International operator revives plans for hotel at old Royal High

Published on 22/03/2012 12:00

PLANS for a hotel at the old Royal High School have been revived.

An unnamed international operator is said to have chosen the Capital and Venice for its next two major projects in Europe, after close inspection of the Calton Hill landmark, famed for its Greek-style architecture.

And it is hoped the first plans for the site, long touted as a home for the Scottish Parliament, will be brought forward to the city council and heritage bodies by the summer, it was reported today.

Gareth Hoskins, the architect who has won acclaim for his transformation of the old Royal Museum building, will be designing the hotel, which is expected to have a bar-bistro, spa, health club, banqueting facilities and conference centre.

Duddingston House Properties, the Edinburgh-based developer responsible for the hotel project, said it was confident the plans being discussed with the “world-class” hotel operator were a viable proposition.