The C.O.O Blog

As Roomzzz announces the launch of its first property in Scotland, COO Shaan Ahmed speaks about the rise of Aparthotels.

Roomzzz is one of the UK’s leading Aparthotel brands and will bring its first property to Scotland in May 2023 with the opening of Roomzzz Edinburgh within St James Quarter, a new district in the city centre which boasts a world-class retail, hotel and leisure offering as well as a residential development.

Aparthotels combine what we love about both hotels and apartments: serviced living functions, suites as well as apartment-style rooms, privacy, and an unmatched location surrounded by top-tier amenities. When we originally conceived Roomzzz, we wanted to be industry leaders in our Aparthotel offerings. We saw a gap in the market for attainable-yet-aspirational living that offers guests comfort, practicality, flexibility, and independence.

The Aparthotel sector as a whole has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. From being a niche concept back in the early 2000s, it’s now a sector of the hospitality industry where serious investments are being made. These investments are driven by three factors: higher demand from travellers who increasingly prefer more space and staying longer with the post-pandemic development of the ‘Bleisure’ stay; and more flexibility in the business to adapt to market conditions. For example, during the pandemic, the leisure market vanished overnight, allowing the Aparthotel sector to adapt, highlighting the flexibility of our product – we have more space, home comforts thus meeting the needs of the corporate traveller that can live like they are at home, offering larger spaces for business use or recreational celebration.

Roomzzz launching our first Scottish destination in St James Quarter will benefit both the guests and the country’s tourism sector. A move away from hotel-living as we traditionally see it will offer much more flexibility to those coming to the city for a number of reasons, such as business or recreation. The location is unmatched, with our new Aparthotel offering some of the best views in Edinburgh. We have created industry-leading guest experiences by focusing on the quality of our products. Our loyalty and reward programme, Perkzzz, provides exclusive offers and a best rates guaranteed throughout the Roomzzz brand. Our diverse range of functional spaces include pet friendly options, accessibility-enhanced studios and our show stopping penthouse the Bonnie Suite – giving guests stunning panoramic views of the city, overlooking Calton Hill, Leith Walk and beautiful sea views on the horizon. 

We are also excited to be offering our first Aparthotel with an exceptional third-party food offering. The Quarter’s iconic Bonnie & Wild, Scottish Marketplace and Foodhall, will offer guests the option of ordering from their modern Scottish food market straight to their apartment door. The Quarter also offers a vast range of other high-quality amenities in retail, dining, and leisure, all on our guests’ doorstep. The burgeoning retail sector in Scotland’s capital has gone from strength to strength since the opening of The Quarter in 2021 and we think the addition of Roomzzz to this world-class retail and leisure destination will cement the need for Aparthotel living in the city – adding a unique and desired offering for visitors.