The Alfred

My third-floor room had a great view, but faced the road, so traffic was a bit noisy. There are lots of stairs. The room was clean and comfortable, with interesting decor, and it was very warm in winter. The bathroom had a window and natural light, though the shower pressure was really poor. Breakfast was fine, and the location is perfect for the tasty brunch places in the west end.

We stayed at six similarly priced hotels over our three-week Scotland adventure, and this charming place felt like home. My daughter was taking classes at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, while my son was on a summer programme at the University of Glasgow. The staff were friendly and super helpful. Our room was spotless and spacious, with tall bright windows, and the bed was so comfortable I wished I could lounge in the mornings a bit longer. As a designer, I have to give a nod to the interior designer: the decor is spot-on, blending modern and old-world styles. Breakfast was simple and nice, just right to get the day going, and the location was perfect.

The staff were great, and that was about it. I stayed two nights in a third-floor room with no lift, facing the main road, with a single-glazed sash window. If you want somewhere quiet, ask for a room facing the back. The shower was small and didn’t work properly. I also had trouble charging my phone because the plugs were quite far from the bed.

If parking doesn’t matter to you, this hotel might be decent. We were coming from out of town and spent 45 minutes looking for a spot within a mile, without any luck. I cancelled, paid the cancellation fee and found a hotel with its own parking lot. I’d gladly have paid £30-40 for valet parking, but by then I was so frustrated that I wanted nothing to do with this place.