Experiencing the Art of Scottish Luxury Hospitality at 100 Princes Street
Photos by Francesca Polizzi & Marie Florence Musa
100 Princes Street is a jewel of a boutique heritage hotel, beautifully reborn on the city’s iconic thoroughfare.
David’s warm smile at the entrance sets the tone for what lies behind the main doors, within this remarkable building, once home to the Royal Overseas League and now quietly nestled among the historic facades of the street.
As the flagship and Scottish debut of the prestigious Red Carnation Hotels, 100 Princes Street felt more like an exclusive members’ club than a usual luxury hotel: an exquisitely curated haven to come back to after busy days; intimate, soulful, and rich with character. I lived an immersive encounter with the finest expressions of Edinburgh’s cultural identity.
Woven into thread…
Since working closely with Scottish heritage over the past two years, I’ve become deeply passionate about the stories tartan fabrics can tell to those who know how to read them: quite literal tales of places, clans, memories, specific numbers and colours, woven into thread.
5 Bespoke Tartans by Araminta Campbell
In a seamless collaboration with Red Carnation Hotels, the Scottish luxury textile designer Araminta Campbell embarked on a journey to create five bespoke tartans, each one capturing the spirit of the hotel and the personalities woven into its story. The result is a collection that is not only visually striking, but deeply meaningful; woven heirlooms that bring character, authenticity, and a sense of belonging to the hotel’s identity: the 100 Princes Street Tartan, The Brennan Tartan, The Lourie Tartan, The Tollman Tartan, The Swerling tartan.
At 100 Princes Street I was on a mission to discover and photograph these five tartans! To accomplish this privileged task, I set out to explore a few of its 30 breathtaking suites, each conceived as a world of its own, including one of the two exceptional signature suites: The Archibald, named after the renowned Scottish explorer.
“For a custom design, I love working closely with my clients to draw out their brief and weave their stories into cloth, each project is so individual. From first concept, I then move onto a weave design program which enables me to work out the complex intricacies of the weave from colour combinations to weave structure. Some designs work quite quickly but others can take weeks to evolve.”
- Araminta Birse-Stewart
The 100 Princes Street tartans were designed four-hands by Araminta Campbell and the Tollman family [the visionaries behind Red Carnation Hotels], to beautifully match a rich and meticulously curated interior, where every single detail sparkles with pure identity! This mission meant diving fully into the 100 Princes Street experience, which, to be honest, unlocked a new and unexplored standard for what true luxury and warm, genuine hospitality can feel like!
The four-storey hand-painted mural
honouring Scottish explorers & botanists
At 100 Princes Street the four-storey staircase is graced by a hand-painted mural by the decorative artists Croxford and Saunders; an extraordinary work in which each brushstroke pays homage to the exotic worlds uncovered by Scottish explorers and botanists who once called the building their ‘home away from home’. In vignettes reminiscent of vintage posters and postcards, exquisite wildlife and vibrant botanical specimens appear in dialogue with ancient architectural forms; it felt like browsing through an illustrated volume of botany and anthropology unfolding step by step up the staircase! Truly a compelling reason to choose the stairs over the lift!
Hand-painted mural by Croxford & Saunders, London
Sharing life, dreams, visions and aspirations through brushstrokes is among the oldest and most evocative ways humans have sought to leave a timeless trace of their passage. Today, one of the most luxurious gestures in contemporary interior design is indeed to invite artists to leave such a precious trace, as a rare and refined form of modern patronage.
A quintessential Scottish experience at The Wallace Bar & Ghillie's Pantry
The Wallace Bar is where I was fortunate enough to enjoy the most tranquil moments of each day. Between one work trip and the next, it became a haven of calm, a place for unhurried pauses both at the start of a busy day and in its quiet close. Here, I was greeted with the warmest hospitality and a sip of fragrant tea, and treated to unforgettable breakfasts, softly lit by the morning glow and accompanied by the ever-enchanting view of Edinburgh Castle.
In the evenings, it was where I slowed down again, sipping on delicious aperitifs and signature cocktails, and indulging in exquisite Scottish cuisine - clearly prepared with love using the best and most freshly available local produce by the hotel’s talented chef, Willhelm Maree - as the sun dipped below the horizon, taking with it my view of the Castle.
The space itself is beautifully curated: a grand fireplace, plush velvet armchairs, moody, atmospheric lighting, precious handpicked antiques, all enveloped by a breathtaking hand-painted ceiling that keeps your gaze gently lifted in quiet admiration, while sipping Scotland’s “liquid gold”.
The ultimate Whisky Journey
with Dario Orsili
Dario Orsili, Head Bartender and Whisky Ambassador, welcomes guests not with a menu, but with a conversation. He listens, learns what you like (and what you don’t), then quietly builds a tasting tailored just for you. It’s not about showing off the rarest bottle in the collection, it’s about helping guests find the one that they love the most.
100 Princes Street is in fact a hidden gem for lovers of the dram, where the collection stretches well past 200 bottles and counting, carefully stored at the Wallace Bar and the Ghillie's Pantry.
I came across an interview in the hotel’s journal where they asked Dario about his favourite whisky.
He replied…
“I’ve been lucky enough to try over a thousand different whiskies, But if I had to pick from the collection at 100 Princes Street, it would have to be the Tomatin 36. I don’t know what happened 36 years ago in that distillery, but it was magic. The tasting notes are tropical fruit and a touch of spice that make this whisky so unique in terms of flavour profile.”
Ghillie’s Pantry is pure character. Shelves cradling over a hundred whiskies line the walls, some well-known, others nearly impossible to find…
like a Laphroaig 20 Year Old Director’s Special or The Glenlivet 25. Overhead, a hand-painted celestial mural by Croxford & Saunders stretches across the ceiling, giving the space a hushed, absolutely magical feel.
Scotland is full of remarkable stories, and whisky is one of its most compelling. But I didn’t expect to find one of the country’s leading whisky minds to be... a fellow Roman!
Dario’s journey from Rome to the heart of Scottish whisky culture is as layered and surprising as the drams he pours. And maybe that’s what makes the experience here so special: beneath every drop lies a personal connection, a memory, a bit of soul.
“There are many different locations around Scotland where people can enjoy whisky. However, what sets us apart is the fact that our collection is exclusive to hotel residents only, with a number of bottles that are limited edition and impossible to find elsewhere.”
- Dario Orsili, Head Bartender at 100 Princes Street
A destination for grand-travelers…
During my two-day stay at 100 Princes Street I found myself observing the most refined guests wandering through those tartan-walled halls. More than travellers, they resembled the grand-travellers of another era: people hungry for enriching stories, drawn to a kind of luxury rooted in culture, identity, and refined authenticity.
Extremely graceful in their manners, language, and dress, these people were seeking not just the ultimate comfort, but above all, personal enrichment in their travels.
To me, they felt less like hotel guests and more like patrons of a private members' club: curious, attentive, interested in one another, and quietly reverent.
I watched them run their hands over fabrics, pause in admiration before the precious handpicked antiques and unique bespoke artworks, and linger thoughtfully in front of the extraordinary hand-painted murals that unfold along the hotel’s majestic staircase
Timeless Heritage & Gracious Opulence
The architectural heritage of 100 Princes Street, once home to the Royal Overseas League, calls for a certain reverence. Its history is ever-present, yet made beautifully contemporary through a mindful design that bridges past and present, adding unexpected levels of comfort throughout. This is the exceptional result of a collaborative masterpiece by the acclaimed teams behind Botswana's Xigera Safari Lodge and Ireland's iconic Ashford Castle, with the superb vision of Toni Tollman at the forefront. With 100 Princes Street’s travellers it becomes a pleasure and truly enriching to engage in deep conversations: rich exchanges of memories, ideas, reflections, and stories.
And since we were at 100 Princes Street, those conversations unfolded over the finest whiskies at The Wallace bar, while contemplating the light slowly shifting over Edinburgh’s old castle.
Setting a new standard
in luxury hospitality.
A short stay at 100 Princes Street has deeply redefined my standards for luxury hospitality. Every detail spoke of depth, purpose, and thoughtful values, elevated further by the exceptional warmth and professionalism of the entire team. I’m deeply grateful to Araminta Campbell for making this happen, to the Red Carnation family for the trust, and to the remarkable team at 100 Princes Street, for their impeccable care, authentic attention to every need, and seamless accommodation of my schedule.
With deep gratitude,
Francesca
“This is the story of a re-imagining; an exclusive address with an iconic, guest-welcoming heritage, which is set to transform the Edinburgh hotel scene”
- The Red Carnation Family
Courtesy of 100 Princes Street.