I was recently in Edinburgh for a few business meetings and decided to make it an overnight stay so I could join friends for dinner. One of my meetings was to meet the interior designer and see a preview of the design scheme for the newest hotel opening in Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Grand, which is part of the Lateral City Apartments group. This group currently have 3 properties with the Edinburgh Grand being it’s latest and the other two being Old Town Chambers and Merchiston Residence.
I stayed at the Old Town Chambers for the night. Situated in the Old Town which if you don’t know Edinburgh at all, is the oldest part of the city, but really old! You can see dates carved on the buildings from the 15th and 16th Century. It’s a place that still feels medieval and gives Edinburgh that ancient energy.
Old Town Chambers are luxury serviced apartments. To be honest, I never stay in serviced apartments as I quite enjoy the amenities of being in a big grand hotel, but I was very keen to experience this sort of accommodation. The General Manager explained to me that in Edinburgh, this category of accommodation was becoming very popular. But I think the key here is that the group are obsessed with design and making their guests feel like they are staying in a very special place.
Look at this ‘apartment’ (which is more like a suite to be honest), it’s lavish, well designed, every amenity thought of and catered for. But the real crowd pleaser is the mix of architecture and design from the 15th, 19th and 21st century that makes these spaces so unique. These buildings were never designed to be hotel spaces, and have acted as all sorts of things throughout the centuries, from homes, to slums to offices.
I loved that I had so much space and could work at the desk, but also entertain my friends for a drink in the living area before we headed out to dinner. These zones make the space work really hard, but also gives you a sense of freedom that you don’t get in a hotel. Thinking about my adorable nephews, this would be a fabulous solution to travelling with them as hotels can be so boring for them. Staying in one of the 3 bedroom apartments with a family group is a lot more fun and they could use the space as their own.
I particularly loved the view from the bath and these big barn style doors which help you to reshape the space effortlessly. As you can see in these images, design details are everywhere. Each space get’s thought through and this certainly isn’t a cookie cutter approach. The design scheme throughout the hotel has similar elements, but each space plays to its strengths.
As you can see in the room below, this very special space has been designed to make the most of incredible vaulted ceiling. Exposing this surface and working with it instead of covering it makes this very unique.
Yes, I’m rather gushing, but when a company places their competitive advantage on something like design, and you land up with such great results, then, yes, you deserve to have a few fans, and I’m one of them.
For more information and to book a stay, contact Old Town Chambers.
