We take a look at plans to convert a 1950s concrete office building into a smart boutique hotel in the Scottish capital.

Developed by Cannon Corporate UK, this proposed scheme promises to help boost footfall for local businesses in Edinburgh’s West End.

A new lease of life

Planned for completion in 2022, the Meldrum House development would transform a ‘50s office space formerly used by HM Revenue & Customs into a 166-key boutique hotel designed to benefit the surrounding area.

Michael Laird Architects has been tasked with retaining the building’s original structure, while adding new facilities and a rooftop extension. Its response involves clever use of stone cladding on the main elevations to fit in with the distinctive architecture of Edinburgh’s West End.

A hotel with strong community links

A planning statement in support of the scheme, located at Drumsheugh Gardens, states that it wouldn’t include any restaurants, bars, cafes, fitness or conferencing facilities. Instead, the hotel would actively encourage guests to visit local businesses in the area.

On opening, the four-star property would be managed by Resident Hotels, which currently has several hotels across London and Liverpool, each providing stylish accommodation in a modern setting.

Many TOPHOTELNEWS articles draw on exclusive information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. This subscription-based product includes details of thousands of hotel projects around the world, along with the key decision-makers behind them. Please note, our data may differ from records held by other organisations. Generally, the database focuses on four- and five-star schemes of significant scale; tracks projects in either the vision, pre-planning, planning, under-construction, pre-opening or newly opened phase; and covers newbuilds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions.

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