked with multiple trips but it's definitely a strong possibility for 24 even with the Sheraton still in play.
Yup! 😃Actually, didn’t know about Andy and the crowd until we got back from Rosslyn Chapel.
We are booked for A Week in Scotland in August 2023. We were originally booked for 2020, rescheduled 2021 (both due to Covid) and now 2023. We will be happy just to finally get there! 🤞
I did the Scotland trip with Tauck in July and the stay at the Balmoral was the highlight! I hope they will reconsider this decision for years following 2023. Well worth the extra money in my opinion.
Your room at the Balmoral looks absolutely lovely. Sadly, it appears that Tauck has opted for a lesser quality hotel. We booked a tour in August and our first few nights in Edinburgh are at the Sheraton. The TripAdvisor reviews are concerning. For the amount of money we paid for the tour, I am disappointed that we are being put up at a contemporary, modern version of an American hotel instead of any of the wonderful quintessential and iconic grand hotels of Edinburgh. Shame on Tauck.
AlexN-
I presume you are on the England, Scotland and Wales tour, not the Week in Scotland tour referenced here. Tauck has long used the Sheraton for ESW. The ESW tour is one of Tauck's most popular tours with multiple departures each week throughout the summer. There are only so many hotels that can accommodate this schedule.
That being said, we found the Sheraton to be an excellent choice. It is well located, with an excellent restaurant and good service. Being a Sheraton, the rooms feature the extremely comfortable "Heavenly Bed." It may not have the historic pedigree of some other hotels, but we found it fully adequate in all respects.
Lsmiller
December 2022
We are booked for A Week in Scotland in August 2023. We were originally booked for 2020, rescheduled 2021 (both due to Covid) and now 2023. We will be happy just to finally get there! 🤞
When in August? We are on the August 22 small group.
I did this trip last summer - it was wonderful. Sorry you will not stay at the Balmoral however; that was a wonderful hotel - worth every penny. If you have extra time, I recommend seeing the Royal Yacht Britannia nearby - I really enjoyed that.
You aren't in Edinburgh long enough for it to matter much, but the Sheraton was fine and within walking distance to Princes Street, the Castle, Royal Mile, Usher Hall, the Lyceum, etc. There are two stops right in front for the excellent Midlothian bus service which we used to go everywhere (to Leith to see the Brittania, Craigmillar Castle, and Rosslyn Chapel). It may be a challenge to figure out the fancy lighting system, however!
Newer comment just to say: I’m on the tour beginning August 2nd, and our Edinburgh hotel is the Kimpton Charlotte Square. Sounds like Tauck listened to you all - I like that part of Edinburgh and the hotel looks lovely!
I went to Edinburgh on my own. I did a walking tour with Mr. Usher of the Usher Hall Ushers. He was right out of central casting! I know that his son does some of his tours, but I'm glad I had him for the ambiance. (And I did stay at the Balmoral because I always check out where Tauck stays -- and it was right at Waverley Station, from where I took a high-speed train to London. Something to think about!)
We walked with Mr Usher too! He is a classic!