It’s taken nine months and cost £20million to restore one of Glasgow’s most famous hotels to its former glory. Kate MacLennan from the Evening Times donned her hard hat and safety boots and took an exclusive look around the former haunt of Hollywood stars and royalty...
The Central Hotel's refurbishment is almost complete and it will
open its doors in mid September as the newly-renamed, Grand Central
Hotel.
The four-star, A-listed hotel dates back to 1883 and is next to
Central Station.
It was originally a railway hotel but is now owned by Principal
Hayley which also owns The George Hotel in Edinburgh. It acquired
the hotel in spring 2009 and began plans to renovate the 350,000sq
ft space. Refurbishment work began in January with a staff of 200
men.
The restoration work has uncovered features that not even the
owners knew were there - such as hidden windows and Italian marble
floors.
Laurie Nicol, General Manager at the said: "It's been a
case of rediscovering the hotel.We were delighted when we found the
champagne bar had an Italian marble floor that had been hidden
under carpets.
"The champagne bar will become very iconic. It will overlook
Central Station's concourse. The room will have a grand piano and a
chandelier which will reflect light from the gold dome. Just now
there's nothing else like it in the city - it's unique."
Source: The Evening Times, 11 August 2010, Now that is a Grand
Hotel