The stone facade of a 19th-century church belies the sleek, modern interior of The Glasshouse, a hotel for a sophisticated, whisky-infused stay in the heart of Edinburgh
Location
Right in the centre of Edinburgh, at the foot of Calton Hill and a stone’s throw from Princes Street. Waverley Station is a five-minute walk away, where mainline LNER trains connect to London in a little over four hours. The hotel also benefits from the new tram extension down to Leith. There’s a tram stop just across the street which whisks you straight to Edinburgh Airport in around 30 minutes.
At the top of Calton Hill, there are some of the best views over the city’s rooftops, including a sneak preview of The Glasshouse’s huge rooftop terrace – perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in Edinburgh.
It’s a straight shoot down Leith Walk on the tram to reach the buzzing bars and Michelin-starred restaurants of the trendy Shore neighbourhood and Edinburgh city’s centre, from Princes Street Gardens to the Castle, which is easily reached on foot. What’s more, the Playhouse Theatre is practically next door.
The vibe
Undoubtedly the hotel’s most striking feature is the restored facade of the 180-year-old Lady Glenorchy church. Rose-hued and resplendent, the Tudor-style architecture is a fitting welcome to a city brimming with history. Inside, the lobby sets a very different tone of sleek, shimmering grandeur which continues throughout the corridors and public spaces.
YTL hotels inherited a higgledy-piggledy architectural design with The Glasshouse, which was constructed in 2003 around the Omni Centre entertainment and dining complex. It’s a case of travelling up in the lift to come down some stairs to access some of the rooms. While The Snug bar is incredibly welcoming and cosy, it does also act as a thoroughfare for those bumping suitcases to and from bedrooms on the third floor. But the corridors absorb sound, remaining whisper-quiet so rooms offer peaceful sleep.
The crowning glory of the hotel is the sprawling rooftop terrace. Out here, there’s a view over the rooftops of Leith, out to the steely-grey Firth of Forth and beyond to the Kingdom of Fife. A maze of pathways meander between packed planters, creating private nooks…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…