Crowne Plaza Glasgow is a high-rise hotel in the Finnieston area of Glasgow, Scotland. Originally opened in 1989, it is a 4-star property on the banks of the River Clyde adjacent to the SEC Centre, the SEC Armadillo and the OVO Hydro. The building (along with the adjacent SEC Campus buildings), is frequently used as one of the most recognisable images of the modern Clydeside.
Crowne Plaza Glasgow
Crowne Plaza tower on the banks of the River Clyde, October 2023
The need for a new hotel next to the SEC had been recognised since the scheme's inception - the initial plans for the building were first unveiled in 1984. The Glasgow Hoteliers' Association blocked the plans initially claiming that the city did not need any more hotel capacity,[1] but later relented when an agreement was struck with the Scottish Development Agency (SDA) that it would only contribute taxpayer funding to new hotels of up to 200 bedrooms.
However, further controversy erupted two years later when it was revealed that the SDA's grant to the project totalled £3.4m,[2] whilst at the same time the plans had now grown in size that the proposed hotel now had 300 bedrooms - effectively breaching the earlier agreement that the Glasgow Hoteliers' Association had reached with the SDA. Nonetheless, the then Secretary of State for Scotland, Malcolm Rifkind approved the development, and groundbreaking began in 1987.
Construction of the building's superstructure began in 1988, its construction featuring prominently across the Clyde from the Glasgow Garden Festival of that year. It opened the following year as the Forum Hotel, and later came under the ownership of Queens Moat Houses where it was renamed the Glasgow Moat House International, which was later shortened to Glasgow Moat House.
The building frequently appears on current affairs TV programmes broadcast from the STV and BBC Scotland studios on the opposite bank of the river.
The building is notable for having no designated thirteenth floor, meaning that despite the top floor being designated "16", it is really a fifteen-story building (an example of Triskaidekaphobia). One of the three lifts serving the main tower of the hotel is glass-sided, giving views upstream of the Clyde and the Kingston Bridge. It has the second-largest function room in the city, just behind that of the Glasgow Hilton.
The hotel's ballroom was frequently used as the location of the Glasgow auditions of The X-Factor (most notably 2007 winner Leon Jackson's initial audition was filmed there) before they moved to Hampden Park in 2008, and then to the neighbouring SEC Armadillo when the show changed to a live audition format.
Referencesedit
^McLaws, Ally (25 October 1984). "New Scheme to boost hotel beds in city". Glasgow Evening Times. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
^Cram, Auslan (15 November 1986). "Rifkind under attack from £18m hotel plan". The Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
April 16, 2024
crowne, plaza, glasgow, high, rise, hotel, finnieston, area, glasgow, scotland, originally, opened, 1989, star, property, banks, river, clyde, adjacent, centre, armadillo, hydro, building, along, with, adjacent, campus, buildings, frequently, used, most, recog. Crowne Plaza Glasgow is a high rise hotel in the Finnieston area of Glasgow Scotland Originally opened in 1989 it is a 4 star property on the banks of the River Clyde adjacent to the SEC Centre the SEC Armadillo and the OVO Hydro The building along with the adjacent SEC Campus buildings is frequently used as one of the most recognisable images of the modern Clydeside Crowne Plaza GlasgowCrowne Plaza tower on the banks of the River Clyde October 2023Former namesForum HotelGlasgow Moat House HotelGeneral informationStatusCompletedTypeHotelArchitectural styleInternational ModernLocationFinniestonAddress3 Congress RoadTown or cityGlasgowCountryScotland United KingdomCoordinates55 51 35 05 N 4 17 25 16 W 55 8597361 N 4 2903222 W 55 8597361 4 2903222 Crowne Plaza Hotel Construction started1987Completed1989Cost 22 5MOwnerIHG Hotels amp ResortsHeightRoof180 ft 55 m Top floor16Technical detailsStructural systemReinforced ConcreteFloor count17Lifts elevators4Design and constructionArchitecture firmCoban amp LironiStructural engineerW A Fairhurst amp PartnersQuantity surveyorW T PartnershipMain contractorRush amp Tompkins Group PLCOther informationParkingOn site chargeableWebsitecrowneplazaglasgow wbr comBackground editThe need for a new hotel next to the SEC had been recognised since the scheme s inception the initial plans for the building were first unveiled in 1984 The Glasgow Hoteliers Association blocked the plans initially claiming that the city did not need any more hotel capacity 1 but later relented when an agreement was struck with the Scottish Development Agency SDA that it would only contribute taxpayer funding to new hotels of up to 200 bedrooms However further controversy erupted two years later when it was revealed that the SDA s grant to the project totalled 3 4m 2 whilst at the same time the plans had now grown in size that the proposed hotel now had 300 bedrooms effectively breaching the earlier agreement that the Glasgow Hoteliers Association had reached with the SDA Nonetheless the then Secretary of State for Scotland Malcolm Rifkind approved the development and groundbreaking began in 1987 Construction of the building s superstructure began in 1988 its construction featuring prominently across the Clyde from the Glasgow Garden Festival of that year It opened the following year as the Forum Hotel and later came under the ownership of Queens Moat Houses where it was renamed the Glasgow Moat House International which was later shortened to Glasgow Moat House In 2005 Queens Moat Houses entered into a franchise agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group to operate the hotel as a Crowne Plaza hotel In popular culture editThe building frequently appears on current affairs TV programmes broadcast from the STV and BBC Scotland studios on the opposite bank of the river The building is notable for having no designated thirteenth floor meaning that despite the top floor being designated 16 it is really a fifteen story building an example of Triskaidekaphobia One of the three lifts serving the main tower of the hotel is glass sided giving views upstream of the Clyde and the Kingston Bridge It has the second largest function room in the city just behind that of the Glasgow Hilton The hotel s ballroom was frequently used as the location of the Glasgow auditions of The X Factor most notably 2007 winner Leon Jackson s initial audition was filmed there before they moved to Hampden Park in 2008 and then to the neighbouring SEC Armadillo when the show changed to a live audition format References edit McLaws Ally 25 October 1984 New Scheme to boost hotel beds in city Glasgow Evening Times Retrieved 19 September 2012 Cram Auslan 15 November 1986 Rifkind under attack from 18m hotel plan The Glasgow Herald Retrieved 19 September 2012 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Crowne Plaza Glasgow amp oldid 1178946506, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
