The historic Central Hotel in Glasgow has been given a new lease of life following a £20m refurbishment by leading hotel and conference operator Principal Hayley. Following an extensive renovation programme which uncovered many of the building’s stunning original features, the hotel re-opens this month as The Grand Central Hotel.
Located in the heart of Glasgow city centre, above Central
Station, The Grand Central Hotel
offers some of the most flexible conference space in Scotland with
21 function rooms of various sizes. The accommodation includes The
Grand Room of Glasgow - a truly magnificent ballroom with capacity
for up to 600 delegates. The hotel also offers 186 stylish guest
bedrooms and a chic champagne bar which overlooks Central
Station.
The Grand Central Hotel holds a special place in the heart of
Glaswegians who remember it in its glory days when it regularly
played host to Hollywood royalty including Vivien Leigh, Fred
Astaire, Cary Grant and Laurel and Hardy when they visited the
city.
The refurbishment of the former Central Hotel got underway in June
2009 when Principal Hayley acquired the site with over 200 builders
involved in the project over the past year.
Tony Troy, CEO Principal Hayley said: "The acquisition of the Grand
Central Hotel is in keeping with our strategy of offering dedicated
conference hotels in key city centre locations around the UK.
Tony added: "Having already been successful in the East of the
country with The George Hotel Edinburgh, Glasgow seemed like the
natural progression and the former Central Hotel was the preferred
option with Principal Hayley's affection for historic buildings
being noted at not only The George, but at The Met Hotel Leeds, The
Palace Hotel Manchester and the Hotel Russell in London."
In addition to its conference and banqueting offering, the hotel
also boasts 186 guest bedrooms including executive and family rooms
and three suites. The suites are named after three people who
helped to shape the hotel's history;
• Robert Rowand Anderson - who designed the hotel
and Glasgow Central Station
• John Logie Baird - who transmitted the first
long distance television images to the hotel
• John F Kennedy - who visited the hotel
Robert Rowand Anderson, Architect
The Grand Central Hotel was designed by Robert Rowand Anderson,
Scotland's leading architect at the end of the 19th century. His
architecture was eclectic, ranging from Classical to Scottish
Gothic and Scots Baronial. Other buildings for which he's famed for
include the McEwan Hall and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery,
both in Edinburgh. For the Central Hotel, Anderson chose the Queen
Anne style of architecture - an informal style that includes
picturesque details, intricate gables and multi-paned
windows.
The spacious A-listed building, dating from 1883 when the station
itself was built, takes up an entire city block, with the main
entrance on the corner of Gordon Street and Hope Street, and
another entrance opening on to the Central Station concourse.
John Logie Baird
With its long history, the Central Hotel has plenty of famous
connections, but its link with the invention of television is
perhaps the strongest.
On 27 May 1927 John Logie Baird, a quiet, well-read engineer from
Helensburgh, transmitted a television signal from London to a room
on the hotel's 4th floor. The world hasn't been the same since! The
pictures he transmitted, using telephone wires and shortwave radio,
were only 2 inches in diameter, but John Logie Baird himself was
clearly recognisable in the images transmitted with the help of his
assistant, radio expert Benn Clapp.
The John Logie Baird Awards, which honour the country's finest
innovators and their achievements, will be staged in the Grand
Central Hotel, Glasgow in 2011.
John F Kennedy
JFK was just one of many famous politicians and celebrities who
have stayed at the hotel over the years. Other famous guests have
included Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, The Queen and Duke of
Edinburgh.
The restoration of the Grand Central
A number of stunning original features have been uncovered and
restored at the hotel, including Italian marble floors. The Grand
Room of Glasgow, will once again become a leading banqueting
destination in Glasgow and the glittering champagne bar, which
overlooks central station will become a gathering place of
distinction.
The Grand Central Hotel has created 150 new jobs in Glasgow,
offering a great opportunity to those looking to work in one of
Scotland's most iconic hotels. It will also offer Glaswegians
and those who are visiting the city a true sense of history and
grandeur. As one of the most historic buildings in the city, the
Grand Central Hotel will once again take its place as Glasgow's
leading hotel and conference venue.
9th September 2010
