The George Hotel is a former 5–star

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

located in

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

, Scotland. The building was built in the 19th century and is "B" Listed. The building is situated on land at the top of Portland Street. This land was once the home of Kilmarnock Bowling Club. It was one of the top

s in the area. The George was Kilmarnock's 5-star hotel. The hotel closed in 1920. There were plans for the hotel to be demolished when the Town Council purchased the property, but the plans were changed. The same year as the George Hotel closed part of the building was adapted and used as the George Cinema. The three-story building still remains today. The building still looks similar to the way it did in the days of the George Hotel. Nowadays the building is used by Mason Murphy as a furniture shop and the rest of the property is a

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

History

The George Hotel was erected at the corner of George Street and Portland Street in Kilmarnock in 1823. It is widely speculated that Glaswegian architect John Thomson designed the building due to its distinguishable six iconic pilasters and public clock over the curved facade of the building. The building was originally a coaching inn with posting facilities available, with the hotel serving as the towns premier location for accommodation. In June 1849, the hotel was sold by the Merchants' Company of Kilmarnock. The hotel had a large function room, and given its superiority to the town hall, was often used for hosting civic receptions. The hotel closed in 1920 and was subsequently converted into commercial premises. The former function hall and part of the building was reconstructed as the George Cinema which opened in 1923. The building is largely occupied by Mason Murphy Furniture Retailers, which was founded in 1873.

Notable residents

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

- stayed at the hotel on 5 July 1899. *

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

, industrialist and philanthropist * Andrew Fisher,

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...

Charles Ewart Cornet Charles Ewart (1769 – 23 March 1846) was a Scottish soldier of the Royal North British Dragoons (more commonly known as the Scots Greys), famous for capturing the regimental eagle of the () at the Battle of Waterloo. He was born ne ...

References

{{coord, 55.61176, N, 4.49708, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Category B listed buildings in East Ayrshire Buildings and structures in Kilmarnock