Lorne Hotel

The Lorne Hotel is a boutique property with flashy, colorful interiors. The hotel opened in 2008, and in 2016, it opened the Victorian wing of the hotel after purchasing a neighboring Edwardian-era building. This new wing has a restaurant and bar, and 27 extra rooms. As far as the main building goes, the lobby has a neo-Gothic vibe with glossy floors covered in purple and red printed rugs, chic velour couches, Victorian-style armchairs, an inlaid fireplace, and dark purple walls with LED lighting. The Bukharah Restaurant and Bilberry Bar have a similar design with purple accents and some industrial touches like exposed brick walls and pipes and hanging brushed-metal lamps. The hotel’s Kelvin Bar varies in that its decor is more upscale pub with smooth wooden floors, contemporary seating, and a dark wooden bar. Lorne Hotel has environmental, charity, and lone traveler policies. The lone traveler policy meant to provide a safe stay for solo travelers, especially women. Guests are generally couples, though business travelers and groups of friends stay here too. 

Lorne Hotel is closer to Glasgow’s West End than it is the city center, which is about a 10-minute drive away (or 25-minute walk). The hotel sits on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street, brimming with restaurants and businesses, and is a 14-minute walk to the University of Glasgow through Kelvingrove Park. It’s a seven-minute walk to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. For business travelers or event attendees, the SSE Hydro and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Center take 12 minutes to reach on foot. A bus stop is outside of the hotel, and the nearest rail stop is a 14-minute walk away at Charing Cross. It takes 15 to 20 minutes by car to reach Glasgow Airport.  

Breaking from the energetic design of the hotel's public areas, guest rooms are outfitted in modern decor that looks a bit chain-like. Decor differs slightly among rooms, though generally features neutral carpet, leafy designs on the curtains or statement walls, streamlined wood furniture, and white bedding. Some guests note that a few rooms have tired decor, especially Standard Rooms in the main building, versus newer Classic and Executive Rooms in the Victorian Wing. All rooms include flat-screen TVs, coffee- and tea-making facilities, hairdryers, and free Wi-Fi. Some upper-level rooms have mini-fridges, and not all rooms have windows. Bathrooms are clean and basic with shower/tub combos, showers, or separate showers and tubs, plus toiletries in wall dispensers. There’s been reports of design and maintenance issues, uncomfortable beds, and thin walls that let in exterior and interior noise. 

The hotel is a little light on leisure facilities, lacking a fitness center or pool, though it offers plenty in the way of dining and events. There’s Bukharah restaurant, which serves highly rated Indian cuisine in a chic space frequented by hotel guests and Glasgow locals. The property’s newest addition, Birdtree & Bellfish Restaurant, offers contemporary Scottish cuisine. The hotel also has two bars: the glitzy Bilberry Cocktail Bar that serves rum-focused mixed drinks, and the Kelvin Bar, a Scottish pub with local brews, whiskey, and gin selections. There’s an English breakfast buffet in the mornings for a fee and 24-hour room service. The meeting rooms are often booked for events or meetings, some of which can go late into the night and early morning. There’s free Wi-Fi throughout, though no parking facility -- just street parking (usually for a fee).