Some say it’s a hotel that looks like a number two, but it’s the No.1 in the eyes of the judges of a prestigious hospitality award.
The W Edinburgh is widely derided as resembling a poop emoji – but it has just been named Scottish Hotel of the Year 2025 at the Hotels of the Year Scotland Awards.
The walnut-shaped, 199-room hotel, the centrepiece of the city’s £850million St James Quarter development, is wrapped in ribbons of steel. This has led to it being dubbed the ‘ribbon building’. But a curly flourish poking out at the top has been seized upon as giving the property a poop-like profile.
Olaf Stando, Special Adviser to the First Minister of Scotland, wrote on Twitter when the design was unveiled: ‘Excuse the hot take, but I think it’s total madness that one of the world’s most iconic city skylines was tarnished by the architectural embodiment of the poop emoji.’
Author and critic David Black remarked, meanwhile, in an interview with The Guardian, that the profile meant a ‘great city had been defaced’.
The W Edinburgh is widely derided as resembling a poop emoji – but it has just been named Scottish Hotel of the Year 2025 at the Hotels of the Year Scotland Awards
The W Edinburgh is wrapped in ribbons of steel, with its poop-like profile coming from a curly flourish poking out at the top
In contrast, the Hotels of the Year Scotland Awards judges had nothing but warm words for the five-star property and its design.
They praised the ‘charming professionalism’ of the ‘welcoming and enthusiastic’ team, adding: ‘Expect a fabulous, special VIP experience staying at W Edinburgh, from the moment you arrive in the reception lobby of the iconic, circular, copper-clad “ribbon building”.’
W Edinburgh, in a statement, declared that it offers ‘a unique blend of bold design, vibrant experiences, and world-class hospitality’, boasting that it’s a ‘destination in itself’.
Guests, the hotel points out, can ‘indulge in an array of luxury experiences, including unrivalled 360-degree views of the city from the W Lounge and W Deck and signature cocktails at secret-apartment-speakeasy Joao’s Place’.
The Hotels of the Year Scotland Awards judges praised the ‘charming professionalism’ of the ‘welcoming and enthusiastic’ W team
The judges said: ‘Expect a fabulous, special VIP experience staying at W Edinburgh’
W Edinburgh also scooped Cocktail Bar of the Year 2025
Ken Millar, General Manager at W Edinburgh, commented: ‘We are thrilled to be recognised as Scottish Hotel of the Year 2025, particularly in such a competitive landscape’
W Edinburgh also scooped three further awards – Lifestyle Luxury Hotel of the Year 2025, Cocktail Bar of the Year 2025 and Spa Treatments Award of the Year 2025.
Ken Millar, General Manager at W Edinburgh, commented: ‘We are thrilled to be recognised as Scottish Hotel of the Year 2025, particularly in such a competitive landscape.
‘It is testament to our talented team who have worked incredibly hard to bring this property to life over the past year.
‘We are honoured to be part of the vibrant Scottish tourism sector and are thrilled to continue offering our esteemed guests our now award-winning W hospitality.’
Other winners announced at the awards ceremony, held at the Crowne Plaza Glasgow, were Loch Melfort Hotel, the Independent Hotel Winner, and Radisson Blu Glasgow, the Large Hotel Winner.
Olaf Stando, Special Adviser to the First Minister of Scotland, wrote on Twitter: ‘Excuse the hot take, but I think it’s total madness that one of the world’s most iconic city skylines was tarnished by the architectural embodiment of the poop emoji’