🔗 Share this article What's Happening with the Capital's Scaffolding-Clad Hotel? The protective structure enveloping the hotel on a central thoroughfare may not be fully removed until 2027. On one of the most frequented avenues in the core of Scotland's historic capital stands a imposing sight of scaffolding. For five years, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the junction of the famous Royal Mile and George IV Bridge has been a shrouded blight. Travellers cannot book rooms, walkers are funneled through tight corridors, and commercial tenants have vacated the building. Restoration efforts started in 2020 and was only expected to last a brief duration, but now frustrated residents have been told the structure could stay in place until 2027. Extended Timelines Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the lead company, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the frame can be removed. A local authority figure a council official has called it a "eyesore" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient". What is going on with this apparently perpetual project? As advertised - how the hotel appears without its covering on the hotel's website. A Troubled History The 136-bedroom hotel was constructed on the site of the old regional authority offices in 2009. Figures from when it initially debuted under the a fashion-branded banner, put the development expense at about thirty million pounds. Remedial efforts got underway soon after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022. A lane of traffic and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been left out of action by the project. Walkers going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been required in a line into a narrow, covered walkway. A dining establishment Ondine departed from the building and transferred to another city in 2024. In a statement, its management said construction activity had obliged them to change the restaurant's facade, adding that "patrons merited more". It is also hosts popular eatery a chain – which has displayed large banners on the scaffold to notify customers it is open for business. Pictures show the the property under construction in September 2008 (left) and the project beginning in 2020 (right). Missed Deadlines An report to the a local authority committee in January this year indicated that the process of "exposing" the exterior would start in February, with a complete dismantling by the year's end. But SRM has said that is incorrect, citing "highly complicated" structural challenges for the setback. "We expect starting to remove portions of the framework towards the end of the coming year, with additional work continuing thereafter," they said. "We are collaborating closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we provide an improved site for the community." Community and Heritage Concerns A conservation official, lead of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "protracted" for development. She said those involved in the project had a "civic responsibility" to lessen inconvenience and should integrate the work into the city's design. She said: "It renders the experience for those on foot in that part of town really difficult. "It is perplexing why there is not a try to incorporate it within the streetscape or develop something more aesthetic and avant-garde." Tourists have been required to walk down a tight covered walkway on the affected thoroughfare. Project Response A project spokesperson said work on "ideas to enhance the appearance the site" was in progress. They continued: "We understand the frustrations felt by nearby inhabitants and enterprises. "This constitutes a extended and complex process, demonstrating the complexity and size of the restoration required, however we are committed to finishing this necessary work as soon as is feasible." The council leader said the local authority would "keep applying pressure" on those accountable to complete the project. She said: "This structure has been a problem for years, and I echo the annoyance of locals and nearby shops over these continued delays. "That said, I also acknowledge that the contractor has a responsibility to make the building safe and that this repair has turned out to be extremely complicated."