Premier Hospitality Scotland

24 Royal Terrace

24 Royal Terrace Edinburgh Images depict opening launch night of '24 ROYAL TERRACE EDINBURGH.
Written by Roma Publications
24 Royal Terrace Edinburgh Images depict opening launch night of '24 ROYAL TERRACE EDINBURGH.

24 Royal Terrace Edinburgh
Images depict opening launch night of ’24 ROYAL TERRACE EDINBURGH.

A new 16-bedroom hotel, 24 Royal Terrace has been opened on one of Edinburgh’s most iconic Georgian terraces ahead of the International Festival.

Located in Edinburgh the venue opened its doors on the 17th July this year following a £1 million restoration which has seen the 1820’s building revamped.

Originally designed by the famous architect William Playfair, the restoration has retained the original architectural features of the building whilst introducing a bold contemporary interior design scheme.

The venue has been transformed from the old Ailsa Craig Hotel into a chic new Edinburgh townhouse and is opening under new ownership, with bedroom suites suitable for both business and leisure guests. The rooms vary from spacious apartment suites to affordable single rooms and have been kitted out with several high-tech features including high-speed internet, Samsung Smart TVs, and technology to allow guests to stream media from their devices or Netflix accounts.

24 Royal Terrace Edinburgh

A number of the hotel’s suites feature cast iron baths and high flush cistern toilets giving the luxurious rooms an historic feel. The public ladies WCs also feature high flush cistern toilets which have been juxtaposed with modern glass doors adding to the eclectic design scheme.

The hotel also features a private, original art collection estimated to be worth £500,000 including works by John Bratby, Robin Philipson, Sir Terry Frost and John Cunningham as well as Scottish artists John Bellany, Peter Howson, Steven Campbell, Henry Kondracki and John Houston. A selection of aboriginal art also decorates the ageing structure providing a real sense of culture and history to the space.

The current owners purchased the site in September last year and works began on site to revamp the space immediately. Peter Dawson acted as the main contractor on the scheme, Keith Owen delivered the architectural services and Suzie Le Friec fulfilled the client’s design brief.

24 Royal Terrace Edinburgh Images depict opening launch night of '24 ROYAL TERRACE EDINBURGH.

The on-site team have stripped out the hotel completely, as well as rewiring it with new electric, plumbing and boiler systems. Across the entire venue everything has been replaced, restored and revamped to make the venue the ideal hotel to unwind in.

Premier Hospitality caught up with Suzie Le Friec, Director of Edinburgh City Pads, to find out more about the project. She commented:

“What we have tried to do with this scheme, in line with the clients brief, is mix the old with the new. Five of our suites comprise old, antique furniture and features and other bedrooms contain more modern finishes.

“Refurbishing a beautiful townhouse in this location has been great; seeing the space restored back to a beautiful condition has been rewarding. Works have involved restoring some cornicing and coving features in the hotels bedrooms and they now look stunning as do the beautiful, new landscaped garden which leads up to The Royal Gardens.”

24 Royal Terrace Edinburgh

Upon entering the five floor hotel through the main entrance guests are greeted with rt’s bar on the right of the entrance and stunning black and white tiles running throughout the whole of the main entrance.

The hotel’s staircase is a grand feature of the space and leads to a restored atrium space. Bold red carpet runs the length of the entire building acting as an eye-catching splash of colour.

Located behind rt’s, a large suite can be found which leads directly to the basement where two one bed apartments have been constructed, suitable for individuals wanting a more comfortable, spacious stay.

Suzie said that originally the team planned to undertake a basic refurbishment of the space but after uncovering a number of features in the old building the works programme expanded. Despite the change in plans the team encountered no real design or construction challenges.

24 Royal Terrace Edinburgh

As part of the hotel’s development rt’s bar has been created; a stylish meeting point for guests and Edinburgh locals, serving a carefully selected menu, from Scottish and continental breakfast in the morning, to tapas in the evening, and a varied lunch menu throughout the day.

A champagne afternoon tea will also be on offer at rt’s between 2pm and 5pm daily, and the bars will showcase a comprehensive wine list. rt’s will also serve a fine range of whiskies, playing to Royal Terrace’s historical nickname, ‘Whisky Row’, a reference to the number of spirit merchants who lived on the terrace when it was newly built.

The hotel opened just in time for the internationally-acclaimed Edinburgh Festival taking place throughout the summer. People travel from all over the world to experience the diverse events in the city, and with some hotels booking up months in advance, the timely opening of 24 Royal Terrace will surely be welcome news to festival-going tourists.

24 Royal Terrace Edinburgh

The hotel is located in close proximity to the town centre, the hotel backs onto the Royal Gardens of Holyrood Palace and Calton Hill with commanding views across to the Firth of Forth.

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Roma Publications