What's Happening with the Capital's Plastic-Shrouded Hotel?

Positioned on the most popular thoroughfares in the core of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre sits a giant structure of scaffolding.

For the past 60 months, a prominent hotel on the intersection of the famous Royal Mile and George IV Bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Tourists cannot book rooms, walkers are funneled through narrow walkways, and establishments have vacated the building.

Restoration efforts began in 2020 and was only expected to last a brief duration, but now frustrated residents have been told the structure could remain until 2027.

Further Delays

The construction firm, the lead company, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the initial parts of the scaffold can be dismantled.

The city's political leader a city representative has labeled it a "eyesore" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is happening with this seemingly endless project?

A Troubled History

The establishment with 136 rooms was constructed on the site of the former local government offices in 2009.

Figures from when it first opened under the a designer banner, put the build cost at about a significant sum.

Work on the building started soon after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

Part of the road and a large section of sidewalk leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been rendered unusable by the work.

Pedestrians going to and from the an adjacent district and a neighboring street have been required one after another into a confined, sheltered corridor.

A dining establishment a popular spot quit the building and moved to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

In a release, its owners said the ongoing project had forced them to modify the restaurant's facade, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also the location of restaurant chain a pizza restaurant – which has displayed large notices on the structure to notify customers it is operating as usual.

Slipped Schedules

An update to the a city committee in January this year suggested that the process of "revealing" the façade would commence in February, with a complete dismantling by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that is incorrect, pointing to "extremely complex" structural challenges for the delay.

"We project starting to remove portions of the scaffold close to the conclusion of 2026, with subsequent enhancements proceeding afterwards," the company commented.

"We are working closely with all parties to ensure we provide an better site for the public."

Local and Conservation Frustration

A heritage director, head of preservation association the a local association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for development.

She said those involved in the project had a "public duty" to reduce disruption and should blend the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It renders the experience for those on foot in that part of town exceptionally challenging.

"It is puzzling why there is not some attempt to integrate it into the street view or create something more aesthetic and cutting-edge."

Ongoing Efforts

A project spokesperson said work on "measures to aesthetically improve the site" was continuing.

They added: "We acknowledge the irritations felt by nearby inhabitants and businesses.

"This has been a long and drawn-out process, highlighting the difficulty and scale of the remedial work required, however we are committed to finishing this essential work as soon as is possible."

The official said the city would "maintain pressure" on those involved to finish the project.

She said: "This framework has been a problem for years, and I understand the annoyance of locals and area enterprises over these persistent hold-ups.

"Nonetheless, I also appreciate that the firm has a duty to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has been hugely complex."