Tried & Tested

Hotel check: Park Inn by Radisson Glasgow City Centre

28 Nov 2013 by GrahamSmith

BACKGROUND

This Park Inn property opened in April 2013 and is the first of the brand's "new breed" of hotels in the UK (the first in Europe was the Park Inn by Radisson Amsterdam Airport Schiphol).

Going forward, all new and refurbished Park Inn hotels will adopt a similar design, but the concept has yet to be finalised.

WHAT'S IT LIKE?

Housed in a 19th-century, Grade II Listed building that was formerly used as offices, the property has a boutique feel owing to its size – 91 rooms spread over six floors – and historic exterior.

After entering the modern reception area, you can opt to use self-check-in facilities (the first available in any UK Park Inn) or the staffed desk, where friendly staff are eager to help.

WHERE IS IT?

On West George Street, in the heart of Glasgow’s nightlife district, and a few doors down from a JD Wetherspoons pub. Glasgow Central station is a couple of minutes’ walk away.

ROOM FACILITIES

Rooms start from an average of 24 sqm. I stayed in a 28 sqm Superior room on the second floor.

Being a listed building, rooms come in an assortment of sizes and shapes – mine at the front of the property had a bay window, which added a little extra space so I would recommend asking for one of these. I had a good view for people-watching, whereas other rooms towards the back of the hotel were slightly less interesting.

There was a long wooden desk with two UK plug sockets above it, and a red padded stool. The décor was fresh and homely, with a simple colour palette of red, white and grey that created a more sophisticated feel than other Park Inn properties I have been to (the patterned carpet was rather busy, but at least it was a discreet grey with white detailing).

As with all Rezidor hotels, wifi is free (for one device, with enough bandwidth for sending emails, browsing the internet and social networking). For £10 per day, you can upgrade to a premium wifi service, which provides unlimited bandwidth and allows you to connect four devices.

The windows did not open, but there was air conditioning, and good soundproofing – despite the lively antics outside, I slept soundly. The king-size bed was comfortable, with reading lights and plug sockets on either side, and the 32-inch flatscreen TV had a good range of channels.

There were also tea- and coffee-making facilities, an iron and ironing board and a laptop safe. Superior rooms also come with free bottled water, robes and slippers. Room service is not available.

The bathroom was very compact, with a good walk-in power shower. There was no towel rack, and though my room had a hook on the back of the door, other guests said theirs did not, so they had nowhere to hang their towel. Park Inn-branded toiletries were provided in refillable pots.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS

Next to the lobby, the open-plan bar and restaurant is contemporary in design, with wood panelling, low-hanging lamps, and smart lime green and purple armchairs.

A buffet breakfast (£11.50) is served, featuring Scottish additions such as haggis and potato scones, as well as the usual hot and cold items. Guests fetch their own coffee from a self-service machine, and juices are left on the bar to help yourself to.

Throughout the rest of the day, dishes such as pizza, curry, sirloin steak and fish and chips are available (priced at £10-£12), as well as light bites such as a cured meat board and cobb salad.

BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES

There are two carpeted meeting rooms on the ground floor, both with natural light and a capacity of up to 20 delegates theatre-style in each. The bar and restaurant can be accessed from these easily, and can also be hired exclusively for 100 people.

LEISURE FACILITIES

There is a small 24-hour gym with Technogym equipment.

VERDICT

A comfortable stay and a good addition to Glasgow's three-star portfolio. The in-room experience could be more practical in some minor ways, but the right amenities are prioritised, and it is suitable for business travellers.


FACT FILE

  • HOW MANY ROOMS? 91 – 33 Standard Queen, six Standard King, 17 Standard Twin, five Accessible, five Superior Twin, four Superior King, ten Superior Queen and 11 Family rooms.
  • HIGHLIGHTS The homely feel of the rooms, the free wifi and the convenient location for getting to and from Glasgow Central train station.
  • PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in February started from £85 for a Standard room.
  • CONTACT Park Inn by Radisson Glasgow City Centre, 139-141 West George St; tel +44 (0)141 221 1211; parkinn.co.uk


Rose Dykins

Loading comments...

Search Flight

See a whole year of Reward Seat Availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls