The Chris Stewart Group is a name which has become more and more familiar in Edinburgh with firstly the Old Town Apartments on Advocate’s Close, and now development of the building at Baxter’s Place into a Courtyard Marriott.
Advocate’s Close was Scotland’s Best Building 2014, and received the RIAS Andrew Doolan Award.
The building in Baxter’s Place has been empty for some considerable time, but it is ideally placed next to The Playhouse and close to the planned Edinburgh St James where demolition is about to make way for a new £1 billion scheme of residential units, offices and shopping.
The hotel will make use of the run of Georgian townhouses facing Leith Walk with a 60,000 square feet extension to the rear which you can see from Greenside Lane. There will be 240 rooms in total along with dining options, a boardroom for up to 16 , designated media pods and a fitness centre for hotel guests. If the gym is not big enough then guest will be given the opportunity of a day pass for the Nuffield Health gym at Omni Centre at discounted rates.
The house was previously home to Robert Stevenson engineer who designed the Scottish lighthouses, in particular that at Bell Rock off the Angus Coast.
As well as the hotel there will be a brasserie and bar open to the public all day.
The Edinburgh Reporter met with Douglas Winfield the General Manager who told us that he is currently looking to employ about 100 members of staff for the planned opening in December 2016.
The company is also developing The Registers at 42 St Andrew Square which is the former RBS HQ. The development will include a new build office section at the back of the Gothic facade. There will be 15,000 square feet of restaurant and bar space along with Grade A office accommodation and more than 50 serviced residential apartments. As part of the scheme West Register Street will be pedestrianised as a shared space. Lighting and street furniture will be used to make this a much nicer space than it used to be, forming the gateway to the Register Lanes area all part of a £100 million redevelopment.
Here is the fly through :
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