Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh The Caledonian hotel to leave the brand

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• Stu_N says:

  28 Mar28 March 13:20

  Hopefully a good thing for the hotel long term. As it stands it just hasn’t got a niche. It’s not old school luxury in same way as Balmoral, too big to be boutique/ modern like Glasshouse or Nira Caledonia, it’s more dated than Kimpton but too expensive to compete with Courtyard, Hotel INdigo or Carlton.

  Location is also getting a bit left behind – Princes Street is a mess and Shandwick Place worse. Nothing is very far from anywhere else in Edinburgh but the centre of gravity has decisively shifted towards east with St James’ Quarter.

  • Rob says:

    28 Mar28 March 13:39

    Agree with the location comment. With Princes Street losing its key shops there is no real reason to be at that end.

    • Paul says:

      28 Mar28 March 15:52

      But of course the Old Jenners building is being converted to multi use hotel / retail space. This should improve the state on Princess Street. It’s no worse than Oxford street in London with its mang pop up sweetie shops and VAP outlets

      • Stu_N says:

        28 Mar28 March 16:31

        …but Jenners redevelopment is at the east end of Princes St (single S, tsk tsk) so part of that trend.

        The only large scale retail/ tourism point of interest at the West End is the Johnnie Walker experience in the old House of Fraser building.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          28 Mar28 March 17:57

          It’s so easy to walk up and down it’s all much of a muchness. It’s always the case with things like this. Regeneration comes with waves. Hopefully space for smaller independents to spring up

    • BJ says:

      28 Mar28 March 17:57

      You’ve forgot the conference centre…a key factor for this, the Sheraton and Voco. WA is better-located than either of those two all things considered. Lot’s of visitors to Edinburgh explore by bus, and in this respect WA is probably tge best-located hotel in the city with its proximity to key dtops on Princes Street, Shandwick Place, Lothian Road and Queensferry Street.

      • Stu_N says:

        28 Mar28 March 22:36

        Edinburgh has an excellent bus network (both quality and quantity of routes), however I don’t think people who are spending £300+ on a room on the WA are the people who are worrying about proximity to bus stops to max out the use of a Day Ticket.

        (Was Voco I meant too, not Indigo above.)

        • BJ says:

          29 Mar29 March 06:02

          Business people know, leisure travellers many do. Chatted with loads of tourists on buses and at stops over the years and few have given me the impression they’re staying at Travelodge. Even so, you can easily pay £200-300 at that end of the market too.

• Colin MacKinnon says:

  28 Mar28 March 13:23

  Not surprising. The Dean Banks at the Pompadour restaurant is a real disappointment – not top class, as the Pompadour used to be.

  Furniture is like a top class canteen!

  And the wine! £90 for a £23 bottle of Ribiera!

  Suspect they couldn’t get anyone else to run it. And now they’ll face competition from the Golden W – had some great cocktails there the other night. The Caley just doesn’t have great bars and restaurants.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    28 Mar28 March 13:40

    Joao’s Place? will be a great spot in the summer

    • Colin MacKinnon says:

      28 Mar28 March 15:24

      @TGLoyalty Actually, just the main cocktail bar – fab views south west over the Balmoral and the castle. And then upstairs for a massive open terrace in the summer.

      Joao’s Place – we were told by Charlie, the deputy bar manager – will only be for pre-booking and private groups. And there is another area for private dining.

      Not sure why you would want a bar by a fictitious Brazilian in Scotland’s capital – it is not as though we are short of legends in Scotland!

      • TGLoyalty says:

        28 Mar28 March 18:01

        Wonder if they’re changing the concept as walk ins are fine at the mo at joao’s and not just private hire. It has a large terrace too

        Name is a connection to a Japanese community in São Paulo if I recall.

• Amy C says:

  28 Mar28 March 13:30

  I have stayed there 3 times, last time in Dec 23. It’s a lovely building but always been disappointed by the tiny rooms with terrible views I have been placed in. At Christmas it does look lovely.

  • Stu_N says:

    28 Mar28 March 14:32

    If you get a room on the Lothian Road or Rutland Street side, it is nice but noisy due to traffic and cobbles, plus listed status prevents installation of proper soundproofing. The car park side is much quieter but rooms are as far as I am aware all tiny, be it original building or 80s extension.

• Andrew. says:

  28 Mar28 March 13:31

  If you go round the back, there’s rough brick 3 storey extension

  https://maps.app.goo.gl/TUeiP84JHwaZFjCW9

  I’m sure something better/taller could go on that. Perhaps lose the car park too?

  • BJ says:

    28 Mar28 March 18:05

    That’s what I was thinking, I seem to remember something else being there but couldn’t think what, but it’s what sprung to mind when article mentioned extension.

    • Stu_N says:

      28 Mar28 March 22:41

      I’d guess they are converting existing internal space into rooms. A lot of the rooms couldn’t be any smaller, I wonder if they are losing the spa or some function/ event space?

      There’s nothing on the Edinburgh City Council planning portal for the hotel that looks like external changes. Looking at previous applications they needed planning for a brass plaque, changes to flagpoles and that sort of thing.

      • BJ says:

        29 Mar29 March 06:06

        If they include 10 studios for social housing they’ll get to do whatever they want…

• His Holyness says:

  28 Mar28 March 15:57

  There goes Emyr’s commission :D. Impresario is over.
  Hilton are just bad at luxury and the hotel was poorly managed on behalf of the owners.

• Derek Scott says:

  28 Mar28 March 19:13

  It might struggle to extend without losing car park space, the far end touches Standard Life House and extending into the car park would give the SL employees in the East wing a bit of an uncomfortable view into those rooms!!

• Peggerz says:

  28 Mar28 March 20:06

  The Caley has been in poor condition for some time, compared to the other offerings in the city ie, W, Gleneagles Townhouse, Kimpton (though this is slipping a bit), Balmoral etc and like the IC George, has been living off its old reputation. With smart hotel’s on the way in the old Debenhams, Overseas League, Jenners and Forsyths (Topman !) buildings on Princes Street alone, this upgrade will have to succeed or the Caley will continue to be under pressure.

• Erico1875 says:

  29 Mar29 March 06:03

  The new glass Haymarket development is apparently getting a hotel too on its next phase

  • Stu_N says:

    29 Mar29 March 08:56

    Yep. It’s to be a Hyatt, not sure which sub-brand, heard both Regency and Centric.

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