Great Places to Stay
- Bewley's Hotel, Glasgow
Bewley's is highly recommended for comfort, value for money and location. It is popular for business people and for weekend leisure breaks. Travel writer Vivien Devlin stayed there recently and here are her impressions.
Irish Group's First Scottish Hotel
The Bewley's hotel group is Irish, with two hotels in Dublin and now they have come to Glasgow. Opened in July 2000, the magnificent eight storey building towering over Bath Street is most impressive, with a strong contemporary design featuring steel and glass. There are 103 rooms featuring standard-size and family rooms with an extra sofa bed, accommodating two adults and three children. There are also five split level suites on the top floor with your own sitting room and fabulous views across the city skyline.Staying There
My very spacious standard bedroom on the 7th floor - with an equally good view - was perfect: Comfortable double bed, crisp white linen, satellite TV, ample wardrobe space, two telephones, table and chairs, and a good sized bathroom, with bath and shower and piles of white soft towels. As a budget hotel there are no baskets of shampoos, bath gel and tissues to keep costs down which makes good financial sense. The huge picture window is double glazed to provide perfect peace and quiet despite being on a busy street. The city centre location is ideal with Queen Street Station a five minute walk, and the shops of Sauchiehall Street and Buchanan Street, theatres, art galleries, restaurants and bars a short stroll away.
Dining at the Loop
Not that you need to go far to enjoy a superb meal. On the ground floor of Bewley's there is a restaurant, Loop, serving meals, drinks, tea, coffee and snacks all day long. Unlike many hotels, breakfast is served until 11am, offering everything you could possible want, with fresh fruit, cereals, and full Scottish breakfast with all the trimmings.
For lunch and dinner there is a wide choice of Lite Bites and a la carte. The emphasis veers towards spicy Asian and Thai dishes, but also soups, salads, steak, salmon and chicken, pasta and pizza to suit all tastes. I selected fishcakes as a starter - absolutely delicious and a meal in itself. Then I moved on to sweet and sour vegetables on a bed of thick noodles.. No pudding for me, but you could choose Sticky Toffee Pudding, Ice cream, Chocolate tart or cheese. This bistro (open to non-residents) has a lively and relaxing atmosphere, friendly service and I shall certainly return. The Bill: starters: £4.00; main courses; £8-10; pudding £3.50.
Where to Find Bewley's
Bewley's Hotel is at 110 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 2EN. Bath Street is one of the main thoroughfares in the centre of Glasgow and is handy for shops, train and bus stations, theatres and cinemas. The e-mail address is res@bewleyshotels.com and the Web site is www.bewleyshotels.com. A Standard room costs £59.00 and a Suite is £99.00 (at end 2001).
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