W Edinburgh hotel has been crowned Scottish Hotel of the Year 2025 at the National Hotels of the Year Scotland awards, but is the W experience all it is cracked up to be?
In June last year, H&IS editor Catherine Coyle wrote that glamour and style take centre stage in this now award-winning luxurious hotel in the capital’s St James Quarter. At the National Hotels of the Year Scotland ceremony, W Edinburgh hotel received praise for how it has redefined modern luxury, doing so by offering “a unique blend of bold design, vibrant experiences and world-class hospitality with charming professionalism.”
W Edinburgh’s design-forward yet fun interiors, flawless service and panoramic views of Edinburgh have contributed to its 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, which entices guests from across the globe to come and experience the localised social electricity that W Hotels first fostered in New York City over two decades ago.
The dedicated W Edinburgh hotel team also collected awards for Lifestyle Luxury Hotel of the Year 2025, Cocktail Bar of the Year 2025 for Joao’s Place and Spa Treatments Award 2025 for AWAY Spa Edinburgh.
W Edinburgh took to Instagram to say, “A sincere thank you to all our guests who visited W Edinburgh hotel during our inaugural year, discovering new horizons of Scotland’s capital city.”
Continue reading to learn more about the high-end W Edinburgh hotel, as told by H&IS editor Catherine Coyle.
Edinburgh is having a moment. Maybe it’s the Weegie in me and I’ve not allowed myself to admit it before, but the capital is looking mighty fine right now. The forthcoming redevelopment of the historic Jenners department store, the swish shopping district at Multrees Walk, the flourishing fine-dining scene; there’s no denying the city is buzzing. Netflix’s recent adaptation of the David Nicholls novel One Day has focused renewed attention on Edinburgh, too; the majestic Arthur’s Seat is almost a main character in its own right in the miniseries, and the Georgian architecture and cobbled streets serve up an unmistakable setting. Where better, then, to take in those cinematic views than atop the very latest addition to the skyline?
The W Edinburgh hotel is the new kid on the block. And by new kid, I mean a glitzy, glam hotel (the first the American W chain has opened in Scotland) that’s settling rather nicely into its prime spot in the shiny St James Quarter. The main structure is encased in a winding steel ribbon, like a posh truffle waiting to be devoured, and the signature ‘W’ greets you as you approach.
Checking in to the Wow Suite for the night feels a bit like being a pop star who’s just played a sold-out stadium show in a new city. The room has an apartment feel to it, to encourage you to really let go and treat it as a home-from-home – if, that is, your home is a blingy, sexy abode with a vast private terrace, circular superking bed and freestanding tub with a view across the city rooftops.
Here, interior designers Jestico + Whiles have drawn inspiration from the elements – fire and water are recurring themes in the decor, referencing Edinburgh’s geography (built on volcanic rock and close to the coast) to infuse a sense of local identity. Dark charred wood panelling in many of the public areas works in tandem with striking copper highlights, such as the copper fringe ceiling feature in W Lounge. Natural rock can also be spotted in the reception desks, the W Lounge bar and the bedroom bars, while the colour palette makes use of thistle, copper and woad blue.
We arrive to find freshly mixed cocktails in cute Alice in Wonderland-style corked potion bottles and a platter of moreish handmade truffles to tide us over until dinner. Aperitifs are served in the exclusive Joao’s Place on the 11th floor, where a fire pit on the terrace draws guests outside to soak up the panorama.
One level down is Sushi Samba, the Brazilian, Japanese and Peruvian fusion restaurant. It’s vibrant and full of fresh faces sharing little plates, marvelling at the twinkling night sky beyond the glass and taking videos of their colourful, quirky dishes for the obligatory Insta post.
“The luxury traveller has evolved,” believes Lauren Robertson, director of marketing at W Edinburgh. “They are taking a more considered, intentional approach to travel. We are seeing a global affluence that is increasingly rejecting outdated notions of luxury, and instead seeking out experiences that feel understated, less formal and more local or uniquely authentic to a destination.”
In response, interior designers here have sought out Scottish artists and makers to help dress the vast space and give the hotel a sense of identity that locals would recognise and international guests would relish.
In one lobby there’s a bold mural based on an artwork by Craig Black; it’s both a celebration of the distinctive blue pigment derived from the woad plant and an ode to the tempestuous Scottish climate. And there’s specially commissioned photography by Jodie Mann on show throughout the bedrooms and suites. Her series, ‘Ancestors’ Portraits’, was inspired by growing up in the Highlands.
The W Edinburgh Hotel Deck is set to open later this summer. This 360-degree rooftop terrace will entice guests seeking something new, glamorous and dramatic, but cleverly turns the focus back out onto its main character – Edinburgh.
W Edinburgh Hotel
1 Saint James Square
Edinburgh
EH1 3AX
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