Office block in ‘vibrant corner’ of Edinburgh to become 102-bedroom budget hotel

Artisan Real Estate has been given the green light by the city council to transform a 1980s office block on the corner of Albany Street and Broughton Street into a hotel, operating under the Hub by Premier Inn brand.

Completion is scheduled for summer 2027. Regeneration specialist Artisan has agreed terms with hospitality and leisure giant Whitbread to operate the completed hotel under the Premier Inn name.

The five-storey Albany House was constructed in the 1980s and was designed to reflect the adjacent Georgian neoclassical town houses along Albany Street. The current occupiers are relocating to new offices in the city centre in 2026.

Artisan’s managing director for Scotland, David Westwater, said: “This exciting hotel development will bring continued interest and investment to a vibrant corner of Edinburgh’s eastern city centre.

“We are pleased to be once again working with Whitbread to create a modern and contemporary hotel interior providing the high levels of insulation and energy technology, delivering both a sustainable and attractive addition to Edinburgh’s successful hospitality sector.”

Whitbread currently welcomes close to a million visitors to its established network of 14 Premier Inn and Hub by Premier Inn hotels within the Edinburgh area. Earlier this week, councillors gave the nod to the conversion of another 1980s city centre office block - Capital House on Festival Square, off Lothian Road - into a 195-bedroom Premier Inn hotel.

Jill Anderson, acquisitions manager for Whitbread, said: “Albany House is an excellent location for a Hub by Premier Inn hotel, and I am very pleased to be working with Artisan to expand our footprint in the city in a sustainable way through the proposed conversion of the 1980s office building.

“Our Hub by Premier Inn hotels are designed to appeal to budget, short-stay travellers, looking to stay in the most interesting and connected city centre locations. It offers all the comfort, consistency, and reliability of Premier Inn, but with a smaller bedroom and the format allows us to offer great value rooms in the most vibrant places.”