Newly-refurbished One Lochrin Square has secured its first tenant with the world’s second largest online travel agency, Ctrip, taking space at the Edinburgh property.
Ctrip, the owner of Edinburgh-based travel search website Skyscanner, will base its new call centre at the building, creating up to 200 jobs in the city. The operation is due to open early next year, with recruitment starting at the end of 2017.
The deal – brokered by Knight Frank acting for the landlord, and Eric Young & Co, which represented the tenant – will see Ctrip occupy the first floor of One Lochrin Square, for which fit-out work is already underway. Once complete, the business’s new accommodation will include a games zone and a collaborative space for research and development, among other features.
One Lochrin Square was re-launched by UBS Asset Management, on behalf of investors, in March this year after undergoing a major refurbishment. The building has been specifically targeted at Edinburgh’s burgeoning technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sector, which has grown to be the main source of commercial property activity in the city over the past couple of years.
The building consists of 64,000 sq. ft. of contemporary Grade A office space over five floors, with the ground floor also “de-furbished” – a property trend which accentuates a building’s existing features by offering stripped back, loft-style office accommodation. This type of property is often favoured by TMT occupiers.
Toby Withall, Office Agency Partner at Knight Frank, said: “This is an exciting move, not only for One Lochrin Square, but the whole of Edinburgh. Ctrip’s commitment to the city is welcome inward investment, creating a substantial number of new jobs – it’s a major boost for the local talent pool, as well as the city as a destination for international companies. It’s also further confirmation that Edinburgh, and its TMT offering, is on the right track.
“There has been a great deal of interest in One Lochrin Square since its launch, which underlines the continuing strength of Edinburgh’s TMT sector. There should be more good news in the coming weeks, as discussions progress – but the building is very much still open for business.”
Ctrip Director, Coley Dale, added: “It was clear from our previous visits that Edinburgh was the ideal base for our dedicated call centre. We looked at several buildings in the city, but One Lochrin Square was exactly the kind of accommodation we were looking for – we’re very much looking forward to getting our new operation underway.”
Ben Reed, Director at joint agent JLL, commented: “There has been a great deal of interest in One Lochrin Square since its launch, which underlines the continuing strength of Edinburgh’s Grade A office market – especially where buildings can offer characterful larger open-plan floors.”