Hilton Glasgow celebrated its 30th anniversary by unveiling a major refurbishment of the building, including all of the bedrooms and suites, and its best-in-class Grand Ballroom, as it looks towards the next 30 years.
Whitney Houston was number one in the UK charts with I Will Always Love You and Sharon Stone was smashing the cinema box office with Basic Instinct, when Glasgow Hilton first opened its doors 30 years ago on St Andrews Day 1992.
It was the first-ever Hilton hotel to open in Scotland and since then the 20-storey granite and glass structure has become a notable landmark on the Glasgow skyline.
Coinciding with the 30th anniversary, work has been completed on a major refurbishment of Hilton Glasgow to ensure its continued position as Scotland’s leading conference and events hotel. The design concept for the refurbishment is centred around the hotel’s Glasgow heritage, drawing inspiration from the ‘Glasgow Style’ made famous by Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. His linear style is reflected in the bespoke furniture while the carpets and soft furnishings are inspired by the organic-inspired work of sisters Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh and Frances Macdonald MacNair.
Hilton Glasgow General Manager Calum Ross said: ““It’s been a fantastic way to mark the occasion and the best thing has been catching up with so many partners, so many clients, so many old friends and customers who are popping back in to see what we’ve been doing for the past two years. The feedback has been great.
“It’s an enormous privilege for me to be the general manager of this property. It’s part of Glasgow, an iconic feature of the city skyline, and it has a great history.
“To have been engaged in this project, relighting the fire and bringing some serious style into play, that just makes me feel really lucky.
“The city will benefit from having a great Hilton Glasgow again.”
Returning as a guest to celebrate the milestone was former General Manager David Thompson, who managed the hotel when it launched in 1992. He said “We opened on St Andrews Day in the middle of the worst recession in memory but we had to open and had a massive party to introduce the hotel to the city. It was a big thing for Glasgow at the time, the first five-star hotel.
“The main changes I notice in the intervening 30 years are that the hotel now is much cleaner and simpler in its decoration, much less fussy. The bedrooms were generous in size and that remains the case. I still have very fond memories of my time at Hilton Glasgow.”
The Grand Ballroom which has hosted thousands of conferences, exhibitions, weddings and events, has been refurbished with the latest technology including animated wallpaper and LED lighting to alter the atmosphere of the room at the click of a button. The dedicated pre-event area encourages networking and connectivity.
All 320 bedrooms and suites have been completely refurbished with a light, fresh colour palette in a contemporary take on the Art Nouveau style. Hilton Glasgow is also the first UK Hilton outside of London to feature a revolutionary room-type called Five Feet to Fitness™. Guests can pursue fitness and wellbeing goals in the privacy of their own room thanks to the inclusion of over 11 different types of fitness equipment and accessories, and an interactive screen for tailored workouts.
As part of Hilton Glasgow’s ongoing commitment to cut its environmental footprint in half by 2030 the hotel recently installed 14 EV charging bays, changed to bulk amenities and installed water fountains in the lobby to move away from single use plastic.
The hotel has played host to numerous world leaders and celebrities over the past three decades including former US President Bill Clinton and the late anti-apartheid campaigner and President of South Africa Nelson Mandela. In the world of sport and entertainment the hotel has welcomed many sports teams and bands, as well as individual stars including football legends Sir Alex Ferguson, Johan Cruyff, boxing legend Mike Tyson, Scottish comedy legend Billy Connolly, Girls Aloud singer Chery Cole and musician James Brown. (See editor notes for details)
The hotel was officially opened by the late Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh, during a tumultuous year for the Royal Family which Queen Elizabeth II described as an Annus Horribilis, due to a string of scandals affecting the image of the Royal Family as well as a significant fire at Windsor Castle.
Hilton Glasgow is situated at the heart of Glasgow City Centre, only a ten-minute walk from Glasgow Central Station, with easy access to the M8/M74 motorways, Glasgow Airport and beyond. Glasgow was recently voted Friendliest City in the World by Time Out and placed 4th in the overall Best Cities in the World 2022.
Hilton Glasgow
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/glahitw-hilton-glasgow
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