Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian

Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian is a five-star hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. Opened in December 1903, it is an example of a British grand railway hotel,[2] formerly called The Caledonian Hotel, and nicknamed 'The Caley'. It stands at the west end of Princes Street and is a category A listed building.[3]

Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian
Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian
Location within Edinburgh city centre
Hotel chainWaldorf Astoria
General information
TypeLuxury hotel
Classification [1]
LocationEdinburgh, EH1 2AB
Scotland
AddressPrinces Street
Opened1903
Renovated2011
Renovation cost£24 million
OwnerTwenty14 Holdings
ManagementHilton Worldwide
Design and construction
ArchitectJohn More Dick Peddie and George Washington Browne
Other information
Number of rooms241
Number of restaurants3
ParkingYes
Website
Official website
Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian, showing the original three arched entrances to the station complex

Construction
The hotel under construction

The Caledonian Hotel, constructed from 1899 to 1903, was part of the Caledonian Railway's Edinburgh Princes Street railway station. It was a rival to the North British Railway's North British Hotel, which opened at the other end of Princes Street in 1902.[2] The hotel was built on top of the stone, V-shaped station building that had been recently built as a replacement for the previous wooden station, which was damaged in a fire in June 1890.[2] The architects of the hotel were John More Dick Peddie and George Washington Browne.[3] Peddie's assistant and job architect was John Wilson.[4]

When first built, the hotel had 205 rooms, with decor in the style of Louis XV.[2] The grand arches at the front of the hotel also provided access to the railway station below.[2] The red sandstone facade has been a city landmark throughout the hotel's history.[5]

In 1965, Princes Street Station was closed, and it was demolished by 1970. This provided room for expansion of the hotel, and the cast iron gates at the entrance to a car park in Rutland Street are the only remainder of the station outwith the hotel.[2] The original station clock, pre-dating the fire of 1890, has been preserved in the hotel.[2]

Refurbishment

Queens Moat Houses sold the Caledonian to Hilton International in March 2000 for £44.2m, and it was renamed the Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh.[6] A £24 million refurbishment in 2011 put the hotel within the luxury flagship Waldorf Astoria brand, and it was renamed Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian.[2] By the time of the refurbishment, the hotel had 241 rooms.[7] The refurbishment plans included the addition and improvement of the public spaces, rooms, spa and restaurant.[7] The original station concourse and ticket office were roofed over to provide a bar and lounge area, named Peacock Alley, which incorporates the station clock.[5] The hotel's restaurant is named The Pompadour.[5] It provides French-influenced dishes and is overseen by double Michelin star chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin.[5] The bar, known as the Caley Bar, is venue 50 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Hilton sold the Caledonian to Twenty14 Holdings, the hospitality investment arm of Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group International, for £85m in January 2018. Hilton continues to manage the property, however. The new owners intend to remodel the hotel and add 50 more rooms,[8] at a cost of £20m.[9]


Views of the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian
  • View of hotel from castle showing the Lothian Road side of the building.
  • View of the hotel from Lothian Road, at street level.
  • View of preserved station gates from Rutland Street
  • View from the hotel in 1938.

See also

References
  1. "Five-star Edinburgh hotel sold in £85m deal". 16 January 2018.
  2. McLean, David (7 October 2013). "Lost Edinburgh: Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian". The Scotsman. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  3. Historic Environment Scotland. "4 Lothian Road, The Caledonian Hotel...  (Category A Listed Building) (LB29524)". Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  4. Dictionary of Scottish Architects: John Wilson
  5. Butler, Sophie. "Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian, Edinburgh: review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  6. "Hilton beats rivals to take Caledonian". The Caterer. 2 March 2000.
  7. "Edinburgh set for Scotland's first Waldorf Astoria". BBC News. BBC. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  8. "Edinburgh's Caledonian Hotel set for expansion after £85m sale". www.scotsman.com.
  9. Monk, Zoe (17 January 2018). "UK's first Waldorf Astoria sold to developer of London's Great Scotland Yard hotel for £85m".

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