Abode Glasgow Review

Regular readers will know that we’re no strangers to the ABode chain, having stayed in a number of them over the past year. We had mixed hopes for this hotel. Glasgow is a historically rich city with a variety of architecture and a heady mix of the old and new.

The ABode in Glasgow is housed in a lovely converted government building on Bath Street, just down the road from Charring Cross railway station. It has been sensitively converted and brought up to date using a mix of old and new to great effect.

The central location is convenient for the city sights and shopping, so works well for short breaks. It isn’t as clinical as many business hotels, so would be acceptable as a weekend getaway as well I suspect.

The reception staff were polite and helpful and greeted us nicely as we entered the building. Service was fast and efficient, getting us up to our suite in no time at all. We had a suite on the fifth floor, which we accessed from an old style lift with a sliding gate. A nice touch that added a little authenticity to the surroundings.

Our place for the night was lovely and airy. There is a feeling of space in the room that standard rooms probably don’t enjoy. The municipality of the building lends itself well for penthouse style rooms once you get nearer the roof.

ABode hotels are generally more functional that luxurious, and the Glasgow venue is no different. The furniture is plain, and solidly built. The brief was obviously to make it last, and the designer succeeded. The building was an old school administration I think. The staff would still feel at home if they visited.

There’s nothing wrong with the outfitting of the building. I think it has been done well. However, everything is just a little functional. If Ikea made hotels, they would be like this. If you want somewhere okay to stay while you do other things, the ABode is great. If you want a romantic getaway where you don’t leave your room much, try somewhere else.

The bed was nice and big, with plenty of pillows. The air conditioning was just right for a cold January, with the temperature being pretty much perfect our whole stay. The windows looked out over the city, but we couldn’t hear much so far up. I certainly wouldn’t want to be in one of the rooms on the first floor.

There was plentiful storage in the wardrobe, and the suite had the usual selection of single-use everything in the bathroom, and a minibar, but no complementary water. The water pressure was great, and having a shower was an almost sexual experience.

There are two restaurants in the building, but we didn’t try either of them. We had a dinner date in the city, so didn’t have time to eat there too. Breakfast was served in the restaurant area in the morning and that was more than acceptable.

There was the usual continental breakfast and also a cooked Scottish breakfast. We choose the Scottish which was eggs, bacon, black pudding, tattie scone, mushrooms, and sausages. You also get tea, coffee and toast. It’s enough to fill you up for the entire day and was extremely satisfying.

Our stay at the ABode Hotel Glasgow was fine. There is little to get excited about, but it was a satisfying experience. The location is good, the old building is lovely and the bed was comfortable. There is nothing particularly memorable about the place, but it didn’t let us down either.