Jenny Southan takes an in-depth look at new UK city-centre brand Principal.
BACKGROUND
In November last year, global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group put up £200 million to launch Principal, a portfolio of “high-end urban lifestyle” hotels in city centres. They are part of the recently rebranded Principal Hotel Company, which also operates De Vere, a collection of country-house properties with conference space. In total, the hotel group owns more than 40 landmark buildings across the UK.
PROPOSITION
Each Principal property is individual and occupies a revamped historic building. Barry Sternlicht, chairman and chief executive of Starwood Capital Group, says: “The story of each hotel, its amazing history and architecture, is the opposite of the mass-produced chain hotel.” Sternlicht helped to create Starwood’s W Hotels brand, which is now part of Marriott International.
LOCATIONS
So far, Principal has three hotels: one in Manchester, opposite Oxford Road station in a Grade II listed building that was once the HQ of the Refuge Assurance Company; one in York, the former Royal York hotel on Station Road; and one in Edinburgh, taking over an existing hotel dating back to 1881, on George Street.
PROPERTIES
The Principal Manchester has 270 guestrooms and suites that combine modern décor with some period detailing, such as fireplaces and wood panelling. The lobby of the Victorian Gothic Revival building, which was originally designed by Alfred Waterhouse, the man behind London’s Natural History Museum, sits beneath a stained-glass cupola.
Behind a Scarborough brick and Tadcaster stone façade, the 155-room Principal York resides in a restored Italianate building dating back to 1878. Recently refurbished by Goddard Littlefair architects, its genteel interiors feature a colour palette of soft grey, cream and white. Through the windows are views of lawns and the spires of York Minster.
The 240-room Principal Edinburgh was also spruced up by Goddard Littlefair, breathing new life into what was, in the late 1700s, a series of five Georgian townhouses for the Scottish capital’s wealthiest citizens. Throughout, there are stately columns, flock wall coverings and staff in kilts.
TYPICAL ROOM
Entry-level rooms in the Manchester hotel are the biggest, at between 27 and 31 sqm. Doubles in Edinburgh start from 20 sqm, while those in York are 16-22 sqm. While colour schemes and details vary across the properties, they share a similar aesthetic – cosy mid-century modern, with Chesterfield sofas and vintage-style brass reading lamps. Tech includes smart TVs and free wifi.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
All of the properties offer brasserie-style dining: order Yorkshire ale cottage pie at the Refectory Kitchen and Terrace in York; a whole roast chicken with citrus and maple to share with friends at the Refuge by Volta in Manchester; or craft ale-battered fish and chips with mushy peas at the Printing Press in Edinburgh. Afternoon tea is offered, as are evening cocktails.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Principal Manchester has the trendy Refuge bar, plus a ballroom seating up to 1,000 guests, making it one of the largest in the country. The York property has a pool and gym, while Edinburgh has the Burr and Co coffee shop with ethically sourced beans.
EXPANSION PLANS
Principal intends to have a hotel in every major UK city. It is currently transforming the former Hotel Russell on London’s Russell Square, which is due to reopen this summer as the Principal London. Inside this architectural gem will be the Palm Court garden lounge, the art deco-inspired Fitz’s bar, and 334 rooms starting from 19 sqm for a Double. The Principal Glasgow Blythswood Square and the Principal Glasgow Central Station are due to open later this year, and the former Martins Bank in Liverpool will become a Principal property in 2018. Cardiff has also been tipped for a future opening.
NIGHTLY RATES
From £128 in Manchester, £125 in York and £159 in Edinburgh, during May.
CONTACT
