PLANS to transform an old office building in Edinburgh’s city centre into a 102-bedroom Premier Inn have been submitted.
Artisan Real Estate, who specialise in property redevelopments, have submitted a planning application to the City of Edinburgh Council to transform a sandstone office building on the edge of Edinburgh’s New Town.
The five-storey building was constructed in the 1980s and was designed to reflect the adjacent Georgian town houses along Albany Street, and is a short distance from the £1 billion St James Quarter.
Artisan has agreed terms with hospitality giant Whitbread to operate the completed hotel under its Hub by Premier Inn brand once it is completed.
The proposals would retain much of the external structure of the building while replacing the top floor facade with a “contemporary new cladding and finish” to meet current building standards.
Artisan’s managing director for Scotland, David Westwater, said he is pleased to be working with Whitbread to provide a new modern hotel.
He 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.”
The news comes just weeks after Whitbread submitted a planning application for a new 195-bedroom Premier Inn on Edinburgh’s Festival Square, adjacent to the existing upmarket Sheraton hotel.
The firm has made a commitment to invest more than £21 million in the conversion of the existing office building into the new budget hotel.
Jill Anderson, acquisitions manager for Whitbread, said she is “proud” that the hospitality firm is offering “good-value hotels” across the capital city.
She said: “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.”
She added: “Albany House is an excellent location for us, 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.”
