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Sleep with Boy George (Maybe!) at the Grosvenor

Where: Grosvenor Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, EH12 5EF

We've heard of hotels recycling in an effort to go green, but the Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor is placing a funky twist on the idea of new uses for old things.

In an effort to boldly launch a 1.2 million pound refurbishment and draw a goodly amount of publicity, the hotel recently announced it will be auctioning off all 66 of its beds as part of a charity drive, beginning April 29.

That's right - for a mere 20 pounds, you can have a mattress that Boy George slept on. Or maybe Billy Connelly? Or perhaps other "big names from the world of sport and stage?" The imagination boggles.

Proceeds will go to the Hilton in the Community Foundation, which supports young people worldwide wherever there are Hilton chains (though a large portion of their income derives from from initiatives held "primarily in in the UK.")

According to Tripadvisor reviews, the rooms are in desperate need of makeovers, so we applaud the initiative, the charity, and the celebrity, uh, dirt.

Related Stories:
· Boy George slept here and you can too (maybe) in hotel charity sell-off [Scotsman]

Tags: Scotland Hotel Reviews / Scotland Hotels / Golf Resorts / → All Tags

More Than Just Golf at Gleneagles

Where: Auchterarder, Scotland, United Kingdom, PH3 1BR

If it's good enough for George Bush, it should be good enough for us too. Host of the 2005 G8 Summit, Scotland's Gleneagles Hotel has always sounded pretty posh, but a recent Guardian review made it sound, well, a bit posh, but also quite a lot of fun.

The opulent touches are there at this famous golf resort: there's a heavily-booked, 2-Michelin-star restaurant, floor heating and remote control curtains. Still there's a lot of fun to be had here, with activities like minigolf, falconry (getting those massive birds to land on your arm, that is), and even shooting, all with instructors available--well, all except the mini-golf.

The Guardian reviewer wasn't happy with the state of the too-much-concrete spa, or the 90-minute limit on bicycle borrowing, but other than that, Gleneagles got a big thumbs up. Another surprise is it's not prohibitively expensive: a current deal for April offers double rooms including breakfast for $380. Obviously not the same room that George Bush stayed in.

[Photo: Gareth Harper]

Related Stories:
· Glenagles Hotel reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Gleneagles Has Landed [Guardian UK]

Tags: Hotel News / Ken McCulloch / Scotland Hotel Reviews / → All Tags

Meat Trolleys Return to One Devonshire Gardens

Where: 1 Devonshire Gardens,, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, G12 0UX

Yesterday we looked at Scottish hotelier Ken McCulloch who started his hotel career by opening Scotland first boutique hotel, One Devonshire Gardens Hotel. However, the place was recently sold to the upscale UK group, Hotels du Vin. With the pairing comes a new bistro that Hotel du Vin is so known for, while at the same time one that takes careful consideration to Devonshire Gardens' past.

Sticking true to the preferences of its people, guests can expect a trolley lunch at the bistro's opening tomorrow and the trolley will be there to stay. (What is with the U.K. and their trolleys?)

Hotel du Vin will also be supplying alcohol as wine is now a major highlight at the bistro and Again, sticking to tradition, the bistro will feature Sunday afternoon tea hours as well as a roast.

After all this gorging guests can relax in the 5-star quality that One Devonshire Gardens has always provided. A few new changes by Hotel du Vin include, big surprise, a wine theme. You'd really think the Hotel du Vin group came out of France or Italy. But nope, U.K. it is and soon this Scottish hotel will have some brand new rooms to go along with their tasty trolley and stocked whisky room:

While the restaurant has been given its own new look, the rest of the hotel is also being revamped, with Hotel du Vin spending £11.5m on the purchase and refurbishment. A total of 14 new bedrooms are being created, with each named after a different wine. In the whisky bar, bistro and main bar, paintings and iconic photographs of vineyards and wine bottles hang on the walls.

Despite all the wine themes and upgrading, it's nice to hear the hotel is sticking to its old world charms. Those are really the only reason anyone goes to Scotland anyway--for the Scottish accents and meat trolleys.

Related Stories:
· Return to tradition for luxury hotel [The Herald]
· One Devonshire Gardens Reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Hot Scottish Hotelier News: Ken McCulloch [HotelChatter]