The Scotsman Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Scotsman Hotel Edinburgh opened in 2001 in the Victorian
building which had housed The Scotsman newspaper
for nearly a century. The hotel is located on North Bridge
between the Royal Mile
and Princes Street
, thereby straddling Edinburgh’s
Medieval Old Town
and Georgian
New Town
.
and was purchased by Sheikh M.B.I Al Jaber for £63 million in 2006. In August 2007, JJW
acquired The Eton Collection
.
. Originally the top of the building had pigeon lofts for carrier pigeons which were used to carry news back and forth from outlying parts of Scotland. The middle floors of the building were home to the editorial offices and now house the bedrooms (with suites named after the newspaper hierarchy – Editor
, Publisher & Director
). The basement housed the printing presses and is now home to a gym and spa. The hotel’s bar was formerly the newspaper’s reception room. The building's marble staircase was previously only allowed to be used by the newspaper's editorial team. Advertising rooms now hold a private cinema.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
building which had housed The Scotsman newspaper
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
for nearly a century. The hotel is located on North Bridge
North Bridge, Edinburgh
North Bridge is a road bridge and street in Edinburgh linking the High Street with Princes Street, and the New Town with the Old. The current bridge was built between 1894–97. A previous North Bridge, built from 1763–72, stood until 1896....
between the Royal Mile
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
and Princes Street
Princes Street
Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, and its main shopping street. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1 mile from Lothian Road in the west to Leith Street in the east. The street is mostly closed to private...
, thereby straddling Edinburgh’s
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
Medieval Old Town
Old Town, Edinburgh
The Old Town of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is the medieval part of the city. Together with the 18th-century New Town, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has preserved its medieval plan and many Reformation-era buildings....
and Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
New Town
New Town, Edinburgh
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is often considered to be a masterpiece of city planning, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
.
Ownership
The Scotsman is part of JJW Hotels & ResortsJJW Hotels & Resorts
JJW Hotels & Resorts Limited is an international private company of Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber with principal business interests in acquisition, development and operation of several hotels and resorts throughout Europe and the Middle East...
and was purchased by Sheikh M.B.I Al Jaber for £63 million in 2006. In August 2007, JJW
JJW Hotels & Resorts
JJW Hotels & Resorts Limited is an international private company of Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber with principal business interests in acquisition, development and operation of several hotels and resorts throughout Europe and the Middle East...
acquired The Eton Collection
The Eton Collection
The Eton Collection is a group of 4 luxury boutique and town house hotels, mostly in the four and five star sector. It was founded in 1998 and has hotels in London and Edinburgh...
.
Features
Many of the features of the building hark back to when the building was used by The Scotsman NewspaperThe Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
. Originally the top of the building had pigeon lofts for carrier pigeons which were used to carry news back and forth from outlying parts of Scotland. The middle floors of the building were home to the editorial offices and now house the bedrooms (with suites named after the newspaper hierarchy – Editor
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
, Publisher & Director
News Director
A news director is an individual at a broadcast station or network or a newspaper who is in charge of the news department. In local news, the news director is typically in charge of the entire news staff, including journalists, news presenters, photographers, copy writers, television producers,...
). The basement housed the printing presses and is now home to a gym and spa. The hotel’s bar was formerly the newspaper’s reception room. The building's marble staircase was previously only allowed to be used by the newspaper's editorial team. Advertising rooms now hold a private cinema.
Ghosts
In a link to its time as former offices of the Edinburgh Evening News, the building is reported to be "haunted by a host of ghosts, including a phantom printer and a phantom forger."Awards
- Voted one of the top hotels in the world - Condé Nast TravelerCondé Nast TravelerCondé Nast Traveler is a US magazine published by Condé Nast. It has its origins in a mailing sent out by the Diners Club club beginning in 1953, listing locations that would take the card. It began taking advertising in 1955. In order to attract more advertisers, it became a full-fledged magazine,...
, 2007 - Voted one of the top hotels in the world - Departures MagazineDepartures MagazineDepartures is an American lifestyle magazine published by American Express Publishing.Magazine subscription is available only to holders of American Express' Platinum and Centurion charge cards, free of charge....
- Nominated Hotel of the Year - The AAThe Automobile AssociationThe Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
, 2002 - One of the Top UK Business Hotels - Condé Nast TravelerCondé Nast TravelerCondé Nast Traveler is a US magazine published by Condé Nast. It has its origins in a mailing sent out by the Diners Club club beginning in 1953, listing locations that would take the card. It began taking advertising in 1955. In order to attract more advertisers, it became a full-fledged magazine,...
, 2007 - One of the Top 20 UK hotels - TatlerTatlerTatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
, 2004 - Simon Fraser was awarded Rising Star Restaurant Manager of the Year - Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards 2008
- Hotel is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World