AC Hotel by Marriott Opens in the £100m Love Loan Development

The new 245-room ACHotel Glasgow has opened and is a key element of the £100 million Love Loan development – which involves the transformation of an entire block off Glasgow’s iconic George Square into a thriving leisure and residential neighbourhood that will, when complete, include bars, restaurants, health and well-being facilities.

AC Hotels, one of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary brands, includes over 225 hotels in 32 countries and territories. At ACHotels, every moment has been designed, refined, crafted, and considered to create a seamless guest experience. Like all AC Hotels, AC Hotel Glasgow features purposefully designed signature spaces that strike the perfect balance of form and function.   

The hotel includes the impressive restoration of the 120-year-old Grade A listed, Victorian former city Parish Halls into 22 ‘heritage’ suites with sensitively reinstated period features. The distinctive heritage building includes a sweeping stone staircase, period cornicing, a glass ceiling dome, and a stained-glass window depicting Glasgow’s famous coat of arms inspired by the legend of St Mungo.  

The old and new blend seamlessly with the heritage part of the project linking with a contemporary building designed by Hoskins Architects. The new building – which fills an 80-year-old empty site on the corner of George Street and John Street – features panoramic views from upper floors across the city centre to the east and west including over George Square. All AC guest rooms and public spaces evoke a particular sophistication, featuring sleek furnishings, curated artwork, and intuitive technology. 

The AC Lounge^®, a multi-functional space at the heart of the hotel, is designed in AC Hotel by Marriott’s signature purposeful, simplistic, and elegant style. It includes seating areas, and a bar where guests and visitors can enjoy drinks, light bites, and food from a curated bar menu. 

Neighbouring the AC Lounge is Hazel, a stylish new 100-seater restaurant for guests and the general public led by French Head Chef Eric Avenier. The restaurant, named after the famous tree that features in the legend of St Mungo, offers fresh and exciting plates influenced by Mediterranean flair, created using only the very best Scottish ingredients, over breakfast, lunch and dinner. An express lunch menu will also be available to cater for shoppers as well as office workers returning to the city centre. 

The restaurant’s centrepiece is a Hazel tree drawing from the legend that gave the venue its name. 

Other facilities include the AC Library, a bright and contemporary working space where guests can make use of reading materials, a self-service business centre, space for collaboration, and complimentary WiFi. 

The four-star hotel also includes AC Fitness, a 24/7 gym with state-of-the-art equipment, yoga facilities, and free weights. 

The AC Hotel Glasgow, operated by RBH Hospitality Management, is just 150 metres from Glasgow Queen Street Station and minutes from some of the city’s most visited areas and attractions including the Gallery of Modern Art. 

Craig Munro, General Manager of the new hotel, said:

This is a special day for all involved in bringing the AC Hotel Glasgow to life. The embodiment of AC Hotels’ ‘perfectly precise hotel^TM’ mantra, its perfect marriage of heritage, history, and contemporary style adds a new dimension to Glasgow’s hotel offering and will provide guests with the highest standard of accommodation when they visit one of the most exciting cities in Europe. 

Hazel, led by Eric Avenier, one of the city’s most reputed chefs, adds a new destination restaurant to the city’s culinary scene, and will add to the truly memorable experience at AC Hotel.

Chris Stewart, CEO and Owner at Chris Stewart Group, the developer of Love Loan, said:

The opening of AC by Marriott Glasgow and Hazel is a significant milestone in the Love Loan story. The AC by Marriott brand is world renowned, and its arrival in Glasgow city centre is a real feather in the cap for the city and Scotland. 

This hotel means Love Loan will be the first port of call for countless visitors in years to come, and our carefully curated blend of leisure, retail, and hospitality – steeped in Glasgow’s rich history and heritage – will ensure they have the best impression of the city from the moment they arrive to when they leave.