A hospitality professional is coming full circle as he returns to Edinburgh’s Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa as its new General Manager.
Tristan Nesbitt takes up the role 28 years to the day since he began his hospitality career with the group as a management trainee in London.
The appointment marks a homecoming for Tristan, who previously led the Sheraton Grand as General Manager from 2013 to 2020. During that time he guided the hotel through a major refurbishment in 2012, positioning it as a modern take on Scottish luxury in the heart of the city.
Tristan Nesbitt, General Manager of Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh has been home for my family for more than a decade, so coming back to the Sheraton Grand feels very natural.
“This is a hotel I know well and care about, with a fantastic team, one of the city’s great spas and some of the most versatile event space in Scotland.
“I’m delighted to be back and look forward to working alongside the team to make sure every guest, delegate and event organiser who comes through our doors has an outstanding experience.”
Tristan brings almost three decades of experience across Starwood Hotels and Marriott International. After starting out at The Park Tower in London, he built his career in sales and marketing before becoming Director of Sales and Marketing at The Westin Palace, Madrid. He later returned to The Park Tower as Hotel Manager, before moving to Edinburgh in 2013.
Following his first tenure at the Sheraton Grand, he oversaw a portfolio of 12 hotels stretching from Leeds to Aberdeen, focusing on guest experience and commercial performance. For the past 18 months he has led a hotel in London.
Well known across Scottish hospitality, Tristan chaired the Edinburgh Hotels Association for six years, representing more than 50 of the city’s leading hotels and previously a director of Luxury Scotland. His background also includes more than 20 years at board level in a family-owned spa business.
His return follows a host of recent improvements at the hotel, including a £700,000 investment into the property’s popular One Spa. Over the past five months, the spa has introduced a new Reformer Pilates Studio, new Technogym equipment, a Rasul Mud Bothy and a poolside sauna, with further improvements still to come.
Tristan returns at an important time for both the hotel and the city. With Edinburgh’s visitor levy now in place and new hotels continuing to open across the capital, he will focus on elevating a bespoke guest experience and building on that investment across the hotel’s spa, fitness and meetings facilities.
Tristan said: “I’m genuinely looking forward to being back in Edinburgh, one of the world’s greatest cities to visit, live in, to meet up and celebrate in, and to be back home at the Sheraton Grand.
“I’m also grateful to my predecessor Martijn Zengerink who led the Sheraton with such great care while building an incredibly solid foundation for me and the team to take forward.
“While the hospitality industry is certainly not without its challenges, the next chapter ahead for the hotel is very positive, and I’m looking forward to working with our team, our partners and the wider Edinburgh hospitality community to shape and future proof the property.”
