Description: While I was in Glasgow for the week exploring the Mackintosh Trail – I knew, categorically from other recent visits to the city that I wanted to spend as much of the time there on foot as possible, and so I wanted a hotel not too far from the main areas I wanted to explore.
As anyone who’s travelled to the UK recently knows hotels in Britain, especially in the cities, are very expensive and as I was hoping not to have to resort to the hostel option (I’d been doing that quite a lot lately and was looking for something a bit more relaxing) with out spending a small fortune, I wasn’t sure if anything near the area I wanted would be available.
My review of the Devoncove Hotel is not such an easy one to give. Largely this is due to the extremely good deal I found on a last minute booking website which meant that I got the room for under £50 per night. For a room in a hotel in Britain with ensuite bathroom this is very good, and given how close it is to the Kelvingrove museum and gardens I found it an excellent bargain.
I remember at the time that the normal price was much, much higher than that and thinking that if I had paid it at it's normal full price I would not have been pleased at all. However, having just looked at it's current rates, it seems that they are actually very good, so perhaps it has revisited it's rates since my visit. Whatever the case, if you can get the double room for around £40 per night, this is a good deal for this hotel.
So, to sum up it’s plus points:
If you manage to get a good deal on a room here then it’s a pretty good bargain. The best perk of this hotel was the location. Located right on Sauchiehall Street, it is just a few minutes walk from the Kelvingrove Museum (a great spot to be whether you are in town for the Mackintosh Trail or not) The University, Kelvingrove Park, and just a few minutes walk more to Byers road and the Botanic Gardens and Glasgow’s west end. There’s a lot to see and do just a few minutes away from this hotel – and you could easily spend a long weekend just exploring this small area of the city.
It’s also in a pretty decent area. Most of Glasgow can get quite loud and rowdy at nights and weekends, but for the length of my stay this was never bad in this area, and even though the windows were single glazed and had almost no sound proofing and my window looked right out on the main road, I had no problem sleeping.
The room was suitably clean. I wouldn’t say it was immaculate, but it was clean enough not to complain and though it was certainly old, it was not what I would have called dirty.
This hotel is somehow listed as a three star, but if you go to this hotel expecting a two star accommodation that is a bit run down – then you will be perfectly pleased. It did the job of having a clean, decent room to sleep in, with a bed that was decently comfortable. The bathroom was fine, though dark and very dated – and the soaps and things came out of an ancient dispenser in the shower tarnished yellow and it looked as if it has been a very, very long time since any real refurbishment has been done.
The staff were….inattentive. It was hard to get anyone to speak to, and when we did they were only mildly helpful. Nothing to really complain about, but nothing to sing their praises, either. It also stated free WiFi, but I never managed to get it to work in my room the entire stay.
If you find a good deal here – the location is brilliant, the quality is OK. The location makes up for much here, and you do at least get a decent TV and a private bathroom. But if you want something nice I would recommend that you look around a little bit more before settling on this option.
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