On Thursday I was invited to attend the launch party of the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow.
Formerly, The Quality Hotel located at Central Station, the building had lay in disrepair for many years and no longer could take pride in it's reputation of years gone by. Once host to many a glamourous star from Vivien Leigh, Fred Astaire to Frank Sinatra and even John F. Kennedy. The Hotel has now been bought over and brought up to date whilst giving a nod to it's glamorous heyday.
The multi million pound makeover has seen many original features restored resulting in a sumptious and decadent backdrop for it's very own launch party.
On arrival everyone was given a passport to the hotel, now I arrived a bit late and missed a lot of the formalities including a speech given by First Minister Alex Salmond but when I did eventually get there, the place was buzzing with people wandering the hotel and being entertained by a plethora of performers from dancers to make up artists to illustrators.
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| Champagne Bar ceiling |
Naturally, I headed straight for the Champagne Bar ;) The champagne bar in itself is a sumptious affair with a gorgeous domed ceiling and droplet ball chandelier. It is also home to a baby grand piano and when we arrived everyone was enjoying a performance by these lovely dancers. It was quite busy and I was angling for a glass of champagne so I ended up missing the performance.
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| The dancers waiting to go on to their next performance |
After this I had a wander around the hotel and it's rooms. Most rooms and suites had something going on in them, tarot reading, makeovers, caricaturists and in the corridor we had the pleasure of impromptu performances by 2 very talented actors re-enacting scenes from old Hollywood movies.
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| Our very own Cary Grant and Vivien Leigh |
The decor in the Grand Central is decadent and harks back to days of old and specifically to the famous faces who graced it's doorstep many moons ago. Bedrooms with John F Kennedy bedsteads and pictures of Audrey Hepburn adorned the walls.
The grand finale of the evening was saved for Scotland's very own Darius!! This time there was no Britney renditions just a bit of crooning :) I have to say as far as launch parties go, it was a really lovely night with plenty to see and do. It was a true experience of what the hotel has to offer with a lot of fun thrown into the mix.
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| A nod to the hotels location at Glasgow Central Train Station |
I wonder if any of the glamourous starlets of our day will ever grace the hotel with their presence ... I am already making a list of who I'd like to see staying there ....and Johnny Depp is at the right at top of the list ;)
x
