The Social Hub, the pioneering hybrid hospitality concept from Amsterdam-based The Social Hub opened its first hotel in the UK in Glasgow last week.
With an investment of over £90 million and employing more than 80 staff, the new four star property is located in the Merchant City.
The “hybrid hospitality concept” is aimed at business travellers, students and tourists, with its properties offering a mixture of hotel rooms, student accommodation and extended-stay rooms.
Along with a gym, restaurant, and bar – which includes one of the city’s largest rooftop bars – it also features 494 rooms, co-working space with capacity for 222 people on a daily basis, 20 private offices, with meeting and event spaces as well as an auditorium.
The property is also working with local partners, including Scottish sustainable fashion designer Siobhan Mackenzie who has helped the brand launch its own tartan and Sea Change Wine which helps fund global conservation projects. Other suppliers include organic wine brand Vinca Wine, beer company Brewgooder, gin and vodka distillery Arbikie, and B-corp coffee brand Dear Green.
CEO & Founder of The Social Hub, Charlie MacGregor, said, “I am so proud to be launching The Social Hub in the country I grew up in and where I began my professional career, getting hands-on experience and inspiring a business model that evolved into what is now The Social Hub.
“As pioneers in the hybrid hospitality industry, I am excited to be back home and to see the impact our Glasgow Hub will bring to the community through our spaces and experiences, ones that blur the boundaries of traditional hospitality offerings through our relentless ambition to create a better society, together with all those who walk through our doors.”
The Social Hub Glasgow will be the 18th property to open in Europe for the Amsterdam-based company, with other locations currently operating in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. Five additional properties are currently in development, with Porto and Florence Belfiore opening this year, followed by Rome in 2025 and Lisbon and Turin in later years.
Founded by entrepreneur Charlie MacGregor, who grew up in Edinburgh, The Social Hub believes a better society is created when people with vision and talent come together from all walks of life. The organisation works towards achieving this social impact objective and generating concrete value to the communities in which it operates by designing unique spaces that foster community building, coupled by a programme of community experiences, and an ongoing commitment to monitoring the impact of its business operations.