Starwood Capital Group has announced that its UK-based lifestyle hotel collection Principal will launch November 1st, following an investment of approximately $196 million. The brand will distinguish itself with centrally located urban hotels housed within landmark structures across the UK.
Upon debuting, the brand’s portfolio will include three properties. Formerly the George Hotel, the Principal Edinburgh comprises five historic Georgian townhouses and includes the Printing Press Bar & Kitchen. The Principal Manchester will arrive fresh from a top-to-bottom overhaul by London-based Michaelis Boyd Associates. The property, originally the Palace Hotel, will house 270 loft-style guestrooms, 17 meeting and event spaces, the Refuge Dining Room and Public Bar, and a double-height lobby adorned with a 10-foot-tall bronze horse sculpture. Formerly the historic Royal York Hotel, the Principal York features 155 guestrooms, 10 meeting and event venues, a gym, outdoor pool, and the Chapter House bar and the Refectory Kitchen & Terrace.
Three more properties in Glasgow, London, and Liverpool are slated to join the collection in 2017 and early 2018. Each hotel will be endowed with a bar and restaurant marketed to attract locals and travelers alike.
