A return to Edinburgh, 28 years after his career began
Tristan Nesbitt takes the helm of the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh 28 years to the day after beginning his career with the group as a management trainee in London. He succeeds Martijn Zengerink, who was recently appointed general manager of the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square.
The appointment marks a return for Tristan Nesbitt, who led the hotel from 2013 to 2020. During that first tenure, he oversaw a major renovation that repositioned the property as a contemporary interpretation of Scottish luxury in the heart of the capital.
A career built across Starwood and Marriott International
A University of Bristol graduate, Tristan Nesbitt has almost three decades of experience with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and subsequently Marriott International. After starting out at The Park Tower in London, he built his career in sales and marketing, rising to director of sales and marketing at The Westin Palace, Madrid, in 2008.
He then joined The Park Tower Knightsbridge as hotel manager from 2008 to 2013, overseeing all operations at the 280-room five-star property and leading its rebrand from Sheraton to The Luxury Collection.
Appointed general manager of the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh in 2013, he took responsibility for all operations, from rooms to spa, as well as support functions ranging from sales and revenue management to finance and human resources. The property is billed as Edinburgh’s largest five-star hotel, with the biggest conference capacity in the city.
Multi-property leadership and board experience
From November 2020 to April 2025, Tristan Nesbitt served as cluster general manager, North of England and Scotland, for Marriott International. He oversaw twelve hotels in the group’s managed portfolio, from Leeds to Aberdeen, spanning five four- and five-star brands and five different owners – Marriott’s largest and most diverse cluster in the UK.
In May 2025, he returned to The Park Tower Knightsbridge, this time as general manager – a London property that other executives from the Scottish school have also passed through, among them Murray Scott, now general manager of The Standard, London.
His career also includes more than 20 years on the board of Ragdale Hall Spa, a family-owned business in Leicestershire, where he helped shape long-term strategy and optimise shareholder investment.
An established figure in Scotland’s hotel community
Tristan Nesbitt chaired the Edinburgh Hotels Association for six years; the association brings together more than 50 hotels across the city, from independents to properties affiliated with national and international groups. He has also served as a director of Luxury Scotland.
Our analysis – This return comes as Scotland’s luxury market continues to take shape, as illustrated by RBH Hospitality Management taking over the management of Cameron House Resort. For owners, appointing a leader who knows the asset, its teams and the local hotel landscape offers valuable operational continuity.
A refurbished One Spa and a new chapter for the hotel
Tristan Nesbitt‘s arrival follows a series of upgrades, including significant investment in the One Spa. Carried out over the past five months, the works include a new Pilates studio, refreshed gym equipment, a Rasul mud treatment room and a poolside sauna. Further improvements are planned.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Tristan Nesbitt returns as General Manager of Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh
Appointed 28 years to the day after starting his career as a management trainee in London
Previously GM of the same hotel (2013-2020), then Cluster GM for 12 Marriott hotels in North England & Scotland
Joins from The Park Tower Knightsbridge, A Luxury Collection Hotel, London
Succeeds Martijn Zengerink, now GM of London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square
Arrives after a £700,000 (c. €814,000) refurbishment of the hotel’s One Spa
