CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Zoo / Holiday Entrance/Exit pavement being changed

(23 posts)
  • Started 8 years ago by HankChief
  • Latest reply from HankChief

  1. HankChief
    Member

    Anyone know what is going on?

    Only saw it on my cycle past but looks like the pavement are being closed to reduce the radii on the turns, but I reckon that it takes away a step free route for the entrance and any route for the exit.

    Will upload photos from Flikr tonight but if you can't wait see my tweet

    Posted 8 years ago #
  2. HankChief
    Member

    Exit - clearly no pavement will remain.

    Zoo exit - Pavement disappearing? by HankChief, on Flickr

    Entrance - looks like only the right hand pavement will remain and that has steps...

    Zoo entrance - Pavement disappearing? by HankChief, on Flickr

    Posted 8 years ago #
  3. HankChief
    Member

    Don't worry we now have a big sign saying 'No Pedestrian Access Beyond this Point' on the 2 large posts in the bottom picture.

    <sigh>

    Posted 8 years ago #
  4. steveo
    Member

    Zoo has a compliant ramp going up to the front door, Holiday Inn presumably has compliant access of some description.

    That only goes to the car park.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  5. HankChief
    Member

    The Holiday Inn has a great view over the city to the Pentlands, but always struck me as not be very clear how to get into it. The entrance round the back isn't the most glamorous...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  6. acsimpson
    Member

    Are coaches getting bigger or drivers worse that they think the best way to stop the drivers driving on the pavements is to remove the pavements?

    Can anyone confirm if the sign actually has any legal standing or can it be ignored with impunity by anyone wanting to be victim blamed?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  7. gembo
    Member

    That holiday inn has been there since I was a wee boy and came to the zoo on a school trip and bought a pen knife with picture of a hippo on the handle. The same chain has similar big hotel at craigleith? I can't think of other big chain hotels that are not in centre of Edinburgh.?

    In Glasgow I think all the big chain hotels are city centre?

    Both corstorphine and craigleith holiday inns going strong?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  8. The Boy
    Member

    I expect the Corstorphine one is. Right next to the zoo and until relatively recently was probably the hotel with easiest access to the airport.

    Certainly always a lot of people getting off there outside of zoo hours when I get the bus home.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  9. steveo
    Member

    The Holiday Inn has a great view over the city to the Pentlands, but always struck me as not be very clear how to get into it.

    I've had lunch their once and had a workshop there but I can't for the life of me remember how one gets in...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  10. Stickman
    Member

    The main entrance is round the back, from the car park. Can also get in from the front.

    @gembo: Marriott at Maybury?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  11. newtoit
    Member

    I believe both Holiday Inns still do pretty well despite not being right in the city centre.

    The Zoo one is, obviously, next to the zoo which is good for the tourist market. They are right on the Airlink bus route which is another plus, and they have done a good job of making it known that they are on a main bus corridor into town.

    Further, they do very well out of events - weddings, conferences etc. It is a big hotel with ample space and decent hospitality facilities. So I believe it will remain a pretty attractive hotel for Edinburgh.

    Add to that the fact that Holiday Inn is a known, trusted brand and tends to be pretty reasonable.

    Not sure about the Craigleith one as much, but I know it also has decent hospitality/events facilities.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    That holiday inn has been there since I was a wee boy

    Back then it would have been the Posthouse hotel. It used to look a lot more Brutalist, but they covered it up with cladding in the 90s and built an extension on the top floor. Forestry Commission building used to be equally "raw" and got a similar treatment to tart it up.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  13. wingpig
    Member

    Non-central Best Western on Milton Road East? There's that newish Premier Travel Something on Lady Road, too.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  14. cb
    Member

    "It used to look a lot more Brutalist, but they covered it up with cladding in the 90s"

    I can't remember what it looked like pre-cladding. It's a bit of an eyesore now, made worse at night with that creepy green glow.

    The Craigleith Holiday Inn used to be a Crest did it not?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  15. kaputnik
    Moderator


    Costa Del Pinkhill, sometime in the 1960s.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  16. cb
    Member

    Nice pavements

    Posted 8 years ago #
  17. neddie
    Member

    Just had a look at this and its pretty shocking. It completely severs the pavement in two at that bend. And it's not like there wasn't any pavement continuing up the hill - there is!

    I can imagine guests parking in the hotel car park, then walking down the hill on the existing pavement (by the car park) to take the bus in to town, without wanting to walk through the hotel. Only to find they've been abandoned on a road in the middle of a blind corner, with cars and coaches 'with the boot down' trying to get up the hill!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  18. HankChief
    Member

    Even if you walk through the hotel you have to go down 6 steps outside.

    Holiday Inn haven't responded to my tweets.

    The Zoo can atleast point to the ramps outside their entrance. They said it was a joint project with HI to improve access for coaches and allieve congestion.

    I'm waiting to see if my passing coincides with a poor tourist just off the airport bus so I can get a photo of them struggling with their luggage...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  19. steveo
    Member

    There must be an accessible entrance somewhere.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  20. HankChief
    Member

    There is an accessible route from the car park - it's just that to get from the car park to the main road you either have to drive, walk on the road or use the ramps in front of the zoo.

    If they are claiming the zoo ramps as part of their accessible route then it needs some signing - even then it is a bit out of the way so most likely missed.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  21. HankChief
    Member

    In tonight's thrilling update, the big 'Do not pass' sign that was in the middle of the pavement has been moved up the hill and into the flower bed. They have obviously worked out how unappealing it was to visitors.

    Previous location
    Holiday Inn Entrance by HankChief, on Flickr

    Posted 8 years ago #
  22. HankChief
    Member

    Latest update in this thrilling saga....

    Holiday inn / zoo - new sign by HankChief, on Flickr

    The 'Do not pass' sign has now changed to Zoo sign saying 'pedestrian access to entrance & members' gate' signed to the ramp in front of the main zoo entrance.

    So that's the entrance to the zoo sorted - It's just the holiday inn you can't reach without steps or walking in the road. You'll note the have added zebra lines across the road but no dropped kerb and it only takes you to the bottom of the steps <sigh>

    Posted 8 years ago #
  23. HankChief
    Member

    Okay - I appreciate that anyone else's interest in this has long since gone, but for the record we have some new signs at the Holiday Inn Entrance, and we all know that signs solve everything...

    At the Eastern exit we now have this one New Holiday Inn sign by HankChief, on Flickr

    And at the Western Entrance we now have this new sign encouraging visitors to cross the road where there aren't dropped kerbs and which takes them to the bottom of the steps. <sigh>
    New Holiday Inn signs by HankChief, on Flickr

    Posted 8 years ago #

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