Zedwell Hotels to open first Scottish hotel on Princess Street – DRAM Scotland

Zedwell Hotels is set to debut in Scotland with the opening of its first hotel in Edinburgh following Criterion Capital’s acquisition of the former 116,500-square-foot Debenhams site on Princess Street which has been vacant since 2021.

The project is part of Criterion Capital’s plan to expand the Zedwell brand to 22 hotels and over 7,000 rooms by 2026. Criterion’s billionaire investor Asif Aziz said that the Edinburgh hotel marks a significant milestone in Zedwell’s expansion plans across the UK and that, as well as location, the robust tourism sector was also one of the key factors for selecting the city for their new venture.

According to Zedwell’s philosophy, “Sleep isn’t a luxury. It’s a state of mind we must embrace to live better”, and, as it brings its signature “cocoon” rooms to Edinburgh, it says that this ethos will be central to the Edinburgh nine-floor location which aims to enhance positive health and wellbeing for all its guests.

Zedwell’s “cocoons” are focused on delivering a ‘sleep-centric experience’ and are designed with noise-reducing walls, floors, and doors, along with ambient lighting to create the optimal environment for rest and relaxation.

Kerr Young of JLL, the property agents who advised on the sale, said, “Edinburgh remains the best performing hotel market in Europe.

“We are very excited to facilitate the entry of a new hotel concept such as Zedwell, which will support the adaptive reuse of a strategically important property located in the heart of the city centre.”

The Edinburgh hotel will join Zedwell’s existing portfolio of three hotels in London, including a prime location at Piccadilly Circus. Zedwell also plans to open a new hotel in Manchester in 2026, with a total of 12 hotels planned by 2026.

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