Travel: Turn on the style at Glasgow's AC Hotel by Marriott

AC Hotel’s central location makes it the perfect city base.

The lovely guy who checked myself and my boyfriend Aidan in to the AC Hotel by Marriott did say we had a room with a view, but it still didn’t quite prepare us for what we walked in to.

Two sides of our corner room on the ninth floor were almost entirely made of glass. With the hotel perched just off Glasgow’s George Square, the city was laid out before us.

The hotel opened in November, its lobby boasting high ceilings, a seating area with huge, curved, navy sofas, work spaces and hanging lights that looked kind of like shiny lily pads. It still has that new hotel smell, but in a fresh way rather than a painty one.

Spectacular views over Glasgow from the stylish room.

Our room was tastefully decorated and smartly designed around the view, the bed positioned accordingly and a striking gold metal table right by the window.

There was a sizeable TV too, but people-watching from what felt like a godly vantage point was far more fun.

The shower in the bathroom was huge, with a big rainfall head and pressure that put ours at home to absolute shame.

Big thumbs up to the hotel for having lovely scented shampoo, conditioner and body wash, too, for those travelling light.

One of us had somehow managed to forget our entire bag when heading to Glasgow for the weekend – I’ll give you a clue, it wasn’t me – so the hotel’s central location was even more perfect than it would have been anyway. We popped to the shops to pick up a few essentials before rushing back to maximise our window time.

We had dinner booked at Hazel at 7pm. Hotel restaurants can feel a bit samey, but Hazel feels like its own thing entirely.

The luxurious bar in the hotel’s restaurant, Hazel.

There is even an entrance from the street so that non-guests can enter just as easily.

The theme of big windows and high ceilings carried into the restaurant, which also has a huge hazel tree in its centre.

Clever lighting, light colours and sleek, curved chairs make it feel contemporary but not cold – a really lovely place to spend an evening.

We spent an age perusing the cocktail menu. It was exciting, swimming with wacky ingredients and twists on classic cocktails, a really refreshing sight to see.

I finally decided on a Peach Smash and Aidan on a Devil’s Margarita, both of which were delicious, so much so that we kept swapping back and forth.

Later in the night we also tried a Hazel Seasonal, which contains sea buckthorn, orange and honey, and is definitely worth a try.

Opulent food and cocktails and the luxurious bar in the hotel’s restaurant, Hazel. — Opulent food and cocktails.

Now I do have to note that dining at Hazel is on the pricier side. We were a little shocked by some of the numbers on the menu and, when the plates arrived at the table, they were a smaller than we might have expected.

Saying that, though, the food was incredible.

For starter, we shared the pan-seared Orkney scallop with shellfish ravioli, caviar and chive sauce. It was as luxurious as it sounds, with the scallops cooked to perfection.

Mains were the seared Shetland salmon with spiced crab, French-style peas and beurre blanc for Aidan and the seared breast of duck with confit leg tortelloni, king oyster mushroom, cauliflower and red wine jus for me.

While he loved his dish, Aidan had serious food envy. My duck was amazing – one of the best dishes I have had in a long time.

High quality continued into our chocolate and cherry mousse and floral apple and rhubarb tart. Our old school friend, Jamie, who is now working at Hazel, recommended the perfect wine to pair with our meal.

Suitably full, we headed into the open bar area to finish our bottle of wine before ascending back to our ninth-floor haven. We decided to sleep with the curtains open, the twinkling lights of the city going out one by one.

Breakfast was served in Hazel the next morning, a huge buffet laid out with everything from tropical fruits, granola and pastries to all the components of a Full Scottish.

After checking out, we continued our bougie weekend by heading for a massage at the Lush Spa on Buchanan Street, then out to the west end to visit friends for lunch.

AC Hotel was the perfect base for a weekend in the city so we will definitely be back – and paying for a room with a view.

P.S. It’s worth noting that if you are driving to the hotel, you can use the NCP car park that is about a minute’s walk away for £15 as a hotel guest, just ask for a ticket at the desk. The train and bus stations are a stone’s throw away, too, of course.