THE European boss of Leonardo Hotels, which invested £6.2 million to create its Scottish flagship Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh, has been explaining the secret of his firm’s success.

The investment in the Royal, which includes “women-friendly” rooms, was followed by the acquisition of five hotels from Portland Hotels..

Daniel Roger, managing director of Leonardo Hotels Europe, said although Leonardo has been in the market for 10 years, it is still a young hotel chain which is experiencing strong growth.

He said Leonardo represents a non-standard hotel concept with a high level of quality, near city centres and airports, providing good connections to public transport.

He said: “The arrival of first of our Royal brand in Edinburgh is particularly exciting. This is a brand that characterises a new style of hotel that not only has premium-quality sleeping and working features for its guests but has been innovatively designed to reflect the local character .

“The secret to success behind our rapid growth is the correct instinct for ... economically strong locations with buildings in first-class condition.”