PLANS for a £125million luxury hotel, employing around 200 staff, in Glasgow's International Financial Services District have been unveiled.

PLANS for a £125million luxury hotel, employing around 200 staff, in Glasgow's International Financial Services District have been unveiled.

The 32,000sq m, 26-storey Argyle International will include a gourmet restaurant, two huge penthouse suites and a rooftop infinity swimming pool.

And the man behind the plan says, although Scotland's top hotel rating is five star, the Argyle would merit six stars.

Area's back in business

GLASGOW'S International Financial Services District, dubbed Wall Street on the Clyde, has transformed a derelict part of the city. Once a bustling hub of seafaring, it was the port from which generations of Glasgow families set off "doon the watter" on holiday cruises. But the end of the steamers resulted in the area falling into decline with dilapidated buildings and deserted quayside sheds the only reminders of its busy past. The IFSD, which is now five years old, could not be further removed from the area's past life. A massive £750million has been invested in it since it was set up and it has created 13,100 jobs. The area is well on course to beat its target of attracting 20,000 jobs to the area and creating two million square feet of grade-A office accommodation by 2011. A bridge across the Clyde is also planned to link the district with Tradeston opposite which is undergoing a major transformation with the creation of hundreds of flats as well as restaurants and bars. Some of the biggest names in the financial services sector have already taken up residence on the North side of the river including Barclays Wealth, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley. Stuart Patrick, operations director at Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, said: "The quality of the city's environment combined with our highly skilled workforce is proving an irresistible lure for some of the world's leading financial-service firms. "To have managed to move over 13,000 jobs into the district in just five years is a remarkable achievement."

The hotel is the idea of London-based businessman Charles Price, who is originally from Glasgow.

He hopes work on the building will start early next year and be completed within two years.

Mr Price, who lived in Pollokshields and was educated at Glasgow Academy, said the hotel will have 158 large rooms and suites as well as the penthouse suites.

Adjoining it will be a block of 68 flats serviced by the hotel for guests planning a longer stay in the city.

The property tycoon said: "These will be the first fully serviced apartment flats in Scotland attached to a deluxe hotel."

The main hotel will have two floors of underground parking with ramps capable of taking low slung luxury cars.

On entering the hotel, one of the first things visitors will see will be corporate meeting rooms - or pods - built to look as if they are suspended from the ceiling.

A ground floor restaurant, which Mr Price says will be of the quality of top London restaurants, will feature food from across Asia.

He added: "Our aim is certainly to make it the best restaurant in Glasgow."

The Argyle International will also feature a massive ballroom capable of seating 630 people, a business centre and a Club Room will be available to guests who pay an extra fee.

The 23rd floor of the hotel will feature a skybar and restaurant which will be open to the public who will be able to enjoy panoramic views of Glasgow and the Clyde.

On the 25th and 26th floors will be a health spa with a rooftop infinity swimming pool.

Mr Price said: "I think it could be Scotland's top hotel and one of the best in Britain."

Many of the ideas incorporated in the hotel are as a result of Mr Price's regular stays in luxury hotels across the world while on business trips.

But he is also keen to stress the environmental aspects of the new building.

The Progress Property Developments managing director said: "We have designed this building to be as green as possible.

"That includes bore hole technology to get water from the ground to supplement the heating, high efficiency boilers and air conditioning, room sensors so lights go out when you leave the room, very high insulation and the latest lighting technology.

"What we will have will be one of Glasgow's iconic buildings."

City council development and regeneration director Steve Inch added: "Hotel occupancy in Glasgow is running at its highest ever level and there is an acknowledged shortage at the top end of the local market.

"The proposal to develop the six-star Argyle International Hotel will allow the city to compete even more strongly to attract new conference and business tourism.

"Equally important is its location within the Glasgow International Financial Services District which will add significantly to the substantial programme of property development already under way within the area and help consolidate Glasgow's reputation as one of Europe's leading business centres."