Pubs giant in plans to convert city landmark into hotel
Regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate has submitted a planning application to the City of Edinburgh Council to transform the sandstone office building on the edge of the New Town into a 102-bedroom hotel.
The current occupiers of Albany House, located at 58 Albany Street on the corner of 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 townhouses along Albany Street.
The block occupies a landmark position. (Image: Artisan) Artisan has agreed terms with Whitbread to operate the completed hotel under its 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.
The hotel's design specification inside will meet 'high environmental and sustainability standards, with air-sourced heat pump technology replacing the existing fossil fuel water system'.
Artisan Real Estate said it has an established track record of delivering 'innovative hotel development in architecturally sensitive city centre locations'.
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It includes three hotels as part of the award-winning New Waverley development in the heart of the Scottish capital's Old Town, also partnering with Whitbread to deliver a Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn. Most recently, the developer has completed the transformation of Glasgow's historic Clydeside Custom House into a new hotel quarter.
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 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, 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.
'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.
'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.'
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