Bridging worlds | The Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh
The vivid purple door down the hall had been calling to me since I checked in the previous day. Every time we had exited the lift and turned left to go to our room, I glanced at it — sometimes I stared. But now I was about to get my wish — the manager was leading my husband and I down the plaid-carpeted hall to that very door and I was very excited. Some people get star struck when crossing the street in front of Abbey Road Studios in St John’s Wood just knowing Paul McCartney’s bare feet were there years before. Some take tours of stadiums where their favourite footballers play to see through their heroes’ eyes for a few hours. To me, the most inspiring superstars are writers who change the world with words. So, you can imagine how I felt as I was about to tour a room where literary history was made inside The Balmoral.
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The J. K. Rowling Suite is identical in layout to my classic suite — a short hallway passes by a convenient guest bathroom, then opens into a spacious sitting room that contains a writing desk, dining set, sofa, two chairs, a bookcase (vital, yet often overlooked) and a television. There are two unique art alcoves on either side of the sofa where small windows let in extra natural light. Around the corner is a large bedroom with a super king bed, TV, and a vanity table and mirror hiding behind a heavy curtain. Further on is the main toilet, tiled in marble. As lovely as the layout was, though, the draws for me were the desk and the story behind the days that the brilliant writer spent at The Balmoral, writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The manager told me that Rowling hadn’t asked for a suite when she checked in; in fact, she asked for any available room and was contentedly settling in to a much smaller one, when he knocked on the door with an offer of more space.
I once spoke briefly with Matthew Lewis, the talented and well-spoken actor who endowed the character Neville Longbottom with considerable new depth. From his words and the story I heard at The Balmoral, it was a practical and unpretentious Joanne Rowling that sat at this desk, crafting a masterpiece from the thoughts in her head. How wonderful that the room is available to reserve by anyone. Who knows? There may be some residual spun magic in the walls ready to awaken bravura in a writer who knows how to tap into that particular ethereal well.
A transcendent connection
I was able to tear my thoughts away from daydreams of writing the next international bestseller in order to enjoy other facets of the hotel. As the hotel’s history page explains, The Balmoral was built in a style meant to connect the traditional Scottish architecture of Old Town and classical look of New Town Edinburgh. Because it lies in-between the two areas and next to the rail station (it was originally built and owned by the North British Railway Company), The Balmoral is a metaphorical bridge in more ways than one. The undeniably beautiful building has 167 rooms and 20 suites, three restaurants, an indoor swimming pool, and gym. The hotel’s fame as a city icon is second only to Edinburgh Castle. Speaking of which, the castle is a short walk from The Balmoral as is the Royal Mile and all the best Old Town and New Town shops and attractions.
Breakfast of Princes
We dined in Brasserie Prince for breakfast on both mornings of our stay and once for dinner. The restaurant, one of three in The Balmoral, serves French cuisine with the benefit of the abundant Scottish produce that is grown nearby. All my breakfast favourites were on the menu, so I had to narrow it down to porridge with fresh fruit one morning and eggs Florentine the next. The Scottish smoked salmon I had on the side was exceptional. For dinner, I chose salmon as well because there isn’t a place on earth that has better salmon than Scotland.
My recommendation
As a renowned five-star hotel in a major European city, The Balmoral has been on my must-see list for quite some time. I enjoyed my stay there and recommend it to Medium readers who fall into one of these categories: lovers of British history, Edwardian architecture, Harry Potter and/or fine dining. There are quite a few worlds bridged by this lovely hotel, so why not venture from one into another during a stay? As is so often the case, if you book directly with the hotel via their official website or phone, you’ll likely get to choose from a greater variety of rooms and special offers. Browse The Balmoral’s offers on their website.
Appreciation
A warm thank you to Audrey Cassels for her exceptionally competent assistance in arranging my visit to The Balmoral!
