Facelift for the future

Edinburgh's “Caley” celebrates more than 100 years of hospitality by seamlessly blending historic with modern

What does it take to bring an historic hotel into the 21st century? For one of two grand dame hotels (the other is the Balmoral) on Princes Street in Edinburgh, it took 130 site operatives a little more than nine months, working on 125 guestrooms, a restaurant and bar, and the leisure club.

Though they consumed more than 70,000 cups of tea, it's difficult to imagine there was much time for breaks with all the work to be done.

Operatives used 1,500 metres of fabric for new curtains, 450 side lamps in bedrooms, 4,500 square metres of new carpet in bedrooms and 2,300 square metres of new corridor carpet. More than 2,000 square metres of new bathroom wall tiling went in 81 of the guestrooms, while 305 windows were refurbished with new draught-proofing and decoration.

Orange-coloured scaffolding on the Lothian wing's façade stretched 120 metres long (the equivalent length of a football field) and 36 metres high.

The guestrooms (all in the deluxe and castle view category) will retain a Scottish theme with earthy colours and a mixture of silk and wool fabrics with subtle tartan designs. Broadband internet service, laptop safes and air conditioning cater to business and leisure travellers alike. Two years before this refurbishment, the Caledonian had updated 51 guestrooms in the newer wing to the back of the hotel in a contemporary style, also with broadband internet access and laptop safes.

On the ground floor, Chisholms Restaurant and Bar (renamed the Caley Bar) boast new fix...

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• By : Dominic Roskrow
• In : Best of Scotland
• Issue : 22
• Page : 44
• Words : 872