The hotel’s renovation scheme will see 91 bedrooms undergo a complete redesign, the first 34 of which have just been completed and revealed. The executive suites on the fifth and sixth floors of the hotel have undergone a full remodelling, acquiring additional soft furnishings, Mattisons beds and Porcelanosa bathrooms which include walk in drench showers.
Development plans
In addition to the bedroom redesign, the Macdonald Holyrood hotel is also having work done on its library to turn it into a an executive lounge for the exclusive use of guests staying on the sixth floor. The space can be used for business meetings or entertaining, and has access to free WiFi.
The hotel’s leisure club has also been renovated and is due to be unveiled soon, with £120,000 having been invested into the spa and changing areas. Macdonald Holyrood’s conference rooms, the Salisbury Suite which has capacity for 200 people and the Holyrood Suite which can hold 100 people, have also undergone an extensive refurbishment.
Regional managing director at the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel Richard Mayne said: “With this latest investment we now have the people and product firmly in place to establish Macdonald Holyrood Hotel as one of the leading hotels in Edinburgh. Work is already underway on the next phases of the development.”
Macdonald Holyrood hotel is renovating at a time when the area of Edinburgh where it is located, right next to the Scottish Parliament, is bustling and changing with the developments in Scottish politics.
“With Holyrood on our doorstep we have also received numerous enquiries from parliament secretaries with a view to hosting ministerial engagements,” said Mayne.
Rocca Brasserie
The hotel’s new restaurant Rocca Brasserie was launched in December after a £600,000 investment, part of the overall programme. The new restaurant has proved successful, with the hotel serving 1000 more covers throughout January and Feburary 2014 than it did during the same period the previous year.
The Rocca Brasserie is fronted by restaurateurs Adrian and Susan Peircinni and serves classic Scottish dishes with an Italian twist using locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant overlooks Arthur’s Seat and also offers afternoon tea and speciality cocktails.
Mayne said: “Rocca has been very well received since opening in early December. We’ve more than doubled our sleeper to diner ratio, meaning guests are actively choosing to dine with us. We are noticing many local residents coming into the restaurant too.”
The Macdonald Holyrood hotel is one of a number that Macdonald Hotels & Resorts are currently renovating as part of their £10m investment programme. Other areas that are undergoing redesign works include their hotels in Chester and Stratford-Upon-Avon.