Gleneagles Townhouse

Gleneagles Hotel is set to open its first-ever city outpost in Edinburgh this spring. The Gleneagles Townhouse will span two historic buildings on one of the city’s grandest squares.

When Gleneagles the magnificent countryside estate, set in the heart of the glorious Perthshire countryside, first opened its doors in 1924 it was described as a ‘Riviera in the Highlands’. Soon, to celebrate its 100th birthday, the renowned hotel will open its first-ever city outpost; situated on St Andrew Square, one of Edinburgh’s finest addresses. It will be an uber-glamorous addition to the city that earned the nickname the ‘Athens of the North’ in the 19th century, due to its proliferation of elegant classical-style buildings.

Although the Gleneagles Townhouse won’t be on as expansive a scale as the 850-acre sporting and country resort, the property will be just as grand. The 33 luxurious bedrooms, with a wealth of rich architectural detail and original period character, coupled with the lavish interiors, and all the modern necessities that discerning travellers demand. The Townhouse is situated on the east side of one of the grandest squares in Edinburgh, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bedroom

In addition to the individually designed guest rooms, The Townhouse will consist of an all-day restaurant, several bars, a holistic wellness spa and gym. It is also home to a private members’ club, housed in the banks’ former boardroom, a lounge bar restaurant and snug, where members can work, meet up with friends and have a drink.

Designed by Ennismore Design Studio, the fivestar hotel has been an incredible labour of love for the creative team, who have worked tirelessly with the project architect 3D Reid over the past five years, especially as they had to factor in the additional challenges and setbacks caused by COVID-19.

Ennismore’s Design Director Charles North describes the design focus as paying homage to the noble building’s heritage. “It was to sensitively restore and enhance one of the city’s finest listed buildings. This involved the alteration, extension, and refurbishment of two notable Category A-listed buildings of significant and architectural character.” One of these was a traditional 1780s sandstone townhouse (no. 38) while the other was the British Linen Bank, built in 1846 and which, latterly, housed the Bank of Scotland.

Of particular architectural significance is the threestorey former bank (no. 37), which was designed by one of Scotland’s most pre-eminent architects David Bryce, best known for perfecting the Scottish Baronial style. Bryce was a prolific architect, and examples of other of his notable works in the city include Fettes College, the former Royal Infirmary Hospital, and the Bank of Scotland headquarters that sits majestically on The Mound overlooking Princes Street Gardens.

The handsome sandstone building features a richly decorative facade, with six monumental fluted Corinthian columns topped by an elaborate entablature with foliate carving. These are supported by six life-size statues representing Navigation, Commerce, Manufacture, Science, Art, and Agriculture, all crafted by Alexander Handyside Ritchie. The building is described by Professor Miles Glendinning, the author of History of Scottish Architecture as “a composition of Baalbek-like grandeur”, referencing the great temple ruins of Baalbek in the Lebanon while another architect described it as, “a fragment of Imperial Rome”.

When Dream Escape asked Design Director Charles North what kind of condition the building was in prior to the renovation process, he said it was fairly run down. He told us that: “The hotel is actually located in two separate buildings (no. 37 & 38), which we’ve designed to be one harmonious hotel. The former bank buildings were left derelict for some years. An icon of the cityscape, it’s been given a new lease of life and brought back to its former glory.”

The Members' Lounge

Guests will discover plenty of clues all over The Townhouse that link the hotel with its previous incarnation as a bank, such as the new restaurant The Spence – located in the banking hall – and the spa in the bank vaults. Specialist craftspeople were brought in to restore many of the original period features. Charles gives several examples of these. “We’ve kept the existing tiled floor throughout the ground floor, where possible. There is also the stained-glass window feature in the reception, plus the grand historical staircase and the floor have all been maintained.” He also points out several original fireplaces, including two in the Members’ Lounge.

He added that in The Spence, “There are grand stone columns, where guests can also spot the name of the previous bank owner etched with gold detailing into the top perimeter of the room – a nod to the building’s impressive history”. Furthermore, he added that they have retained in the reception a War Memorial that commemorates the memory of the 68 bank employees who died during World War I.

The Spence

One of the most striking architectural features in the building is the magnificent, gilded ceiling cupola (dome) that allows natural light to flood into The Spence, the brasserie-style restaurant. It's located in the former bank hall, and diners will be able to admire the restored stained-glass panels and view portraits of important people of history, such as James Watt, inventor of the steam engine, as they peruse the modern Scottish menu at the all-day restaurant. Charles believes the focus is to show the importance of the position of this room as the beating heart of the building as it was in the past. He says: “We wanted to reference its previous life as the centre of the building, so installed a central horseshoeshaped bar underneath the dome, with elements of the design such as the panelled bar and the gantry lighting nodding back to the historic counter.”

An icon of the cityscape, it’s been given a new lease of life and brought back to its former glory

It’s not just the banking hall that’s been given a new lease of life but also the former bank vaults, which have retained their original doors and terrazzo-style flooring. These days, instead of finding banknotes and bars of gold, you’ll find weights and barbells in the gym, while there is a state-of-the-art spa in the hotel’s health and wellness area.

Health and Wellness Area

The building has not, however, been content to rest on its historic laurels, and there are several striking modern design additions featuring fresh contemporary interiors and Scottish artwork. One of the most glamorous of these is Lamplighters, the stunning rooftop terrace that is part of a modern extension to the original townhouse and features a beautiful, curved timber bar. Guests will be able to soak in the spectacular views of the medieval Old Town and the Georgian beauty of the New Town from the al fresco terrace with a cocktail in hand.

With its enticing juxtaposition of richly ornate decorative style and timeless period character with chic contemporary decor and striking modern additions, The Townhouse will certainly add glamour and style to this beautiful garden square in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre. And, even if you’re not a betting person, we’re banking on The Townhouse to be another Gleneagles success story.

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Lesley Scott, Head of Travel Design “We are all very excited about this new addition to our Edinburgh collection of properties. As a huge fan and preferred supplier of Gleneagles, we will look forward to creating some truly inspirational experiences around this iconic building in the heart of this historic city”.

⬥ lesley@dreamescape.co.uk

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