A £20 million hotel project has been unveiled to transform the site of the former High School of Glasgow into a high-end hotel complex.
Glasgow-based hospitality and leisure operator The Scotsman Group has submitted detailed proposals for the conversion of the site into a luxury development.
It comprises of a 142-bedroom hotel, 21 serviced apartments, a spa/leisure facility, a wedding venue, restaurants and bars.
The plans also include for the introduction of glazed links between key buildings on the site, which at present comprises of seven existing buildings.
The Elmbank Street site is considered one of the last remaining undeveloped Grade A-Listed buildings of its scale within Glasgow city centre.
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Built in 1846, the buildings were renovated into offices for use by Strathclyde Regional Council in 1976 before being returned to Glasgow City Council some two decades later. The buildings were then in use by the council and Strathclyde Police as office space until 2013.
The site was put on the market as a development opportunity known as “The Old High School Complex” in 2019, with The Scotsman Group then entering into an agreement with City Property (Glasgow) Investment LLP to develop the site after submitting the winning bid.
The Scotsman Group said it “seeks to create a luxury city centre destination in the form of a 5-star hotel facility and associated uses on the site”.
The plans include “converting existing listed buildings, restoring key features, working with the historic fabric, re-creating appropriate interiors where these have been lost many decades ago; removing inappropriate interventions and additions and stablising the structures as is required to ensure the survival of the buildings”.
“Overall the design approach will create a stunning destination which will create a blend of facilities for spa days. luxurious overnight stays, eating, drinking, celebrations, functions and events complementing the wider offer in the city of retail, theatres, restaurants, concert venues, sports venues and business”, The Scotsman Group added.
The proposed hotel would also create a total of 176 permanent jobs/ employment opportunities.
Glasgow’s hotel sector boom shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon as the tourism, commercial and conference markets feed demand for accommodation.
Earlier this week, The Herald reported that developers have submitted updated plans to convert an unused city centre office block into a hotel and restaurant after planning permission was originally granted for the 113-room aparthotel on West George Street in 2017.
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June will also see the opening of Canadian firm Sandman Hotel Group’s latest British property in the city in the Pegasus Building on West George Street, with The Sandman Signature Glasgow Hotel boasting 179 rooms set across ten floors.
Back in November, Hilton underlined its confidence in the future of business and leisure travel in Glasgow as it revealed plans to open a new hotel on Clydeside.
The hotel giant, which has had a presence in Glasgow for more than 30 years, expects to open a 186-room Motto by Hilton in autumn 2024, taking its tally of hotels in the city to eight operating under four different brands.
Late last year also saw Clayton Hotels open a 303-bedroom hotel on Clyde Street, breathing new life into the Grade-A-listed Custom House building, which has stood on the banks of the River Clyde for more than 180 years.
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