W Hotels has announced its first property in Scotland: W Edinburgh, scheduled to open in 2021. The new hotel will be part of the Edinburgh St. James development and will occupy a 12-story building distinguished by a decorative steel ribbon wrapping its façade.
Michael Wale, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, said the brand expects strong demand in Scotland’s capital. Positioned at the vibrant core of the Edinburgh St. James project, W Edinburgh will combine contemporary interiors, innovative design and the W brand’s signature programming to deliver a standout lifestyle hotel experience in the United Kingdom.
The hotel’s planned configuration includes 214 guestrooms, among them 20 suites and one Extreme Wow Suite. Public amenities will feature a rooftop terrace with a destination bar and skyline views, the signature W Lounge, a FIT fitness center, and AWAY Spa services. For events and meetings, the property offers approximately 2,450 square feet of flexible event space.
The broader Edinburgh St. James development, led by TH Real Estate, will add 850,000 square feet of retail space, a cinema and 250 residential units to the city center. Stephen Wicks, director of shopping centers at TH Real Estate, emphasized the goal of securing a world-class hotel operator to complement the mixed-use scheme and enhance the development’s overall offering. He welcomed W Hotels as a high-profile international brand joining the project and opening in Scotland for the first time.