What hosting Commonwealth Games athletes taught one hotel about delivering exceptional events

Serving 21,000 eggs, storing pole vaults and operating a kitchen from 4.30am until midnight are not challenges most hotels encounter during a typical week.

But for the team at Glasgow Marriott Hotel, these were all part of daily life during the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, when the property operated at full capacity as one of the event's official partner hotels.

Over the course of the Games, the four-star hotel welcomed teams and officials from across the Commonwealth, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and, of course, Scotland. With all 303 bedrooms occupied throughout the event, the hotel accommodated approximately 600 guests, ranging from athletes and coaches to support teams and Games officials.

While hosting elite sports competitors differs from welcoming conference delegates, Glasgow Marriott general manager Chris McGuinness believes many of the lessons learned during the 11-day event are directly applicable to business events.

Chris McGuinness

Fresh from a multi-million-pound refurbishment, the hotel was selected as an official partner hotel and began preparations months before the opening ceremony.

Behind the scenes, planning extended well beyond room allocations and check-in schedules. Deliveries from Games sponsors and brand partners arrived in the weeks leading up to the event, including bottled water, wellbeing care packages and branded merchandise. The team also had to prepare for a range of unusual logistical requirements.

"The hotel also had to prepare for storing and accommodating large and abnormal luggage including pole vaults which presented an interesting challenge for the team," McGuinness says.

The experience highlighted the importance of anticipating delegate needs well in advance, particularly when hosting large-scale events with highly specific requirements.

Food and beverage operations also required significant adaptation.

Elite athletes have very different nutritional requirements from most hotel guests, meaning the kitchen team had to prepare for an intensive period of round-the-clock service.

"The hotel's kitchen prepared for thousands of high-protein breakfasts and recovery meals, serving around the clock with the kitchen in full swing from 4.30am until midnight every day of the Games," says McGuinness.

Over the course of the event, the hotel served 21,000 eggs, 4,000 chicken breasts, around one tonne of chicken, 2,500 pancakes, 4,000 bananas and more than 10,000 cups of coffee.

The scale of the operation underlines the importance of understanding attendee requirements and ensuring operational teams are prepared to deliver consistently under pressure.

Yet while the logistics were considerable, McGuinness says the most valuable lessons centred on people rather than processes.

Asked what the hotel team learned that could be applied to hosting conferences and business events, his response was simple:

"Communication and flexibility is everything. Relationships matter."

"Cross training staff was invaluable and helped deliver huge benefits when dealing with such large volumes and varying requests. Small gestures make lasting impressions."

Those principles proved particularly important during a Games that brought together guests from multiple nations, cultures and sporting disciplines, all with different schedules and expectations.

The event also reinforced the value of creating an environment that balances operational excellence with memorable guest experiences.

"We've hosted international sports teams for many years, but being an official partner hotel for a home Commonwealth Games was incredibly special," says McGuinness.

"There was a real buzz throughout the hotel from the moment guests arrived, and it was fantastic to see athletes, coaches and Games Family members from across the Commonwealth coming together under one roof."

The hotel welcomed medal winners from England, Australia, New Zealand and Scotland during the Games, including Kate O'Connor (pictured), who made history by winning Northern Ireland's first gold medal in the women's heptathlon.

One of the most memorable moments came away from the sporting venues themselves, McGuinness says.

"One of the standout moments of the Games inside the hotel came when members of the New Zealand team performed a traditional Haka in the Marriott Restaurant to honour their medal-winning teammates. The spontaneous celebration drew applause from the entire restaurant."

For McGuinness, moments such as these demonstrated that successful events are about more than logistics and operational delivery. They are also about creating the conditions for meaningful human experiences.

Looking back on the Games, he says there is little the hotel would fundamentally change.

"Overall the operation ran extremely well and I'm proud of how our team delivered."

However, he believes there is always room for refinement.

"It may have been beneficial to engage with organisers and key stakeholders even earlier to refine some of the finer operational details."

For business events professionals, that lesson will sound familiar. Whether organising a major conference, exhibition or sporting event, early collaboration between organisers, venues and suppliers often proves critical to success.

Beyond the operational lessons, McGuinness believes the Games have also strengthened Glasgow's position as a destination for future meetings and events.

"Major events like the Commonwealth Games deliver lasting benefits and legacy far beyond the closing ceremony. They strengthen Glasgow's international reputation, support local businesses and demonstrate the city's ability to deliver exceptional experiences for visitors from across the globe."

He adds: "Once again we've proven what Glasgow is capable of and I hope to see that reflected in the future investment, event and conference bids for the city in future."

Back to M&IT

Finnie, the official Games mascot, does a stint on reception