Design Focus: The Residence Inn

The Residence Inn by Marriott is an extended stay hotel that opened late last year, taking pride of place in Edinburgh’s plush new Quartermile Development. Incorporating several residential, leisure and retail outlets in a mixture of old and new buildings, this burgeoning stylish quarter of the Capital can be found on the site of the old Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
The Gladedale Group manages the new sleek glass building spanning seven storeys with a total of107 rooms on behalf of the Marriott group, and head of sales and marketing for the company, David Martin, explained the concept, “There are 620 Residence Inns across North America and this is the first in the UK, and only the second in Europe, after Munich which opened last October. We specialise in extended stays, everything from a week to months or years, although we can cater for shorter stays, too. What sets the European contingent of Residence Inns apart is the contemporary design as oppose to the more traditional look across the Pond.
“As an extended stay hotel, it’s all about a home from home and this has been reflected in the design as customer requirements are very different when they stay for five nights plus.
Each room is larger than the average hotel room, complete with its own kitchen and 30% of our inventory is one bedroom suites. Our ethos is work, relax, cook, sleep and adding further value to each stay like a complimentary breakfast, Wi-Fi, laundry, gym and meeting room facilities.”
Starting with the lobby, which uses its limited space rather economically by housing the reception area, lounge, bar, shop and breakfast area, a sleek and stylish tone is set, the brainchild of Ica, the design company based in East Kilbride.
There is also sense of economy throughout the hotel in terms of utilising space and resource effectively, as David explains. “We only have 19 staff in total as long stay guests tend to require less hotel services like cleaning and breakfast, preferring to make their own arrangements, and there are obviously less check in and outs at reception.”
To this end, the bar doubles up as breakfast bar, which is folded away underneath and pulled out on demand.
The colour scheme is predominantly muted colours, with a blend of mushroom tones, beiges, greys and whites. Marble tops have also been effectively used on both the bar and the raised table opposite, which also has sockets for laptops. Some of the standout design touches have to be the oversized circular lampshades. These range from light grey almost transparent material, to black wicker shades that are fairly unique.
The flooring comprises both sandy coloured ceramic floor tiles and dark grey, interspersed with a get carpet with yellow flecks and a zigzag pattern, which injects a bit of fun into the design.
There are also two alcoves opposite the bar. One houses a two booths made from what looks to be a beech wood frame, with an array of differently designed of light shade hanging down over the seats. The upholstery is a mixture of a green patterned back and a gun metal grey leather seat, with the other seating a mixture of high stools in yellow leather and light wooden chairs.
In the other alcove is a corner couch in a grey/green colour in front of which is a low wooden coffee table and large and grey and yellow patterned rug and wall-mounted plasma screen, epitomising the home from home ethos.
There are three types of rooms in the hotel: the studio, the superior studio and the one bedroom suite, and there are various configurations of each. But despite the varying shapes and sizes, they all do share common design elements.
The furniture, for example, is upholstered in a light green velvety material, the wallpaper white wallpaper with its feint retro pattern and the light wooden floors, all work very harmoniously, and the rest of the walls are painted in neutral shades of white. As in the foyer, there are various photos of Edinburgh landmarks in dark wooden frames, and they brighten up the design. The kitchen areas have a utilitarian design with clean lines in grey white with stainless steel appliances. Bathrooms are also fairly plain and functional in white tiles, and some of the deepest shower cubicles that I have ever seen.
I also have to mention that some of the rooms have balconies with amazing views across the castle, and beyond the city, and of course over the streets of the Quartermile Development below.
The feedback from the hotel’s guests has been immensely positive so far, and I can see why, as its relaxed atmosphere, plus friendly and professional staff meshes with a cool, crisp and classy design.