In recent years, Scotland’s capital has seen some exciting hotel renovations, like The Balmoral, and new luxury openings, like Fingal, the unique floating hotel from Royal Yacht Enterprises. In the latest news, Market Street Hotel is prepping to open in early summer as the first member hotel in Scotland for Design Hotels. Located between the New Town and Old Town, the boutique hotel will offer a rooftop Champagne lounge with panoramic views over the city.
The interiors were conceived by Dutch design studio FG Stijl, also behind talked-about hotel and restaurant projects like Park Hyatt Vienna, Sir Nikolai Hotel in Hamburg, Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich and Matsuhisa Restaurant for Nobu. The style? “Neo-brutalism meets Scots heritage,” to quote the official press release, with a melange of contemporary furniture alongside traditional fabrics like tartan.
There will be 98 guestrooms, the largest of which is the 500-square-foot Alba Suite, equipped with a large dressing room, plus both a rain shower and free standing tub in the bathroom. In-suite perks include an Illy coffee machine, a yoga mat and pilates ball, and binoculars for taking in the views.
On the seventh floor, the rooftop lounge, called the Nor’ Loft, will provide a privileged view of Edinburgh’s World Heritage-protected skyline. Here you will be able to have breakfast, afternoon tea, and—in the evenings—small plates washed down with drinks from the extensive menu (10 prestige Champagne labels and a long spirits list). An open fireplace will add to the ambiance.