Virgin Hotels Glasgow closes with immediate effect (December 19)
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at 19:48 by AMcWhirter.
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AMcWhirterParticipantIs this a record for a luxury hotel in Scotland ?
I ask because Virgin Hotels Glasgow, which opened barely three months ago, closed today with little notice and all staff have been made redundant.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24000022.virgin-hotels-glasgow-closes-with-immediate-effect/
Glasgow Herald reports that “staff were advised of its [the hotel’s] closure in a meeting on Tuesday morning [today] before being escorted from the premises.
“The closure comes weeks after the company which owns the Virgin Hotels Glasgow building, Lloyds Developments Limited, fell into administration.”
Here’s think link to our news piece of August 22 last.
19 Dec 2023
at 19:54
AMcWhirterParticipantMy typo: the hotel opened barely four months (not three months) ago.
19 Dec 2023
at 19:57
Mark CaswellKeymasterIn November 2022 I wrote about the Motto by Hilton Glasgow, which had been set to open in 2024 and is adjacent to the Virgin Hotels Glasgow development.
However it is owned by Silk Property Group, so presuambly will be unaffected by the above news, although I will check.
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19 Dec 2023
at 21:15
AMcWhirterParticipantLatest news is that the former hotel’s workers are to stage a rally this afternoon.
When the owning company’s CEO arrived yesterday from the USA he wasn’t prepared to confirm whether or not staff would receive back pay or redundancy payment.
Today a spokesperson for Virgin hotels was quoted as saying that Virgin Group and the owners of the hotel “are committed to ensuring employees are paid for every day they have worked this month.”
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/sacked-workers-hold-rally-outside-113345552.html
20 Dec 2023
at 13:40
TerryMcManus24ParticipantWill stick to Premier Inn..St Enochs…or Holiday inn Express in Theaterland …although the Clayton looks rather good…Virgin…ouch..sorry to hear..
21 Dec 2023
at 16:44
WilliamReadParticipantQuite a few of the iconic Virgin branded businesses now have zero connection with Sir Richard Branson. A mere 4 months existence for the collapse of the Virgin business must be a new record; will Sir Richard have anything to say on the subject?
28 Dec 2023
at 15:49
MontysaurusParticipantI suspect the only connection Branson has with Virgin Hotels is renting them the use of the name Virgin.
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29 Dec 2023
at 09:23
cwoodwardParticipantVery involved I suspect – that is if the PR is to be believed.
“the luxury lifestyle hospitality brand of the Virgin Group, and Virgin Limited Edition, the private global collection of unique retreats, hotels and exclusive islands owned by Richard Branson, have today announced they will come together under a new parent brand, Virgin Hotels Collection.”
29 Dec 2023
at 11:58
esselleParticipantHe does not appear as a director of the hotels business, and seemingly is no longer a director of the Virgin Group. That does not, of course, mean he is not a shareholder, but it suggests he is not involved in running the hotel business.
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29 Dec 2023
at 12:12
AMcWhirterParticipantThe Independent spoke to one or two of the staff and ran a somewhat enlightening piece re this 240-room hotel’s operation.
Hotel occupancy was said to be very low.
Said one experienced kitchen worker, “The hotel itself was dead mostly. Some mornings we would have fewer than 10 guests for breakfast. It was embarrassing, the venue itself is stunning.
“On some weekends we would only have four guests eating breakfast. We had many more staff than guests.
“There was no effort made by management to try to bring any business in: we had no afternoon tea, no Sunday lunch, no mid-afternoon special and no evening events for people to attend.”
Full story in the link below.
29 Dec 2023
at 14:26
MontysaurusParticipantClydesdale Bank own, and trade as, Virgin Money. I read in the financial press that the only involvement of Branson is the receipt of fairly large regular sums of money for the use of the name Virgin. This appears to be his business model these days.
29 Dec 2023
at 16:07
AlanOrton1Participant@ Montysaurus, I think you are a 100% spot on and perhaps Branson / Virgin Group aren’t as picky as they once perhaps were with regard to which entities they license out the Virgin name.
It can be a huge money maker. Donald Trump for years licensed his name out to developers who wanted to sell Trump branded condo towers. (Some of whom appear to now be distancing themselves and in some cases removing his logos from the buildings).
30 Dec 2023
at 00:03
AMcWhirterParticipantVirgin Group has hoped to purchase this hotel from its owners but it has failed.
The property remains closed. Over 100 staff were made redundant with only a few hours notice just before Christmas.
What wasn’t made clear at the time was that this luxury property, which had been open for only four months, was not fully completed.
Real estate agency Savill’s said that “77 more bedrooms have the potential to be completed along with a proposed gym, function suite, whisky bar and coffee shop.”
Link to STV news.
13 Mar 2024
at 19:48 -
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