Draft:Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
5-Star Hotel in Edinburgh
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| Virgin Hotels Edinburgh | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of the Virgin Hotels Edinburgh area | |
| General information | |
| Location | 1 India Buildings, Victoria Street, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°56′55.4″N 3°11′32.3″W |
| Opening | June 1, 2022 |
| Management | Virgin Hotels |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | David Cousin (original India Buildings); ICA Studio (hotel redevelopment) |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 222 |
| Number of restaurants | 3 |
| Website | |
| virginhotels | |
History
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh was established in 2022. The hotel opened in Edinburgh's Old Town as the first Virgin Hotels property in Europe.[1][2]
The hotel occupies India Buildings and adjoining listed properties on Victoria Street and Cowgate in the Old Town, Edinburgh World Heritage Site.[3][4]
At launch in 2022, the first phase of the hotel also included the Funny Library, a library-style social and workspace venue.[5][6]
Development and construction
The hotel was developed through the restoration of three listed buildings together with new-build elements on a steeply sloping city-centre site. The re-development was designed by ICA Studio, with public spaces developed in collaboration with Four-by-Two.[7]
Construction was completed in phases. The first phase opened on 1 June 2022 and included 54 bedrooms, the restaurant, bar and library, while the remainder of the property opened later in 2022.[8]
Architecture
The principal historic frontage of the hotel occupies India Buildings, which Historic Environment Scotland describes as a four-storey Scots Baronial and Jacobean office block designed by David Cousin in 1864–66, with a curved street frontage.[9]
The hotel re-development combined restored listed elements with modern interventions. Hotel Designs wrote that the project linked the three listed buildings to each other and to the new-build hotel through "sympathetic yet modern interventions", while sandstone was used to help the new exterior elements sit more harmoniously within the Old Town roofscape.[10]
The interior design retained original features including the domed glass rotunda, decorative cornicing and timber panelling, while contrasting them with contemporary public spaces and guest rooms.[11]
Facilities
The hotel contains 222 guest rooms across ten floors.[12][13]
Review coverage in Business Traveller described the rooms, which the brand calls "chambers", as starting from 24 square metres, while Condé Nast Traveler described the hotel as a large lifestyle property built into the historic fabric of the Old Town.[14][15]
Restaurants
Commons Club: A restaurant and bar that opened as part of the hotel's first phase in 2022.[16] The hotel's current Eat & Drink page describes it as serving Scottish fare with international influences.[17]
Eve: An all-day dining and bar venue on Cowgate, described by the hotel as serving Italian-inspired dishes. It was introduced as part of the later phase of the development.[18][19]
Oculus Lounge: A lounge space used for afternoon tea service. The hotel's current website states that afternoon tea is served in Commons Club Bar on weekdays and in Oculus Lounge at weekends.[20][21]
Amenities
The property includes Greyfriars Hall, a 19th-century church repurposed as a special events venue.[22]
The first-phase opening also included a private dining room known as the Scarlet Room, while later phases introduced additional resident and event spaces.[23]
Heritage and archaeology
The site is notable for both its listed architecture and the archaeological discoveries made during re-development. Headland Archaeology described India Buildings as "arguably the best medieval site ever excavated in Edinburgh", with up to 4 metres of relatively undisturbed stratigraphy and a sequence extending from the 12th to the 19th centuries.[24]
According to Scotsman Food and Drink, renovation work also uncovered archaeological remains including ancient weapons and a section of wall said to predate the original city.[25]
Notable events
In 2024, the hotel was used as a venue during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Edinburgh Reporter reported that Virgin Hotels Edinburgh hosted a range of Fringe performances in August 2024, including events staged in Greyfriars Hall.[26]
In popular culture
Before its redevelopment as part of Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, part of the building was reportedly used for a scene in The Avengers, according to Scotsman Food and Drink in a preview of the restored interiors.[27]