Having lived in Glasgow for five years and as all my family are from there, I never really considered visiting the city as much of a holiday.
That is, until I stayed at the Grand Central Hotel.
Anyone who knows Glasgow will definitely recognise this hotel. Its beautiful architecture is almost as famous as the train station it is named after – and just as impressive.
A much-loved icon in the city, the hotel has recently undergone a £20million refurbishment, transforming it into one of Glasgow’s most stylish destinations for conferences, training, weddings, banqueting and short breaks.
My boyfriend and I arrived on a cold Saturday night, desperate to get inside off the busy streets of Glasgow.
Walking through the doors of the Grand Central Hotel was like walking through the wardrobe to Narnia.
We were transported into a magical world of pure elegance.
The hotel’s reception was cosy and welcoming with equally welcoming and friendly staff on hand to answer all our questions.
We made our way to our room, an executive suite on the fourth floor, excited to see what it looked like.
And we were not disappointed.
The room was stylish, contemporary and uber comfy all rolled into one. Highlights for me included the dressing table area, a modern shower room and best of all, a big comfy bed.
After a sufficient period of taking in how lovely our room was, we made our way down to the Tempus Restaurant where we were greeted with a glass of pink champagne – a particular favourite of mine.
The restaurant was a hive of activity proving it’s quite a hit with Saturday night diners.
We began our culinary journey with a selection of freshly-baked breads – cherry tomato focaccia and roasted garlic sourdough – both of which were utterly delicious, before moving on to our starters.
I went for the wild boar bolognese with fresh rosemary, red wine and pappardelle pasta while my boyfriend tried the crisp haggis bon bons with mashed turnip, crispy leeks and a creamy bard’s bree sauce.
It’s safe to say that after tasting that bolognese, I can never go back to just pork or beef again. It was full of flavour and was a great twist on an everyday dish.
The haggis bon bons were also very tasty and a far cry from your average haggis starter.
Up next was the main and we both went for the 8oz fillet steak, mushroom, tomato, hand-cut chips and creamy pepper sauce.
Attention to detail is something this hotel definitely gets points for; every part of the meal was beautifully cooked and with the sauce coming in its own little saucepan, I would give it 10 out of 10 on presentation and taste.
After all that we were too stuffed for pudding, although the menu almost tempted us with its selection of ice creams, sticky toffee pudding, creme brulee and much, much more.
Because the hotel is situated bang in the middle of the city centre, we managed to squeeze in a whole programme of activities on Saturday night, including a trip to the cinema and drinks in the thriving Merchant City – all without having to shell out money for transport.
By midnight we were back at the hotel ready for a good night’s sleep.
After a night out, I love nothing more than having a lazy morning, eating my breakfast in my pjs while watching some Sunday morning telly.
And despite being in a hotel, we were able to do exactly that. A quick five minutes filling out a form the night before and we were in breakfast in bed heaven by 10am the next morning.
Our breakfast arrived promptly and was still piping hot from the kitchen. It was the perfect way to end our relaxing stay at the Grand Central Hotel – and the best way to prepare us for some Christmas shopping along Buchanan Street, Argyll Street and Sauchiehall Street, all a matter of minutes away.
The Grand Central Hotel is perfect for all occasions – whether you are getting married, celebrating the festive season or, like us, just fancy a weekend away. It’s ideally located to explore all what the city centre has to offer and with a train station right next door, the central belt really is your oyster.
Grand Central Hotel, 99 Gordon St, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G1 3SF. Phone 0141 240 3700 or visit www.thegrand centralhotel.co.uk
Room only prices start from £79 and are subject to availability