W Hotels to make Scottish debut
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced the debut of W Hotels in Scotland with W Edinburgh, set to open in 2021.
The 214-key property is designed by Jestico + Whiles in conjunction with Allan Murray Architects, and will be situated in the centre of TH Real Estate’s planned 1,700,000ft2 Edinburgh St James scheme.
Michael Wale, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East, comments: “As an established business hub with a thriving global tourism industry, we are confident that there will be a huge appetite for our innovative lifestyle brand in the Scottish capital. W Edinburgh’s location at the pulsing heart of the new Edinburgh St James development, combined with its innovative design, contemporary interiors and the W brand’s signature programming, will create the perfect setting for the second W hotel in the United Kingdom.”
Alongside 214 guestrooms and suites, W Edinburgh will feature a signature restaurant, W Lounge lobby concept, workout and spa facilities, 2450ft2 of event and meeting space and a rooftop bar and terrace with panoramic views of the city. The 12-storey building will feature a façade crafted from a winding steel ribbon and combine both modern and traditional design sensibilities.
Stephen Wicks, Director of Shopping Centres at TH Real Estate, comments: “From the outset, our intention has been to secure a truly world class hotel operator for Edinburgh St James, complementing the rest of the development and forming an integral part of the scheme’s vibrant offer. We are delighted to have finalised this deal with Starwood Hotels and Resorts and to be welcoming such an iconic and established brand as W Hotels to Scotland for the very first time.”
The Edinburgh St James development will see the shopping center currently on site replaced with 850,000ft2 of retail space, a multi-screen cinema and up to 250 new homes, as well as W Edinburgh.
