W to Debut in Scotland in 2021

NEW YORK — Starwood Hotels & Resorts will debut its W Hotels brand in Scotland with W Edinburgh in five years, it was announced July 19.

Opening in 2021, the hotel will be a component of TH Real Estate’s Edinburgh St James scheme, the 1.7 million-square-foot development that will incorporate retail, entertainment, leisure and residential apartments and is set to be completed in 2020. Designed by architecture and interior design practice Jestico + Whiles, in conjunction with Allan Murray Architects, the 12-storey building will feature a façade crafted from a winding steel ‘ribbon.’

“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,” said Michael Wale, president, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East.

The hotel will offer 214 stylish guestrooms, including 20 suites and one Extreme Wow Suite (the W brand’s interpretation of the Presidential Suite). The rooftop will feature a bar and outdoor terrace, offering guests and locals 360-degree views of the skyline and serving a menu of cocktails and cuisine. Other areas will include W Lounge (the W brand’s hotel lobby); a signature restaurant; FIT workout facility and an AWAY Spa offering the W Hotels brand’s health and lifestyle experiences. W Edinburgh will provide 2,450 square feet of event space.

The Edinburgh St James development will see the shopping centre currently on site replaced with 850,000 square feet of retail space, a multi-screen cinema and up to 250 new homes, as well as W Edinburgh.

The addition of W Edinburgh to Starwood’s UK portfolio complements the W London – Leicester Square, which opened in 2011. W Hotels currently counts 49 hotels in its portfolio, including 18 W-branded residences. With over 15 years of proven success, W Hotels is on track to reach 75 hotels by 2020. W Hotels have been announced for Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Goa, Abu Dhabi, Phuket, Dubai, Amman, Jakarta, Panama, Riviera Maya, Muscat, Hainan Island, Suzhou, Changsha, Chengdu, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Shenyang, Marrakech, Brisbane, Aspen and Madrid.