Edinburgh’s W Hotel, known as the ‘walnut whip’, has been put up for sale by owners Nuveen Real Estatee as part of a deal that includes a 25% stake in the £1bn St James Quarter and New Eidyn apartment complex.
The 10-story, 244-room hotel changed the Edinburgh skyline when it opened late last year and is managed by Marriott International as part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio which is unaffected.
The sale is being handled by Savills who are marketing the 1.7 million sq ft mixed-use scheme which includes the retail galleria, anchored by John Lewis, and the 152-apartment New Eidyn residential development.
Savills say that, “At the heart of the St James Quarter development is W Edinburgh. Savills has been jointly appointed with Eastdil Secured separately to market the disposal of the freehold full-service 244-room hotel asset. The hotel was developed and opened in November 2023 under a long-term hotel management agreement with Marriott International.”
Steve Wicks, Head of Retail, Europe at Nuveen Real Estate, adds, “Having spent the last eight years investing to develop the now iconic quarter in the heart of Edinburgh, the time has come for us to sell our interest in line with our wider business plan for the development. The site and hotel are a resounding success story, both in terms of trading and the impact they have had on the city more generally, and we are immensely proud of the quarter we have created
“Providing best in class amenities to the people of Edinburgh and all those who visit, while also creating thousands of jobs in the process, we have no doubt that the quarter will continue to flourish and benefit the local community. Both the hotel and shops will continue to operate as normal as we go through this process, with no impact to those working in, living in or visiting the space.”
Robert Stapleton, Head of Hotel Capital Markets, Savills, said, “We’re pleased to be appointed on the sale of the W Edinburgh. The quality of the development is absolutely outstanding and, being positioned in the centre of St James Quarter, Edinburgh’s busiest and best retail district, the hotel benefits from both an exceptional location, but also phenomenal footfall which delivers strong demand for both the food & beverage and bedroom offerings at the W Edinburgh.
“Edinburgh is one of Europe’s standout hotel markets, and benefits from both high barriers to entry and an enviable mix of both corporate and leisure demand drivers which have driven Edinburgh’s exceptional hotel performance over the past five years. The hotel is best-in-class in Edinburgh and requires no additional capital expenditure. We’re confident that the hotel will attract significant interest from global investors.”
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