Balmoral Arms
Top rated by guests





8.1Excellent
(1,552 Ratings)
"The decor was beautiful and traditional. Our room was well appointed and we had a great night’s sleep as it was so peaceful. The music playing in the lounge gave it a really traditional feel.
The sta..."
Verified guestDon't miss out! Price and availability may change
2 guests · 1 bedroom · 1 bath
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
Top-tier experienceA high end property in this area
Balmoral Arms is located in village of Ballater, in the center of Royal Deeside. The property offers open log fires and free WiFi.
Golf course (within 2 mi)
Free WiFi/internet
Non-smoking
Pets allowed
Heating
Wheelchair accessible
Bar
WiFi/Internet
Shared living spaces
Ski in/Ski out
Family friendly
Smoking allowed
Toilet with grab rails
Key access
Emergency cord in bathroom
Housekeeping available
Fire alarm
Fire extinguisher
Cleaning products
$$$$
Top rated by guests
8.1Excellent
(1,552 Ratings)
"The decor was beautiful and traditional. Our room was well appointed and we had a great night’s sleep as it was so peaceful. The music playing in the lounge gave it a really traditional feel.
The sta..."
Verified guestDon't miss out! Price and availability may change
Ratings and reviews
8.0 / 10.0
Staff were excellent, hotel good and very central in ballater, room very clean
Make sure hot water running shower and basin and more staff needed
10.0 / 10.0
The decor was beautiful and traditional. Our room was well appointed and we had a great night’s sleep as it was so peaceful. The music playing in the lounge gave it a really traditional feel.
The staff were authentically helpful and friendly.
The location was ideal, a few minutes walk to local amenities in Ballater.
We loved our stay and were sorry to leave.
I loved everything!
8.0 / 10.0
Very central and free parking near hand
No lifts to the upper floors would be difficult for a disabled person
10.0 / 10.0
Very comfortable, good food & drink
Nothing
8.0 / 10.0
The ambience and comfortable lounge/bar areas around reception.
The reception person did forget to tell us our room was ready (we arrived after 3pm and we waited for over an hour) but he did apologise sincerely and it did seem a busy time of day. Housekeeping had a lot of rooms to prepare and ours wasn't ready.
7.0 / 10.0
Cosy hotel in a beautiful setting.
We had two rooms for a family of four which were as far a part as they could have been. It would have been helpful to have them close (maybe a Booking.com issue?)
5.0 / 10.0
The room was lovely, nice decor, big bathroom with free standing bath with separate shower.
The lounge was dated with scruffy decor and odd music. The food was poor, both dinner and breakfast and service very disorganised when you could find them.
2.0 / 10.0
Setting.
Overpriced.
Asked for early check in 24 hours ahead. Reply was “ mate yes maybe no”
On arrival, asked again , took a while to be allocated. £10 surcharge.
On initial entry room was nice, warm but after a few mins noticed lots of black mount on the window ( to a drab back yard)
Had an evening out, returned 23:40.
No bar.
Enquired the following morning as to why, explanation was “ the night porter isn’t allowed to serve alcohol ( there was nothing available!)
Was told this had been something being “ looked into since last summer”!!
Really really dissatisfied.
Overpriced one night stay.
Thankfully Ballater and its people & shops were just grand otherwise!
8.0 / 10.0
Our room was the only one you had left to the rear of the building looking out over the bins through a tiny window.
Had we been lucky enough to have one looking out towards the square and the church would have improved our stay.
All the staff were excellent, and breakfast was also excellent. we had booked two restaurants so didn't manage to have dinner in your hotel, but all dishes looked very nice.
10.0 / 10.0
The location was superb, right in the centre of the village yet a short walk from the Dee. Spacious bedroom suite with lounge. Good bar, large cosy lounge and large restaurant.
I would have preferred a bath to a shower
3.0 / 10.0
Room was very nice
Hot water very slow and difficult to get right,
Burger too thick too eat and served on a plank of wood, what's wrong with a plate? Also very expensive.
9.0 / 10.0
Friendly and spacious. Nice refurbished rooms (2 of our 3 rooms)
Location and large relaxed lounge
10.0 / 10.0
Rustic, comfy and great staff
All good!
7.0 / 10.0
A nice atmosphere.
The bed mattress was very lumpy.
The room was nice & also clean, but some improvements in the bathroom required.
9.0 / 10.0
Great bar and breakfasts, overall standard of food good. Staff excellent, Fiona in particular is an asset to The Balmoral Arms.
10.0 / 10.0
The welcome was very warm and friendly and we were allowed to check-in a little early. The room was nice and warm and larger than we expected. The food and service was excellent.
The coffee at breakfast would be nicer if it had some coffee in it! :) Light brown hot water is not that pleasant!
8.0 / 10.0
Dinner and breakfast was nice. The room and hotel in general was nice and clean and the staff was friendly.
The price for the room is a bit steep.
9.0 / 10.0
Great location, staff very friendly and accommodating. Willing to do as much as possible to make our stay very welcome. The rooms were comfortable and modern.
There was issues with the hot water but the staff were quick to resolve the problem. So in the end there wasn’t any disappointment.
8.0 / 10.0
The property was lovely in the communal areas and the room very comfortable.
That we tried to pay with AMEX and we could do this but not on the reception card machine! This seemed odd.
10.0 / 10.0
Where it was situated, was just perfect, walking distance to all local facilities.
It was so quiet, that I didn’t want to get out of bed.
8.0 / 10.0
Scottish cosy feel to everything. Comfortable bed. Open wardrobe space in room. Log fire burning in lounge. Dressed well for Christmas
Limited food options (early December very quiet). Couldn’t regulate my shower.
9.0 / 10.0
Beautiful rooms, bars were very comfortable, food good all in all a great place to stay 😊
10.0 / 10.0
Extremely comfortable and welcoming with exceptional staff and customer service, thank you for a wonderful stay.
9.0 / 10.0
Fantastic, friendly staff. Lovely comfortable beds. Great food.
Nothing. We loved it.
7.0 / 10.0
The hotel was well located and lots of activities to do nearby including walks and restaurants. The staff was helpful and the food was very good. The main room at the entrance was very nice and our beds were comfortable to sleep in.
There were a few miss during our stay sadly. The shampoo or shower gel bottles were empty upon arrival and we had to wait two days for a refill despite asking the cleaning staff on day 1. Overall the bathroom was a bit dirty and the bath drain was clogged with previous clients hairs .. black silicone and the shower door doesn’t close properly and keep falling on you as you shower.
The heating remote was also broken so on the second day there was no heat in the room until the staff managed to get it fixed. For the price of the stay, the room cleaning and maintenance should be of higher expectation
7.0 / 10.0
Very accessible even by bus
Very close to Braemar & Balmoral & easy walks nearby
Hotel was very warm
Bed & pillows very comfortable
Breakfast very good
We had a small issue which was sorted quickly & professionally
Very attractive decor especially the lounge & dining room
Nice bar
Very affordable rate for winter stop
Nice soap & body wash provided
Easy parking (winter)
Helpful reception
Top floor room very quiet
Struggled with the hot water - just wasn’t hot enough
If you’d come in from outdoor activities shower or bath just not hot
Music in the lounge on loop until 11:45 pm & very audible in bedroom above
Restaurant might be better doing competitively priced simpler gastro pub food for more uptake from guests- no pizza or Indian in Ballater or really much choice food wise
Very few milk sachets in the room for two people
8.0 / 10.0
It was situated right in the middle of the Town and very handy for everything
No parking facilities
10.0 / 10.0
Just so comfortable and friendly.
7.0 / 10.0
Cosy lounge
Bed was uncomfortable
9.0 / 10.0
Excellent hotel and staff very friendly and helpful
9.0 / 10.0
Breakfast was very good. Very comfortable surroundings. Tastefully decorated.
7.0 / 10.0
Great atmosphere, quiet rooms, comfortable, clean, great facilities (boot room!), lovely lounge area and staff were superb and really friendly. Loved the options of snacks on offer in the bedrooms too!
Restaurant wasn't amazing for dinner and breakfast value for money. Food felt average for the price and cooked breakfast felt as if it had been scooped off of a buffet hot plate which had been sitting for a while. Options for mains felt quite lacking but understable on why options would be kept to a minimum, just felt like there could have been more variety.
10.0 / 10.0
All good.
All good no worries.
10.0 / 10.0
The size of the room and everything was clean, fresh cooked breakfast
The view
10.0 / 10.0
Beautiful hotel in a gorgeous town. Serious value for money. There are a few stairs to consider so if you aren’t the most able, request a room with better access beforehand.
Nothing, will return in the future.
9.0 / 10.0
Staff great
Nothing
7.0 / 10.0
Dog friendly, clean, cosy atmosphere
Rooms were quite small
5.0 / 10.0
Réception staff great.
Breakfast service poor, un cleaned tables, staff slovenly. Hotel is very tired and needs an upgrade
FAQs
Does this property follow enhanced cleaning procedures?
Yes, this inn has implemented enhanced cleaning procedures and processes to keep you healthy and safe.
Is parking included with this inn?
Parking is not specified as an available amenity at Balmoral Arms. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this inn?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this inn. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is Balmoral Arms pet friendly?
Yes! This inn is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at Balmoral Arms?
We found 19 amenities for this rental. This includes golf course (within 2 mi), free wifi/internet, non-smoking, pets allowed, and heating.
