Office at 9 St Colme Street proposed for hotel conversion

A townhouse office on St Colme Street could be turned into a hotel under a new planning application lodged with the City of Edinburgh Council.

The proposal covers 9 St Colme Street, EH3 6AA, a central New Town address between Queen Street and Queensferry Street, close to Charlotte Square and George Street. The application seeks a change of use from Class 4 office use to Class 7 hotel use, alongside internal alterations.

The plans are worth watching because they would shift a building in a highly visible historic part of the city from office use into visitor accommodation. They also include changes associated with creating hotel rooms, en-suites, reception space and some replacement windows and doors.

What is proposed

The application is for the conversion of 9 St Colme Street from office use to hotel use.

The description identifies three main elements:

• change of use from Class 4 office to Class 7 hotel;
• internal alterations to support the new use;
• works associated with hotel accommodation, including rooms, en-suites and reception space.

The application summary also indicates that some windows and doors would be replaced. That makes the proposal more visible than a purely internal office conversion, especially in a street where the character of frontages, openings and materials is part of the wider townscape.

No decision has been issued. The application is currently listed as awaiting assessment.

The site

9 St Colme Street sits in Edinburgh’s New Town, a part of the city known for Georgian streets, formal terraces and high levels of heritage sensitivity. Web listings for the property describe it as a self-contained Category A listed Georgian townhouse in the New Town, within Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.

St Colme Street runs in the West End/New Town area, with nearby commercial streets including Queensferry Street, George Street and the Charlotte Square area. This location already has a mix of offices, professional services, homes, hospitality uses and visitor accommodation within walking distance.

The building’s current office use means the proposal is not about developing a vacant edge-of-city plot or building a new hotel block. It is about changing the role of an existing townhouse in a central conservation setting.

Why it matters

Office-to-hotel conversions in central Edinburgh can raise several local questions.

For neighbours, the main issue is usually how the new use would operate day to day. A hotel can change patterns of arrivals, deliveries, servicing, cleaning, waste collection and late-evening comings and goings compared with a conventional office. The scale of those effects depends on the detailed layout and operating model considered through the planning process.

For local businesses, the proposal points to continued demand for visitor accommodation in the city centre and New Town. Hotels can support cafés, restaurants, shops and services, but they also form part of a broader debate about the balance between workplaces, homes and visitor uses in central Edinburgh.

For heritage and planning watchers, the address is significant because of its setting. The New Town’s architectural value means even modest external changes can attract attention. Replacement windows and doors, in particular, are likely to be considered in terms of appearance, materials and their effect on the character of the building and street.

A shift from office space to visitor accommodation

The application falls within a wider pattern seen in many city centres: some older office buildings are being reconsidered for alternative uses, including hotels and serviced accommodation.

At 9 St Colme Street, the proposed move is from Class 4 office to Class 7 hotel. In practical terms, that would mean a building formerly used for business purposes being fitted out for guests, with reception and bedroom accommodation.

The application does not indicate a planning decision, and it should not be read as confirmation that the hotel conversion will go ahead. The council will assess the proposal against relevant planning policies and any representations received.

What happens next

The City of Edinburgh Council will assess the application before issuing a decision. During that process, planning officers may consider the proposed use, the internal and external alterations, heritage impacts, neighbouring amenity, access, servicing and any other matters raised through consultation.

Residents, businesses and other interested parties can search for the case on the council’s planning portal to view documents and follow updates.

The planning reference is 26/01515/FUL. The address is 9 St Colme Street, Edinburgh EH3 6AA.