Glasgow City Council Approves Five-Star Hotel Conversion for Former High School Site

The Glasgow City Council has given its approval for plans to convert the former High School of Glasgow into a five-star hotel and wedding venue. Hospitality firm Scotsman Group has been granted permission to redevelop the historic school buildings, which are situated on Elmbank Street and Holland Street close to Charing Cross and were most recently occupied as police offices. Businessman Stefan King’s company, previously identified as G1, currently operates multiple establishments in Glasgow, such as the Grosvenor Cafe, Hillhead Bookclub, and Oran Mor, in addition to the renovated Scotsman Hotel located in Edinburgh. This new undertaking, valued at £20 million, is projected to feature a public bar and restaurant, a spa complete with a pool and gym, 21 serviced apartments, and 142 bedrooms. The High School of Glasgow’s Elmbank Street location, which ceased operations in 1976 prior to the establishment of an independent school bearing the identical name, contains Category A listed structures. These premises served as council offices until the dissolution of Strathclyde Regional Council in 1996, at which point they were acquired by the police. Following Police Scotland’s relocation in 2013, the company has stated that the buildings are understood to have “fallen into a state of disrepair.” The redevelopment is anticipated to proceed through five distinct stages, with the initial two phases concentrating on the serviced apartments and the hotel. According to plans presented by the Scotsman Group, function rooms will subsequently be established before the gatehouse structures are converted into a public bar. Ultimately, an unlisted building is slated for demolition to accommodate a spa, featuring a pool, gym, and treatment rooms. The remaining 16 hotel rooms will be constructed on the upper levels. Reporting was provided by Drew Sandelands of the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.