India Buildings Limited announces the appointment of global construction and property consultancy, Thomas & Adamson as project managers and quantity surveyors for the landmark development of the first Virgin Hotel outside of the US.
The 225-bed project will occupy the 19th century India Buildings on Victoria Street in the Old Town of the Scottish Capital and is set to open in 2020. India Buildings forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, bordered by the historic Cowgate and the Grassmarket to the South and Victoria Street to the North, which leads up onto the world-famous Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle.
Thomas & Adamson will oversee the development of the five-star blend of bedrooms with multiple bars and restaurants. The property will include one of the brand’s flagship Commons Club restaurants, meeting and conference facilities and function rooms. The scope of work for the project comprises refurbishment of the three existing listed buildings and a new-build pavilion extension housing guest rooms, landscaping and public realm works.
The project will be developed by Flemyn LLP assisted by Jansons Property and managed by Virgin Hotels.
Brian Donaldson, Partner at Thomas & Adamson, said, “We are delighted to have been selected to work on an iconic project such as the country’s first Virgin Hotel, which has attracted such international interest. We have some fantastic hospitality projects under our belts across the UK and Middle East in particular. This sector, despite the widely anticipated challenges of Brexit, has continued to develop. We have a strong pipeline of hospitality projects coming through this year and expect growth to continue.”
The hotel is expected to provide a £5 million boost to the local economy every year, as well as support hundreds of jobs during its construction.
“This is a significant success for our Scottish business and our hospitality team globally. It is a positive affirmation of our continued growth in the hospitality sector,” Mr Donaldson added.