Project Intel

Business activity briefing

Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties

Hotels, restaurants, pubs and visitor accommodation across Edinburgh.

A practical review of proposed changes to Edinburgh hotels, restaurants, pubs and visitor accommodation, written for operators, owners, contractors, suppliers and advisers.

Dates covered
15 May–14 June · 15 June–14 July · 15 July–14 August 2026
August 2026
Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
Page 2

Executive summary

Find the Edinburgh hospitality projects worth a closer look

We reviewed 1,373 Edinburgh Council planning-list entries and identified 54 hospitality properties with proposed changes. Most involve conversions, refurbishment or specialist work to existing buildings.

What to do next: use this briefing to focus on projects that match your services, working area and preferred project size. This will help you identify the strongest matches and approach them with confidence once their status, timing and supplier arrangements are clear.

Map of Edinburgh showing ten approximate project areas, with the airport shown in an inset.

Ten selected examples are shown by approximate area. They illustrate where hospitality projects, wider developments and related supplier work appear. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors; cartography © CARTO. Explore the interactive map →

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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At a glance

From 1,373 Council entries to 54 properties worth a closer look

What we looked atWhat we foundHow to use it
Scale54 hospitality properties shortlisted from 1,373 Council entriesA practical starting point drawn from 1,366 different application references across the Council lists.
How the count works86 mentions in the Council's weekly planning lists represented 85 different referencesOne appeared twice; three uncertain references were held aside, leaving 82 included.
Types of proposed work31 accommodation-led; 18 food, drink or pub; 5 shopfront, seating or signageDifferent work calls for different suppliers and contractors; tailor the shortlist to your services.
LocationCity centre, waterfront, inner neighbourhoods and selected outer areasFocus on the areas where your team works and the types of service you provide.
1373Council planning-list entries reviewed
86Mentions in the Council's weekly planning lists
82Application references included
54Hospitality properties shortlisted
How Council planning-list entries were narrowed to a shortlist of hospitality properties.

54 main applications + 28 linked applications = 82 included references. The 54 main applications form the public property shortlist; linked applications provide additional evidence without increasing the headline.

Other evidence is kept separate: 13 wider-development records, 9 supplier records and 151 short-term-let and visitor-accommodation records. The Willowbrae crossover remains within the 54-property shortlist.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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Dates covered

The number of relevant properties varied across the three date ranges

Hospitality properties by date range.
Dates coveredCouncil entries reviewedProperties
15 May–14 June 2026 520 24
15 June–14 July 2026 374 9
15 July–14 August 2026 479 21

What the figures mean: all three date ranges contain relevant properties, with a lower count in the middle period. Read them as three snapshots rather than a trend or timetable.

15 May–14 June

24 properties from 520 Council entries reviewed. This is the broadest period and supplies much of the conversion and accommodation-led picture.

15 June–14 July

Nine properties from 374 Council entries reviewed. Treat the lower count as a period snapshot.

15 July–14 August

21 properties from 479 Council entries, including refurbishment, conversion and shopfront work.

Council planning-list entries reviewed by reporting period.

What to do: review applications regularly and focus on projects whose current status, location and proposed work suit your business. Use each new set of results to refresh your shortlist.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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Types of proposed work

Most activity concerns changes to existing buildings

Each property is placed in one main category so the table counts it once. The pattern points towards conversions, refurbishment and smaller specialist work, rather than a steady flow of entirely new buildings. “Change of use” means using a property for a different purpose.

31hotels and guest accommodation across conversion, development, refurbishment and infrastructure
18food-and-drink venues, restaurants and public houses
5frontage, seating or signage projects
Main type of proposed changeProperties
Visitor-accommodation conversion13
Visitor-accommodation development2
Hotel conversion4
Hotel development1
Hotel refurbishment7
Guest-house and bed-and-breakfast changes3
Bar and restaurant conversion1
Restaurant works4
Food-and-drink use change11
Public-house works2
Frontage and seating works3
Frontage and signage2
Hotel infrastructure1

32 properties mainly involve conversion or a different use. This can create a need for surveys, changes to existing services, access planning, heritage expertise and careful work sequencing.

8 hotels mainly involve refurbishment or building infrastructure. These may suit interiors and heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and ventilation firms once the likely timetable and the person appointing suppliers are known.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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Selected project examples

Eight projects show the range of proposed work

These examples show the range across the 54 shortlisted properties. Start with those that match your services, then confirm status, timing and the people already involved.

Corstorphine

Corstorphine office-to-hotel conversion

An office property proposed for hotel use with a supporting restaurant, bar, events space and other facilities.

Potential fit: Interiors, kitchens, bar and event space, access and building systems.

Useful next check: Look for a clearer timetable and confirmation of who will appoint contractors.

Southside / Pleasance

Pleasance apartment-hotel conversion

Office accommodation proposed for apartment-hotel use with suites and associated internal changes.

Potential fit: Surveys, adapting existing services and fitting out the rooms.

Useful next check: Confirm the planning position, likely timetable and who will appoint contractors.

Stockbridge

Hamilton Place restaurant works

A listed restaurant property proposed for a lower-ground extension and related alterations.

Potential fit: Heritage, structural and extension work for designers and specialist contractors.

Useful next check: Review the listed-building requirements and likely order of work.

Tollcross

Gilmore Place guest-house conversion

An application to use a large house as a guest house, submitted after that use began.

Potential fit: A smaller guest-house project that may suit local interiors and service contractors.

Useful next check: Permission was sought after the use began, so confirm the current planning position first.

Leith / Easter Road

Easter Road public-house works

Frontage alterations and a new extract flue proposed at an existing public house.

Potential fit: Ventilation, fabrication and signage specialists.

Useful next check: Confirm the technical detail, timetable and who will appoint suppliers.

Leith waterfront

Shore bar-restaurant conversion

A barge proposed for bar-and-restaurant use with new decking and quayside seating areas.

Potential fit: Waterside access, outdoor seating and specialist conversion work.

Useful next check: Confirm quay access, permissions and how suppliers will be chosen.

Haymarket

Apex Hotel refurbishment and extension

Hotel refurbishment and extension with associated outdoor public-space, landscaping and access work.

Potential fit: Hotel interiors, extension, public-space, landscaping and access work.

Useful next check: Confirm the likely timing and how suppliers and contractors will be chosen.

St Andrew Square

St Andrew Square hotel-bedroom conversion

Internal changes proposed to convert storerooms into four additional hotel bedrooms.

Potential fit: Focused interior, electrical, plumbing and ventilation work rather than large-scale main contracting.

Useful next check: Confirm the timetable and who will appoint the specialist firms.

What this means: different projects call for different responses. Review complex conversions early, and match smaller shopfront, ventilation and specialist work to the businesses best suited to deliver it.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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Priority locations

The most useful areas depend on what your business does

Four groups of locations contain different mixes of projects and possible types of work. Start with the areas that best match where your business operates.

Look here first

New Town and city centre

Hotel, visitor-accommodation, shopfront and restaurant projects create the densest central group.

Why it matters: suited to hotel interiors, professional teams, signage and complex existing-building work; access and heritage issues may shape delivery.

Look here first

Leith waterfront and Easter Road

Four waterfront projects sit alongside Easter Road and Bath Road activity, with wider change at Western Harbour.

Why it matters: conversion, bar, hotel and pub work creates a varied group requiring different specialist services.

Keep this area in your regular review

Tollcross and Southside

Guest-house, apartment-hotel, food-and-drink, shopfront, signage and ventilation themes overlap nearby.

Why it matters: relevant to kitchen, ventilation, interior and small-works teams; tight urban sites and applications made after work began increase the value of a current-status review.

Prioritise projects that match your services

West and outlying centres

Corstorphine, Haymarket, South Queensferry and Kirkliston are less concentrated but include some larger proposals.

Why it matters: a smaller group can still matter when project scale, location and type of work suit your business.

AreaWhy it may matterBusinesses most likely to care
Central / New TownHotel rooms, conversions, refurbishment, restaurant and frontage activityOperators, interior contractors, signage, professional and property teams
Leith / waterfrontHospitality conversions, pub works and longer-term waterfront changeOperators, interior teams, heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and ventilation firms, and property teams
Tollcross / SouthsideSmaller conversions, food-and-drink and specialist servicesKitchens, ventilation, signage and local contractors
West / outliersSelective larger conversions, refurbishment and infrastructure contextMain contractors, operators and teams with wider service coverage

What this means: a hotel-interiors team, a local ventilation specialist and a contractor covering several trades each need a different shortlist. Combine location with the proposed work and latest application status.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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Nearby development

Thirteen separate projects show how nearby areas may change

Residential, education, community, retail and commercial projects can alter the local customer base, access, construction traffic and long-term trading conditions. Use them to understand the wider areas around hospitality properties.

Piersfield

Piersfield commercial reuse

A proposed change from warehouse to retail use in east Edinburgh.

West Pilton

West Pilton sports-pitch renewal

Plans cover improvements to the sports pitch, fencing and lighting.

Merchiston

Merchiston residential conversion

Plans cover a residential conversion and extension to create eleven flats.

Granton waterfront

Granton school and nursery proposal

A school, nursery and support-base proposal within the wider Granton development framework.

Granton waterfront

Granton residential development of up to 275 homes

A residential proposal of up to 275 homes with open space, drainage, utility and access arrangements, and associated site work.

Fairmilehead

Fairmilehead residential redevelopment

Plans cover a substantial residential redevelopment on previously developed land.

Haymarket

Haymarket food-retail use

A city-centre record concerning food-retail use.

Western Harbour

Western Harbour residential development

Plans cover residential development across several Leith waterfront plots.

Gorgie / Stevenson Road

Stevenson Road temporary accommodation

Plans cover redevelopment of previously developed land for temporary residential accommodation.

Cameron Toll

Cameron Toll drive-to unit

Plans cover a shopping-centre extension and a new drive-to unit.

Ingliston

Ingliston mixed-use variation

Plans alter a mixed-use building and reduce parts of its restaurant space.

Cramond

Cramond mixed-use development

Plans combine sport, leisure, care, homes and potential food-and-drink uses.

Leith / Tower Street

Tower Street hotel car-park redevelopment

Plans replace part of an existing hotel car park with eighteen apartments, changing local access and parking.

Willowbrae is discussed here because of its wider significance, but it is counted only among the 54 hospitality properties and is not one of the 13 wider-development records.

Waterfront growth

Granton and Western Harbour may change population, movement and local services over time. Follow delivery and timing before drawing conclusions for hospitality.

Areas of business change

Piersfield, Haymarket and Cameron Toll show local change that may affect nearby trading conditions and contractor activity.

Changes to the local customer base

Residential and community schemes can change neighbourhood demand and access. Assess their relevance to each hospitality property separately.

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Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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Related supplier work

Nine nearby applications show specialist work in the market

These nine applications sit outside the 54-property headline and show related specialist work across Edinburgh. The George Street restaurant refurbishment appears in both groups but is counted once.

Tollcross

Tollcross kitchen-extraction relocation

Kitchen-extraction and external-flue work relevant to heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and ventilation firms.

Sighthill / Bankhead

Bankhead warehouse and office expansion

Warehouse and office expansion that may interest commercial contractors and suppliers.

Southside / Nicolson Square

Nicolson Square shopfront and signage works

Internal changes, shopfront and signage work that may suit a small interior contractor.

Tollcross

King’s Theatre signage works

Illuminated and digital display work relevant to specialist-signage firms.

Southside / Nicolson Square

Nicolson Square shopfront and extract works

Shopfront refurbishment, signage and powered ventilation-extraction work relevant to interior contractors and heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and ventilation firms.

Abbey Strand / Holyrood

Holyrood visitor-office frontage and awning works

Ticket-office frontage work with replacement windows and retractable awnings.

Newhaven

Newhaven exterior-wall repairs

External finishes and fire-safety barriers inside wall cavities proposed for replacement.

Edinburgh Airport

Edinburgh Airport catering compound

Plans cover a paved airside compound for airport catering and logistics activity.

George Street

George Street restaurant interior works

Removal and replacement of restaurant interiors, shopfront redecoration and signage work relevant to hospitality and specialist suppliers.

Type of businessWork mentionedUseful next step
Kitchen and ventilation specialistsMoving extraction equipment, flues and internal servicesReview the technical detail, site constraints and who will design and approve the specialist work.
Interior and shopfront contractorsShopfront, internal alteration, awning and window workCompare the scale, location and heritage requirements with the firm's services.
Signage businessesIlluminated signs, digital displays and frontage workConfirm the latest planning permission and whether the signs form part of a wider refurbishment.
Exterior-building and logistics firmsFacade repair, commercial expansion and catering infrastructureUse these as examples, then confirm whether a hospitality contract is available.

How to use these examples: match the work to your services, then confirm whether a buyer, tender or contract exists.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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What this means for your business

Different businesses can use the same evidence in different ways

Start with your services, working area and preferred project size. The same public evidence can then support a different shortlist for each type of business.

Hospitality operators

Use the map and proposed changes to understand activity around competing, complementary or replacement venues. Confirm the latest status, who will run the venue and possible effects on the local customer base.

Interior contractors

Focus on the 32 conversion or use-change applications and 8 hotel upgrade or infrastructure applications. Review surveys, access, work in venues that may remain open, the likely timetable and who will appoint contractors.

Commercial kitchen suppliers

Restaurant, bar, pub and hotel activity may create a need for equipment or work in kitchen and service areas. Confirm the equipment, specification and appointment timing for the strongest matches.

Heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and ventilation firms

Extraction, flues, heating and cooling equipment, hotel infrastructure and conversions deserve specialist review. Confirm who will design and approve the work, existing capacity and planning conditions.

Signage businesses

Frontage and signage-led projects plus nearby specialist-signage records create a shorter list. Find out whether signage is standalone, requires separate permission or forms part of a wider interior refurbishment.

Property owners and asset managers

Use central, waterfront and neighbourhood groups to compare visible change around properties. Follow wider development for possible effects on the local business picture, footfall and access.

Professional teams

Conversions, listed buildings, mixed-use projects and applications submitted after work or a use began raise planning, design, cost, heritage and compliance questions. Prioritise unresolved problems that fit the team's expertise.

Main and specialist contractors

Separate complex projects from small specialist works. Where you operate, preferred project size, likely timing and the people already involved should determine which applications deserve a closer look.

Shared next question: what new information would make this application worth acting on? Look for a decision, technical detail, who will run the venue, a timetable, a named buyer or another public record.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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How to use this report

Use the findings with confidence

This carefully checked shortlist saves time by narrowing a large Council record set. Use it to focus attention, then confirm the details that determine whether a project fits your business.

Read the dates as snapshots

Use the 24 / 9 / 21 pattern to compare the three date ranges, rather than as a growth forecast.

Look across the city

Central and waterfront areas matter, while projects elsewhere may be a stronger match for particular services.

Focus on existing buildings

Conversion, change of use, refurbishment, shopfront work and infrastructure changes dominate the picture.

Confirm how suppliers will be chosen

Look for a buyer, tender, contractor appointment or another clear route to supplying the work.

Rank the 54 projects by readiness

Give priority to active proposals with clearer timing, technical detail and decision-makers.

Use wider development as background

Assess the 13 development records for possible effects on access, nearby activity and the local customer base.

Turn the evidence into action

Starting pointRecommended next step
The 54-property shortlistRank projects by fit with your services, location, current status and preferred project size.
A promising applicationConfirm timing, buyers and how contractors or suppliers will be chosen.
Linked applicationsFollow the application history around the same project before deciding what it means.
Wider development nearbyAssess possible local effects, then look for direct evidence before acting.

Best use: combine this briefing with direct Council status checks, commercial judgement and professional advice.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
Page 12

30 / 60 / 90-day action plan

Look for signs that a project is moving forward

Useful signs include an application status change, supporting technical detail, clearer plans for who will run the venue or a credible timetable.

30

Confirm what has changed

  • Review the 21 most recent projects for decisions, amendments or related applications.
  • Separate minor work and applications submitted after work or a use began from proposals for future work.
  • Assign each area to the person best placed to review it.
60

Look for clearer signs of progress

  • Watch for technical, licensing, building-standards or operator information where publicly available.
  • Confirm whether shopfront, equipment, ventilation and kitchen work becomes more specific.
  • Track whether wider developments alter access, the local customer base or nearby construction activity.
90

Review priorities

  • Compare new activity with the 24 / 9 / 21 pattern as a period snapshot.
  • Raise priority where the evidence, relevance and timing become stronger.
  • Keep your shortlist focused on the strongest active prospects.

Signs to watch by reader

ReaderSign worth watchingQuestion to answer
Operator / ownerWho will run the venue, permission status change, licensing or trading evidenceDoes this change the competitive or property-management view?
Interior / main contractorTechnical detail, conditions, likely timetable or information about the people already involvedIs there a defined piece of work and credible evidence that it will proceed?
Heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and ventilation firmsHeating, cooling, extraction, capacity or kitchen service-area detailIs a specific piece of specialist work becoming clear?
Signage / frontageSignage permission, drawings of building frontages or linked refurbishment activityIs the work standalone or part of a wider project?
Professional teamHeritage, change-of-use, compliance or cost complexityIs there an unresolved problem that fits our expertise?
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Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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Appendix A · Evidence confidence

What we know — and what to confirm

The Council coverage and headline counts are strongly supported. Project timing, supplier selection and future demand still require direct confirmation.

Coverage and countingHigh

We reviewed all 28 Council Part A bulletins covering 14 weekly periods. Together they contained 1,373 entries and 1,366 different application references. The public shortlist contains 54 hospitality properties.

Type-of-work groupingMedium–high

Each shortlisted property is placed in one main category so the activity table counts it once. Real projects may contain other types of work.

Location patternsMedium

Area patterns help readers decide where to look. The public map uses approximate locations and shows ten examples rather than every property.

Relevance to businessesMedium

Conversion, refurbishment, ventilation, equipment, shopfront and signage themes point to possible types of work. Their relevance depends on the reader.

Timing and supplier selectionTo confirm

Confirm start dates, tenders, awards, budgets, buyers and whether work is currently available.

Future demandTo confirm

Assess supplier demand, trading outcomes and market growth using later evidence beyond the planning records.

Points to confirm

  • Planning evidence may be early-stage or uneven.
  • Some work or uses may already be in place, minor or amended.
  • Public categories simplify projects involving several kinds of work.
  • Three date ranges provide a snapshot rather than a long-term trend.

What strengthens confidence

  • A status change supported by clearer technical detail.
  • Confirmation from another public source.
  • A named operator, owner, consultant or contractor.
  • Evidence of timing, a buyer and a defined piece of work.

The status notes reflect the reporting period unless a later check date is shown. We did not recheck all 106 references on 25 August 2026, so confirm the latest position with the Council before acting.

A planning application is an early public indication. It is not proof that work will start, a project is commercially viable, a tender exists, a contract has been awarded or an investment will perform.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
Page 14

Appendix B · Counting method

How 1,373 Council entries became 54 shortlisted properties

1

Review every Council bulletin

All 28 Council Part A bulletins across 14 weeks were reviewed: 1,373 entries covering 1,366 different application references.

2

Identify hospitality mentions

The Council's weekly planning lists contained 86 hospitality-related mentions. One application appeared in two different weeks, leaving 85 unique references.

3

Include or hold

Of the 85 unique hospitality references, 82 were included and three were held aside because their relevance was uncertain.

4

Separate main and linked applications

The evidence register contains 54 main applications and 28 linked applications. One main application was selected for each of the 54 properties. The public headline uses those main applications as its property shortlist.

5

Keep other evidence separate

151 short-term-let records, 13 wider developments and nine supplier records are reported as separate groups.

6

Protect the detailed records

The public report uses totals, broad areas and examples. The paid pack contains named properties, source links and recorded period status notes.

Hospitality review

86 mentions − one repeat − three held = 82 included references.

Those 82 comprise 54 main applications and 28 linked applications.

Wider status scope

82 included + three held + 13 wider + nine supplier − one shared = 106 unique references.

Overlaps are counted once.

Why the 54 figure is used: it is the public shortlist of 54 main hospitality applications. Linked applications support the evidence register but do not increase the headline.

Project Intel
Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
Page 15

Commercial conclusion

See all 54 properties and the evidence behind them

The £195 Edinburgh Hospitality Evidence Pack includes all 54 named properties, exact locations, a detailed map, planning references, source links and the planning position recorded during this review.

Use it to find the projects that best match your services, working area and preferred project size.

Tell James what your business does and where you work. He will answer any questions about the Evidence Pack and explain the next step.

Request the Edinburgh Evidence Pack — £195

This publication provides evidence-led commercial context only. It is not planning, legal, financial, investment or procurement advice and does not guarantee future work.