Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian

Last updated

Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian
Edinburgh - Edinburgh, 4 Princes Street, Caledonian Hotel - 20140426181813.jpg
Location map United Kingdom Edinburgh Central.png
Red pog.svg
Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian
Location within Edinburgh city centre
Hotel chain Waldorf Astoria
General information
Type Luxury hotel
ClassificationStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]
Location Edinburgh, EH1 2AB
Scotland
Address Princes Street
Opened21 December 1903
Renovated2011
Renovation cost£24 million
OwnerHenderson Park Capital
Management Hilton Worldwide
Design and construction
Architect(s) John More Dick Peddie and George Washington Browne
Other information
Number of rooms241
Number of restaurants3
ParkingYes
Website
Official website

The Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian is a five-star hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. Opened in 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]

Contents

History

The Caledonian Station Hotel was constructed from 1899 to 1903 as part of the Caledonian Railway's Edinburgh Princes Street railway station. The hotel was built on top of the stone, V-shaped station building, which had recently been built as a replacement for the previous wooden station, damaged in a fire in June 1890. [2] 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 façade has been a city landmark throughout the hotel's history. [4] The architects of the hotel were John More Dick Peddie and George Washington Browne. [3] Peddie's assistant and job architect was John Wilson. [5]

Opened on 21 December 1903, [6] [7] the Caledonian Station Hotel was a rival to the North British Railway's North British Station Hotel, which opened at the other end of Princes Street the previous year. [8]

The hotel's name was later shortened to the Caledonian Hotel. The Caledonian Railway Company merged with the larger London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. [9] After the merger, the hotel was renovated. Its Louis XIV drawing room was converted in 1925 to a luxury restaurant, the Pompadour, named for Madame de Pompadour the influential mistress of Louis XV. [10]

The hotel was nationalized by the British Transport Commission on 1 January 1948, when the London, Midland and Scottish Railway was consolidated into the state-owned British Railways. [11] The hotel's interiors were redesigned by brothers Robert and Roger Nicholson between 1956 and 1958. [12]

Princes Street Station closed on 6 September 1965 and was demolished by 1970. This provided room for expansion of the hotel, with 50 more rooms in a new wing. [13] 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]

The Caledonian Hotel was operated by British Transport Hotels until that entity was dissolved under Margaret Thatcher's privatization initiative. A 2/3 interest in the hotel was sold jointly with the North British Hotel and the Gleneagles Hotel on 18 June 1981 to Gleneagles Hotels plc for £5.75 million. [14] The remaining 1/3 interest in the three properties was sold in March 1984. [15] The Caledonian was sold to Norfolk Capital Hotels in 1984. [16]

Queens Moat Houses bought the Caledonian in 1990. [17] They sold the hotel to Hilton International in March 2000 for £44.2m, and it was renamed the Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh. [18] 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. [19] The refurbishment plans included the addition and improvement of the public spaces, rooms, spa and restaurant. [19] 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. [4] The hotel's fine dining restaurant is named The Pompadour. [4] The Pompadour was refurbished in 2021 and reopened under the name Dean Banks at The Pompadour. [20] It also provides a Scottish restaurant, Grazing by Mark Greenaway, opened in 2019. [21] 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, [22] at a cost of £20m. [23]

In July 2023, private real estate investment fund manager Henderson Park, together with its in-house hospitality operator and asset manager Klarent Hospitality, purchased the hotel for £85m. [24] On 28 March 2024, they announced that the hotel will be rebranded as The Caledonian Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton in Summer 2024. [25] A £35m renovation and expansion will follow, increasing the hotel's capacity to over 300 rooms by early 2026. The rebranding will also mark the end of Waldorf Astoria's presence in the UK, until 2025. [26] [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel</span> Establishment that provides lodging paid on a short-term basis

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refrigerator, and other kitchen facilities, upholstered chairs, a flat-screen television, and en-suite bathrooms. Small, lower-priced hotels may offer only the most basic guest services and facilities. Larger, higher-priced hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a swimming pool, a business center with computers, printers, and other office equipment, childcare, conference and event facilities, tennis or basketball courts, gymnasium, restaurants, day spa, and social function services. Hotel rooms are usually numbered to allow guests to identify their room. Some boutique, high-end hotels have custom decorated rooms. Some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In Japan, capsule hotels provide a tiny room suitable only for sleeping and shared bathroom facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Admiralty Arch</span> Triumphal arch, government building in London, England

Admiralty Arch is a landmark building in London providing road and pedestrian access between The Mall, which extends to the southwest, and Trafalgar Square to the northeast. Admiralty Arch, commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother, Queen Victoria, and designed by Aston Webb, is now a Grade I listed building. In the past, it served as residence of the First Sea Lord and was used by the Admiralty. Until 2011, the building housed government offices. In 2012, the government sold the building on a 125-year lease for £60m for a proposed redevelopment into a Waldorf Astoria luxury hotel and four apartments.

Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km from Lothian Road in the west, to Leith Street in the east. The street has few buildings on the south side and looks over Princes Street Gardens allowing panoramic views of the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, as well as the valley between. Most of the street is limited to trams, buses and taxis with only the east end open to all traffic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldorf Astoria New York</span> Hotel and residence in Manhattan, New York

The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story 625 ft (191 m) Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze and Weaver and completed in 1931. The building was the world's tallest hotel until 1957, when it was surpassed by Moscow's Hotel Ukraina. An icon of glamor and luxury, the Waldorf Astoria is one of the world's most prestigious and best-known hotels. Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts was a division of Hilton Hotels, and a portfolio of high-end properties around the world operates under the name, including in New York City. Both the exterior and the interior of the Waldorf Astoria are designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as official landmarks.

TheBoca Raton is a luxury resort and club in Boca Raton, Florida, founded in 1926, today comprising 1,047 hotel rooms across 337 acres. Its facilities include a 18-hole golf course, a 50,000 sq. ft. Forbes Five-Star spa, eight swimming pools, 30 tennis courts, a full-service 32-slip marina, more than 15 restaurants and bars, and 200,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The property fronts both Lake Boca and the Atlantic Ocean. The resort was operated as part of Hilton's Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, and it is now privately owned by an affiliate of MSD Partners with the new name, The Boca Raton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Waldorf Hilton, London</span> Luxury hotel in London

The Waldorf Hilton, London, formerly known as the Waldorf Hotel, is a historic hotel in the Aldwych, London. It is part of the Hilton Hotels & Resorts chain and has a history dating back to 1908. The hotel was originally established by William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor, a member of the prominent Astor family. The hotel features 298 guest rooms, including 19 suites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balmoral Hotel</span> Luxury hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland

The Balmoral Hotel is a hotel and landmark in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located in the heart of the city at the east end of Princes Street, the main shopping street beneath the Edinburgh Castle rock, and the southern edge of the New Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburgh Princes Street railway station</span> Former railway station in Scotland

Princes Street Station was a mainline railway station which stood at the west end of Princes Street, in Edinburgh, Scotland, for almost 100 years. Temporary stations were opened in 1848 and 1870, with construction of the main station commencing in the 1890s. The station was closed completely in 1965 and largely demolished in 1969–70. Only its hotel remains, but it is no longer in railway ownership.

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, formerly The Waldorf-Astoria Collection, is a luxury hotel and resort brand of Hilton Worldwide. It is positioned as the flagship brand within Hilton's portfolio, being used on hotels which offer the highest standards of facilities and service. As of December 31, 2019, it had 32 locations with 9,821 rooms in 15 countries and territories, including 2 that are owned or leased and 30 that are managed.

British Transport Hotels (BTH) was the hotels and catering business of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Residence Tower</span> Residential/Commercial in Chicago, Illinois

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Residence Tower Chicago was a planned hotel and condominium skyscraper that would have been 1,265 feet (386 m) tall. The Prime Group was in charge of the project, which was proposed at a cost of $610 million. The building would have been located one block from the Chicago River, and north of the Sheraton Chicago in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area of Chicago. Another of the building's developers, the Fordham Company, was also the initial developer of the now-cancelled Chicago Spire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas</span> Luxury hotel in Paradise, Nevada

The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, formerly the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, is a 47-story luxury hotel and condominium building in the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is managed by Hilton Worldwide as part of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand. It is owned by Tiffany Lam and Andrew and Peggy Cherng.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beverly Hilton</span> Hotel in Beverly Hills, California

The Beverly Hilton is a hotel located on an 8.9-acre (3.6 ha) property at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California, United States. The Beverly Hilton has hosted many awards shows, charity benefits, and entertainment and motion picture industry events, and is particularly known as the venue of the annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Sherry</span> American restaurateur and confectioner (1855-1926)

Louis Sherry was an American restaurateur, caterer, confectioner and hotelier during the Gilded Age and early 20th century. His name is typically associated with an upscale brand of candy and ice cream, and also the Sherry-Netherland Hotel in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bentley London</span> Building in England

The Bentley London is a luxury hotel in London, England, located in South Kensington. The hotel contains 64 rooms. The building was constructed in 1880, joined the Hilton Group as a franchise in October 2008 and was added to the Waldorf-Astoria collection on 12 March 2009. As of January 2012, The Bentley Hotel is a standalone hotel with no association with Hilton or Waldorf Astoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafael Serrano</span>

Rafael Serrano Quevedo is a Spanish businessman and investor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dakota Hotels</span>

Dakota Hotels is a UK-based hotel brand with five locations, each with a brasserie-style Grill and cocktail Bars. Dakota Hotels first opened two boutique hotels near Edinburgh Airport in South Queensferry, and in Eurocentral, Motherwell South East of Glasgow. The brand has now expanded into Central Glasgow, Leeds, and Manchester. The brand was founded by Ken McCulloch and is owned by Evans Property Group.

Chris Galvin is an English chef whose career has spanned over thirty years working in restaurants and hotels in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldorf-Astoria (1893–1929)</span> Former hotel in Manhattan, New York

The Waldorf-Astoria originated as two hotels, built side by side by feuding relatives, on Fifth Avenue in New York, New York, United States. Built in 1893 and expanded in 1897, the hotels were razed in 1929 to make way for construction of the Empire State Building. Their successor, the current Waldorf Astoria New York, was built on Park Avenue in 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilton Athens</span> Hilton-branded hotel in Athens, Greece

The Hilton Athens is a historic hotel structure in Athens, Greece, on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue, within the Hilton Area, adjacent to the Kolonaki and Pangrati neighbourhoods. Opened in 1963, it closed for renovations in January 2022 and will reopen in 2025 as Conrad Athens The Illisian, with its hotel portion reduced and new luxury residences under the Conrad and Waldorf Astoria brands in the remainder of the building.

References

  1. ↑ "Five-star Edinburgh hotel sold in £85m deal". 16 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McLean, David (7 October 2013). "Lost Edinburgh: Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian". The Scotsman. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 Historic Environment Scotland. "4 Lothian Road, The Caledonian Hotel... (Category A Listed Building) (LB29524)" . Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Butler, Sophie. "Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian, Edinburgh: review". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  5. ↑ Dictionary of Scottish Architects: John Wilson
  6. ↑ https://famoushotels.org/hotels/caledonian-hotel
  7. ↑ https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12729573.landmark-of-luxury/
  8. ↑ "11 photos showing Princes Street Station: Edinburgh's great lost railway terminal". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  9. ↑ https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/the-caledonian-a-century-of-service
  10. ↑ https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12729573.landmark-of-luxury/
  11. ↑ https://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst1223.html
  12. ↑ https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12729573.landmark-of-luxury/
  13. ↑ https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12729573.landmark-of-luxury/
  14. ↑ https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1981-06-04/debates/2466c70c-d237-4957-a071-261b80112af5/BritishTransportHotels
  15. ↑ http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/operators/privatisation.shtm
  16. ↑ https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/the-caledonian-a-century-of-service
  17. ↑ https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12729573.landmark-of-luxury/
  18. ↑ "Hilton beats rivals to take Caledonian". The Caterer. 2 March 2000.
  19. 1 2 "Edinburgh set for Scotland's first Waldorf Astoria". BBC News. BBC. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  20. ↑ "Chef Dean Banks to take over the Pompadour at..." The Caterer. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  21. ↑ Stephen, Phyllis (17 April 2019). "New restaurant opening at Grazing with Mark Greenaway". The Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  22. ↑ "Edinburgh's Caledonian Hotel set for expansion after £85m sale". www.scotsman.com.
  23. ↑ Monk, Zoe (17 January 2018). "UK's first Waldorf Astoria sold to developer of London's Great Scotland Yard hotel for £85m".
  24. ↑ https://hendersonpark.com/henderson-park-acquires-edinburghs-iconic-caledonian-hotel/
  25. ↑ https://www.hospitalitynet.org/announcement/41010881.html
  26. ↑ "The Caledonian in Edinburgh to drop Waldorf..." The Caterer. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  27. ↑ Walker, Peter A. (28 March 2024). "Caledonian hotel gets rebrand and refurbishment". businessInsider. Retrieved 28 March 2024.

55°57′00″N3°12′26″W / 55.9500°N 3.2073°W / 55.9500; -3.2073

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.