Principal to launch second hotel in Edinburgh with restaurant from Ox and Finch owners
The 199-bedroom Roxburghe hotel is to be rebranded next month as the Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square, following a £25m refurbishment.
Located within a 19th century Georgian property, the hotel will become the fourth hotel to join the Principal brand of city centre lifestyle hotels being created by the Principal Hotel Company (PHC), owned by US-private investment company Starwood Capital Group.
The acquisition of the hotel by Starwood Capital from Paragon Hotels in 2014 was the largest single asset hospitality transaction in Edinburgh for seven years. At that time it was branded as a Crowne Plaza property, having previously been managed by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts.
In October the hotel, which is headed by general manager Marcello Ventisei, will launch Baba, a new standalone eastern Mediterranean restaurant that has been developed in partnership with chef Jonathan MacDonald and Daniel Spurr, owners of the Ox and Finch in Glasgow.
The hotel's location on Charlotte Square is home to the First Minister's official residence, Bute House.
David Taylor, chief operating officer of Principal, said: "It's been an incredible journey for the Principal family since our brand launch in November 2016. The hotel market in Edinburgh market is thriving and we are looking forward to opening our second hotel in the city.
"We believe that the Principal on Charlotte Square has a distinctive point of view, and with Baba we believe we're bringing something genuinely new to Edinburgh's thriving restaurant and bar scene - it's a restaurant that will appeal both to hotel guests and to Edinburgh locals."
Principal already has three hotels open in Manchester, York and Edinburgh (George Street), and will launch its flagship 330-bedroom Principal London on Russell Square later this year, following a £75m restoration. Further openings are planned for Glasgow, Cardiff, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham.
Alongside the Principal brand, the Principal Hotel Company also comprises De Vere, made up of country estate hotel featuring a mix of leisure and conference facilities. De Vere is due to be relaunched next month following an investment of more than £50m.
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