Centrally-located just a minute’s walk from Central Station, Yotel Glasgow puts you slap-bang in the heart of the city action. Add to this a bowling alley, restaurant and some mod-cons that most five-star venues don’t even offer, and you’ve got a mid-budget hotel that stands out from the crowd.
The Yotel concept takes inspiration from your average first-class plane cabin and the concept is simple – everything you need and nothing you don’t. This makes sense when you step into one of the rooms, which aside from some rather garish purple carpet, are crisp white and modern. Our first-class room boasted floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing for plenty of natural light to flood in (also great for people watching on the busy street below).
These rooms also feature a large and ultra-comfy double bed as well as a cosy sofa bed for extra guests. Most impressive was the huge 72-inch plasma TV, which can be swung around and viewed from the comfort of your bed. There was also a generously sized fridge, which was perfect for chilling bottles of wine, beer and snacks.
The bathroom too is light and airy, with a bottle opener right by the sink for good measure – a nice touch for a city like Glasgow, where there’s a guaranteed party around each and every corner.
The Yotel team is awesome too. Check-in was done in under a minute and we were swiftly handed over to a friendly chap at their top-floor bar and restaurant, VEGA, for a game of bowling. Our cocktails were brought right to our table as we played – a round of the rather boozy Zombie’s, which will either make or break your bowling game face.
We were then seated in VEGA’s vibey contemporary restaurant, which offers a diverse and tempting selection of comfort food, all done very well. After an afternoon bar crawl around Merchant City (check out Waxy O’Connors if you happen to visit this area), the moreish Haggis Bites and Hot Pepper Wings were just the kind of filth we needed.
The VEGA Katsu Curry with Crispy Fried Chicken was another dirty delight, served with sticky rice, Japanese pickles and smothered in a rich and tangy sauce. An impressive take on a much-loved classic. By the time we’d finished dinner, the atmosphere was cranked up a notch or two as the DJ spun an eclectic mix of beloved party tunes.
We skipped dessert in favour of a round of beers, before retiring to our room to watch the so-bad-it’s-awesome Con-Air on the aforementioned mega-TV. Given this was our third night in the city, the exceptional room facilities were very much appreciated.
The next morning, an excellent self-service breakfast buffet was served in VEGA, with everything you could want from a full English (or Scottish if black pudding and haggis is your jam), to pastries, cereals and everything continental. The rapid self-checkout makes for a speedy exit, which suited us given we had an early train to catch back to Leeds.
Final verdict
Yotel Glasgow is one of several mid-range hotels (rooms range from around £107-£252 at the weekend) in the vicinity of Central Station, however, its attention to detail, impressive facilities, lively restaurant and down-to-earth staff make it by far the best.
First-class rooms are well worth the upgrade if you like your home comforts, and the quality of food in VEGA makes taking a trip up in the disco lift worth every penny. An excellent base for exploring a cracking city – all is forgiven for the purple carpet.
Sign up for a free Yotel Club membership and you can enjoy the following exclusive deals:
- 20% off room bookings
- 20% off food and drink
- Extended free cancellation rate window until noon on day of arrival
- Early sale access
- Cashback on bookings
Yotel Glasgow, 260 Argyle Street, Westergate, G2 8QW.
Review by Fletch.