Johan Scheepers joins Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square as GM

The 199-bedroom Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square has announced the appointment of Johan Scheepers as general manager, following the completion of the hotel's recent £25m refurbishment.

Scheepers will work alongside hotel manager Gillian Mylles, who joined the property in July 2017, two months before the relaunch under the Principal brand of what was previously the Roxburghe hotel.

He has replaced Marcello Venitisei, while the role filled by Mylles was a new one.

Originally from South Africa and educated at the International Hotel School and later at Oxford University, Scheepers has more than 22 years' experience in the hospitality industry. Until recently he was regional general manager at Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, based in Manchester, having arrived for his latest stint in the UK from South Africa in 2016.

Earlier in his career he had mixed roles in South Africa with Sun International and Newmark Hotels alongside a number of positions in the UK, including those with the Radisson Edwardian Group, Abode Hotels, Guoman and Thistle.

Scheepers was also awarded an Acorn Award in 2006.

Simon Willis, brand director of the Principal Hotel Company, said that he could not think of a better team "to continue to move the hotel in the right direction".

He added: "Following the recent re-brand, this is an exciting new chapter for all the team at the hotel.

"The hotel now offers a luxury, premium proposition. Situated in a great location, the new rooms and facilities have been completed to an exceptionally high standard, bringing a fresh offering to the Edinburgh hotel market."

The Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square is the second hotel in the city for the Principal brand, alongside the Principal Edinburgh George Street and the fourth in the UK, with properties also located in Manchester and York. The brand's flagship hotel, the Principal London will open on Russell Square following a £75m restoration, in the spring.

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