Hotels in Glasgow, the United Kingdom

Best time to visit Glasgow

Glasgow can experience all four seasons in one day. However, the best time to visit Glasgow is in summer, from June – August. The average temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius and the days are warm and long. The sun sets as late as 11.00 p.m. and several tourist attractions have extended visiting hours during this time. Another good time to visit Glasgow is August – September when the weather is a pleasant 15 degrees Celsius. Key events such as Glasgow Art Fair, Piping Live! (The World Pipe Band Championships), and Outspoken (Queer Championships) also take place during these months. October gets frequent rains and November – March are fairly cold months with the city covered in snow. Average temperatures stay around 5 degrees Celsius. The period from April – May is a little unpredictable in terms of rain. While the temperature is usually between 8 – 15 degrees Celsius, make sure you pack for the rain as well as damp, cold days.

Getting around Glasgow

Glasgow is built on a grid system and is compact enough to navigate either on foot or by public transport. The Subway is the easiest way to get around the City Centre and West End of Glasgow. Trains run every 5 minutes at peak times and you can complete the circuit route to all 15 stations in just 24 minutes. Tickets start from £1.40 GBP. At similar ticket prices, First Bus Glasgow operates over 100 routes across the city. The City Sightseeing Glasgow open-top bus tour is another popular way to visit Glasgow’s top sights and attractions. The bright red double-decker buses operate all year round from 09:30 until 16:30 and the complete tour lasts for 1 hr 20 mins. You can buy a 1-day adult ticket for £14.00 GBP or a 2-day adult ticket for £15.00 GBP with the flexibility to hop-on and hop-off as often as you like at any of the 21 stops on the route. Cycling is also a quick, easy and fun way to see the city. Nextbike Glasgow has 400 bikes for hire in 43 locations, available 24/7. You can rent a bike via Nextbike’s mobile app or call +44 (0)20 816 69851 to book one. Rental starts at £1.00 GBP for the first 30 minutes. You cannot miss the distinctive black cabs that operate in and around the city. If their yellow light is on, they can be hailed in the street, or alternatively, you can call +44 (0) 141 429 70 70 to book a cab.

Best places to stay in Glasgow

Museums, art galleries, football, eclectic architecture, choicest shopping, an unrivalled gastronomic scene, and music resonating through the city, that’s Glasgow for you! Glasgow is an energetic and progressive city which has reinvented itself over the years. The city is quite compact and most of the neighbourhoods are within walking distance of each other.

City Centre

Glasgow’s City Centre is a vibrant and convenient location with 2 train stations in the middle of the city, and loads of fantastic hotels within walking distance. This is probably the best area to stay for a first-time visitor. In a great location within the City Centre, you have the luxurious Blythswood Square hotel which boasts a 10,000 square foot spa and an on-site movie theatre. The Z Hotel Glasgow, a compact luxury accommodation on North Frederick Street, is one of the top picks for the accommodation cost and service quality. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Glasgow Central on Cambridge Street has an upmarket feel and is a 10-minute walk from Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street stations. You also have the option of Grasshopper’s Hotel, a mid-priced boutique accommodation with lots of quaint charm and unique features.

West End

Voted as the ‘Best Neighbourhood in UK & Ireland’ by the Academy of Urbanism, Glasgow’s West End offers an abundance of ornate sandstone tenements and cobbled streets. If you stay in this area, you are surrounded by Neo-Gothic buildings, parks and gardens, artisan eateries, and a wealth of vintage shops. The luxurious Hilton Glasgow Grosvenor hotel is located near the Byres Road where you can explore several chic cafes and shops in the small by-lanes. You can also consider the Argyll Western Hotel which is a small family-run hotel offering traditional Scottish hospitality.

Finnieston

Finnieston has been recently named ‘the hippest place to live in the UK’ by The Times. In this neighbourhood, consider booking your stay at the Argyll Guest House which is very close to the University of Glasgow and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre is also just a 10-minute walk from here. The Lorne Hotel on Sauchiehall Street is a 2-minute walk from Kelvingrove Park. If you are visiting Glasgow for a concert at the SSE Hydro, you may want to consider staying in one of the hotels along the Clyde river, such as The Crowne Plaza Glasgow, Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow City Centre or Village Hotel Glasgow.

Merchant City

Merchant City is right behind the City Centre. The tobacco trading warehouses that it housed in the 18th century have now been converted into cool boutiques, bars, restaurants, and loft apartments. You can look for accommodation at The Brunswick Merchant City Hotel, The Merchant City Inn, or the slightly more stylish Grand Central Hotel, all in this neighbourhood.

Cheap hotels in Glasgow

The boutique-inspired ibis Styles Glasgow Centre George Square Hotel on Miller Street is a great budget-friendly option to stay at the City Centre. The Alamo Guest House set in a 19th century Victorian building overlooking the Kelvingrove Park is another option closer to the Finnieston area. Travelodge Glasgow Queen Street hotel, Premier Inn Glasgow City Centre (George Square) hotel, and Holiday Inn Express Glasgow – City Centre Riverside hotel, are some of the other budget-friendly accommodations.

From its medieval past to a hip present-day lifestyle, Glasgow has a lot to offer every visitor. Whether you want to plan your itinerary around museums, art and architecture, or world-class shopping, dining and music, Glasgow will not disappoint you.

• At the City Centre, walk around George Square, see the Glasgow Cathedral and make sure to take a free guided tour of The City Chambers to see its magnificent interiors and learn its history. Shop at the Style Mile, stop by for refreshments at Glasgow’s indoor street food hub Taste Buchanan in Buchanan Galleries, or enjoy a grand cup of tea at the Cup Tea Lounge on Renfield Street. If you wish to have some authentic seafood specialities, stop by for a meal at Rogano, the oldest surviving restaurant in Glasgow.
• If you are in the West End, take a break from the city and stroll in the Kibble Palace glasshouse at the Botanical Gardens right next to the River Kelvin. Then enjoy a picnic at the Kelvingrove Park. Visit the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery. Walk through the University of Glasgow and Mackintosh House.
• If you are a cheese lover, you must visit the George Mews Cheesemongers, a speciality store in the West End, with an unusual, award-winning variety of cheese. It is also worth stopping by at the Ubiquitous Chip, a true Glasgow icon that serves the very best Scottish cuisine since over 40 years. A 2-minute walk from here is the best vintage shop in Glasgow, Starry Starry Night, located in the Dowanside Lane.
• As you walk into Merchant City just off the City Centre, you have the Gallery of Modern Art in an elegant, Neo-Classical building and the City Halls which regularly hosts the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Within the City Halls complex, you can also visit the Old Fruitmarket which hosts a variety of events, including jazz, rock and pop concerts, club nights and ceilidhs! Beer lovers, do stop by at Blackfriars, a spacious free house and live music venue which serves quality beers from across the world, and boasts of everything from jazz to comedy in its basement venue.
• In the Finnieston area, consider watching a show or concert at The SSE Hydro, Scotland’s largest entertainment arena with a seating capacity of 12,000. If you are interested, try to get a glimpse of Glasgow’s maritime history by visiting the Riverside Museum on Pointhouse Road.
• Football fans, don’t miss a visit to The Scottish Football Museum, a 20-minute drive from the city centre. Also take tours of the world-famous Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs.
• Whisky lovers will relish a tour of Glengoyne Distillery which is a at Campsie Hills, a 30-minute drive from Glasgow, and Tennent’s Wellpark Brewery which is in the Glasgow City Centre area.