ONE of Glasgow's city centre hotels yesterday changed its name -- with

as much pzazz as it could muster, a cake in the shape of a boat and a

piece of hardboard in the shape of a bottle.

The Crest Hotel in Argyle Street was relaunched as the Carrick Hotel,

named after the clipper which once lay at Custom House Quay and is now

to be restored at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine.

The compulsion to rename hotels is a virulent disease, so it is little

wonder that yesterday's ceremony came about partly because one hotel

chain found itself with two hotels in the same city with almost the same

name.

Students of Glasgow hotel names already will have observed the North

British in George Square became the Diplomat and then the Copthorne, the

Skean Dhu in Cambridge Street was renamed the Hospitality Inn, the Forum

at the SECC the Moat House International, and the Bellahouston Hotel

became the Swallow Hotel.

Shortly the Holiday Inn will become the Marriott.

Forte Hotels, better known by the old name of Trust House Forte,

recently renamed the Albany Hotel the Forte Crest Hotel. This followed

its acquisition of Bass Hotels, whose national network was called Crest

Hotels.

Bass already had a Crest Hotel in Glasgow, in Argyle Street. However,

it was not suitable to become a Forte Crest Hotel, because a Forte Crest

Hotel is not so much a name as a designation, as company vice-president

David Read yesterday explained.

The Carrick, named -- with scarce regard for fate -- after a boat

which keeps sinking, has not been renamed but rather repositioned in the

market, he said.

Forte Hotels now has a chain of Travellodges (bedroom-only motels),

Post Houses (''informal and midmarket''), Crests (three-star business),

Heritages (inns and taverns ''with oak beams and log fires'') and Grand

Hotels.

Where does the Carrick fit in, The Herald wondered. Mr Read admitted

that it didn't. It is not a Crest because it is cheaper, friendly and

fun, and apparently aimed at the light blue collar sales manager.

It's not a Post House because Erskine's Crest has become the Post

House Glasgow. (While the Excelsior has become the Forte Crest Glasgow

Airport, if you are still following).

The Carrick Hotel's general manager, Mr Scott Taylor was in a more

optimistic frame of mind, however, as he compared yesterday's

ceremonials to the christening of a 15-year-old baby.

In truth, it was more like a wedding, with telegrams of congratulation

and that clipper-shaped cake, which was presented to a slightly bemused

Mr Jim Tildesley, director of the maritime museum.

But if Mr Tildesley was wondering what to do with the cake, his

problems are small compared to those of tourists seeking hotel

accommodation in the city.

A spokeswoman for Greater Glasgow Tourist Board said yesterday: ''They

all changed last year and we're used to it now, but it is very confusing

for people who come into our office and ask for hotels they know by

name.''