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Artisan Real Estate has submitted a planning application to the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) to transform a sandstone office building on the edge of Edinburgh’s New Town into a sustainable 102-bedroom city centre hotel.
Artisan have agreed terms with Whitbread to operate the completed hotel under its popular hub by Premier Inn brand.
The proposals will retain much of the external structure of the building whilst replacing the top floor facade with a contemporary new cladding and finish to meet current building standards.
Internally, the hotel’s design specification will meet high environmental and sustainability standards, with air-sourced heat pump technology replacing the existing fossil fuel water system.
The current occupiers of Albany House, located at 58 Albany Street on the corner of the capital’s Broughton Street, are relocating to new offices in the city centre later this year.
The five-storey building was constructed in the 1980s and was designed to reflect the adjacent Georgian neoclassical town houses along Albany Street.
David Westwater, Artisan’s managing director 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 high levels of insulation and energy technology, delivering both a sustainable and attractive addition to Edinburgh’s successful hospitality sector.”
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 hub by Premier Inn brand is designed to appeal to budget, short-stay travellers. 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 connected and interesting city centre locations.”
