Port of Leith, home to the historic Royal Yacht Britannia, is welcoming a new floating fixture to its hospitality industry.
Plans to construct Scotland’s first ‘luxury static floating hotel’ were today lodged with The City of Edinburgh Council. This project requires the restoration and conversion of the former National Lighthouse Board (NLB) tender, MV Fingal, into a 23 bedroom hotel.
The £3.5 million development by the Royal Yacht Enterprises promises to deliver the “ultimate in luxury, offering a wide range of bedroom suites, cabins with private balconies, duplex apartments and a stunning Presidential Suite.”
The aptly named ‘Boatique Hotel’ will open its doors in Easter 2018, boasting an additional 30 new jobs in hospitality for the area: on top of Britannia’s 170 staff.
MV Fingal has had a rich maritime history: the developers of the new hotel have ensured that the decor of their development will be in-keeping with Fingal’s career.
The Royal Yacht Britannia remains an award winning attraction in Edinburgh, attracting a record of 350,000 visitors last year. The yacht has maintained its position as the ‘best attraction in Scotland’ for 11 years, by Visit Scotland.
Cheif Executive Bob Downie said: “Having excelled in the visitor attraction market for nearly 20 years, we are very much looking forward to the challenges of operating in the luxury hotel market and the benefits it will generate for Britannia over the years to come.”
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Local Journalist and Writer based in Edinburgh @ryan_latto
