Voco Grand Central Glasgow (imagery: © Simon Callaghan)

Our latest TOPHOTELDESIGN exclusive looks at a landmark building’s multimillion-pound refurbishment and conversion to Voco, with help from HLM Architects and Goddard Littlefair.

This ambitious Voco-branded project has breathed new life into a famous hotel in Scotland’s largest city.

Reimagining an iconic Glaswegian building

Voco Grand Central Glasgow made its long-awaited debut in April 2021 following the multimillion-pound refurbishment of a 19th-century railway hotel, which saw it join IHG’s fast-growing upscale brand. The new-look scheme represents Voco’s first site in Scotland.

The refreshed building combines a celebration of its history with the key characteristics of the Voco brand. Among the work carried out was a transformation of the property’s event space, 184 guestrooms and public corridors, the creation of a dedicated kitchen for the historic champagne central bar, and the installation of an air-conditioning system and secondary glazing in all guestrooms.

Each element took into account the site’s historic value and central location, as well as its category A-listed building classification.

Reflecting the signature Voco style

Working alongside IHG, HLM Architects and Goddard Littlefair succeeded in meeting the Voco brand standards and modernising the hotel’s classic style through the addition of new elements such as soft furnishings, signage, bespoke artwork and accent lighting. The colour scheme now pairs neutrals and deep blues with Voco yellow and soft pink, while striking original features such as cornicing and stone archways have been retained.

Overall, this carefully considered transformation has drawn sensitively on the character of the historic building, while simultaneously modernising the guest experience.

Many TOPHOTELNEWS articles draw on exclusive information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. This subscription-based product includes details of thousands of hotel projects around the world, along with the key decision-makers behind them. Please note, our data may differ from records held by other organisations. Generally, the database focuses on four- and five-star schemes of significant scale; tracks projects in either the vision, pre-planning, planning, under-construction, pre-opening or newly opened phase; and covers newbuilds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions.

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