ARTISAN Real Estate has submitted plans to transform a sandstone office building on the edge of Edinburgh’s New Town into a 102-bedroom hotel.
The current occupiers of Albany House, located on the corner of Broughton Street, are relocating to new offices later this year. The five-storey building was constructed in the 1980s and was designed to reflect the adjacent Georgian neoclassical townhouses.
Artisan has agreed terms with Whitbread to operate the completed hotel under its hub by Premier Inn brand. The proposals, which have been submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council, are said to retain much of the external structure of the building whilst replacing the top floor facade with a new cladding and finish to meet current building standards.
Internally, Artisan said the design specification will meet high environmental and sustainability standards, with air-sourced heat pump technology replacing the existing fossil fuel water system.
David Westwater, Artisan’s MD for Scotland, said, “This design proposal will bring continued interest and investment to a vibrant corner of Edinburgh’s eastern city centre. The existing sandstone building is well-suited to hotel development with high levels of natural daylight and an established entrance area.
“We are pleased to be once again working with Whitbread to create a modern and contemporary interior providing the high levels of insulation and energy technology, delivering both a sustainable and attractive addition to Edinburgh’s successful hospitality sector.
“Albany House is the latest in a succession of high-profile planning proposals delivered by Artisan in Edinburgh’s city centre during the last 12 months and reinforces our stated commitment to bring substantial investment coupled with high quality development to the heart of Scotland’s capital.”
Jill Anderson, acquisitions manager for Whitbread, added, “Premier Inn has been part of Edinburgh’s hospitality scene for more than 30 years. We’re incredibly proud to have built a network of popular, good-value hotels across the city, and we see great potential for further investment given that budget hotels like Premier Inn account for just 20% of the city’s bedroom stock.”
The Albany House proposal follows Artisan’s successful application to transform the city’s historic Caledonian Brewery into a new residential neighbourhood which received planning consent last month. The developer is also progressing with the homes-led regeneration of a vacant office block on the city’s Ferry Road.
