Criterion Capital announces planning approval for its first hotel outside London

Andrea Thompson

ByAndrea Thompson

March 18, 2025
Criterion Scotland

This milestone marks their first hotel outside London, reinforcing the vision to deliver high-quality, mid-range lifestyle hotels in prime city-centre locations. With thanks to Edinburgh City planning officers and committee members for their support throughout this process.

Omar Aziz, commented, “Princes Street reflects our ongoing commitment to heritage preservation and sustainable urban transformation. We are excited to bring our first Zedwell hotel outside London to such an iconic location – offering an unparalleled stay for both leisure and business travellers, right at the heart of Edinburgh’s historic city centre.”

Key Highlights:

A New Hotel Experience for Edinburgh: 652 beds across our three innovative accommodation types, designed to enhance urban hospitality.

Honouring Heritage: As custodians of this prominent listed building within Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, we are delighted to be revitalising and reimagining this much-loved former Debenhams space.

Sustainability First: Our low-impact adaptive reuse approach means we are enhancing, not demolishing. Through optimised waste and water management, we aim to drive energy efficiency and urban biodiversity.

Economic Impact: Creating 50+ on-site jobs, while forging partnerships with local businesses to stimulate economic growth and community engagement.

We are thrilled to embark on this exciting project, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable, community-focused developments.