WHITBREAD PLC has submitted plans to transform Capital House into a 195-bedroom Premier Inn, with a commitment to investing more than £21 million in the conversion of the existing building into a hotel.
After acquiring the 65,350 sq ft gross office block off Lothian Road last year, Whitbread – the owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain – has been preparing a planning application to change the use of the building to a hotel.
The plans involve the conversion of the existing building and rear extension of the 1980s office into a latest format Premier Inn hotel with a ground floor restaurant and bar.
Jill Anderson, acquisitions manager for Scotland at Whitbread, said, “The visitor economy in Edinburgh is thriving but there remains an unmet demand for additional budget hotel rooms in the city. Capital House represents an excellent opportunity for us to deliver new Premier Inn bedrooms at affordable prices for our customers in a fantastic city centre location.
“The location is ideal for both business and leisure customers. It is sustainable and highly accessible with direct bus, tram and rail networks within a short walk, it’s a stone’s throw from the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and Exchange District and is close to tourist destinations like Edinburgh Castle, Usher Hall and other theatres.
“We’re thrilled to submit proposals to transform this underused office building and bring life back into this corner of Festival Square. We are investing £21 million into delivering the new hotel which will generate over £8 million of additional guest spend into the Edinburgh economy each year and create more than 30 new hospitality jobs. We look forward to working with Edinburgh City Council to progress the application towards determination.”
Whitbread added that it currently welcomes close to a million visitors to its network of 14 Premier Inn hotels within the City of Edinburgh Council area. The business calculates its guests staying at these hotels generate more than £32 million in visitor expenditure to the Edinburgh economy every year.
