The Situation with the Capital's Plastic-Shrouded Hotel?

Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the heart of Scotland's ancient city stands a giant structure of construction framework.

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

Travellers cannot book rooms, walkers are directed through tight corridors, and businesses have left the building.

Restoration efforts commenced in 2020 and was only expected to last a short period, but now fed-up residents have been told the structure could persist until 2027.

Prolonged Deadlines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the lead company, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the scaffold can be dismantled.

A local authority figure a council official has called it a "eyesore" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "very troublesome".

What is going on with this apparently perpetual project?

A Troubled History

The establishment with 136 rooms was constructed on the site of the old Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Projections from when it initially debuted under the a fashion-branded banner, put the development expense at about a significant sum.

Construction activity got underway soon after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a large section of sidewalk leading up to the intersection of the tourist drag have been closed off by the work.

Walkers going to and from the a nearby area and Victoria Terrace have been compelled one after another into a tight, enclosed passage.

A dining establishment a popular spot quit the building and transferred to a different location in 2024.

In a statement, its owners said the ongoing project had forced them to modify the restaurant's look, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also home to popular eatery a chain – which has displayed large banners on the framework to inform customers it is open for business.

Slipped Schedules

An report to the council's transport and environment committee in January this year stated that the process of "revealing" the frontage would begin in February, with a complete dismantling by the close of the year.

But the firm has said that is not the case, pointing to "extremely complex" structural challenges for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to take down parts of the scaffold near the finish of 2026, with additional work continuing thereafter," they said.

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

Local and Conservation Frustration

Rowan Brown, lead of heritage body the an advocacy group, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

She said those working on the project had a "public duty" to reduce disturbance and should incorporate the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It is making the experience for those on foot in that area of the city exceptionally challenging.

"It is perplexing why there is not an effort to incorporate it within the street view or create something more artistic and avant-garde."

Project Response

A official statement said work on "measures to aesthetically improve the site" was in progress.

They continued: "We understand the irritations felt by nearby inhabitants and enterprises.

"This constitutes a extended and complex process, highlighting the difficulty and magnitude of the restoration required, however we are committed to concluding this necessary work as soon as is possible."

Ms Meagher said the city would "maintain pressure" on those involved to wrap up the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a blight for years, and I echo the frustration of residents and local businesses over these persistent hold-ups.

"That said, I also appreciate that the company has a duty to make the building safe and that this repair has been hugely complex."