Plans to turn Bothwell Street building into 'upper scale' hotel

If plans are approved, a largely empty Glasgow city centre building will be transformed into a hotel, aiming to be one of the operator’s best in Europe.

According to design documents lodged with the council, the B-listed property on Bothwell Street is one of the largest American-Classical-style commercial buildings in the city.

Plans have been submitted to redevelop the former offices and add an extension to turn them into a new “upper-scale hotel” with 235 rooms.

Details of the hotel chain aiming to take it over have been kept confidential in planning documents.

A design statement said: “The proposed confidential hotel operator is particularly excited about the potential provided by the building to create a best-in-class hotel of distinction, which they anticipate will be one of the finest in their operator’s European portfolio.”

It added: “The listed building is soon to become entirely unoccupied. The commercial office use for which the building was built and designed is no longer viable. The building has early indications of corrosion of the structural steel frame, which needs to be addressed to prevent damage to the significant external masonry façade.”

Proposals include adding a two-storey roof extension to the existing eight-storey office block.

The design document continued: “The proposed development is conservation-led and will integrate and repurpose the significant parts of the listed building into the new hotel use, whilst retaining its external appearance and presence within the street.”

HFD Property Group Limited have applied for planning permission to change the use of building from “offices at upper floors and restaurant/cafe and retail on ground floor to hotel with ancillary uses at upper and part ground floor, rooftop extension and external alterations.”

Construction of number 95 Bothwell Street finished in the early 1930’s by Scottish Legal Life Assurance company.

Glasgow City Council is considering the application.