The reappearance of scaffolding on the side of Dundee’s Malmaison Hotel at the weekend indicated all is still not well with the troubled boutique establishment.
Flooding forced the hotel to postpone its scheduled opening on December 1, causing the cancellation of hundreds of Christmas bookings and leaving customers disappointed.
The company announced a week ago that it will now not open until the end of January at the earliest, and evidence emerged at the weekend that considerable works are still needed to get the building up to standard.
Scaffolding was erected on the south-west corner of the building in Dock Street and a refuse chute was rigged up to take debris from the third storey. The arm of a long-reach crane was extended to help workmen access the roof.
The flooding from a burst pipe caused major damage to bedrooms, the lobby and brasserie, and the scale of the remedial works suggests that more than just stripping out and drying has been required.
Malmaison took out a 35-year lease on the former Tay Hotel with the option of a further 35 years. Interserve, the support services and construction group, won the £7 million main contract to refurbish the historic building.