The Situation with Edinburgh's Plastic-Shrouded Hotel?

On one of the most popular thoroughfares in the core of Scotland's ancient city stands a imposing sight of scaffolding.

For half a decade, the establishment on the corner of a key historic street and a major bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Travellers cannot book rooms, walkers are squeezed through tight corridors, and establishments have vacated the building.

Repair work started in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now frustrated residents have been told the scaffolding could remain until 2027.

Prolonged Deadlines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the main contractor, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the scaffold can be removed.

A local authority figure a council official has labeled it a "negative feature" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is going on with this seemingly endless project?

A Problematic Past

The establishment with 136 rooms was built on the site of the former Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Estimates from when it first opened under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the development expense at about £30m.

Remedial efforts got underway not long after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been rendered unusable by the project.

Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and another locale have been compelled one after another into a narrow, covered walkway.

Seafood restaurant a well-known restaurant departed from the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

In a comment, its owners said the ongoing project had forced them to alter the restaurant's appearance, adding that "patrons merited more".

It is also the location of popular eatery Pizza Express – which has hung large notices on the structure to notify customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

An report to the a city committee in early this year indicated that the process of "revealing" the façade would commence in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But the contractor has said that is not the case, citing "exceptionally intricate" building problems for the postponement.

"We anticipate starting to remove portions of the structure near the finish of the coming year, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," the company commented.

"Efforts are underway closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we create an improved site for the community."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A conservation official, lead of heritage body the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for construction projects.

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

She said: "It causes the pedestrian experience in that area of the city very hard.

"It is perplexing why there is not an effort to integrate it into the streetscape or produce something more creative and avant-garde."

Ongoing Efforts

A project spokesperson said work on "measures to aesthetically improve the site" was continuing.

They added: "We understand the annoyances felt by the community and enterprises.

"This constitutes a lengthy and protracted process, demonstrating the difficulty and magnitude of the remedial work required, however we are focused on finishing this essential work as soon as is feasible."

The official said the local authority would "continue to put pressure" on those involved to finish the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a negative presence for years, and I echo the frustration of inhabitants and nearby shops over these persistent hold-ups.

"That said, I also recognize that the company has a responsibility to make the building secure and that this restoration has proved to be extremely complicated."