Resident Hotels has completed a transformational year, including the successful start of a new partnership with Marriott and its Four Points Flex by Sheraton brand.
The UK business, which is backed by Mactaggart Family & Partners, is busy adding new sites for both its own brand, The Resident, while also looking to further grow the Four Points partnership. At the heart of many of the group’s recent openings have been conversion projects, converting either existing hotels to new brands, or transforming properties from other uses.
Innovating in Edinburgh
In Edinburgh, the group’s Resident hotel opened with a soft launch in late 2024, and since then has picked up a number of design and regeneration accolades. It has also proved a big hit with guests, with an average 91% occupancy over a recent six month period, as well as exceptional guest satisfaction scores.
The Resident Edinburgh was created from an office block built in the 1950s, that for many years had been a government tax office. The conversion opted to maximise reuse of the building’s structure, reducing carbon emissions during the build process substantially. The building recycled as much as 45% of the glass, and engineers created a new envelope with all electric utilities, using air source heat pumps to warm the interior.
Speaking at the Annual Hotel Conference in October, CEO David Orr commented: “Reputation is our relentless focus for both our guests and teams and now with Marriott, our associates, and by definition, our owners and investors. As we expand to further locations in the further around the UK, we are confident that we can continue to create hotels where our market-leading operations are valued by both guests and investors.”
The business has also taken a step into the midscale segment, having opted to rebrand its previously acquired four Sleeperz and Cityroomz hotels under an upcoming Marriott flag. The properties, in Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh and Newcastle have all become Four Points Flex by Sheraton hotels, supporting the growth of a new conversion-friendly brand launched by Marriott specifically to suit EMEA markets. Resident’s decision to sign with Marriott gave the new brand a significant UK presence, adding more than 400 rooms at a stroke.
Elsewhere in Europe, Marriott is making headway with the Four Points Flex brand in Germany. It has just opened a 101 room hotel in Ostringen, and the Ghotel in Kiel will convert to the brand, reopening in the first half of 2026.
Building a London presence
In London, the group is working on development of a new hotel, The Resident Farringdon. With 128 rooms, it will be the brand’s fourth London site, and is being developed close to the city’s Smithfield and Barbican districts. It is scheduled for opening in 2027, and will feature a third party operated restaurant on the ground floor, plus a pocket garden for guests to enjoy.
The hotel will add to the Resident presence in London that already includes The Resident Covent Garden, always a strong contender in best hotel rankings, plus The Resident Soho, and a hotel in Victoria. Outside London, aside from Edinburgh, the brand has a hotel in Liverpool.
