St James Quarter

St James Quarter is a large galleria retail shopping centre and residential development in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is situated in the east end of the New Town.

History
The site is built on the site of the St. James Centre which closed in October 2016 and the adjoining New St Andrew House office, which was formerly occupied by the Scottish Office. The retail centre opened on 24 June 2021.

On 29 September 2022, HRH Princess Royal officially opened the development.

Retail galleria
The new shopping centre makes space for 850,000 sq. feet (78,967.584 m2) of retail space, with the neighbouring John Lewis & Partners store being the shopping centre's anchor. The retail centre has a capacity of 80 units, alongside an Everyman Cinema and the food hall Bonnie & Wild. The W Hotel and Roomzzz Aparthotel opened in 2023.

W Hotel
W Hotels is a 12-storey hotel in the centre, which opened in Winter 2023.

Transportation
The development is situated close to Edinburgh Waverley railway station, Edinburgh Bus Station and the St Andrew Square & Picardy Place tram stops, along with multiple bus stops close by.

Controversies
The "Ribbon Hotel" has proven controversial amongst residents of Edinburgh and the media, due to its perceived resemblance to a poo emoji. This led in 2015 to inspectors being sent from UNESCO, regarding its potential impact on Edinburgh's skyline and its World Heritage Site status.