Grand Central Celebrities

The Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow was THE place to stay in the 40’s, the 50’s and the 60’s.

The front of the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow.

Politicians from JFK to Winston Churchill stayed there. It was the place to be and to be seen. And I stumbled into, not even realizing what a gold mine it was for history.

Alan McDougall, Head Concierge, Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow.

That is until I met Head Concierge, Alan McDougall. He told me about how the hallways were built to accommodate ballgowns of the day, how the work to keep the hotel in shape is done under extreme rules because of it’s age, and of course went through the list of guests over the years.

Danny Kaye

Gene Kelly

Jimmy Durante

Laurel and Hardy, Jimmy Durante, Danny Kay, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly were all guests there and those visits are still celebrated today through photographs that line the halls of the old hotel.

Hallways designed for ballgowns at the Grand Central Hotel.

And one of the reasons for it’s fame and popularity is that it’s one of the European hotels attached to a train station. That’s right you room either looks out onto Glasgow or in to the train station lobby. Not only convenient, but a real throwback to days gone by.

The view through my hotel room window into Grand Central Station.

This is just one of the stories about Scotland in Episode 18 of Erin’s Isle.