Blue Rainbow makes Edinburgh swoop

BLUE Rainbow, the North West apartment hotel operator, has bought a site in Edinburgh.

The Manchester-company plans to invest £500,000 in the Royal Garden Apartments, which it has acquired for an undisclosed sum.

The 30-room Royal Garden is Blue Rainbow’s first step towards a strategy of building a national chain of apartment hotels.

Currently of a four-star standard, the Royal Garden’s facilities will be upgraded to five-star specification. The property, which has its own private garden and views over the River Forth,  has occupancy rates of more than 80%.

According to travel website Tripadvisor the Royal Garden is the fourth- highest rated hotel in Edinburgh and is particularly popular wirth visitors from the US.

Managing director Will Hannah, said: “Every day we are presented with potential hotel sites for purchase. We have been eager to expand for a while and out of all the properties, this has been the most attractive by far.

“Edinburgh is an exciting and vibrant city and we are delighted that Blue Rainbow Apartments can be a part of it.”

Among the sites it considered was the Yang Sing Oriental, on Princess Street in Manchester.