Set in a hidden garden square, close to leafy Kelvingrove Park, 15 Woodside Place is a handsome relic of Glasgow’s Victorian hey-day. When it was built in 1834, the city was one of the richest in Europe. And this was the heart of its merchants’ quarter, where wealthy industrialists built terraces of lavish houses on which no expense was spared.
Today, spacious rooms with high ceilings and ornate plaster cornices have been carefully restored. Pillars frame the grand entrance where a glazed front door opens onto a mosaic-tiled threshold flanked by Corinthian columns. In the evening, glittering chandeliers cast pretty patterns on the hallway’s soft grey walls, hung with modern art and antique mirrors. A cantilevered staircase floats upwards past panels of stained glass to 5 fabulous guest rooms with super-kingsize beds, big squashy sofas and walk-in monsoon showers. With its wow-factor interiors, this place serves up a real sense of Glasgow’s decadent period style, but it’s cool and cosy, too - and you don’t have to be wealthy to stay here.
Highs
- Ideal location for exploring dynamic Glasgow, within walking distance of the shops and restaurants of Buchanan Street and the museums and galleries of the upmarket West End
- Glasgow architecture at its best: this palatial house is Grade A listed and surrounded by grand terraces
- Gorgeous bedrooms mix original features and contemporary furniture - we particularly liked the voluminous Charles Rennie Mackintosh with its fireplace and cornicing
- Breakfast is served in your room (in bed if you want), so instead of rushing downstairs you get an extra hour to slob around in your bathrobe
- Informal and homely, with a welcoming lounge where you can curl up with a book plus a garden square that's ideal for picnics
Lows
- There’s no restaurant so you’ll have to go out for lunch and dinner
- Breakfast didn’t quite live up to the promise in terms of quality, but there's been a change of ownership since our visit and recent feedback has been good
- No bar or drinks service, though i-escape guests get a free bottle of wine and there are tea- and coffee-making facilities in every room
- This is a small operation and there's no round-the-clock reception; let them know in advance what time you plan to arrive
- Ages 5+ only
Best time to go
Glasgow is a year-round destination with lots to see and do, but like all of Scotland it gets a bit nippy in winter (expect frost, sleet and bitter winds). One of the city’s biggest events is Celtic Connections, an international music festival which takes place in January. The Glasgow Film Festival happens in February, and Aye Write, the city’s book festival, takes place in November.
Our top tips
Leave the car at home and take the train or plane. From 15 Glasgow it’s an easy walk to most of the city’s main attractions, taxis are cheap and plentiful, and there’s good public transport (including the Glasgow Subway metro system and suburban railway networks).
- Boutique B&B
- 5 rooms
- Breakfast only (+ restaurants nearby)
- Ages 5+ only
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
Rooms
There are 5 rooms. All resemble suites, thanks to their luxurious beds and generous proportions. Most are furnished with sofas or armchairs, too.
The largest is the vast first-floor Charles Rennie Mackintosh room: the size of an average apartment, it has wood floors, ornate cornices, an original fireplace and 3 lofty sash windows overlooking the leafy garden square outside.
Next door, with views to the rear, is Thistle, which has soft pink and caramel colours, and a separate loo and shower room. Immediately above on the second floor, Heather is more metro-masculine, with black, white, silver and charcoal décor and a roomy white-tiled bathroom. Both of these rooms look out over gardens and the green dome of the Mitchell Library.
At the front of the second floor, Blue Suite is another generous room. From the windows, the Italianate Trinity College towers can be seen clearly. Inside, it has a dove-grey carpet, a royal blue velvet sofabed in the lounge area, and a free-standing roll-top tub and monsoon shower in the glitzy bathroom.
Ground-floor Tartan has a period fireplace and decorative cornicing, with white décor, a bathtub and a monsoon shower.
All the rooms are lovely and have fold-out wooden window shutters, plasma TVs with DVD players, remote-controlled underfloor heating in the bathrooms, and duck-down pillows and duvets on super-kingsize beds (the bed in Thistle can convert into 2 singles). Tea and coffee-making facilities, iPod docks, bathrobes, hairdryers, thick towels and toiletries are also provided.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Hairdryer
- WiFi
Eating
Breakfast is served in your room. You place your order the night before and it’s brought in on individual trays. All rooms have small tables, but the trays have legs and can be propped over your knees if you fancy breakfast in bed.
The mainstay of the menu is the full Scottish breakfast: sausages, fried eggs, bacon, potato cakes, mushrooms and black pudding. The eggs are free range, and the black pudding is from Stornaway in the Outer Hebrides. Other cooked options include smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast, and bacon and tomato rolls. You can also choose from a selection of standard cereals, or you can go for a continental breakfast of pastries, fruit and yoghurt.
15 Glasgow doesn’t offer evening meals but they are happy to help you find or book a restaurant - and there really are hundreds to choose from, many within walking distance.
Features include:
- Breakfast
- Restaurants nearby
Activities
- The Charles Rennie Mackintosh trail is one of Glasgow’s big draws, and most of the architect’s finest works are within easy reach. The famous Glasgow School of Art is on Renfrew Street (10 minutes’ walk), and Mackintosh House (part of the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery) is a 20-minute walk. On Buchanan Street are the Willow Tea Rooms, designed by Mackintosh in 1904
- Take a train from Charing Cross station to Helensburgh (28 miles west), where Hill House, another Mackintosh classic, sits on a hillside overlooking the Clyde
- The wonderful Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, with its 22 themed galleries, is a 15-minute walk through pretty Kelvingrove Park. Entrance is free. Also worth visiting is the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art on Royal Exchange Square (look out for the traffic cone-wearing statue outside; the cone famously reappears every time the authorities remove it)
- Glasgow is a great place to shop and the best areas (Ingram Street, Buchanan Street and Princes Square) are within a 15-minute walk
- Byres Road, with its eclectic shops, restaurants and delis, sits at the heart of the West End and is a 30-minute walk
- For massages and facials, the day spa at 15 Royal Terrace is just down the road
- On the banks of the Clyde (25 minutes’ walk), you’ll find the striking Riverside Museum designed by Zaha Hadid, as well as Norman Foster's Clyde Auditorium. The latter hosts the city’s big music concerts
- South of the city (15 minutes by car, bus or train), the Burrell Collection at Pollock Country Park is definitely worth a day trip. Created by shipping magnate Sir William Burrell, this priceless collection of art and beautiful objects includes works by Rodin, Degas and Cezanne, all housed in a glass pavilion. In addition, the park offers walled gardens, wildlife, riverside walks and the 18th-century Pollock House
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Historical sites
- Museums / galleries
- Nightlife
- Plantlife / flora
- Shopping / markets
- Well being
- Wildlife
Kids
Ages 5+ are welcome at 15 Glasgow; the ambiance is welcoming and informal.
Best for:
Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)
Family friendly accommodation:
The Blue Suite has a sofabed, and all rooms can fit a small foldaway bed.
Extra Beds Available
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
15 Glasgow is on Woodside Place in the Park area of Glasgow, to the northwest of the city centre and not far from the West End. Sauciehall Street, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, is a few minutes’ walk away.
By Air
The closest airport is Glasgow International (4.5km). Some budget airlines land at Glasgow Prestwick (54km). A cab will take around 30 minutes from Glasgow International, depending on traffic. There’s also a regular airport bus that stops off at Charing Cross station, half a mile from the hotel. There's a direct train service from Prestwick airport to Glasgow Central station.
By Train
Travellers coming from London or the south will arrive at Glasgow Central station; if you’re coming from the north you’ll arrive at Queen Street. Both stations are around a 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel. The hotel's nearest subway station is St George’s Cross (1.2 miles away).
By Car
You won't need a car in Glasgow itself, but if you’re planning to combine your stay with visits to other areas in Scotland then having a vehicle could be useful. For car hire see our car rental recommendations. The B&B has 3 parking spaces available free of charge, but you’ll need to reserve one when you book. There are car charging points nearby.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com. 
More on getting to the UK and getting around
Airports:
- Glasgow International 14.5 km GLA
- Glasgow Prestwick 54.0 km PIK
Other:
- Beach 40.0 km
- Shops 0.2 km
- Restaurant 0.2 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 6 independent reviews from i-escape guests
Feedback is only from guests who have booked and stayed through i-escape