A LUXURY hotel in the fringes of Edinburgh has been transformed to accommodate US President Biden.
The Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club – once a venue for the Solheim Cup and no stranger to high-end guests – is hosting the President during his stay for COP26.
From a wine cellar converted into a “nerve centre” and snipers posted in strategic positions, security at the venue is tight.
President Biden is coming to the UK for two days after attending the G20 leaders’ summit in Rome – travelling back and forth between the capital and the SEC in his 20-strong motorcade.
Yesterday, drivers and locals were left stunned at the scale of his cortege, which includes two identical limousines, nicknamed The Beast, and other security and communications vehicles, is brought across by US Air Force transport aircraft.
And his stay at the Dalmahoy is no less of a feat – and guests booked in will no doubt have had their eyebrows raised over the high levels of security.
An insider at the hotel told Edinburgh Live that the wine cellar, which usually hosts hundreds of high-end bottles, has been converted to a “nerve centre” to allow agents to monitor the activity surrounding the President’s visit.
They report that several secret service snipers have also been positioned at strategic points around the hotel.
‘The Beast’ had also been spotted parked outside the venue in recent days, waiting for the President to arrive.
WATCH: President Joe Biden's huge motorcade arrives in Glasgow for #COP26 https://t.co/xUz4WKm0QH pic.twitter.com/XvdO01dClu
— The Herald Politics (@HeraldPols) November 1, 2021
The seven-seat black armoured limousine reportedly cost two million US dollars (£1.5 million) and is designed to give the President the ultimate protection.
It can be turned into a sealed panic room with oxygen tanks, night-vision camera and reinforced steel plating said to be able to resist bullets, chemical attacks and bombs.
The Cadillac has Kevlar-reinforced tyres and steel rims that can keep the vehicle moving even if the tyres have been destroyed.
Bottles of the president’s blood type are carried on board in case of a medical emergency, and a satellite phone enables communication to be maintained from anywhere in the world.
As well as being able to defend the president, the car also features a host of attacking capabilities, such as a pump-action shotgun and a tear gas cannon.
Staff typically involved in an overseas trip include Secret Service post-standers, military communications specialists and White House aides.
The president has at his side at all times a White House doctor and one of five rotating military aides who carry the nuclear “football” – equipped with communication tools and a book with prepared war plans.
Elsewhere at the hotel, lighter touches were put in place to make the President’s stay more comfortable, according to Edinburgh Live.
They say that hundreds of white hydrangeas, the First Lady’s favourite flower, were shipped in to decorate the interior of the building.
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