🔗 Share this article What's Happening with Edinburgh's Scaffold-Wrapped Hotel? The metal framework enveloping the hotel on a central thoroughfare may not be fully removed until 2027. Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the heart of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre stands a imposing sight of construction framework. For five years, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the intersection of a key historic street and George IV Bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore. Travellers cannot book rooms, walkers are directed through confined passages, and businesses have left the building. Restoration efforts commenced in 2020 and was only expected to last a brief duration, but now frustrated residents have been told the framework could persist until 2027. Extended Timelines The main contractor, the primary firm, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the initial parts of the frame can be dismantled. The city's political leader a city representative has described it as a "blight" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "extremely disruptive". What is going on with this seemingly endless project? As advertised - how the hotel is presented in its intended state on the brand's website. A Problematic Past The 136-bedroom hotel was developed on the site of the old regional authority offices in 2009. Estimates from when it originally launched under the a designer banner, put the build cost at about a significant sum. Construction activity started soon after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022. A lane of traffic and a large section of sidewalk leading up to the corner of the tourist drag have been closed off by the work. People on foot going to and from the an adjacent district and another locale have been required single-file into a tight, enclosed passage. An eatery Ondine left the building and relocated to a different location in 2024. In a release, its operators said construction activity had forced them to modify the restaurant's look, adding that "customers deserved better". It is also home to restaurant chain a chain – which has placed large notices on the scaffold to notify customers it is operating as usual. Images show the the building under construction in September 2008 (left) and the project beginning in 2020 (right). Delayed Plans An report to the a city committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "exposing" the exterior would begin in February, with a full removal by the end of the year. But the contractor has said that is incorrect, pointing to "highly complicated" structural challenges for the setback. "We project starting to remove sections of the structure close to the conclusion of the coming year, with further improvements continuing thereafter," the company commented. "Efforts are underway closely with everyone involved to ensure we deliver an better site for the local area." Local and Conservation Frustration A conservation official, head of conservation group the an advocacy group, 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 disruption and should integrate the work into the city's design. She said: "It is making the walking experience in that area of the city really difficult. "It is perplexing why there is not a try to integrate it into the street view or produce something more creative and avant-garde." Tourists have been forced to walk down a narrow sheltered walkway on the affected thoroughfare. Continued Work A company representative said work on "ideas to enhance the appearance the site" was in progress. They added: "We acknowledge the frustrations felt by the community and enterprises. "This constitutes a extended and complex process, reflecting the intricacy and magnitude of the repair work required, however we are dedicated to concluding this essential work as soon as is feasible." Ms Meagher said the city would "keep applying pressure" on those involved to finish the project. She said: "This scaffolding has been a problem for years, and I share the exasperation of locals and nearby shops over these continued delays. "That said, I also acknowledge that the firm has a duty to make the building structurally sound and that this repair has proved to be exceptionally difficult."