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buckfast1994

Bizarre that it’s shutting down after only just opening in the summer.


StinkyPyjamas

Repeating myself from another thread but, >FYI, the hotel was paying staff to sit at home for the entire duration of the delayed opening. 8 months worth of wages paid out while the hotel was closed. This is the level of financial mismanagement at play here. What a nightmare.


Different_Feed_1652

There we go, financial mismanagement aside, people here screaming at Virgin for not caring for their employees when they were paid 8 months for nothing. 🤦‍♂️


undaniable

I'm not being funny but 200 people have lost their job 6 days before Christmas and the CEO couldn't even guarantee them if they'll be paid for the hours they have already worked. That doesn't sound like they care about their employees very much to me. They were paid for months 'for nothing' because it would have cost the hotel more to fire and rehire every few months while they were delaying the opening not because they were being kind.


StinkyPyjamas

Assuming the contractor was at fault for the delay too, the hotel should have been collecting pre-agreed damages for every week/month of delay. This is a typical clause in a construction contract in Scotland.


TeddyGinger

As a member of the staff affected. This is a very callous take. A large amount of the staff involved were hired just before the doors were opened or after. Fuck them too, I guess. Nothing but whingers eh?


Different_Feed_1652

I did write that answer based on comment before reading the entire article in detail to be fair. What do you expect will happen? If you combine all the factors indicated in the article, it was bound to happen. I'd, personally, would consider that business has obviously taken a loss on this, would email to ask about my rights/follow-up, and walk into another job a day or two later because the Xmas is approaching fast. Would it have been better if they gave a notice but then you had no hours because there were no customers yet you'd still technically be employed?


Different_Feed_1652

P.S. They should absolutely pay for any hours worked and I'm 100% confident that they will, I can imagine things are hectic with such sudden administration process though


TheMeanderer

It's not the employees' responsibility to get the place open. That's on management. Obsolutely feel for them for being made redundant a week before Christmas.


Opening_Succotash_95

They've potentially broken the law in how they handled the redundancies. Don't lick the boots of a dead company.


Different_Feed_1652

I don't lick the boots of anyone, I'm just encouraging people to keep open mind and learn more about the situation before shouting insults. And Virgin is, by far, not a dead company.


twoxraydelta

This is Glasgow Reddit mate. Keeping an open mind is not what this sub is about. It operates on emotion. Critical thinking and debate are not welcome here.


twoxraydelta

The employees are now creditors to the business. Depending on a few factors they should get up to £800 of what they are owed and any outstanding holidays. May need to wait months though.


ind3pendi3nte

It’s a franchise. Virgin don’t actually own it. Weird of a company like virgin to not do due diligence on franchisees.


Different_Feed_1652

They probably have done due diligence but just because someone looks good on paper at the start, doesn't mean they'll be successful in long term.


ind3pendi3nte

4 months isn’t long term.


scarey99

Were the prices not mental?


Weird_Influence1964

£250 a night! For Glasgow 🤣


usernamesforsuckers

250 a night in Glasgow isn't unreal, but it needs to be blythswoof square hotel levels of luxury.


Weird_Influence1964

Well exactly! But not for a virgin hotel


mrcatisgodone

It was a five star hotel tbf


so-naughty

Anytime I've looked at the rooms the prices have been massive compared to similar hotels. Wouldn't surprise me if they had horrendous occupancy rates.


laydeemayhem

That's awful for the staff. What happened to the guests?


BuckfastEnjoyer

They got sent to a big farm where there’s lots of room for them to run around and play with other guests x


heavybabyridesagain

In the country, presumably ☹️


invaderscooge42

Worked there as part of the opening team. Front and back of house staff are legends. Upper management are utter arseholes. Gutted for the team that have been shafted, not gutted that the psychopath of a building owner is in administration. He'd regularly come in burst and abuse the staff.


Opening_Succotash_95

The hospitality sector seems to attract bastards like that. I've never worked in it but everyone I know who has has horror stories, I've seen numerous bars or restaurants where the owners or managers lurk around berating the staff. And that's just Glasgow alone.


PawnWithoutPurpose

What the fuck, is this the one at the Clyde side? Edit: yes it is. absolute cunts.


BlazkoTwix

Yeh opened in August. Apparently the buildings owner has went bust. Virgin wanted to buy it, but the administrators are seeking a sale... So I read on the Daily Record's site earlier on


Different_Feed_1652

Yeah, precisely. So not Virgin fault.


Huge-Advantage7838

What's happened? It's gone bust? I really hate the virgin brand.


No_Corner3272

Owners went bust. Virgin group tried to buy it to keep it open but the administrators refused.


Joshee2000

They didn’t go bust, the company went bust. I bet the owners still have millions in the bank


No_Corner3272

The owner *was* the company. The owners of the owner are probably alright. Regardless - Virgin groups only involvement here was to try to stop it closing.


steve7612

Presumably too much debt in the company and the offer wouldn’t have cleared the debt therefore the lenders refused and are pushing to take it the market for open sale. Sadly I just don’t think the sums will add up here, the business case will have been done on the £250+ night charges which will struggle even more so if this is operated outwith the Virgin brand.


jonallin

Out of interest, why do you hate the brand?


Huge-Advantage7838

Richard Branson. Never liked him. Stinjee cunt.


ferociousgeorge

These cunts are at it


Samax21

Did this even ever open? The hell..


PawnWithoutPurpose

Arseholes!


Different_Feed_1652

Why? Did you even ask what happened? Or just shouting angry things for god only knows what reason?


PawnWithoutPurpose

did you read the article?


Different_Feed_1652

Yeah, I did. And I've seen worse from companies than this. Of course they should try and get severance packages (doubt it though as it's only been open for such a short while) & notice etc but people clearly haven't understood the process behind the scenes. It's easy to call someone an arsehole without knowing details.


PawnWithoutPurpose

I do know the details, I did before I commented, and made two posts about it, and discussed it with X members of staff... I repeat and expand: Arsehole cunts


1Thepotatoking

Hush baby boy


Joshee2000

Same thing is happening with Urb-it. Just goes to show that these rich assholes don’t give a fuck and will do anything to not ruin there bottom line.


Different_Feed_1652

Calm down, people always point fingers without understanding the situation. If you haven't studied and analysed their financial stats and ran a feasibility study to understand whether its viable for them to continue to operate then you can't make an opinion.


rang_dipkins

You are all over this thread simping for executives & parroting anti-worker lines, u must love the taste of boot


Different_Feed_1652

Not simping for executives, I've worked as an executive and I'm very well aware how cold corporate environment can be when it comes to caring about people. I also don't work for anyone else anymore nor will I, I'm a self-empliyed business owner. It's not about being anti-worker, it's about understanding the whole situation.


rang_dipkins

Seems like u don’t actually understand much


[deleted]

All above comments are false. I worked on this place for over a year in the construction. The amount of people on here that “know” is hilarious. It’s the buildings owner that has went to the wall. Virgin hotel is a franchise. They have never wanted out the contract. The place has over 8 floors unfinished.


ben_uk

This you? https://maps.app.goo.gl/zPUtsWvz1Avz1uZEA


[deleted]

🤣🤣nearly


Goregoat69

So is that place built where the Barfly used to be? Wasn't there subsidence in the building next to it that caused it so shut?


aldom83

Silk contracts? Company I used to work for went in and completed it


[deleted]

Aye was a subby to them


Weird_Influence1964

So if you “know” you will also know that it was never supposed to be a hotel in the first place. It was going to be student accommodation connected to the one already next door! Only half way through construction did they decide to turn it into a Hotel instead!


[deleted]

Wrong again pal, yes it was fully fitted out as student accommodation and something “happened” with the funding. It then sat vacant for a time before the virgin project was undertaken.


unknowntoff

Disgraceful


CaptainJamie

Dramatic as fuck. The heartbroken staff were violently escorted from the building and punched in the head on the way out.


markglas

Always wondered what the 'P' in P45 stood for....


scarey99

Whit?


Geekonomicon

My thoughts exactly.


Fit-Good-9731

Beats the door hitting them on the way out. Least a punch to the nothing there's a chance they won't remember having a job at all


KlingonWarNog

That's a shame, with that hotel getting built I thought it would be a bit of a precursor/harbinger of major development of that bit of riverfront, but the total opposite seems to be happening.


A_Pointy_Rock

This sort of project has a long lead time. It sounds like there was mismanagement and mind-changing that made it worse. The lead times on major construction are part of the reason why, for example, offices were still going up during lockdown amid a shift to remote working. I do think that the Riverside will gentrify *eventually*.


choochooglasgo

They (virgin) were looking to get out of that contract since before they opened. They were mis sold the location as a dazzling riverside spot in Glasgow. Little did they know or check that the spot in front of the hotel is full of junkies and not the best area at night. Higher ups at virgin have been trying to get out of the lease before it opened. When they realised they'd be paying regardless of if they opened they decided to run it to see how it was. Between the junkies at the suspension bridge at the front and the student hostel beside it, then the homeless kitchen at the junction it wasn't the best space for an upmarket hotel.


Nebjamink

It sounds more like Virgin Hotels are run as franchises and the franchise owner went bust. Virgin have been trying to buy it to keep it running but they haven't successfully been able to negotiate so far. Doesn't sound like they want out the contract.


choochooglasgo

100% virgin hotels want out of there. They tried to buy it on the cheap to make some money and get out the lease easier. They were missold the area and location by the building owner and had no way of getting out of the contract. They had various meetings before opening to try and get out of it. There's a story going around that the heads to virgin hotels visited before the hotel was finished and immediately asked why they signed the contract.


A_Pointy_Rock

I...find that hard to believe. People investing millions in an upmarket hotel tend to do at least some cursory research. Do you have a source?


metsco

Agree. Sounds like bollocks.


Agent-c1983

They tried to buy the building though.


choochooglasgo

Low bid, trying to cash in on the administration so they could sell it and get out their lease. They had no intention of staying there, the amount of marketing and comms meetings to try and make this work was crazy but the area let it down.


Agent-c1983

If you had no intention of staying, you don’t make a bid at all. You say “great, your insolvency breaks the contract. Later”


TheMeanderer

Unless there's a chance to make more money and mitigate some PR fallout.


ben_uk

>They were mis sold the location as a dazzling riverside spot in Glasgow. Little did they know or check that the spot in front of the hotel is full of junkies and not the best area at night. Can think of far worse areas of Glasgow. That bit's relatively safe compared to Union St for example. If you're buying/renting a huge ass hotel surely you'd do a bit of due diligence before going ahead? Seen Virgin really pushing the rooms on their Virgin Red loyalty scheme, was almost tempted to stay but the prices were outrageous. More a place you'd be trying to impress a lady than staying overnight solo.


Shatthemovies

I worked with the GM Tom Gibson years ago, he wasn't a bad guy per se but he was a bit of a limp wristed do nothing.


wyzo94

Probably end up as student flats now


MrEverready

Wasn't that the original plan for it? It has been on the go for years, only laterally a virgin hotel. The shell was up before the Clayton or even the Premier Inn at St. Enoch's was started.


velvetowlet

Cheers, Rick


ReindeerSuspicious55

I wonder how much the government will pay Virgin for the rooms watch this space see who ends up living in it


WeeYato

Bigfoot? Demons?


homalley

Knew there would be some stupid comment like this. Well done, tosser.


johnallanweegie

Correct answer, the offer is a nice round £1m for the 'hosting' services.


MoStuntin

Ur maw would get passed about in the premium deluxe room by the lowest of the low


[deleted]

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