For my two-night stay in Glasgow, as is custom, I looked for a non-chain alternative. Fortunately, since February isn’t exactly high season in Scotland, there was no shortage of options. In the end, I selected the Carlton George Hotel Glasgow, part of the “Carlton Collection”, a small chain of 11 boutique hotels in The Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. Quirky decor aside, I found the hotel reasonably priced with an excellent central Glasgow location. For my stay, I booked an “Executive” room with club lounge access. The cash rate for this room-only stay was £124.50.
This post is a part of my trip report series covering my trip to Scotland in February, 2023. Click here for the trip report index and introductory post.
Carlton George Hotel, Glasgow
- Website: https://www.carltongeorge.co.uk/
- Address: 44 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1DH, Scotland, UK
- Features: 2 on-site restaurants, executive lounge, free WiFi, complimentary in-room minibar, discounted parking at nearby garages
Location
Adjacent to Queen Street Station on West George Street. Note that West George Street is closed to vehicles except buses and taxis from 7 am-7 pm daily. Thus, it’s a bit of a PITA to reach the hotel by private vehicle. You’ll have to leave your car at one of the nearby car parks and walk from there. See this page for more information. Fortunately, the Glasgow Airport Express bus takes you straight to Queen Street Station. This is literally next door to the hotel, so it’s probably your easiest option when flying in.
When returning to the airport, walk one block south to St. Vincent Place, and look for the Route 500/Glasgow Airport Express bus stop sign.
Review
Dates of stay: February 2-3, 2023
After arriving a little after dark, a friendly, talkative desk clerk quickly checked me in. The hotel has kind of an odd system for lounge access in the evenings, where you need to make a reservation for a 2 1/2 hour block. You can book at either 5:30 or 8, and the clerk asked if I wanted to make one. After making one for 8, he handed me my keys, and I made my way to my room.
I took the below pictures of the lobby area the next day. There is a nice fireplace by the entrance, along with a few chairs throughout the corridor.
The Executive rooms feature a heavy dose of plaid, presumably mimicking traditional Scottish tartan. While charming in a way, I’ll admit, my first reaction was bemusement more than anything. As in a “gosh, the 70s called and The Brady Bunch want their living room back!” way. Anyway, the rooms are smallish, with the bedroom up front, then turning right to a sitting area. The size isn’t bad for an older building in an European city center, though.
I did note two issues with this setup. First, there’s no proper work chair to sit at the desk. While spacious, the only option to sit and work is to use the lounger, which is…awkward. Additionally, there are no plugs by the bed itself. There are a couple at the desk, and one close to the door.
In the living room is a personal Illy coffee maker. As a general rule, in-room coffee makers leave much to be desired. But as far as these go, this is about a good an option as you can ask for. There’s also a small selection of sweets and snacks to munch on.
For storage, next to the bed is a small storage closet, which includes a safe and ironing board.
One really nice feature of all rooms at the Carlton George is the free minibar. The minibar includes still and sparkling water, soft drinks, beer, and wine. All items are free of charge and replenished daily.
In addition to the items in the refrigerator, the hotel has a particularly unique free offering. There’s complimentary bottles of gin, Scotch whisky, and vodka to enjoy. Are they top shelf selections, no, but I can’t think of many hotels that offer any kind of spirits free.
Meanwhile, the TV is well-placed to the bed if you want to watch before going to sleep. On the other hand, it’s pretty much impossible to see from the sitting area.
Similar to the room, the bathroom is tight, but makes for an efficient use of space. I also appreciated the piping hot water from the tub, and the swatch of tartan around the room is a nice touch. The Carlton George provides “Sea Kelp” toiletries from The Scottish Fine Soaps Company. These are reasonably high-end products, with a 300 ml bottle of shampoo or body wash retailing for about $18. And it’s nice that the hotel partners with a local, family-owned company.
Executive Lounge
When checking in, I asked the desk clerk to reserve me a space in the executive lounge at 8 pm. So shortly thereafter, I made my way over to check it out. Frankly, I found the reservation system unnecessary, given the sparse crowd. The lounge features seating areas spread across two rooms, with a self-service bar in the center. It strongly resembles a contract airport lounge, in my opinion.
The bar area consists of a refrigerator with beer and non-alcoholic drinks, a push-button coffee machine, and a few bottom-shelf liquors. This included red and white wines from Alto Bajo, a Chilean winery. These are actually quite respectable wines, especially at their price point ($10-15/bottle).
So what’s not to like here? The food selection is pretty abysmal, with only a few snack jars of sadness. Usually, you can at least get a few finger sandwiches at dinner time in one of these lounges. If you’re just looking for a quiet spot to get some work done or read while enjoying a drink, it gets the job done. Just don’t expect anything in the way of food.
Also, the hotel’s website indicates that club level rooms include lounge access only through April 30, 2026. I’m not sure if that means the lounge is going away permanently, or if it’s a temporary closure for renovation.
Location
The Carlton George Hotel Glasgow benefits from a great location within Glasgow. In addition to its location across the street from Queen Street Station, it’s also only about a 10 minute walk from both Buchanan Bus Station and Glasgow Central Station. So no matter where you’re coming from, it’s easy to get to.
It’s also a short walk to George Square and the historic Merchant City area. I did spend a few minutes Saturday morning checking out the area. Coming during off-season, there weren’t many people around.
On the other side of George Square is Buchanan Street, a pedestrian mall with (touristy) shops and pubs.
I couldn’t stop chuckling when I found this store, because it reminded me of Mike Myers’ SNL skit, “All Things Scottish”. (Thankfully, the guy inside didn’t berate me that if it’s not Scottish, it’s CRAP!!!!)
I found the Carlton George Hotel Glasgow rather basic for a 4-star hotel, though it does have some nice touches. The location in Central Glasgow can’t be beat, the room decor is unique at least, and the completely free minibar is a perk you don’t often see.