New hotel planned at Edinburgh’s West End.
Since HMRC announced its move to the new UK Government building at Waverleygate, their previous home, Meldrum House on Drumsheugh Gardens has been ripe for development. An application for conversion to a 166 bedroom hotel was lodged in 2020. The deal is now moving on and Mactaggart Family & Partners have bought the building which The Resident Hotels will run when it opens in 2024. This is the sixth hotel for Resident but a first in Scotland. The building was constructed in the 1960s and will now be renovated according to a design created by Michael Laird And Associates. They were commissioned to create an elegant property befitting the prime location.
William Laxton, CIO of MF&P, said: “Edinburgh – and this micro location within it – is perfect for The Resident guest product and operating model and we are thrilled to be bringing our amazing team to this world class capital city.
“The acquisition and development adds to our momentum, having rebranded the group in early 2020 and achieved exceptional guest feedback through TripAdvisor.
“The transaction also demonstrates our belief in the operating model, at a time we begin the implementation of our ambitions to grow Resident Hotels as an operator of third party owned hotels.”
The Resident brand encourages guests to explore the neighbourhoods in which it is situated and with this latest opening, will be partnering with local bars and restaurants to showcase the expertise of the local epicurean artisans for which Edinburgh is renowned.
The hotel does not feature traditional F&B, but instead offers guests table service in its lounge, as well as in-room service, giving guests the choice on where and when they eat and creating a relaxed, home-from-home experience away from that of traditional hotel bars and restaurants.
David Orr, CEO, Resident Hotels, is from Edinburgh and has been responsible for creating over 3,000 hotel rooms across the UK and Europe, said: “Edinburgh is perfect for The Resident brand, being rich in arts and culture, education and entrepreneurial businesses attracting a wide range of both domestic and international visitors, eager to immerse themselves in the city.
“We want people to stay in genuinely interesting places and we hope that by creating welcoming, well-designed hotels with highly-engaged team who know their neighbourhoods, we can play a role in those communities while creating a wonderful guest experience.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
