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Wednesday, 31st January 2007

Scotland: A tale of one city, two hotels

Robert Ridley

BAY AREA: Malmaison Hotel

YOU'VE heard of the tale of two cities - well this is the tale of one city and two hotels.

We wanted to go and check out Glasgow. We'd never been there, but heard it had re-invented itself and was now very cosmopolitan and great for shopping.

We decided to spend the Friday night we arrived at the Malmaison in the city centre - and then move on to the Hotel du Vin (also owned by the Malmaison group), about 10 minutes outside the centre, for our Saturday night stay.

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The Malmaison scored well in some areas - but let itself down in others. Firstly, the nearest car park is about 5-10 minutes walk away at the bottom of a very steep hill. The hotel does offer a good discount on your parking.

The hotel was formerly St Jude's, home of the Greek Orthodox Church in Scotland and built in 1838.

Our room was beautifully furnished, but with just one window looking out onto a brick wall it had a claustrophobic feel.

I was impressed with the champagne bar, reached down a wrought iron staircase and with a glass roof. With its black and white chessboard carpet and purple and caramel furnishings, it felt a bit like I had walked onto the set of the Sixties cult TV show The Prisoner - but it was very relaxing with good service.

The Brasserie restaurant also had a comfortable feel to it - but our good breakfast of porridge and a full Scottish (cooked to order) was marred by the tables being far too close together.

Reasonable

Prices are reasonable - at the weekend you can stay for £99 (for two), but breakfast is extra at £9.95 per person for the continental or £12.95 for the full Scottish.

We left feeling contented, but not thrilled - although the hotel was convenient for the shops.

Our next hotel was an altogether different experience.

The Hotel du Vin is set in the heart of Glasgow's fashionable West End with its tree-lined terraces and Victorian mansions.

The hotel is basically five period town houses that have been converted into one building offering luxurious accommodation and exquisite cuisine.

We arrived at the hotel and were met by a smiling friendly young man who took our suitcase. There was no standing up in reception waiting to check in. We were shown to a comfortable sofa in front of a roaring fire and offered a complimentary glass of whisky to warm us up while they brought the registration cards to us.

Our suite was absolutely magnificent. Huge bay windows, a very impressive four-poster bed, large sitting area, separate dressing area and delightful en-suite bathroom with an enormous bath. To say the room was tastefully furnished would be an understatement. It was simply a joy to be in there. But the best was yet to come . . . dinner.

The bistro was absolutely top class, and for those with a taste for wine this place has a cellar with more than 600 bins!

Impressed

But it was the food that so impressed. Quite simply, the best meal we have ever eaten anywhere in the world.

Of course, none of this comes cheap. Our room was a grande suite costing £295 for the night, not including breakfast which is £12 (continental) or £17 (full Scottish).

But you don't need to spend that much. A standard room is £155 per night - but they offer a weekend rate of £140 per night (for two of you) bed and breakfast.

Dinner for two in that fabulous bistro would not leave you much change out of £100 with wine . . . but believe me, it's worth it!

So what about Glasgow itself? We found it excellent, with great places to shop.

I'd recommend a visit to both Princes Square and the Buchanan Galleries . . . and if you're looking for somewhere for lunch you simply MUST visit the excellent Drum and Monkey, built into a former bank at 93, St Vincent's Street, for great food at a good price.

If culture is more your thing, don't miss the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum which, apart from being a stunning building, houses one of the finest collections of paintings and sculptures in Europe.

Glasgow is well worth a visit for a weekend - very trendy with a big city feel. And if you feel like really spoiling yourselves, do book into the Hotel du Vin . . . you won't be disappointed.

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