Laurie Nichol appointed general manager at Glasgow's Grand Central hotel

Laurie Nichol has been appointed general manager of the Grand Central hotel in Glasgow following the hotel's £20m renovation. The Grand Central dates back to 1883 and has played host to Cary Grant, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, the Queen, Sir Winston Churchill and John F Kennedy over the years.

Nichol has more than 20 years' experience in the hospitality industry, having started her career in hospitality at the Moat House International in Glasgow as banqueting supervisor in 1990. She then worked her way up the ladder before joining Hilton Hotels in 2000 as area sales manager for the Hilton Aberdeen Treetops and Hilton Craigendarroch.

She spent 11 years with Hilton, progressing to become director of business development for the Hilton's Glasgow hotels before joining Grand Central hotel in January 2010 ahead of the hotel's launch, which is scheduled for September this year.