Gleneagles Townhouse

About Gleneagles Townhouse

Gleneagles Townhouse opened in 2022 in the former British Linen Bank building on St Andrew Square, bringing the Perthshire resort's name into the city. The conversion kept the grandest part of the original architecture — the banking hall, with its glass dome and gallery — and turned it into The Spence, an all-day restaurant that functions as the social heart of the building. It is a five-star hotel with a private members' club attached, though hotel guests get the run of most of it.

The 33 bedrooms are spread over the upper floors and vary considerably in shape, because the building did not start life as a hotel. Expect tall sash windows, panelled walls, brass fittings and bathrooms in dark marble; several rooms look directly onto the square or towards the Firth of Forth. The larger suites have separate sitting areas. Rooms are quiet given the central location, which matters more than it sounds on a square that busy.

Facilities lean towards wellness rather than sprawl. There is a gym, a sauna and steam room, and treatment rooms in the basement. Lamplighters, the rooftop bar, is the other reason people book: it is one of the better elevated views in the New Town, taking in Calton Hill and the Forth, and it does a serious cocktail list. Breakfast in The Spence is worth getting up for.

The location is about as central as Edinburgh gets. Princes Street is a minute away, the tram from the airport stops on the square itself, and Waverley station is a five-minute walk. It suits couples and design-minded travellers who want somewhere contemporary rather than tartan-and-antlers traditional, and anyone who wants a base for a weekend of eating and drinking without needing a taxi.