Historic former bank exudes homey opulence as luxury hotel

On my first-ever night in Edinburgh, I slept on a low-sprung couch in an old terrace house that overlooked the Royal Mile. It was the rented share-house and couch of a friend of a friend whose mate had something to do with comedian Adam Hills. Hills was in town to do a show at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. I was in town to hand out comedy show pamphlets, for a pittance, to un-funny drunks from midnight to 3am.

Positively luxurious: Gleneagles Townhouse was one of the most talked-about hotel openings in Britain in 2022.

Fast-forward 20 years or so, and I am back in Edinburgh and happy to report that as far as job and accommodation go, things are looking up. I’m staying at the luxurious Gleneagles Townhouse, that was one of the most talked-about hotel openings in Britain in 2022. This time, I’m staying in a sumptuous room that is fit, if not for a princess, then surely someone very proper.

If the name rings a bell it’s because the hotel is the sister property of the famed Gleneagles Hotel “a luxury hotel, spa and golfing destination in the heart of the Scottish countryside”. Self-styled as ‘The Glorious Playground’, it’s a getaway destination for Britain’s upper classes, the Royal family included. Gleneagles Townhouse, then, is the Edinburgh pied-a-terre, or city pad, for those seeking similar luxury without the five iron. But it’s more than that. While the toff reputation is a fit for the golfing set, Townhouse is aiming at a younger, more vibey scene. As then general manager Willem van Emden explains it: “we recognised the city’s appetite for a hub where a local crowd can feel at ease interacting and entertaining its global visitors without standing on ceremony”.

Townhouse resides in the old Georgian-era British Linen Bank.

To that end, Townhouse combines its 33 guestrooms with a member’s club where guests can work, get fit and host meetings. In addition, the hotel’s Spence restaurant and bar has staked a claim on the social scene.

Townhouse is located in the former British Linen Bank (later part of Barclay’s Bank), which the Gleneagles group purchased in 2017. The mid-19th century edifice hails from the Georgian era when banks tended to advertise their wealth and stability by way of grandiose architecture and opulent interiors. The facade’s colonnaded walls, Corinthian columns and decorative architraves, friezes and cornices are typical of the neoclassical movement of the time.

Delectable fare at Spence restaurant, Gleneagles Townhouse.Credit: Elisabeth Stein

The imposing architecture might be intimidating if it weren’t for the big welcoming smiles from staff who are kitted out in funky striped shirts with white collars, and trainers styled to look like brogues (and designed in-house). The trendy workwear and the attitude (or lack thereof) sets the tone: consummate professionals who don’t take themselves too seriously.

Interiors have been impeccably refurbished, refitted and refashioned. The check-in desk is a contemporary take on a traditional hotel reception, heritage mosaic tiles colour the floor and a staircase with gold balustrade leads the eye up to stained-glass windows and a chandelier. Big, bold contemporary artworks resist any hint of fustiness.

The adjoining Spence restaurant and bar is another lavish space and the original bank tellers have been replaced by the showpiece, a stunner central bar that combines green marble and burr timber panels, with mirrored splash-backs and spiffy brass finishes.

Views from the rooftop bar Lamplighters over St Andrews Square.

Above it, a spectacular glass dome ceiling sheds light across a dining room decked out in comfy couches and upholstered chairs tucked under marble tabletops. A series of 12 ceiling portrait medallions featuring stale pale men from the past, is intentionally offset by a curation of eye-popping contemporary canvases by female Scottish artists.

Before I head to my suite, I’m escorted to the rooftop to check out Lamplighters. This vibrant cocktail bar with botany printed carpet, indoor plants and colourful furniture, opens during warmer months onto a terrace where six remarkable neoclassical statues (atop the previously mentioned Corinthian columns) enjoy the view over St Andrew’s Square to waterside Leith in the distance. Sipping on a stiff negroni up here feels something like being on the rooftop of a cathedral.

The Town Bedroom suite exudes a homey opulence.

In my ‘Town Bedroom’ the hotel blends old style with contemporary trends. The traditional British interior exudes a comfortable homey opulence with high ceilings, windows framed by pelmets, and a tasselled blue canopy that hangs over a king bed with a pink mohair upholstered headboard. A bespoke cocktail trolley is laden with slim bottles of small-batch Scottish craft spirits, and the bar fridge is stocked with artisan goodies such as Gleneagles & Co branded chocolate and locally brewed Pilot beer. Sealing the deal, a fluffy green bathrobe hangs in the wallpapered bathroom and a curated stack of travel literature sits on my bedside table. I indulge in it all, knowing that the me of 20 years ago would thoroughly approve.

THE DETAILS

Stay

Rooms and suites at Gleneagles Townhouse start from £330 a night, including breakfast. See gleneagles.com/townhouse

Fly

Qantas flies from Sydney and Melbourne via London to Edinburgh Airport. From there it’s a 25-minute taxi ride to the hotel. See qantas.com

More

See VisitScotland.com

The writer stayed as a guest of Gleneagles Townhouse.