It’s time to enlist the grandparents, as Blythswood Square Hotel in Glasgow is perfect for a kids-free, grown-up winter weekend away.
StyleNest sent beauty writer Elle Tucker, AKA The Beauty Bird to Blythswood Square Hotel in Glasgow. Swapping a night looking after the kids to a night of grown-up glamour, delicious dinners and indulgent spa treatments, here’s how she got on in one of the most stunning hotels north of the boarder.
Having finally got to the stage where the children were old enough to be handed over to their grandparents for the night without anyone looking too terrified, we decided it was time for a grown-up night away.
Blythswood Square in Glasgow was the perfect place to get some quality time. Slap bang in Glasgow city centre (an easy train journey from our home in Edinburgh), it is the newest, most magnificent addition to The Town House Collection.
The building is really special. We pulled up outside and were most impressed to see that the imposing façade takes up an entire side of Blythswood Square, a tranquil green space just a few minutes walk from the busy city centre. Formerly the Clubhouse for The Royal Scottish Automobile Club, it was restored and only opened as a hotel three years ago.
The result? A wonderful combination of contemporary design and elegant classicism. We walked into the foyer and had to take a minute to absorb just how stylish this place really is. Suddenly the soft play café of our usual weekends seemed a long way away.
Our room was just as chic as the public areas of the hotel. The bath hid behind sliding wooden panels so you could, if you chose, lie back and soak while you chatted to your roommate. The bed was massive, the TV gigantic and the throws and cushions so comfortable we struggled to even stand up again for the first few hours.
When we did, it was to wander down to the spa, which covers an area of 10,000 square feet and incorporates nine luxury treatment rooms, a thermal suite, two relaxation pools, a relaxing lounge and a café area. It was hushed and calming, and as uber-cool as the rest of the hotel.
We wandered into Glasgow for dinner and drinks (although there is a 120-cover restaurant and cocktail bar that we’ll definitely try next time). Then, like an exhausted-parents-of-young-children cliché, instead of hitting the bars of this buzzing city, we rushed back to get cosy in our enormous bed, watch movies and eat chocolate. Oh and sleep.
In the morning, I went down to the spa again for my treatment – an Ila Rainforest Renewal Facial. Ila’s new skincare range, Rainforest Restore, uses ingredients from the Brazilian Amazonian rainforest to create a unique new product range and 55-minute facial.
The treatment was sublimely relaxing and the aromas of the products divine, while the lymphatic massage which it incorporated really brightened and cleared my skin, giving me such a glow that on my return to our room, my husband eyed me suspiciously.
We didn’t have to check out until noon, so we enjoyed the final hour or so of our time in the hotel just revelling in the peace and quiet before we returned to the mayhem of family life.
We missed the kids, of course. But leaving the hotel that frosty lunchtime we smiled at one another, knowing that just 24 hours away from them in such a luxurious location had recharged us for the next time. When that will be, I’m not entirely sure, but I’m dropping subtle hints to the grandparents already.
Need to know facts:
Rooms: 100
Rates: Prices start from £120 per night. We stayed in a classic room, from £160 to £245, subject to availability.
Facilities: Complimentary Wi-Fi, Digital TV, bespoke marble bathroom with separate bath and shower, entertainment system, luxurious Egyptian cotton linen, 24hr concierge service and free movies. Hotel guests will have complimentary access to the thermal experiences in the spa between 7am – 9am and 6pm – 9pm daily. Out of these times a charge will apply.
Check out time: 11am Monday to Saturday and 12pm on Sundays.
How to get there: By train, Central Station is half a mile away and is approximately 3 minutes by taxi to the hotel. Queen Street Station is located next to George Square and is also 3 minutes by taxi. By bus, Buchanan Bus Station is located on Killermont Street, just over half a mile from the hotel in the city centre and 3 minutes by taxi to the hotel. By car, travelling west on M8 towards Glasgow take Junction 19 toward Clydebank/A198/Anderston and keep right at the fork to continue toward Pitt Street. Turn left at Pitt Street and then right at West George Street. Take the 2nd left onto Blythswood Square, and the hotel is on the right hand side of the square. Travelling east on M8 towards Glasgow, take Junction 18 on the right onto A804. Slight left onto Sauchiehall Street and take your 3rd right onto Pitt Street. Take your 4th left onto West Regent Street and follow onto Blythswood Square, and the city centre hotel is facing you.
For more information and prices, visit www.townhousecompany.com/blythswoodsquare, call 0141 248 8888 or e-mail [email protected]. For spa enquiries, call 0141 240 1622 or email [email protected]
Read a treatment review from Blythswood’s gorgeous spa here.