My review of the ibis Styles Glasgow Central hotel
We recently took a trip up to Glasgow as part of a PR trip, spending a weekend exploring what two of the city’s Ibis Styles hotels had to offer.
Having stayed in a few different ibis hotels, both from the ‘Styles’ range and some of the other ones like the ibis ‘Budget’ hotels, I had a fairly good idea in my head as to what I could expect to find at the Ibis Styles Glasgow Central, and the nearby ibis Styles Glasgow Centre George Square (which I’ll be adding a review for very soon).
Whilst I love trying out new and independent accommodation options when I travel, sometimes it’s nice to stay somewhere where you know what to expect in terms of service, comfort and quality.
My expectations going in
This review is focusing on the ibis Styles Glasgow Central hotel, which is a 3 star hotel with an onsite bar and lounge area and onsite coffee shop, Tinderbox.
As I’ve stayed in an ibis Styles hotel before, I was reasonably familiar with the concept of the ibis Styles brand. Whilst ibis Styles is a hotel chain, each individual hotel is designed in it’s own ‘style’, which is usually inspired by artistic or cultural influences from the location it’s in. What I like about the concept is that you get a boutique hotel feel, with some really cool décor, but also have the assurance and familiarity of a chain.
Disclaimer: Although I stayed at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central for a PR trip, all experiences and opinions expressed in this blog are unbiased and 100% my own.
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Where is the ibis Styles Glasgow Central?
The ibis Styles Glasgow Central is located close to Glasgow City Centre on Waterloo Street. If you are using Google maps or similar to find it, be sure to double check you’re heading to the right ibis Styles! There are actually two in the city centre area so it could be easy to head to the wrong one if you’re not aware.
The ibis Styles Glasgow Central is really conveniently located for a short city break in Glasgow, with only a few minutes walk to loads of shops, bars, restaurants and local attractions.
How to get to ibis Styles Glasgow Central
Finding the ibis Styles Glasgow Central is pretty straightforward on foot. Glasgow’s streets have a fairly well structured grid layout, making it easy to navigate. The hotel is easy enough to spot from the outside, just look out for the big sign on the front and the ‘Tinderbox’ cafe!
If you’ve travelling by train, Glasgow Central Station is only a five minute walk away, there are also bus stops along Waterloo Street, just outside the hotel.
Parking at ibis Styles Glasgow Central
Being in a city centre location, the ibis Styles Glasgow Central doesn’t have a car park of it’s own. You can however, park at the Q Park Waterloo Street multi-story, which is just across the street. The hotel has an agreement with the car park that guests can get a 20% discount on parking there, just ask at reception for the ticket to get the discount before you leave.
There are some other car parks nearby too that are a little cheaper, but for the convenience and security I was happy enough to use the Q Park during my stay!
Rooms at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central
I stayed in one of the hotel’s Queen rooms, and my immediate first impression was how bright and open the room felt.
The floor to ceiling windows really open up the space and bounce the daylight off of the huge floor length mirror beautifully. Whilst it’s definitely a trend in a lot of hotel interiors to have subdued or industrial style lighting, I have to say having a bright airy space just has such a more positive effect on my mood!
The room strikes the balance well between economy and creativity, which is kind if the ethos of the ibis Styles brand. The room carries through those stylistic music themed touches, but still felt fairly minimalistic too, with a mainly black and white furnishings accented by some pops of bright red.
The room also had all of the facilities you’d expect to find – a good sized Queen bed, plenty of plug sockets and charging points, ample luggage space, tea making facilities and a hairdryer.
If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you’ll probably know that I’m a little bit picky when it comes to showers (there’s nothing worse than a shower that’s not hot, powerful or clean enough!). I had nothing to worry about at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central though, as the shower was a nice double-width size, plenty hot enough and spotlessly clean.
The monochromatic style continued in here too, with stylish white metro tiles giving the room a bright and clean look. There’s another nod towards the music theme too with wall art that includes the names of lots of famous bands and musicians that have performed in Glasgow over the years.
Unique style and facilities
It’s always the little details and thoughtful gestures that can really make a stay stand out.
I absolutely loved the traditionally Scottish welcome treats that were waiting in the room. They were presented in a suitably musical violin case and included things like Irn Bru and Tunnocks Caramel Wafer bars amongst other goodies that certainly helped to get me through work on a Thursday afternoon!
There was also a little welcome note, which was a lovely personal touch which definitely goes beyond what you expect from a typical 3 star and indeed a larger hotel chain too.
Another highlight in the room worth mentioning was tne was the refill toiletries – I always prefer these over needless plastic waste. They were also fairly light on fragrance which will suit most people too!
Bar and Lounge at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central
The bar and lounge area is where the ibis Styles Glasgow Central really comes into it’s own. The lounge is a cool and comfortable area to hang out and transitions well between being a place to set up and work in during the day to being somewhere to sit back and unwind with a drink in the evening.
More musical style notes
Walking around the lounge, there are loads of quirky features to be found that tie together the musical theme of the hotel. From records to guitars, there is something on every shelf to remind you of the thriving music and cultural scene that Glasgow has become famous for.
Weekly live music
The bar and lounge in the ibis Styles Glasgow Central isn’t just a good place to begin a night out either. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the hotel actually hosts weekly live music sessions for local musicians.
On Thursdays and Fridays each week you can pop into the bar and see some live acoustic sessions in a nice laid back setting. The duo we saw were really talented and I felt like I’d enjoyed a really nice night out without even having to leave the hotel.
This definitely exceeded my expectations of a chain hotel! It’s also nice to see that local artists are being supported and given places to perform. It adds so much more authenticity to the hotels music theme!
Food and drink menu at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central
Whilst there isn’t a restaurant on site at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central, there is a bar kitchen offering a small menu of hot food to order.
The menu is the pretty much what you’d expect from a bar menu in Scotland – think burgers, fries and nachos – fast and filling feasts. There’s not much for the overly health conscious, but there’s nothing wrong with a treat now and then!
Whilst the food options weren’t necessarily groundbreaking, the food we ordered, nachos, chicken burger and man ‘n’ cheese, were all piping hot, fresh and good portions.
I was really impressed by the quality of the cocktails we ordered too – the Battenburg Sour in particularly was delicious!
Breakfast at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central
Our stay at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central included breakfast, which is served in the bar lounge area as a buffet.
There’s something to suit everyone from the selection – cooked options to make up a full English (or Scottish!) breakfast, lighter options like fruit, yoghurt and instant oats, or pastries if you prefer something sweeter.
Breakfast is available from 6:30am too, which is great if you’re staying in the city for work and need to head out early.
Remote working facilities at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central
As I travelled up to Glasgow on a Thursday, I was still working during the day whilst staying at the hotel, which gave me the opportunity to test out the hotel’s remote working facilities.
The hotel has a strong Wi-Fi network throughout, which doesn’t require a password to sign in to. I’m a Graphic Designer 9-5, which often means downloading and sending some pretty big files, which I had no issues with here.
The lounge area also has plenty of outlets for plugging laptops into, and some of the seating booths even had screens that you could use for presentations or Zoom calls. The only negative I would mention is that the music could be a little loud if you needed to make a call.
Final thoughts – why stay at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central?
Obviously, there are a lot of options when it comes to choosing somewhere to stay in Glasgow City Centre, but having stayed at the ibis Styles Central I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again for a little weekend city trip.
I think the hotel lends itself perfectly as a base for anyone visiting the city for a gig or night out, as the cool, music themed setting definitely gets you in the mood to head out into the city and absorb the sounds and culture of Glasgow.
Every member of staff at the hotel was nothing but friendly and eager to help too, which made the stay that much more pleasant. Overall the hotel really surprised me. The combination of location, amenities, style and budget makes the ibis Styles Glasgow Central a real winner for a city break!
Things to do near ibis Styles Glasgow Central
Being in the city centre, there’s plenty to see and do in Glasgow near the ibis Styles Glasgow Central.
- Enjoy a coffee or meal in one of the boutique cafes in Merchant City
- Explore some breathtaking natural history exhibits at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
- Hang out in the vibrant neighborhood of Finnieston and explore culinary delights in this up and coming hub for foodies
Booking a room at ibis Styles Glasgow Central
You can book a room at the ibis Styles Glasgow Central online via the Accor Group website here. You can also join the Club Accor rewards programme – ALL – Accor Live Limitless – and earn points when you stay.
Booking with the hotel directly usually gets you the best rates, but if you prefer to use Booking.com simply pop your dates into the search tool below!
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