Royal Chambers

The apartment looked promising at first, but the finish was disappointing. We stayed four nights. The heating failed on the first night, and after I emailed, they brought two small electric heaters. They barely warmed the open plan living room and kitchen, let alone the bedrooms. With the high winds and rain, we assume the listed building has little insulation, and it stayed cold throughout our stay. The heating was never fixed, and there was no further contact or apology after my first email. The hallway had no lighting, so entering the door code was very difficult without using a phone torch. The attached images show other areas needing attention. They say parking is available nearby, but don't mention the cost. Expect at least another £100 in expenses. Overall, it wasn't value for money.

Natalia's communication was excellent and reassuring, and we knew about the parking costs before arriving. There are two public car parks directly across from Royal Chambers, but they're very expensive. The apartments were clean, comfortable, and quiet, and the location is a real find, with easy motorway access and only a 10-15 minute walk to the city centre bars and restaurants. We tried the little cafe for breakfast, but it only had snacks and savouries, so we walked into the city centre for a proper meal. We'd definitely stay again when we're back in the area.

When I got home, I negotiated a £145 refund, which was paid promptly. I appreciated the coffee, water in the fridge, clean towels, and the midweek offer to replace towels and bed linen. But our apartment was in a very tired state for what we paid, and well below the standard of the two apartments our daughters stayed in. I contacted management before posting and gave them a week to respond, but heard nothing. On the second evening of our 10-day booking in Glasgow, water leaked from a bedroom light fitting onto my daughter's bed. Her clothes and belongings got splashed with brown water, and she had to sleep on the sofa. There was no emergency contact information in the apartment. It was managed off site by a third party, and all I could do was email and hope someone replied the next morning. The office only communicated by email during working hours. When I asked a staff member to contact me about the leak, I only received an email offering to replace the soiled bedding. There was no apology or acknowledgement that she had to leave the room. I was upset that the response seemed to expect her to stay in a room where water might still be dripping from the light fitting. When I explained what action I expected, they told me to stop emailing because they were working on the issue. I didn't like the tone. Management eventually offered to move my daughters to another apartment at noon, so we had to cut short our sightseeing and return to move. There was still no apology. Our apartment was shabby and worn, more like a student let than a luxury holiday flat. The wooden floors were badly damaged, the bathroom cushion floor was discoloured, water damaged and lifting, and kitchen cupboard doors were hanging off. The sofa was worn out and ripped. There was a large clump of hair on the bedroom floor, the bedroom door had no handle, and the bathroom lock was broken and sticking. There was water damage in the building's public areas too. The bedrooms faced a huge multi-storey car park, so we kept the curtains shut to stop drivers looking in. The Royal Hospital is next door, and we heard sirens all night along with the loud hum of its air-conditioning units below the rear windows. The beds were hard and uncomfortable. Between the sirens, humming, and beds, we couldn't get a full night's sleep. I did see that management tried in some ways, but not hard enough. Our apartment felt far more like a student flat than a luxury apartment. The only thing Royal about it was the name. I was very disappointed with the flat and with the management company's attitude, and I would never stay here again.

We only spent two nights in a Royal Chambers apartment, but really enjoyed the stay. The rooms were clean, and the flat was spacious and comfortable. It's a lovely little business run by nice people, and we enjoyed the complimentary drinks too. Parking was the one drawback: there's none at the property, and even stopping briefly to unload our bags was tricky. We found an inexpensive space nearby, so it worked out. Thanks for a wonderful stay in Glasgow!