Native Glasgow, Glasgow, review, Scotland on Sunday Travel

City centre serviced apartments with boutique style at a budget-friendly price

Penthouse view of the city centre from Native Glasgow

Native Glasgow, Glasgow

Glasgow’s shipping past is well documented but these days much of what remains of the once booming industry can only be seen in the iconic Finnieston crane and a few Edwardian buildings hidden away in the city centre.

One of these is the former headquarters of the Anchor Line Shipping Company, now handily known as The Anchor Line Bar and Restaurant. Above, referenced only by a simple plaque on one of the grand pillars, is Native Glasgow. Consisting of 64 serviced apartments, this is the aparthotel brand’s first foray into Scotland and offers a place where”space and freedom meet style and soul”.

Studio apartment, Native Glasgow

Budget or boutique?

Looking and feeling like a boutique offering, especially given the city centre location and well considered decoration, Native Glasgow is actually very budget-friendly with double rooms from £72 per night and a penthouse from £169 per night.

Room service

From the minute you walk into the building, the original features are evident and have been complemented by the renovation to turn these former headquarters into the stylish aparthotel. Cornicing, terrazzo flooring, timber wall panelling, feature fireplaces and the original safes are all intact and Art Deco signs, a 1920s colour scheme and design elements in all the rooms are the finishing touches to the modernisation of this grand dame of a building, which has the original façade of nautical emblems, seaweed and shell details.

Our room – a one-bed penthouse located on the seventh floor – had a spacious double bedroom, shower room, living room, kitchen and a wrap-around balcony with views of George Square. Definitely one to book for future firework displays. Elements of mid-century modern design can be found in the lighting and furniture, as well as nods to Glasgow and The Anchor Line Shipping Company in the contemporary artwork. The colour scheme is light grey with pops of yellow, turquoise and green in the soft furnishings. The marble bathroom has a green metro tiled shower – which reminds me of the old tenement close tiles that can still be seen today in Glasgow.

Wining and dining

If you haven’t brought your own supplies to whip up breakfast, lunch and dinner then a trip down to either the Anchor Line (where breakfast is served but not included) or the Atlantic Bar and Restaurant is in order. Anchor Line serves a range of aged Scottish beef as well as Scottish seafood and fish, with dishes such as lobster and king prawn mac and cheese, seared sea bass and 21-day aged ribeye steak. The Atlantic Bar and Brasserie has more of a French accent to its menu with dishes like half a dozen snails “Burgundy style”, smoked and roasted chicken and côte de boeuf.

Of course as the location is so central, you can dine as you please– from McDonald’s to pasta from some of the city’s oldest Italian restaurants. But if you’d rather have a night in, you’ll also find that the location lends itself well to a food delivery.

Worth getting out of bed for

Glasgow is your oyster from this nautical bolthole, with the shops, bars and restaurants of Buchanan Street, Argyle Street and Royal Exchange Square a short walk away. The Royal Concert Hall, the Lighthouse and the Gallery of Modern Art are close by, and the SSE Hydro and the Scottish Exhibition Centre are 10 minutes by taxi.

Little extras

After check-in at the 24 hour reception, we headed up in the lift to our apartment where we found a box of doughnuts from Tantrum Doughnuts and two Tunnock’s caramel wafer biscuits – a perfect after dinner treat. All apartments come with Dear Green coffee and a grinder so you can create your own barista style coffee from the comfort of the seriously modern kitchen. There’s free wifi, washing machines and tumble dryers for apartments not equipped with them, weekly housekeeping, and discounted NCP parking is also included in your stay.

Guestbook comments

An impressive alternative to conventional hotel rooms in the city centre.

Rooms at Native Glasgow start from £72 per night. Native Glasgow, 14 St Vincent Place, Glasgow G1 2EU, (020 7313 3886, www.nativeplaces.com/property/native-glasgow). The aparthotel is currently closed due to Coronavirus