W Hotel Edinburgh refused permission for giant LED sign

A proposal to attach a halo-lit ‘W’ sign on top of the first W Hotel in Scotland, which is due to open in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter, has been rejected by the council.

The application to connect a white LED structure that has a height of 2.3m and a width of over 3m to the central hotel ribbon was registered by the council on 30 August 2022.

The hotel has been dubbed the “ribbon hotel” because of a steel band that winds around the building.

It has received widespread opposition from local residents during its construction. People signed an online petition against the hotel in the summer of 2015 after the council gave the go-ahead.

Planning documents seen by The Caterer revealed that the application for the ‘W’ sign was refused by City of Edinburgh Council on the grounds that it would have an “adverse impact on amenity”, as the hotel is situated in a conservation area under the Old and New Towns of the Edinburgh World Heritage Site.

The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) Forth & Borders Cases panel also made an objection, stating that “a large high-level illuminated sign will neither preserve nor enhance the appearance of the conservation area and object”.

It added: “We note that other buildings, especially hotels, have signage at high level but do not consider these precedents justify the fitting of a large upper case 'W' with halo lighting on the part of the elevation facing westwards towards George Street.”

According to St James' Quater, W Hotel Edinburgh is set to open in winter 2023, three years later than the initial opening date of 2021.