The Scotsman Hotel Edinburgh opened in 2001 in the Edwardian (1905) building which had housed The Scotsman newspaper for nearly a century. The hotel is located on North Bridge between the Royal Mile and Princes Street, thereby straddling Edinburgh’s Medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town.
| The Scotsman Hotel | |
|---|---|
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 The north elevation of The Scotsman Hotel | |
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| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Hotel |
| Architectural style | Scots Renaissance |
| Address | 20 North Bridge EH1 1TR |
| Town or city | Edinburgh |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°57′4″N 3°11′17″W / 55.95111°N 3.18806°W |
| Named for | The Scotsman |
| Construction started | 1899 |
| Completed | 1902 |
| Opened | 2001 |
| Client | John Ritchie & Co |
| Owner | G1 Group |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 10 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | James Dunn and James Finlay |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 56 |
| Number of suites | 13 |
| Number of restaurants | 1 (Grande Cafe) |
| Number of bars | 1 (The Hide) |
| Public transit access |  St Andrew Square Edinburgh Waverley |
| Website | |
| scotsmanhotel | |
Listed Building – Category A | |
| Official name | 20-52 (Even Nos) North Bridge including Scotsman Hotel, Scotsman Steps, Arcade, Royal Mile Mansions, 175 and 177 High Street and 65-71 (Odd Nos) Cockburn Street |
| Designated | 12 December 1974 |
| Reference no. | LB30143 |
Ownership
editThe Scotsman was previously part of JJW Hotels & Resorts and was purchased by Sheikh Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber for £63 million in 2006.[1] In August 2007, JJW acquired The Eton Collection.[2]
The hotel went into liquidation in June 2016 and was sold to the G1 Group for an undisclosed amount in February 2017.[3]
Building history
editIn the 1900s the North Bridge running between the New and Old Towns of Edinburgh was widened and as part of this expansion a 190-foot-high tower was built, into which The Scotsman newspaper moved their offices. The building, designed by Dunn & Findlay, cost around £500,000 and after the rest of the North Bridge extension was completed teamed with the Carlton directly opposite, it formed an imposing entrance to the Old Town.
The direct access from Market Street to the building was an ideal distribution outlet for the papers to be packed directly onto the trains at Edinburgh Waverley railway station straight from the printing house that took up the entire basement. The middle floors of the building were originally used for the editorial offices. The current penthouse used to be the Pigeon lofts. The site now occupied by the North Bridge Brasserie originally held the reception and trading rooms where bartering over advertising took place.[citation needed]
In 2001, the Newspaper moved to their own purpose-built offices in Holyrood and the building was renovated into The Scotsman Hotel. In 2017, the hotel once again came under Scottish ownership when it was purchased by G1 Group, one of the country's largest hospitality groups. Now the company's flagship venue, the Hotel has spent several years going through a substantial refurbishment, which has seen all bedrooms upgraded, and a boutique cinema added. Additionally, The Grand Café now occupies the former advertising offices of the building and serves brunch, afternoon tea and dinner to a soundtrack of live piano and jazz.
Ghosts
editIn a link to its time as former offices of the Edinburgh Evening News, the building is reported to be "haunted by a host of ghosts, including a phantom printer and a phantom forger."[4]
Awards
edit- Boutique Hotel Of The Year Award – 2020 Scottish Hotel Awards[5]
- Hotel Design Gold Laurel – 2020 Scottish Hotel Awards[5]
- Voted one of the top hotels in the world – Condé Nast Traveler, 2007[citation needed]
- Voted one of the top hotels in the world – Departures
- Nominated Hotel of the Year – The AA, 2002[6]
- One of the Top UK Business Hotels – Condé Nast Traveler, 2007
- One of the Top 20 UK hotels – Tatler, 2004[citation needed]
- Simon Fraser was awarded Rising Star Restaurant Manager of the Year – Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards 2008[7]
- Hotel is a member of The Preferred Hotel Group
References
edit- ^ Colin Donald (1 February 2006). "Scotsman hotel sold to Saudi for GBP 63m". The Scotsman. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
- ^ Michael Blackley (16 August 2007). "City's Scotsman Hotel booked in for a six-figure makeover Revamp ahead after group buys Eton Collection for GBP 70m". The Scotsman. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
- ^ BBC (22 February 2017). "Five-star Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh bought by entrepreneur Stefan King". BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- ^ "Why you've more than a ghost of a chance of seeing a spook". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 8 November 2004.
- ^ a b "Scottish Hotel Awards 2019 Winners". Scottishhotelawards.com. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Frank ODonnell (28 September 2002). "Scotsman Hotel wins AA Hotel of the Year award". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
- ^ http://www.scottishhoteloftheyearawards.com/docs/2008/SHOTY%202008%20Winners.pdf [dead link]