IHG is reopening Grand Central Hotel following a multi-million refurbishment to become a voco branded hotel, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, after more than a year of closure due to Covid-19. To celebrate the occasion, voco Grand Central Hotel shines a light on hotel history in a stunning light show celebrating the hotel’s history from the building of the station in 1870s, through the golden age of travel as a British Transport Hotel when Hollywood stars including Gene Kelly, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra stayed as guests, right up to the present day and celebrating the future as a voco hotel. Memories and pictures contributed by former staff and guests are also captured in the projection alongside the words of local playwright Laurie Motherwell in audio poetry which celebrates Grand Central’s cherished place at the beating heart of Glasgow for almost 140 years.
Paul Bray, Area Manager for IHG Hotels & Resorts UK North and General Manager of voco Grand Central Hotel said: “It’s been a really tough year for so many people and as hospitality reopens in Scotland we’re excited to celebrate the rebrand of our iconic hotel by looking back at some special moments from the hotel’s rich history. The word voco is inspired by the Latin for ‘come together' and this couldn’t be truer for us at Grand Central Hotel, a place where many guests have chosen to connect and spend special times together across the years. As we enter a new era as a voco, we hope many will choose to return to voco Grand Central for those special moments when we can reunite and come together again. It’s important to us to honour the heritage of our beautiful building and its history, but we’re also looking to the future with a strong focus on sustainability, looking after our planet as we do our guests, and joining a global family of more than 50 hotels that offer a reliably different experience.”
