Hotel Profile – New Travelodge, Queen Street, Glasgow
REVIEW OF TRAVELODGE GLASGOW QUEEN STREET
I love Glasgow. I studied there so I love Glasgow big style. Visiting with children for the first time I still wanted to be at the heart of the action (I’m in denial) so we booked a family room at the Travelodge’s spanking new hotel on Queen Street – you cannot get more central than that. You can see the Duke of Wellington with the cone on his head within a stone’s throw of the front door, you just cannot be more ‘Glasgow’ than that.
At over 30 years old Travelodge is a brand I know and understand, and I have expectations. The room would be reasonably priced, relatively spacious, it would be clean, the bed would be comfortable (they pride themselves on their Dreamer beds and even sell them) and the walls/soft furnishings would be decorated simply in the blue, reds and greys of the brand. As this hotel only opened in early May 2016 I also knew that everything would be wonderfully shiny and new. I’ve also noticed how Travelodge is positioning itself within the family market and actively working to attract parents to their hotels but is it working? Mr Toddler and Mr Baby fought all the way down in the car to Glasgow to find out.
Check In – Check in is available from 3pm so we’d driven down from Aberdeen in the morning and done our worst at the Science Centre in the afternoon. Any tired parent can imagine we were delighted to be able to park right outside our hotel. The check in staff were efficient and friendly, and there were no queues when we arrived.
The Room – The family rooms can sleep up to two adults and two children, plus a cot. Ours was on the twelfth floor but the lifts are notably quick and efficient, unless a toddler presses every button from ‘1’ through to ’11’. Our room had a king size bed, a small bed for Mr Toddler and a free travel cot for Mr Baby. The children had enough space to play with the carrier bag of meagre toys we’d brought them. The tele was also dutifully switched on in the morning so they could partake of a dose of Milkshake and keep relatively quiet till at least 7am. There was also a bathroom, rather than a shower room, which is ideal for bathing grubby children. Being in the heart of the city I assumed that the hotel would attract everyone – business travellers, families and couples – but at the weekends be a bit party central, but we didn’t hear a sound at night, from the street or from other guests, so maybe the twelfth floor is the place to be.
If you share a family room in any Travelodge with two children under 16, they stay for free. This is a big deal – it cost the same for me to stay with my family (Mr Husband, Mr Toddler and Mr Baby) as it would for me to stay with my mate, because the kids don’t cost a penny. Your kids aren’t just welcome, they’re free.
Food – Over 150 Travelodges have an on-site Bar Café restaurant and the Glasgow Queen Street hotel is one of them. We had our breakfast there, a standard help yourself unlimited buffet affair. These buffets never particularly rock my world but they do the job and Travelodge has admittedly upped the game by including brands such as Yeo yogurt, Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages and Lavazza coffee. And if one adult buys the unlimited breakfast for £7.95 then, you guessed it, two children aged under 16 can tuck into as much as they like for free so you definitely can’t argue with the price. Evening meals are available too, with a kids menu including two courses for £4.95, but with a myriad of restaurants nearby we opted to eat out and see more of Glasgow.
Location – Right, I’ve saved the best bit till last. This is simply an unbeatable location. If you’re catching the train with kids to Queen Street then you only have metres to walk with your cases to reach the hotel. You’re close to SO many restaurants that the biggest problem you’ll face is too much choice. Shops, attractions and public transport are all on your doorstep to experience the sights and sounds of the city. This is a truly wonderful location. For ideas of what to do with kids in Glasgow do click here.
Overall, yes, the new Travelodge does work for families but it also works for business travellers, for party animals, mates or couples. The kids ‘stay for free’ and ‘eat breakfast for free’ policies are winners in my book as not only do they keep costs down they also make you feel welcome.
THE LOWDOWN – We drove from Aberdeen to Glasgow. Parking outside the hotel cost £3 an hour (max 2 hours) till the parking inspectors depart at 6pm, but it’s free on Sunday which is handy for weekend stays. The hotel also has a deal with the nearby Glassford parking of £8 for 24 hours if you wish to dump the car and explore.
The Tots2Travel tribe were guests of the Travelodge for a two night stay with breakfast. Mr Toddler was delighted and especially enjoyed trying to press all the buttons in the lift.
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It’s always a bonus when you don’t have to lug a case for miles from the station or parking 🙂
Yes. An easy life whilst on holiday is half the battle.
Having being to Edinburgh a number of times I still need to venture to Glasgow. Great review, will be looking into the travel lodge when I look into a weekend away. X
If you do plan to visit I can give some recommendations of family attractions etc. and great dining spots so just give me a shout. 🙂
It is great that everything is so close by and you are spoilt for choice! I have always wanted to visit Glasgow as well!
If you’re into art then the GOMA was a 30 second walk away.
That looks clean and comfy and great to be so close to everything
The location was absolutely fantastic, no two ways about it.
OOh it looks so bright and so new and oh fab you didn’t have to trudge the streets with a case x
Yes, new always feels so good!
I like Travelodge hotels, they are always clean and staff helpful. Great that breakfast is free for the kids
Reliable brands are always a good find.
We’ve only driven through Glasgow when we did a road trip to Scotland all the way from Cornwall and I really liked what I saw (from the little I’ve seen). Would love to go and visit!
It’s a very bustling, energetic city yet lots of calming green spaces and chilled out attractions. Before kids I only knew its lively side – saw a whole new Glasgow visiting with my boys.
We’ve never been to Glasgow before, but will keep the Travelodge in mind! 🙂
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Really vibrant city. Great for a weekend with mates too.
Looks like a plush Travelodge! We love visiting Glasgow for the shopping and this looks like it’s in a handy location!
Great for a girls weekend too.
I stayed to the London travelodge once and i have to agree the rooms are always clean ad the prices alwaus affordable, glad they open one in Glasgow now i know where ill be staying when i go there.
There are about 4 in Glasgow and this is the newest one and, in my opinion, the best location for tourists.
I stayed in Travelodge in Glasgow, but in a different one:) #city tripping
Seems like the brand is hard to beat on location and price. I am really impressed that older kids are free and get their breakfast complimentary too! No noise is an added bonus! Thanks for linking to #citytripping
It must make a big difference to the pursestrings as kids get older yes, I’m used to my two eating off my plate but we won’t get away with that for long!
Haha – very true
Nice review of the hotel, especially the child-friendly features. Good to hear your family enjoyed your stay there. #CityTripping
A brand you can trust is always a bonus, you know what to expect and what will be delivered. We loved Glasgow.
What a great location – we stayed at the Grand Central on our trip, which I thought was pretty central, but that really is in the thick of it. I absolutely loved our long weekend there, and my daughter spent the whole day at the science centre, so it’s definitely somewhere that’s great for families. Kids staying free is a definite bonus too! #citytripping
We just fell out the door into the swirl of it all. The Science Centre was also a great first stop for us as I’d had the kids incarcerated in the car from Aberdeen so they were delighted to stretch their delicate little legs 🙂
This sounds like a great location for seeing Glasgow. Travel Lodge do seem to have the right formula when it comes to looking after families. The only thing that I’d like to see is some space for mums and dads to relax in their rooms at night once the kids have napped off. That would be the winning scenario for me 🙂 #citytripping
A suite would be lovely wouldn’t it!
Thanks for the helpful review! Travelodge Glasgow sounds like a great budget-friendly option for exploring the city. The central location and comfortable rooms make it perfect for travelers looking for convenience without breaking the bank. Definitely keeping this in mind for my next trip to Glasgow!
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