Global operator, Aparthotel Adagio, the European leader in aparthotels, has announced the signing of a new property in Edinburgh. The 146-apartment property is due to open early 2017 as part of New Waverly the former Caltongate area at the heart of Edinburgh’s historic Old Town.With frontages onto both the Royal Mile and the Canongate, the design of the four-storey aparthotel will reflect its setting, sensitively designed to integrate with the style of the area. Built behind an existing façade facing onto the Royal Mile, the aparthotel links to the Canongate and a new public square using a newly created pedestrian walkway inspired by the Old Town’s historic “Wynds”.
The £150 million development, undertaken by Artisan Real Estate Investors, is to create a brand new city centre district for Edinburgh called New Waverley – a name reflecting both the area’s rich cultural heritage and its proximity to the Waverley Valley and capital’s main railway station.
The Adagio aparthotel will form an integral part of the new £6.5 million public square at the heart of the New Waverly development. The square will feature cafes, restaurants and shops and will welcome guests to the city and Edinburgh residents.
Adagio’s innovative aparthotel concept has been successfully rolled-out across Europe and is now being applied to some of the UK’s premier city-centre destinations, following the UK launch in Liverpool in April 2013. It is aimed primarily at long-stay visitors and provides hotel services and fully-furnished studios and one and two-bedroom apartments, complete with kitchens and bathrooms, to provide high quality self-catering accommodation. Aparthotels Adagio has a proven track-record of sensitive historic developments, following the successful launch of Adagio Liverpool in the city’s iconic Lewis’ Building, a building known and loved by generations of Liverpudlians.
Commenting on the opening in Edinburgh, Vangelis Porikis, Aparthotels Adagio Director, Central & Northern Europe, said: “The Aparthotel Adagio offers an innovative solution for urban tourism and one we are particularly excited to launch in Edinburgh, a fantastic city of history, culture, business and thriving tourism. Aparthotels Adagio represent a travel concept for “city breakers” that is smart, economical and immersed in the heart of the city. We are working hard with Artisan to ensure our new aparthotel is itself immersed in the history and culture of the city and gives our guests a base from which to enjoy this fantastic city and surrounding area.”
Welcoming the Adagio deal, Lukas Nakos,Artisan’s Managing Director said: “There has been huge interest in the site from hotel operators around the world, and I am pleased that an operator of Adagio’s stature and pedigree has chosen to invest in the city.
“High quality hotel provision will be the cornerstone of our development and innovative leisure concepts such as the Adagio Aparthotel will add vibrancy, excitement and colour to our plans. We will be placing strong emphasis on the quality of design and materials to ensure the hotels reflect their historic Royal Mile setting – as well as ensuring that the wider area benefits from the increased visitor spend.”
Commenting on the Adagio concept, Porikis added: ““Today’s new generation of tourist is looking to stay in a convivial and comfortable space that offers hotel services, amenities and 24-hour reception plus all of the facilities people need in order to be self-sufficient – an equipped kitchen, Internet connection. Travellers want all this in the heart of Europe’s finest cities and we’re thrilled to bring this concept to Edinburgh, a city of great culture and personality.”
Adagio is an exciting and integral part of the new development. New Waverley’s design will retain many facets of the area’s unique Old Town setting to preserve the historic character of the development – including the retention of the Canongate Venture building and the façade of the Old Sailor’s Ark. The Jeffrey Street arches are set to be opened up as small, individual ‘artisan’ units and historic views of Calton Hill from the Royal Mile will be preserved.
The Edinburgh announcement follows further international growth, with seven Aparthotels Adagio opening in Brazil this year and openings in Italy and Russia towards the end of 2013. Continued expansion is planned across EMEA throughout 2014. Aparthotels Adagio now has 100 properties in eight countries.
