Understandably I have been very busy with union meetings this week and not had much time to look on the internet, let alone post, so I am trying to catch up.
Last weekend I escaped my worries for a while on a solo trip to Glasgow, somewhere I had never visited before.
Usually it is time to go to Paris, but I am a bit short of funds, with the taxman erroneously giving me a rebate, (which I spent on plane tickets to California) and then asking for it back!
. Three hours on the direct train from Bolton and £13 50p each way with my senior rail pass. was within my bank account and I have neber been to Glasgow so I went there instead.
As I travelled north on the train, through the countryside of Lancashire, Cumbria and the Lake district I loved the misty view and thought again how much I enjoy the north of England, to me it is home.
As we crossed the border into Scotland the sun came out to greet me
My first impression of Glasgow, as I exited the station . was that it reminded me of Boston, which means nothing at all if you have never been to Boston! Indeed I found out later that they often use Glasgow as film and TV locations for some American cities and last summer the whole of the main square was turned in to replica of Philadelphia for two months for a film with Brad Pitt . There are Edwardian buildings in dark terracotta brick, with the odd high rise modern building in between. Ubiquitous global brand cafes and shops as you would expect in a city centre. The people seemed stoic, down to earth and very friendly ( called me “hen” as a term of endearment, all the time) as you would expect from any Glaswegians you have ever met..
I had booked into the funky concept hotel CitizenM, where costumers are all known as “Citizens”, presumably in some sort of equality ethos. and the extremely friendly and helpful staff and known as “Ambassadors”. The check in is done at computer terminals in the public spaces, aided by a very pleasant ambassador.
Entrance
Funky public spaces.
TV space
Bar/canteen
People often say they just need a bed and a shower, so the rooms concentrate on these features with an extremely comfy, extra large king size bed that fills the whole of about a third of one end of the room, they put the duvet and pillows in the middle of the bed so you can decide which way you will sleep. There is large walk in shower in a “pod” with rain shower, hand held shower and changing coloured lights.
There is free wi-fi, a handy iphone charger, free films, incredible sound proofing, skype phone calls, air conditioning electric window blinds and friendly little doll sat on the bed.
The whole place including the lighting is controlled by a remote control. There are no instructions so I had fun for an hour figuring it all out. But when I was ready to go to sleep it took me a while to figure out how to turn it all off!
Although the room is compact it does the job. There is little hanging space, just room for three hangars but lots of storage under the bed, a safe and room for toiletries under the sink.
In the spirit of equality, all the rooms are the same and you really need to be on on intimate terms with your companion as there are no twin rooms and very little privacy as the shower pod is obscured glass.
Strangely, there is no kettle, but I had been pre warned and had brought my own.
The food in the aptly named “canteen” was just that. Self service buffet, with food kept warm for hours. Not very good, I only ate it because I was in a rush to get to the concert I had booked.
The breakfast was not much better, rather greasy, only scrambled eggs available, but this is Scotland.
Still I really enjoyed my stay at citizen M, it was rather a novelty and one up from a Travelodge or Premier Inn for a similar price.
I would certainly stay again.
Love Denise
To be continued……..
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denisefrombolton 
Denise (or do you prefer "Citizen" now?), I haven't been to Glasgow yet but have had many a good breakfast in other places in Scotland. Are they reputed to be bad? I've got really good memories of one at a B&B in Jedburgh. The owner served Scottish oatmeal with fresh berries, haggis, some kind of wheat cakes, etc. etc. Now I'm craving a full Scottish!The concept hotel looks like a good place to stay. A comfortable bed with a puffy duvet in a quiet room are all that I need while traveling.
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Hi MK. Forgot to mention that Citizen M have hotels in Amsterdam,, London, and new ones are opening in New York and Paris Charles de Gualle this year Scotland has a high rate of heart disease and the Scots are renowned for having a high fat diet, smoking and high alcohol intake. It is more usual to fry food rather than grill. Traditionally maybe something to do with the climate being colder than the rest of the UK. Plus the Scots are renowned for their hospitality. I did a tour some years ago and was always being offered a "wee bit o' supper" late in the evening AFTER a huge evening meal…. which was a table laden with cakes, butter, cream scones etc! Love Denise
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Thanks for the explanation, Denise. I didn't realize that the Scots have such a high rate of heart disease. As for their hospitality, I can attest that they're a friendly group of people!
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What a cool little room, Denise!! For a short stay, a clean bed and washroom is certainly all that is needed, so this is a great concept. Can I ask what the price was per night?It's always good to escape for a little while. The crap is always there when we come back, but we are a little bit more able to deal with it with a clear mind and rested body. :)Jo
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Sorry Jo for the delay in answering this post. I paid £64, and booked about ten days beforehand. I think you can get a room for as little as £59 if you book well in advance and of course the price rises to around £100 near to the date.
Pretty standard for a chain hotel of this type, like Travelodge and Premier inn, in a Uk city centre.
Love Denise
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