We will be in Edinburgh for a week in September to celebrate a very special birthday. The hotels that I'm considering so far are: The Balmoral, The Sheraton Grand, The Howard, and The Rutland. All of these seem to have good reviews. One of the reasons that I'm considering the Sheraton is because of the castle view.

Does anyone have any comments about any of these, or could anyone recommend anything else?

Thanks very much!

The hotels you've listed range in size from 12 to 269 bedrooms so a lot will depend on whether you want a small "boutique" place or a big place with health club etc attached. You'll pay around 30 to 40 GBP per night extra at the Sheraton for a room with a castle view, which over a week adds up to a couple of very nice dinners each. I wouldn't pay it, there are plenty of places in Edinburgh where you get a castle view for free, and how much time will you psend looking out of your hotel window?
I'd also think twice about "dinner bed & breakfast" offers covering the full week. They'll look better value than booking dinner when you get there, but there's such a variety of great eateries it would be a waste to eat in your hotel every night.
Wherever you choose, have a great birthday. 21 is it?

If you are interested in a small hotel, I thought the Howard was great. Coming from the US, I enjoyed the experience of staying in an old fashioned place. It was what I had envisioned staying in Edinburgh would be like. I loved the huge claw footed bathtub in the enormous bathroom and the wonderful breakfasts. I liked the location very much also. I didn't mind being in the New Town at all. I stayed there about 6 years ago but would be happy to try to remember any details if you have specific questions.

Thanks for these comments. I do tend to prefer smaller boutique hotels, but for this vacation I want to find a really special place. And a castle view just sounds really cool. The Scotsman looked perfect, but unfortunately it's not available for our dates.

Sally30, I'm glad that you liked the Howard. It looks really lovely. I guess I wasn't aware that there's a New Town section of Edinburgh. How close is that to the older section? I'm assuming that everything is within walking distance?

"<i>I guess I wasn't aware that there's a New Town section of Edinburgh. How close is that to the older section?</i>"

The NEW town isn't "new". It is basically Georgian and early Victorian and is a World Heritage site on its own. It is basically directly across Princes Street/Gardens from the Castle and the Medieval Old town up on the escarpment.

Thank you for the explanation janisj. I suppose we'll go ahead with The Howard, then.

Thanks again to everyone.

An update: we recently returned from a week in Edinburgh and stayed at Tigerlily. We absolutely loved this hotel and would highly recommend it. The location was perfect and we couldn't have been more pleased with the room. There is a club downstairs, and while we could occasionally hear the music, it really is very well insulated and was not a problem at all. Would totally stay there again.