Edinburgh to get UK's first Nyx Hotel after £32m scheme given the green light

The new 131-room hotel in the Capital’s Jeffrey Street and an expansion at Fattal Hotel’s neighbouring Jurys Inn site are set to create around 80 permanent jobs. Fattal had previously secured planning approval to add around 100 rooms to the existing 186-room Jurys Inn. The redevelopment will also see 31 residential units built on the site. Jason Carruthers, MD of Jurys Inn and Leonardo UK and Ireland, told The Scotsman that the group is targeting further acquisitions and new builds in the capital and across Scotland, as it looks to achieve the ambitious target of growing its room stock by 10 per cent per annum. Jurys Inn and Leonardo operate 52 hotels across the UK and Ireland, with 11 of these in Scotland, located in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness. Carruthers described the Nyx brand, which is named after the Greek goddess of the night, as a “lifestyle, boutique” hotel with a strategy of launching in cultural hotspots throughout Europe. He said: “We’ve been very selective about where we’ve earmarked for the Nyx brand. A Nyx is a lot more vibrant and lively, which is absolutely perfect for Edinburgh. The art scene in Edinburgh, the music and cultural scenes, will all be reflected in the style and the offer of that particular hotel.” 'Buoyant about the future' The group has already launched the Nyx offering in Madrid and Milan, with an opening planned for London. Carruthers also unveiled plans to expand the Jurys Inn site in Inverness, adding a further 34 bedrooms. Work is due to start in the New Year and expected to last between nine and 12 months. He also highlighted the importance of the Edinburgh market, in particular, to the Leonardo and Jurys Inn brands, saying: “Edinburgh is certainly a very important location for us. We operate hotels in the late 80s to early 90s percentage occupancy in this city. “That gives you an indication of how much demand there is here. Edinburgh is a popular tourist destination because there’s a huge amount to offer all year round. We would certainly be interested in another development and acquisitions in Edinburgh, despite the fact that we’ve already got four hotels here.” This comes amid a flurry of activity by the group, which has carried out a series of renovations in recent months, including the Leonardo at Murrayfield, which enjoyed its most extensive refurbishment. In the past year the group has acquired the iconic Midland Hotel in Manchester, which is now undergoing a complete internal revamp, as well as The Grange portfolio, which comprises four London hotels with a total of 1,300 rooms. Carruthers said: “It’s certainly our intention to be growing our room stock by 10 per cent per annum, either through new builds, acquisitions or conversions. “We’re very buoyant about the future. Regardless of what is ahead in terms of Brexit, we think we’re well positioned. We operate in multiple segments in multiple cities so we don’t have exposure to one particular part of the industry.”