Red Carnation Hotels is making a splash in Scotland.
The popular, luxe British hotel group officially opened its first hotel in Scotland this week at 100 Princes Street in Edinburgh. The boutique hotel features 30 rooms and suites in a townhouse-style enclave facing Edinburgh Castle. Tartan-lined walls, incredible views and a private members club vibe await those who book a stay here looking for a heavy lean into Scottish culture and aesthetics.
“It’s a niche market [with] 30 keys, but I think anyone would struggle, certainly in Edinburgh and probably anywhere in the world, to get this level of comfort and detail,” said Red Carnation Hotels CEO Jonathan Raggett in an interview with TPG.
Red Carnation has a hefty portfolio of London hotels in popular areas like Kensington, Mayfair and Westminster, but the brand is particularly popular with American travelers heading to Europe, especially those looking for a country retreat at the sprawling Ashford Castle and The Lodge at Ashford Castle hotels in Ireland. Red Carnation also has several hotels in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, South Africa and Botswana.
100 Princes Street in Edinburgh joins a growing roster of new hotels in the Scottish capital, which has seen new arrivals from brands like Marriott’s W Edinburgh and Virgin Hotels in the last few years. Gleneagles Townhouse, an urban offshoot of Ennismore’s ultra-luxury Gleneagles golf resort, opened just blocks away from 100 Princes Street in 2022 and is likely to be the newer hotel’s biggest direct competitor on the vibe front alongside Rocco Forte Hotels’ iconic Balmoral.
But there’s plenty of room in the Edinburgh ultra-luxury hotel sandbox for everyone, Raggett indicated. 100 Princes Street has the advantage of being a smaller property, so hotel staff can offer more individualized service and attention to guests.
“Edinburgh is a city where you can get just about everything,” Raggett said. “I want to make sure we give it to you.”
Rates at 100 Princes Street start at 450 British pounds (about $565) per night for an en-suite double room, which includes a Scottish breakfast for two. That’s about on par with starting rates at The Balmoral.
It’s all in the details
Within the ornate stone facade of 100 Princes Street is The Wallace, the hotel’s chic restaurant, bar and lounge that’s perfect for kicking back with a glass of scotch at the end of the day or for afternoon tea between errands in Auld Reekie. The black-and-bronze-accented Ghillie’s Pantry is a more intimate, elegant private dining room for those wanting to have a gathering with close friends and family … or, at least, the close friends and family members you don’t mind sharing a rare bottle of Glenlivet with.
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The design team, who also oversaw the decor at Ashford Castle as well as Red Carnation’s Xigera Safari Lodge in Botswana, emphasizes the importance of details at 100 Princes Street. That means keep your eyes peeled for things like an astrological ceiling mural at Ghillie’s Pantry and a hand-painted mural paying homage to Scottish exploration running the expanse of the hotel’s five-story staircase.
Local artisans were behind the custom furnishings, fabrics and art throughout the hotel, including five tartans by Scottish designer Araminta Campbell. The artistic nod to exploration celebrates the fact that the building once housed the headquarters of the Royal Over-Seas League, a nonprofit exploration and diplomatic organization.
“We very much got on the side of the fact that it was a hotel where explorers used to stay,” Raggett said.
Who is staying at 100 Princes Street?
We’ve been keeping an eye on the Edinburgh hotel scene amid all the new entrants to the city over the last few years. But the city has also stood out for remaining the European city with the highest advanced hotel occupancy for any dates on Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” stops this upcoming summer.
Should we take that as a sign that there aren’t enough hotel rooms in the city? Maybe don’t go that far, but Raggett said there is room for another player like 100 Princes Street in the ultra-luxury space.
The Balmoral, also on Princes Street, might be the dominant force here, thanks to its imposing architecture and grip on pop culture. (J.K. Rowling finished writing the “Harry Potter” series of books in a suite at the hotel.)
But who’s to say the next great author won’t decide to go a few blocks west and finish writing their opus at 100 Princes Street, instead?
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