The Balmoral snaps up coveted Five Red Star Award at the 2010 AA Hospitality Awards

Edinburgh’s Rocco Forte Collection hotel, The Balmoral received the coveted and prestigious AA Inspectors’ Choice Five Red Star Award at this year’s AA Hospitality Awards.  As one of only a few hotels in Scotland to achieve this merit, The Balmoral, confirms its place at the top of the Scottish hospitality ladder.

The highly regarded accreditations from the internationally recognised AA Guide are awarded on the hotel meeting strict criteria. The Balmoral exceeded expectations by providing luxurious accommodation and public areas, with a range of extra facilities and by providing multilingual service as and when requested.

Commenting on this prestigious accolade, Ivan Artolli, General Manager at Rocco Forte’s The Balmoral said, “I am both delighted and proud that The Balmoral has received the AA Inspectors’ Choice Five Red Stars award. This is testament to the dedication of the hotel team who take great pride in delivering the highest levels of customer service, every day – to every guest.”

Comfort and quality are pre-requisites of a five star luxury hotel and The Balmoral is no different with all bedrooms, en suite. The excellent standard of beds and furnishings, courtesy of The Rocco Forte Collection’s Director of Design Olga Polizzi, also drew the attention of the inspection team.

As did the phenomenal standard of dining at the hotel: from the delicious breakfast which includes specials and many home-made items to the highest quality, local ingredients used in both of The Balmoral’s outstanding restaurants.

The Balmoral has enjoyed an exceptional 2010, collecting several prestigious international accolades in the first nine months of the year. Top awards and recognitions include a place on the 2010 Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Awards List as one of the "The Best Hotels in The UK for Business".  The hotel was also delighted to retain its prestigious Michelin star for number one for the ninth year in a row.

For more information on The Balmoral or to book a stay, visit www.roccofortecollection.com

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For further information:
Ilse Van Steen/Nicola McShane
The Rocco Forte Collection
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7321 2626
Email: pressinformation@roccofortecollection.com

Note to Editors:
The Rocco Forte Collection
The Rocco Forte Collection is a family of 13 individual hotels and resorts. Each property has a unique style, reflecting its nationality and location, but all share The Rocco Forte Collection’s trademark attention to detail, high quality and immaculate service.

Established by Sir Rocco Forte in 1996, The Rocco Forte Collection comprises: Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; The Balmoral, Edinburgh; The Lowry Hotel, Manchester; Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg; Hotel Amigo, Brussels; Brown’s Hotel, London; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; The Charles Hotel, Munich; The Augustine, Prague; Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily. Future openings: Abu Dhabi 2010; Marrakech 2012; Jeddah 2012; Cairo 2013.

www.roccofortecollection.com