Glasgow Central Apartments

Glasgow Central Apartments, run by the Hot-el Apartments which has three properties in Scotland, offers the residential vibe of an apartment building rather than a hotel. Guests enter the eight-story redbrick building through an arched doorway and find themselves in a compact reception area, or rather, a narrow hallway with a reception desk. The desk is staffed until the early evening, but it's mostly used for check-in. With one- and two-bedroom apartments with kitchens but few on-site amenities, the hotel attracts travelers who would prefer privacy and extra space over common features. The long- and short-stay guests who use the property range from business travelers to families to friend groups, like bachelorette parties.  

Glasgow Central Apartments is situated in downtown Glasgow just north of the River Clyde. While it's not the most scenic area -- the hotel sits just across from a parking lot that serves the central station -- it is convenient. Glasgow Central Station is just a two-minute walk away, and city attractions are in walking distance. The restaurants, pubs, and shops of Buchanan Street are about an 10-minute walk while George Square is about a 15-minute walk. Glasgow's SSE Hydro and SECC concert and event venues are reachable in 10- to 15-minutes by public transit, with trains leaving from Central Station, or 5- to 10-minutes by car. Glasgow airport is a 15-minute drive away.

This property's main selling point is its spacious, self-catering one- and two-bedroom furnished apartments with sitting areas, dining areas, and full kitchens. The style is simple but contemporary with nice wood floors, IKEA-style furnishings, taupe walls, and a few bright pops of color, like purple drum-shaped pendant lights or striped wallpaper behind the beds. While the look is hardly high-fashion, it's cheery and comfortable. Kitchens are expensively equipped with counter tops, cabinets, dishes and cookware, sinks, plus full ovens with four-burner stoves, microwaves, fridges, electric kettles, French presses, toasters, and hand towels. The kitchens even come stocked with essentials for hot drinks, including coffee, tea, milk, and sugar. Some apartments also have dishwashers and washing machines. Beige-tiled bathrooms are comparatively compact, though most have combination showers and tubs and some apartments have two bathrooms. 

Rooms also have flat-screen TVs with DVD players and freeview, free Wi-Fi, irons and ironing boards, and hairdryers. Bathrooms essentials like towels, small hand soaps, and toilet paper are provided, but guests will want to bring their own toiletries. For guests staying a week or more, housekeeping comes weekly to clean and change linens; for others, housekeeping can be arranged for an extra fee. Guests find apartments clean and comfortable, though some complain about noise in street-facing apartments, so light sleepers might consider rear-facing rooms. 

As expected for a self-service property, the Glasgow Central has few on-site features -- no restaurant, bar, breakfast area, fitness room, or even lounge areas. Reception is open into the early evening, but not 24 hours, so guests should contact the hotel if they plan to arrive late. The hotel offers secure underground parking for an extra daily fee, though travelers should arrange this with the hotel in advance. Housekeeping is offered weekly for guests staying at least a week, or can be arranged for an extra fee for guests who would like it more frequently. The home-away-from-home atmosphere does not extend to animals, as pets are not allowed.