A SPECIAL DIIA REPORT
Award winning
Awarded “Glasgow Hotel of the year
2007” and “Scottish Conference Hotel 2007, 2008 and 2009” the Crowne Plaza
Glasgow boasts 16 conference and events rooms with a maximum capacity for 800
delegates, 283 air-conditioned bedrooms, 2 Club floors, a Club lounge for
exclusive use, business centre and wireless internet throughout.
The ‘Place to
Meet’ in the UK’s Coolest City where the warm-hearted Glasgow welcome is still
the biggest selling point.
Recent survey of overseas visitors 2011.
THOUSANDS OF VISITORS MAKE THEIR WAY TO GLASGOW ON THE
RIVER CLYDE FROM ALL OVER OUR GLOBE.
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The Scottish Highlands |
Rennie Mackintosh Room |
Spitfire at Kelvingrove Glasgow City Council Museum |
Letters – live at King Tuts Glasgow March 4 2011 |
Nightlife at Ashton Lane Glasgow |
Shopping at Luke and Jack |
CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
MANY
CHOOSE THIS DESTINATION AS A GATEWAY TO THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND, MAGNIFICENT
MOUNTAINS & SPECTACULAR LOCHS: OTHERS ARRIVE TO MARVEL AT THE CITY’S
STUNNING ARCHITECTURE, EXPLORE FASCINATING WORLD-CLASS MUSEUMS OR SIMPLY ENJOY
MUSIC FESTIVALS, NIGHTLIFE & RENOUNED SHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES.
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Crowne Plaza, SECC & surrounding attractions |
Glasgow hosts international exhibitions |
Paddle steamer Waverley |
Excellent city transport service |
Major international defense contracts |
They are serious in Scotland about alternative energy |
BUSINESSMEN & WOMEN FROM WASHINGTON TO TOKYO, PARIS TO
BEJING AND BEYOND COME TO GLASGOW TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS,
CONFERENCES & CONVENTIONS COVERING DEFENSE, SECURITY, OIL & GAS,
SUB-SEA ENGINEERING, IT DEVELOPMENT, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY AND MUCH MORE.
MOST WOULD AGREE THAT THE CROWNE PLAZA IS AN IDEAL ‘PLACE
TO MEET’.
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he city hasn’t always been so attractive
however. Billy Connolly once said, “The
great thing about Glasgow is that if there’s a nuclear attack, it will look
exactly the same afterwards!” Well, in the 1950’s & 60’s, he would not
have been far wrong. I was only 14 years old when I first came to Glasgow,
having spent the previous years in Australia on white sandy beaches in glorious
sunshine. My world had suddenly been replaced by dirty black stone buildings,
towering ship yard cranes and run down housing. At that time, Crown Street in
the Gorbals area of the city could truly be described as a collection of
purpose built slums thrown together in random disorder. A pall of thick smoke
hung over the city: slightly darker than the smog below. The place was a tip –
a rubbish tip – and kids, mini ‘midgie-rakers’
(a local Glaswegian term for those who rummage through garbage) were
picking over every dustbin load in
the search for things which could be reused or refashioned as toys, games,
weapons or ammunition. Even the
metal bins took on a life of their own, rearranged to form imaginary forts,
ships or mountains. And they say that the concept of recycling is new! Yet in
the midst of all of this depravation & poverty was the warm-hearted nature
of Glaswegians and their ability to pick themselves up in times of adversity
and in following years – allow them to achieve miracles.
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Life in Glasgow 50 years ago was hard to say the least. The
Clyde’s world famous ship building industry was in major decline: pollution was
affecting the health of the entire community and ‘razor gangs’ terrorized
anyone who got in their way. The era was marked by continuous strikes and a
lack of government investment.
In the early 80’s, the Scottish Development Agency
(SDA) decided to support the concept of a purpose built exhibition and
conference centre being built in Glasgow. The derelict Queens Dock site at
Finnieston was identified as the location. The budget was set at £36 million
including infilling the docks, ground stabilization and road infrastructure.
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Looking
at the top left hand corner of the photo left (the original Queens Dock) - now
the site of Scotland’s Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC) with the
Crowne Plaza Hotel and Clyde Auditorium on the North side of the river (see
photo right) and the Glasgow Science Centre and BBC, Scotland studios at
Pacific Quay on the Southside of the River Clyde.
By late 1985, Scotland’s Exhibition &
Convention Centre ( SECC ) had been "officially" opened by HM the
Queen during the Scottish Motor Show. That year also heralded the Grand International Show - staged in Hall
4 as part of the Glasgow Garden Festival. It was one of the most ambitious
events staged at the Centre. It had lakes and lagoons with wading flamingos,
rain forest areas with macaws and fountains shooting water 50 feet into the air
- it was spectacular.
In 1989, the mirror-like landmark
building that is now the Crowne Plaza Glasgow was added to the location. By
1990, Glasgow was the surprise winner of the European City of Culture.
Considering that the few previous winners had included Athens, Florence &
Paris – Glasgow’s success was clear confirmation that miracles had indeed been
achieved. In following years, further old dockland areas were cleared and
space-age architecture took its place. Dirty black stone was cleaned revealing
beautiful Victorian & Georgian buildings that had gone unnoticed before.
The city had turned from an ugly duckling into a white swan. The massive SECC
complex was hosting Pavarotti, the Bolshoi Opera & Ballet and major
international organizations such as the American Society of Travel Agents
(ASTA) were taking full advantage of exhibition space and the 3,000 seats over
3 levels in the Clyde Auditorium.
The mirror-like tower that is
the Crowne Plaza Glasgow
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spectacular tower building and a
stunning location might provide an impressive advertisement for any hotel but
the comfort of your accommodation & facilities offered, standard and
friendliness of service within the establishment and let’s face it – the cost
of your stay – makes all the difference between ‘never again’ - ‘it was OK’
or ‘it
couldn’t be faulted’.
So does the Crowne Plaza Glasgow tick
all the right boxes?
Well, it’s simple to identify that the
Crowne Plaza Glasgow is only 15 minutes' drive from Glasgow International
Airport and so after a long flight, you are not going to be subjected to
lengthy coach or taxi journeys. If you arrive by car, you’ll have no trouble
parking right next to the hotel. A few minutes stroll to the Exhibition Centre
rail station (opposite the SECC) provides connections to Glasgow Central rail
station in the heart of the city's financial district and fast access to the
city’s many attractions. Walk across the river bridge and you are immediately
at the front doors of the Glasgow Science Centre or new BBC Scotland
complex. BAE Systems are within easy reach and you are only a 5-minute walk
from the Ibrox Stadium, home to Rangers football club. That’s one box ticked!
On arrival, you can check in with the
minimum of fuss and if you have any concerns or problems, friendly staff will
quickly put your mind at ease. Tick another box for reception. Then, it’s up to
your room where the hotel claims that you will ‘draw inspiration from panoramic views over
the River Clyde in your calming, light-filled room’. Of course, on my first
visit to the Crowne Plaza, my arrival had been one of 11.30 at night, somewhat
bleary eyed after a 500 mile car journey from the South West of England and I
just crashed out without even unpacking my case. Certainly had no problem with
the luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets though!
Velvet-rich furnishings radiate warmth, a comfortable bed
and soothing aromatherapy spray will help ease you to sleep.
Now I could start listing Satellite TV,
free morning newspapers, hairdryers, phone with voice mail and the like but
there’s no point. Suffice to say both guest rooms and suites have everything
you need during your stay: everything that you would expect from a top class
hotel.
The history of Clydeside, the docks and ships, is
the backdrop to the ‘One’ Restaurant where guests can enjoy a unique, friendly
and relaxed atmosphere with panoramic views across the Clyde. Renowned for its
mouth-watering Scottish cuisine, hot plate and full A la carte menus, both
standard of food & service are excellent. I particularly liked the
delicious carvery. If you have booked concert tickets at the SECC, a
pre-concert two course meal from the hot table in the stylish ‘One’ restaurant
would cost from £17.95 per person. Price
includes complimentary car parking and use of the undercover direct link to the
SECC: all in all - not a bad deal.
Or, if more convenient, you can grab a
quick bite or light snack at the Quarterdeck bar and lounge. The choice is
yours.
SECC EVENTS:
http://www.secc.co.uk/attend/event-listings.aspx
Photo left: Crowne Plaza restaurant renowned for its
mouth-watering Scottish cuisine
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hey say, ‘a conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do
nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.’ Agree or disagree – one thing’s for certain – businessmen & women need ‘A Place to
Meet’ and most agree that the Crowne Plaza Glasgow is a pretty good choice. Conference
and meeting venues don't come much better than this. Crowne Plaza Glasgow was
voted Scottish Conference Hotel of the year in 2007, 2008 and 2009. With rooms
that can cater for 8 to 800 delegates and a range of services and facilities
including individually controlled air-conditioning, wireless internet access,
specialist in-house audio visual services and your own dedicated Crowne
Meetings Director, this hotel is certainly worth consideration to say the
least.
All
conference and meeting packages include:
- Seal
of Assurance – your conference guarantee of satisfaction which covers
everything from the initial enquiry to standard of service
- Dedicated
Crowne Meetings Director to ensure 100% satisfaction and peace of mind
- Business
Centre with secretarial support
- Healthy
conference lunch options
- Fresh
fruit in conference rooms for up to 25 delegates
- Unlimited
tea, coffee and water during the conference
- Stationery
Toolkit
Exceptional customer service has been the key to
the hotel’s success, along with dedication, flexibility, and the desire
to exceed expectations. Although experts in hosting and managing large events,
they recognize the importance of smaller ones too and provide a choice of
meeting and event rooms to cover these.
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Download Conference and meetings
brochure PDF - click here
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For more information on these
facilities and to arrange your next meeting at the Crowne Plaza Glasgow, please
contact: 0871 942 9091
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rowne
Plaza Glasgow boasts Club Moativation health and fitness club, a 1,000
square-foot fully equipped gym which is complimentary for all guests. Take a leisurely
dip in the pool, work out in the gym or simply relax in the sauna or spa.
Whatever you choose to do, you will leave with a healthy body and mind. Within
the Crowne Plaza Hotel Glasgow, you will also find Isis health and beauty located along side the leisure club. Both
non-residents and hotel guests are invited to side step life in the fast lane
and take time to prep, polish and pamper! Treatments include everything from
specialist waxing treatments and pampering pedicures to the signature Darphin
Spa treatments. Isis make a real effort to add unique touches to individualize
their spa treatments and offer you something just a little bit different. Rest
assured that your treatment will be carried out by one of the professional Isis
team to the highest standard.
Leisure facilities
include: Indoor heated swimming pool, Sauna, Spa, Fully equipped gym, Solarium
& Complimentary amenities and towel service.
When compiling this report, DIIA scoured the
internet for independent reviews and comments. There were, as expected, a few
opinions that were critical - modestly so: the US$8 a day charge for parking,
the background music in the bar, the cost of items in the room mini-bar. However, by far the vast majority ran along
lines such as:
“This was a surprise trip to see Rod Stewart in concert at the SECC on the
Saturday night, we arrived on the Friday afternoon the Hotel was very busy but
the very friendly Ladies on the Reception Desk coped
admirably with the never ending queue to check in.”
“We nearly missed
the show at the SECC because we were so relaxed in the Club Room.”
“Have stayed here
on many occasions and thought I would now write a review, wonderful hotel with
really nice rooms, great views over the river Clyde I have also stayed in the Glasgow Hilton the Marriott
and the Ramada and would pick this hotel every time.”
“Beautiful big
hotel with lots of thoughtful touches - like the covered walkway on one side
between the car park and reception and the same on
the other side connecting the hotel to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference
Centre.”
Dominic
McVey, General Manager of the Crowne Plaza Glasgow should be proud of his
hotel’s reputation and his staff who extend that warm-hearted Glaswegian
welcome to all of their guests.
The Crowne Plaza Glasgow certainly seems to tick all the right boxes
with most visitors from home & abroad.
Photo above: Dominic McVey General Manager
Crowne Plaza Glasgow
Congress Road, Glasgow, Strathclyde, G3 8QT, Scotland
Phone: 0871 942 9091 Fax: 0141 221 2022
http://www.crowneplazaglasgow.co.uk/
THE CROWNE PLAZA
GLASGOW IS SUPPORTING PROJECT GOLDEN CROSS: A CLYDE BASED NON-PROFIT MAKING COMMUNITY
EXERCISE RUN BY VOLUNTEERS THAT WILL SEE A HISTORIC SCOTS SHIP BROUGHT BACK
HOME TO WHERE SHE WAS LAUNCHED IN 1955. HMRT GOLDEN CROSS WILL PROMOTE SAFETY AT SEA TO
YACHTSMEN & WOMEN IN THE CLYDE, WESTERN ISLES AND OTHER SCOTS PORTS. THE
VESSEL WILL ALSO HIGHLIGHT SCOTS INDUSTRY IN DEFENSE, ENGINEERING, O&G,
SUB-SEA AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SECTORS WITH ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FROM WHYTE & MACKAY
GLASGOW.
© DIIA June 2011 All rights reserved.