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.
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
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.
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 →
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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 at | What we found | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | 54 hospitality properties shortlisted from 1,373 Council entries | A practical starting point drawn from 1,366 different application references across the Council lists. |
| How the count works | 86 mentions in the Council's weekly planning lists represented 85 different references | One appeared twice; three uncertain references were held aside, leaving 82 included. |
| Types of proposed work | 31 accommodation-led; 18 food, drink or pub; 5 shopfront, seating or signage | Different work calls for different suppliers and contractors; tailor the shortlist to your services. |
| Location | City centre, waterfront, inner neighbourhoods and selected outer areas | Focus 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
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.
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Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
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Dates covered
The number of relevant properties varied across the three date ranges
| Dates covered | Council entries reviewed | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| 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 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.
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 change | Properties |
|---|---|
| Visitor-accommodation conversion | 13 |
| Visitor-accommodation development | 2 |
| Hotel conversion | 4 |
| Hotel development | 1 |
| Hotel refurbishment | 7 |
| Guest-house and bed-and-breakfast changes | 3 |
| Bar and restaurant conversion | 1 |
| Restaurant works | 4 |
| Food-and-drink use change | 11 |
| Public-house works | 2 |
| Frontage and seating works | 3 |
| Frontage and signage | 2 |
| Hotel infrastructure | 1 |
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.
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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.
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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.
| Area | Why it may matter | Businesses most likely to care |
|---|---|---|
| Central / New Town | Hotel rooms, conversions, refurbishment, restaurant and frontage activity | Operators, interior contractors, signage, professional and property teams |
| Leith / waterfront | Hospitality conversions, pub works and longer-term waterfront change | Operators, interior teams, heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and ventilation firms, and property teams |
| Tollcross / Southside | Smaller conversions, food-and-drink and specialist services | Kitchens, ventilation, signage and local contractors |
| West / outliers | Selective larger conversions, refurbishment and infrastructure context | Main 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.
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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 business | Work mentioned | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen and ventilation specialists | Moving extraction equipment, flues and internal services | Review the technical detail, site constraints and who will design and approve the specialist work. |
| Interior and shopfront contractors | Shopfront, internal alteration, awning and window work | Compare the scale, location and heritage requirements with the firm's services. |
| Signage businesses | Illuminated signs, digital displays and frontage work | Confirm the latest planning permission and whether the signs form part of a wider refurbishment. |
| Exterior-building and logistics firms | Facade repair, commercial expansion and catering infrastructure | Use 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.
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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.
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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 point | Recommended next step |
|---|---|
| The 54-property shortlist | Rank projects by fit with your services, location, current status and preferred project size. |
| A promising application | Confirm timing, buyers and how contractors or suppliers will be chosen. |
| Linked applications | Follow the application history around the same project before deciding what it means. |
| Wider development nearby | Assess 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.
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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.
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.
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.
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
| Reader | Sign worth watching | Question to answer |
|---|---|---|
| Operator / owner | Who will run the venue, permission status change, licensing or trading evidence | Does this change the competitive or property-management view? |
| Interior / main contractor | Technical detail, conditions, likely timetable or information about the people already involved | Is there a defined piece of work and credible evidence that it will proceed? |
| Heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and ventilation firms | Heating, cooling, extraction, capacity or kitchen service-area detail | Is a specific piece of specialist work becoming clear? |
| Signage / frontage | Signage permission, drawings of building frontages or linked refurbishment activity | Is the work standalone or part of a wider project? |
| Professional team | Heritage, change-of-use, compliance or cost complexity | Is there an unresolved problem that fits our expertise? |
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Proposed Changes to Edinburgh Hospitality Properties
Page 13
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 — £195Focused Opportunity Review
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