Macdonald’s Manchester and Edinburgh hotels are now unbranded Marriott properties

In late 2021, Macdonald Hotels sold Macdonald Manchester and Macdonald Holyrood to Zetland Capital Partners.

Both hotels are now showing on marriott.com as unbranded hotels, but presumably this will change in time. I’m not sure how long they have been bookable.

The Manchester Piccadilly Hotel

Macdonald Manchester is on marriott.com as the Manchester Piccadilly Hotel. Click here.

The photographs look a little scary to be honest – see above – but a message on the Marriott site says:

Facilities will be limited during Refurbishment. Exciting changes are happening at Manchester Piccadilly Hotel. We are undergoing a fabulous refresh throughout the hotel in the coming months. Every effort has been taken to ensure minimal disruption to your experience at the hotel, with most changes impacting small areas of the hotel at a time.

…. so hopefully something new and fresh will emerge. You can’t beat the location, directly outside Manchester Piccadilly railway station.

The Edinburgh Holyrood Hotel

Macdonald Holyrood is showing on the Marriott website as the Edinburgh Holyrood Hotel – website here.

There is no mention of any upcoming refurbishment on the website, but to be fair – see above – the rooms look a little more modern than Manchester, albeit far from cutting edge. The Superior Rooms are stated as being ‘newly refurbished’.

It is situated near the Scottish Parliament building, which means it is a little out of the way for the core city centre tourist attractions but very convenient for the Palace of Holyroodhouse. You can find out more on marriott.com here.

It will be interesting to see where these end up brand-wise. Holyrood would be a prime candidate for a Delta, whilst the ultimate home for Piccadilly is likely to depend on how much money the new owners are investing in refurbishment.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (October 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Avios. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)