Planning Nightmares, Rogue Builders & £27K/Month Bills – Caroline’s Brutal Lessons

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven welcome back Caroline Claydon, who first appeared on the show in 2020. Since then, Caroline has transformed her property career, moving from HMOs and planning gain projects to building her own boutique aparthotel brand – the Archibald Hotel Collection.

Caroline shares the highs and lows of her journey – from overcoming £80,000 of debt in the 2008 crash, to creating multimillion-pound developments in Edinburgh. She opens up about the challenges of planning refusals, rogue contractors, and refinancing setbacks that “nearly broke her,” as well as the systems, AI tools, and design-led approach that now make her business stand out.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🏁 From Debt to Property Success

• Losing her first business in the 2008 crash and facing £80,000 personal debt

• Investing £22,000 in mentorship despite fear – and making it back in her first deals

• Starting with social housing buy-to-lets before scaling into HMOs in Birmingham and Liverpool

🏨 Building the Archibald Hotel Collection

• Why she skipped serviced accommodation and went straight to aparthotels

• First deal: converting a B&B outside Liverpool into an 11-bed aparthotel, opening just as COVID hit

• Launching a boutique, staffless hotel brand named after her late dog, Archibald

🏗️ Edinburgh Projects – Triumphs & Challenges

• Stafford Street: buying a derelict office, battling vigilante opposition, tram contribution confusion, and a £1.5m refurb that resulted in a valuation just under £4m

• John’s Place: a painful townhouse project plagued by refused planning, a rogue contractor stealing materials, and lenders pulling funding – leaving her with £27k/month bills and severe burnout

🤖 Operations, Systems & AI

• Running staffless hotels with smart locks and digital guest access

• Using AI receptionists and chatbots to handle enquiries and bookings

• Dividing roles with her husband Nick – she leads acquisitions and development, he runs systems and operations

🛋️ Designing for Premium Value

• Why boutique, vintage interiors are core to her business model

• Working with designers to create unique looks that command higher rates

• Investing heavily in interiors (£170k on Stafford Street, £250k on John’s Place) to elevate guest experience

If you’ve ever thought about scaling into commercial conversions or boutique hospitality, this is an unmissable conversation.