Glasgowist: How city hotels are preparing to welcome visitors back to Glasgow

Facing restricted international visitor numbers, hotels like Dakota, Grand Central, Moxy, One Devonshire Gardens, Malmaison and Native will look to attract more domestic tourists while rethinking their primary purpose. Part of this process will include extending a local invitation to use public spaces or visit their bars and restaurants. Hotels will become more of a venue for people who live here while demonstrating that Glasgow is open for business.

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General Manager Graham Chalmers says it has been strange to see Radisson Red, a building specifically designed to be inhabited, so empty over the last few months. “It’s bizarre. This is quite a big hotel, it feels unusual. A lot of people have asked if it is like The Shining. I find the silence is amplified, it is eerie how loud the silence is in the building when no one is here”.

Events and concerts bring visitors to Radisson Red. With gigs at The Hydro not expected to return until 2021, more creative thinking is required to get things going again.

A reaction has been to start livestreaming DJ sets from the hotel’s Skybar with a sweeping panoramic backdrop of Glasgow landmarks, including the nearby Finnieston Crane. A collaboration with local electro promoters STREETrave will bring together some big names in dance music to raise funds for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity this Saturday. The lineup includes Utah Saints, Slipmatt, K-Klass and Mambo Brothers. The show will be run from 2pm to midnight and can be watched on the STREETrave, Colours and Glasgowist Facebook pages.

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The virtual event is a prelude to welcoming back customers but could continue in the months ahead. “We believe people will want to get out, that there will be an appetite there, but we will look at continuing with livestreams and other things we can do to project out from the hotel and reach people, some of whom won't be able to join us”.

The plan is to make the full hotel available for Phase Three: “We have a capacity in the Skybar of 60 people indoors at two metres distance. We will open the main bar and restaurant area on the ground floor with the same conditions when we reopen and rooms will be available to book”.

Graham says the local focus will continue for the rest of the year. “We are not expecting any significant uptick in international travel. Tourism will be domestic. Speaking to our market team and the revenue director at Radisson Hotels, we are encouraged to hear that Glasgow is one of the most popular in terms of web searches for UK cities. We need to convert that into bookings.

“We are committed to reopening and very soon we will see what the demand is. I do think locally we can sell rooms and welcome visitors."

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Preparations for reintroducing visitors to the space include stringent cleaning procedures. “We’re working with a world leader in healthcare to put in protocols for reopening the hotel safely. Every step will be audited. We will be cleaning the building to the highest industry standard. We are still waiting for government guidelines but we are making our own preparations for staff PPE and other adjustments” Graham says.

Virtual events will provide a connection for people who can't visit the city. It will be down to the people of Glasgow to kickstart local hospitality until tourists return.  

Prepare for the return of local food and drink by ordering your copy of Glasgow's 100 Best Restaurants from glasgowist.com/100best.