PLANNING consent has been granted by the City of Edinburgh Council to transform a sandstone office building on the edge of the capital’s New Town into a 102-bedroom city centre hotel.
Artisan Real Estate is now set to progress with the redevelopment of Albany House, located at 58 Albany Street on the corner of the capital’s Broughton Street, with completion scheduled for summer 2027.
The firm has agreed terms with Whitbread plc to operate the completed hotel under its Premier Inn brand.
The five-storey Albany House was constructed in the 1980s and was designed to reflect the adjacent Georgian neoclassical town houses along Albany Street. The current occupiers are relocating to new offices in the city centre in 2026.
Artisan’s design proposals will 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. Air-sourced heat pump technology will replace the existing fossil fuel heating and hot water system.
Artisan Real Estate MD for Scotland, David Westwater, said, “This exciting hotel development will bring continued interest and investment to a vibrant corner of Edinburgh’s eastern city centre. We are pleased to be once again working with Whitbread to create a modern and contemporary hotel interior providing the high levels of insulation and energy technology, delivering both a sustainable and attractive addition to Edinburgh’s successful hospitality sector. The existing sandstone building is well-suited to hotel development with high levels of natural daylight and an established entrance area.
“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, “Albany House is an excellent location for a hub by Premier Inn hotel, and I am very pleased to be working with Artisan to expand our footprint in the city in a sustainable way through the proposed conversion of the 1980s office building.
“Our hub by Premier Inn hotels are designed to appeal to budget, short-stay travellers, looking to stay in the most interesting and connected city centre locations. It offers all the comfort, consistency, and reliability of Premier Inn, but with a smaller bedroom and the format allows us to offer great value rooms in the most vibrant places.”
