Virgin Hotels' first European hotel slated for Edinburgh

Virgin Hotels, the hospitality division of Virgin Group, is expanding into Edinburgh, Scotland. Expected to open in 2020, the development will pave the way for more UK and European projects in the coming years.

The 225-guestroom hotel will be located in the landmark India Buildings in Edinburgh's Old Town. The design team will work to preserve the building's notable elements in the course of the development. 

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh will be completed in partnership with owner Flemyn and developer Jansons Property and will be managed by Virgin Hotels, and asset managed by Siggis Capital.

"Edinburgh has so much to offer, as a top travel destination in the UK and internationally, [so] it's an ideal location for our next hotel," Virgin Hotels CEO Raul Leal said in a statement. 

"This is an exciting announcement and a huge coup for Edinburgh; it really is testament to the city's resilience during these uncertain times that Virgin Hotels has chosen Edinburgh as the first city outside the U.S. in which to open a new hotel," said Gavin Barrie, housing and economy convener with the City of Edinburgh Council, which helped take forward the proposals as part of its 'Edinburgh 12' portfolio of investment sites. The hotel is projected to provide a £5-million boost to the local community every year, helping one of the city's key shopping areas in Victoria Street and the Grassmarket, Barrie added. "The development of the site will help support hundreds of jobs during construction."

Virgin Hotels San Francisco is slated to open this coming spring, with properties in Nashville, Tenn.; Dallas; Washington, D.C., New Orleans; New York; Silicon Valley, Calif.; and others to follow. Virgin Hotels is also exploring hotel and office conversions as well as ground-up  development in cities such as Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, Seattle, and London.