The Best B&Bs and Guesthouses in Glasgow

Mingle with the owners at this beautifully kept townhouse and you’ll learn about Lorraine’s previous life in Trinidad and meet Otis the bulldog and house cat Marag Dhubh (Gaelic for black pudding). Rooms feature thistle wallpapers and tartan cushions, while the standout option is the Charles Rennie Mackintosh suite, dedicated to the Scottish architect, artist and designer. The Georgian drawing room has suitably stylish wood floors, smart seating and views over the private garden. If you can’t choose whether to stay in the city centre or the West End, this is the solution halfway between them.

Straddling a spot between two of Glasgow’s coolest neighbourhoods, Finnieston and Kelvingrove, you’re spoilt for choice at this savvy B&B when it comes to chilled cafes and bars where you can slurp locally brewed beers. The rooms are temples to vintage furnishings and textiles, with cast-iron beds, roll-top baths and barley-twist four-posters. Whatever-you-want breakfast is on the house and for later, try Ox and Finch, around the corner, which dishes up Spanish tapas, Glaswegian-style, and is rarely bettered in the city.

Close to Queen’s Park and Hampden Stadium for home internationals and big-ticket headliners, this unassuming guesthouse on a quiet residential street is friendly and functional, rather than five-star fabulous. It’s low-key, but with wallet-pleasing perks including an expansive garden and a surprising swimming pool, for those rare, golden “taps aff” Glasgow days.

This Victorian-era budget boutique, near Charing Cross, welcomes you with pretty gardens out front, minimalist rooms, a tiered-and-tiled breakfast area and a small outdoor terrace to the back. Head out to explore the restaurants and bars on Sauchiehall Street, and why not take in a show at the Royal Concert Hall? For onward travel, Buchanan Bus Station and the Glasgow Subway are both minutes away.

Understated and neutral, this Victorian townhouse has a top location. Among the neighbourhood highlights are the Necropolis (Glasgow’s glorious must-see cemetery), Wellpark Brewery (home of Scotland’s national drink, Tennent’s Lager) and the Barras (the country’s best flea market). Being this close to the East End means a boozy night enjoying the rock’n’roll revelry of the Barrowland Ballroom is a must.

The lobby jukebox and utopian range of breakfast cereals are fabulous, but the best thing here is the banter from the cheery staff. Glasgow’s an arm-over-the-shoulder sort of place, and the team here know how to introduce the city’s best bits to first-timers. Tips and insider knowledge abound. As a nice touch, the hotel also partners with a number of nearby restaurants and bars for guest-only discounts. After a day’s exploring, or a late night out, head upstairs to the tech-forward rooms with smart TVs, mood lighting and Hypnos beds.

Small, private and simple: three reasons to stay at this West End-located budget B&B. The location is the real sell, though, as stunning Kelvingrove Park and the genre-busting Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery are minutes away. Add a snoop around the Hogwarts-like cloisters of the University of Glasgow and a A-lister gig at the nearby Hydro to your plans and you’ll be planning your next trip back before you’ve checked out. For breakfast, order a pair of smoky kippers.