🔗 Share this article What's Happening with the Capital's Plastic-Shrouded Hotel? Scaffolding surrounding the hotel on a major city bridge may not be fully removed until 2027. Positioned on the most popular thoroughfares in the centre of Scotland's historic capital sits a imposing sight of metal poles and platforms. For five years, the establishment on the junction of a key historic street and a major bridge has been a covered eyesore. Tourists find no available accommodations, walkers are squeezed through tight corridors, and establishments have abandoned the building. Restoration efforts commenced in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a brief duration, but now frustrated residents have been told the framework could remain until 2027. Further Delays The construction firm, the main contractor, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the initial parts of the frame can be dismantled. The city's political leader a city representative has labeled it a "blight" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "extremely disruptive". What is transpiring with this notoriously protracted project? Unwrapped - how the hotel is presented in its intended state on the hotel's website. A Troubled History The sizeable hotel was constructed on the site of the old local government offices in 2009. Estimates from when it first opened under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the build cost at about thirty million pounds. Remedial efforts got underway not long after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022. Part of the road and a significant portion of footpath leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been left out of action by the development. Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and another locale have been forced one after another into a narrow, covered walkway. A dining establishment a well-known restaurant quit the building and moved to St Andrews in Fife in 2024. In a release, its owners said construction activity had obliged them to alter the restaurant's look, adding that "patrons merited more". It is also home to dining franchise a pizza restaurant – which has placed large signs on the structure to remind customers it is operating as usual. Photographs show the the building being built in September 2008 (left) and the scaffolding beginning in 2020 (right). Missed Deadlines An report to the council's transport and environment committee in the start of the year stated that the process of "exposing" the exterior would begin in February, with a complete dismantling by the year's end. But the contractor has said that will not happen, pointing to "highly complicated" construction issues for the postponement. "We expect starting to take down parts of the scaffold close to the conclusion of 2026, with additional work ongoing after that," the company commented. "We are working closely with all parties to ensure we provide an better site for the public." Local and Conservation Frustration A heritage director, lead of preservation association the a local association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for urban works. She said those associated with the project had a "public duty" to lessen inconvenience and should blend the work into the city's streetscape. She said: "It causes the walking experience in that part of town very hard. "It is perplexing why there is not some attempt to integrate it into the urban landscape or create something more creative and innovative." Tourists have been obliged to walk down a confined sheltered walkway on part of the street. Project Response A official statement said work on "solutions to beautify the site" was continuing. They continued: "We acknowledge the annoyances felt by local residents and enterprises. "This has been a long and drawn-out process, demonstrating the intricacy and scale of the repair work required, however we are dedicated to finishing this vital work as soon as is possible." The council leader said the local authority would "maintain pressure" on those accountable to complete the project. She said: "This structure has been a negative presence for years, and I understand the exasperation of inhabitants and nearby shops over these continued delays. "Nonetheless, I also acknowledge that the company has a duty to make the building secure and that this restoration has been hugely complex."