Plans to turn Edinburgh's former Debenhams into hotel

The Debenhams on Princes Street closed permanently in 2021

A billionaire investor plans to turn the former Debenhams on Edinburgh's Princes Street into a hotel.

The old department store site was bought by Criterion Capital, the development company headed up by Asif Aziz.

In 2021, Legal and General planned a £50m revamp of the building including a 207-room boutique hotel and "hospitality hub", but this fell through.

If the latest plans are successful it will be the first Zedwell hotel in Scotland.

There are three Zedwell hotels already operating in London, including one at Piccadilly Circus. A further hotel is set to open in Manchester in 2026.

Mr Aziz said opening a hotel in Scotland would be "a significant step" for the company's plans to expand in the UK.

He said: "Edinburgh's rich history, cultural significance and strong tourism sector make it an ideal location for Zedwell.

"This project represents a fantastic addition to our committed pipeline of 22 hotels with over 7,000 rooms that, together with our expanding residential and commercial portfolios, will see our AUM exceed £6bn."

Zedwell hotels have "cocoon" rooms that have noise-reducing walls, floors and doors.

Zedwell hotels have 'cocoon' rooms which are soundproofed

The former Debenhams building is the second block from the left

Debenhams closed in May 2021 following a large fire in the April.

The had company announced in February that year that it would not reopen any of its stores in Scotland - including the shop in Edinburgh - after lockdown.

The building was put on the market in September last year.