Inside the 150-year history of the building gutted in the Princes Street blaze
The Parisian-inspired past of Edinburgh's fire-ravaged landmark
An overnight fire has torn through a historic block on Princes Street, destroying what was, in one fell swoop, both one of the city centre's oldest landmarks and newest developments.
While it has thankfully been reported that were no injuries, the blaze at 109-111 Princes Street, which saw flames and plumes of smoke dominate the skyline early on Thursday morning, has destroyed the building’s roof and top floors, stripping Edinburgh of a B-listed beauty that boasts a legacy stretching back more than 150 years.
Here, we take a look back at the building's fascinating history.
‘Echoes of the Louvre’
Designed by prominent Scottish architect John Lessels, the sandstone structure was a striking example of French Renaissance Revival architecture. First opening its doors in 1869 as the Palace Hotel, its Parisian-influenced design — very popular in Britain at the time — featured a distinctive mansard roof, a steep central pavilion, and ornate detailing that brought echoes of the Louvre right to the heart of Edinburgh.
By the 1890s, the building had undergone its first major transformation, becoming the Scottish Liberal Club.
For decades, its interior was defined by Victorian grandeur, boasting an ornate entrance hall, elaborate decorative ceiling plasterwork, and the historic Gladstone Memorial Library bookcase.
Alongside the political elite, the site was also a hub of historic craftsmanship. The saloon at number 110 served as the grand showroom for cabinet makers John Taylor & Son.
Its Parisian-influenced design brought echoes of the Louvre right to the heart of Edinburgh.
It was celebrated by heritage experts as the oldest of only three surviving cast-iron galleried types with fireproof cladding in Scotland, placing it in the same prestigious architectural league as Jenners in Edinburgh and Wylie & Lochhead in Glasgow.
Debenhams conversion
The building’s modern retail chapter began between 1978 and 1981, when the interior was extensively reconstructed behind the original four-storey façade to house a sprawling Debenhams department store. A modern glass bridge was inserted to physically merge the site with the neighbouring former Conservative Club at number 112
While the department store occupied the vast majority of the upper space, the ground level of the historic structure continued to house independent high street units, latterly including River Island and Levi's.
The Debenhams branch eventually closed its doors in May 2021, ending a 40-year legacy on the street.
Despite the heavy alterations of the 1970s, crucial elements of the 19th-century Liberal Club survived, and historic preservation remained a focal point of the building's next chapter.
Zedwell hotel plans
Following the collapse of the department store, ambitious plans to breathe new life into the site were finally approved in February 2026.
Hotel chain Zedwell was granted permission to transform the space into a 673-room "capsule" hotel. The multi-million-pound development, backed by a £375,000 infrastructure contribution, was set to feature a new sixth storey, a rooftop bar, and outdoor terraces.
Planning authorities and Historic Environment Scotland had meticulously negotiated the preservation of the surviving interior features. The recent approval included strict conditions to conduct a programme of archaeological work to record and conserve the site's historic fabric, ensuring the Gladstone bookcase and original plasterwork ceilings were protected.
Now, as crews continue to dampen down hotspots, attention turns to the future. The pressing question is whether the blackened shell of the old Liberal Club will be deemed sturdy enough to be salvaged, or if it will meet the same tragic fate as the historic building on Glasgow's Union Street, which was destroyed by fire earlier this year.
Timeline:
1867-1869: Designed by architect John Lessels, the French Renaissance-style building is constructed and opens as the Palace Hotel.
1890s: The building undergoes its first major repurposing, converting into the Scottish Liberal Club.
1978-1981: The interior is radically reconstructed to form part of the new Debenhams department store. A glass bridge is installed to merge the building with the adjacent former Conservative Club.
April 2021: A minor fire breaks out next door at the 112 Princes Street section of the Debenhams store.
May 2021: Debenhams officially closes its doors, ending over four decades of retail history at the site.
February 2026: Edinburgh council approves plans for Zedwell to transform the former department store into a 673-room capsule hotel, with strict conditions to preserve the historic surviving features of the Liberal Club.
July 2026: A devastating overnight fire tears through the site, destroying the roof and top floors, leaving the future of the historic building in the balance.
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