The Situation with the Capital's Scaffolding-Clad Hotel?

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

For the past 60 months, a prominent hotel on the intersection of the famous Royal Mile and the adjacent bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Travellers find no available accommodations, foot traffic are directed through confined passages, and businesses have vacated the building.

Repair work commenced in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a few months, but now exasperated residents have been told the structure could remain until 2027.

Prolonged Deadlines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the main contractor, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the first sections of the frame can be removed.

The city's political leader a city representative has labeled it a "blight" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "very troublesome".

What is going on with this apparently perpetual project?

A Troubled History

The sizeable hotel was built on the site of the former local government offices in 2009.

Figures from when it originally launched under the a fashion-branded banner, put the cost of construction at about thirty million pounds.

Remedial efforts got underway not long after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a large section of pavement leading up to the corner of the Royal Mile have been left out of action by the development.

Pedestrians going to and from the an adjacent district and another locale have been required in a line into a narrow, covered walkway.

Seafood restaurant Ondine left the building and transferred to another city in 2024.

In a statement, its management said building work had forced them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "patrons merited more".

It is also the location of popular eatery a chain – which has placed large signs on the scaffold to remind customers it is still open.

Missed Deadlines

An report to the a city committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "revealing" the exterior would commence in February, with a full removal by the close of the year.

But the contractor has said that is not the case, pointing to "extremely complex" building problems for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to remove parts of the framework towards the end of 2026, with further improvements continuing thereafter," the company commented.

"We are collaborating closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we create an better site for the local area."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, director of preservation association the a local association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "protracted" for construction projects.

She said those involved in the project had a "public duty" to reduce inconvenience and should incorporate the work into the city's aesthetic.

She said: "It is making the experience for those on foot in that section very hard.

"I don't understand why there is not some attempt to integrate it into the streetscape or produce something more artistic and avant-garde."

Project Response

A project spokesperson said work on "ideas to beautify the site" was ongoing.

They stated: "We recognize the frustrations felt by nearby inhabitants and shops.

"This represents a extended and complex process, reflecting the difficulty and size of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to finishing this essential work as soon as is practicable."

The official said the local authority would "keep applying pressure" on those responsible to finish the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a blight for years, and I understand the frustration of residents and area enterprises over these ongoing postponements.

"Nonetheless, I also recognize that the company has a obligation to make the building secure and that this repair has been hugely complex."