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Kimpton Blythswood Square hotel in Glasgow is now open

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IHG has now officially rebranded its Blythswood Square property in Glasgow as Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel following the completion of refurbishment work.

This makes it the second Kimpton property in Scotland, following the Kimpton Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, and the 3rd in the UK following Kimpton Fitzroy in Russell Square, London.  I wrote about my tour of Kimpton London here.

Kimpton Blythswood Square hotel glasgow

Blythswood Square was the only AA-ranked five star hotel in Glasgow.  Whilst I can’t comment on the location or service, the photographs – see above – look very impressive, with the usual ‘budget no problem’ approach that former owner Principal Hotels applied to all of its UK renovations.

The IHG website has yet to be updated – if you look at the booking page here it is still unbranded.

As an alternative, my recent review of IHG’s Hotel Indigo Glasgow is here.

IHG One Rewards update – April 2024:

Get bonus points: IHG One Rewards is offering 2,000 bonus points for every two cash nights you stay (not necessarily consecutive) between 1st April and 31st May 2024. You can read our full article here and you can register here.

New to IHG One Rewards?  Read our overview of IHG One Rewards here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our article on ‘What are IHG One Rewards points worth?’ is here.

Buy points: If you need additional IHG One Rewards points, you can buy them here.

Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from IHG and the other major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

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Comments (96)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • PaulC says:
    19 May19 May 08:09

    O/T I know its probably been asked a thousand times before but please could someone list what benefits you keep or lose when you cancel a Platinum card?

  • Donna says:
    19 May19 May 10:18

    O/T I cancelled my BAPP six months ago. If I apply again now, can I still earn a 2-4-1 voucher? (I know I wont get a sign-up bonus). Thanks.

  • David S says:
    19 May19 May 10:38

    OT: Noticed today that Lloyds have changed my account number online and refunded £10 of my annual fee. Haven’t received any new cards. Do I still get the 1.25 Avios per £1 on my Amex till I get my new cards since the card number on my app does not match my Amex anymore.

    • Roberto says:
      19 May19 May 10:52

      Pass.. Anything can happen with lloyds.
      I have not had my new cards but have been charged overseas FX fee whilst using the old cards – what a crock , Lloyds really dont know how to do customer satisfaction.

      • David S says:
        19 May19 May 10:59

        Hi Roberto, this is exactly what I am concerned about. I have an overseas trip coming up and was hoping to use my Lloyds card mainly for the 0% FX fees but now, am concerned since communication has been abysmal.

        • roberto says:
          19 May19 May 11:09

          If you have had your refund on the annual fee and see a new card number online I would guess that your WILL be charged for using the cards (unless you link them to curve).

          I have been charged about £9 FX fees from my latest statement dated on the 12th – not had the new card yet and their letter advising me of the changes did not give a definite date so I fail to see how this could stick should I be bothered to push back.

          • Jonathan says:
            19 May19 May 11:17

            New card comes in the post about 3 weeks after switchover. You can continue to use your old MasterCard temporarily but at the new earning rate. The Amex is cancelled.

          • roberto says:
            19 May19 May 11:21

            I used the Amex.

          • Reeferman says:
            19 May19 May 11:45

            I reported on this a day or two ago as I had the same experience.
            I was (and still am) overseas, so no idea if my new card has arrived in UK – but it is showing on line. I have been using my existing card and saw online that I have been charged commission.
            I rang Lloyds and they refunded the fees for the existing billing period – but not for the new one. Not sure of the logic!

    • Anna says:
      19 May19 May 11:50

      I’ve not had my letter from Lloyd’s yet. Current cards working fine but Amex declined twice this week. Just on the phone with them and the CSA says they have no closed all the Amexes! I pointed out that I haven’t even had my letter, let alone my 60 days’ notice. CSA clearly didn’t know what he was talking about and transferred me to the fraud department – even though it was nothing to do with them. Just waiting for someone else now. Feel a letter to the Ombudsman coming on!

  • chris says:
    19 May19 May 11:10

    There seems to be a lot of people who cannot register for the Accelerate promotion.
    Has anyone found out why this is? I go to the linked page. The register button does not “light up” until I click both tick boxes, but once it has lit up nothing happens when I click register.
    I am planning a few trips later this year, and the Accelerate program can make a big difference if it matches my needs.
    Thanks to anyone who can help

    • Alex Sm says:
      19 May19 May 11:49

      There was a glitch in the first few days of the new promo but it has apparently been fixed

    • Alex Sm says:
      19 May19 May 11:50

      There was a glitch in the first few days of the new promo but it has been apparently fixed since then

    • Peter K says:
      19 May19 May 12:52

      There was a glitch in the first few days of the new promo but it has apparently been fixed

      • neuromancer says:
        19 May19 May 19:03

        Well, no, it’s not fixed
        I don’t get the “you are ineligible” message anymore, but I do not get my accelerate targets either

        • Bloke formerly in India says:
          19 May19 May 23:36

          This is also still the case for myself. I asked live-chat and they said “it’s invite-only for their most valued members.”

          So they clearly don’t value me then…

  • Chris says:
    19 May19 May 11:29

    On the subject of petrol but with Shell. What’s everyone’s thoughts on their new Go+?

    I’ve had several debates with them on social media and also had a phone call from someone in their customer service team about it.

    I’ve gone from averaging £15-£20 a quarter on the old Drivers Club scheme to either £1.60 or £2 a month.

    I know there is discount on the coffee etc but there is no way the savings on this plus the fuel reward are coming to anywhere near what I used to get.

    Also if you buy a meal deal you get no discount at all with Go+ whereas with Drivers Club you got points.

    To put it politely I think I’m getting screwed.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      19 May19 May 11:49

      If she’ll in genuinely the cheapest garage for you then I guess that’s a turn for the worse but for me they’re always more expensive than closer alternatives so I swerve them.

      Tesco is probably the best for both price and rewards.

      • Chris says:
        19 May19 May 12:02

        Nearest Tesco with a petrol station is over five miles away. There’s a Shell, BP, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s all nearby. Shell is the nearest and they are usually only 1/2p more so it’s not worth the hassle to be honest.

        • TGLoyalty says:
          19 May19 May 13:14

          I agree go where it’s closet.

          Petrol quality is different in these different garage so all is not equal (Tesco momentum is good stuff. Can’t go wrong with Shell or BP standard) but I’m in a company diesel atm so honestly don’t really care much and will fill up when I’m passing somewhere with a decent price, I’m not going to chase a few Avios or other miles.

    • Andrew says:
      19 May19 May 17:07

      True. But I think the new Shell scheme is a stamp/point “per visit when you spend £10 or more on fuel”.

      Whether it’s a) possible or b) worth it to split, say, £50 of fuelling into 5 x £10 transactions – for example paying via the app to save trips to the kiosk – I couldn’t comment. Plus you’d have, in the same example, 5 x £60(?) of funds reserved on your card until Shell cancel the hold.

      • Chris says:
        19 May19 May 23:47

        I think it’s a max of two stamps/visits per day and they can’t be within a certain amount of time from each other.

        It’s no major issue to go elsewhere I’m just more shocked at the scale of devaluation more than anything else to be honest.

        I didn’t expect it to work in my favour but the level it has been cut appears to be quite something.

    • BFT01 says:
      20 May20 May 11:50

      This is all tied in with Shell Energy gas, electricity and broadband and their smart home
      equipment, Previously known as First Utility this has now become part of Shell

  • Anna says:
    19 May19 May 12:57

    OT – LLOYDS, IMPORTANT IF YOU HAVEN’T HAD THE LETTER ADVISING OF CHANGES!

    I have just spent an hour on the phone to Lloyds logging a complaint. Initially it was because my Amex was being declined (turned out to be an issue with the PIN), however it became very interesting. First CSA told me all the Amex cards were now closed; when I queried this as I haven’t even had the letter he got flustered and I got passed on – and on. The third CSA I spoke to insisted I must have had a letter with notice to the changes to the avios earning cards; I insisted he check my account and tell me when exactly that letter had been sent. He eventually had to concede there was no record of the letter being sent, therefore my 60 days’ notice hasn’t even started yet. I told him I fully expected the terms of these cards to be honoured until such a time as I had had the 60 days’ notice, notably the 0% FX which I intend to use on a trip to NYC next week. This is all being passed to the complaints department who will also look at what to do about issuing the notification letter.

    So – if you haven’t had your letter yet, it looks as though Lloyds doesn’t know that it hasn’t been dispatched. (How are these people allowed to run a banking institution?!). Therefore your 60 days’ notice won’t start unless you apprise them of the situation. In the meantime, if people are moved onto other cards with no notice, I strongly suggest complaining to Lloyds and the ombudsman as there must be some fairly serious breaches of regulations going on! (And Lloyds can be VERY generous with compensation…)

    I’d be very interested to know Rob’s take on where we stand with this.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      19 May19 May 13:17

      No letter or change of card number here. Look forward to compensation for my troubles if my card is changed with a letter.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        19 May19 May 13:17

        *without a letter.

        • Anna says:
          19 May19 May 13:25

          If you do contact them, they will try and fob you off by telling you your letter was sent, however there has to be record of it on your account so make sure they check this. No record, no letter.

    • the_real_a says:
      19 May19 May 13:22

      Wow – i made exactly the same complaint a couple of days ago…

    • mark2 says:
      19 May19 May 16:06

      I received the letter for my card but my wife did not for hers. She has not received the fee refund others have mentioned and we are happily using her cards in Canada and I cannot see an fx charge.

      • Anna says:
        19 May19 May 16:38

        I’ve got a hotel bill and a few others things I’m planning to pay with the cards in NYC next week, also hoping Lloyds will continue to drag their feet so I can use them for my August Caribbean trip as well! It will be interesting to see if they suddenly stop working for those of us who haven’t yet been notified and what the ramifications for Lloyds would be for breaching their own Ts and Cs.

        • mark2 says:
          19 May19 May 17:08

          As you said, they are/were very generous with compensation.

          • David says:
            19 May19 May 17:18

            Both myself and my wife received our letters letting us know of the changes coming but it clearly says on the letter “We will write to let you know when this change has happened”.
            So for the changes seemed to have happened without any information given to either of us and no new cards or pin numbers have been sent either. We have a trip to Portugal coming up soon and now it appears that the 0% FX has gone out of the window without us being told. Where do we stand with complaints / compensation?

          • Anna says:
            19 May19 May 21:56

            David – you should have been given 60 days’ notice of the changes so it will depend on the wording of your original letters, however if at that point you were given the correct information and no changes were implemented within 60 days, I think Lloyd’s would be covered.

    • guesswho2000 says:
      19 May19 May 23:19

      I’ve received no letter, but did get two emails this week saying my cards are on their way (they’re due to expire end of June), so they’ve clearly reissued the Amex.

      Lloyds have been a shower for the entire time they’ve managed these cards, much as the upgrade vouchers are useful.

  • ChrisC says:
    19 May19 May 13:34

    I booked the Kimpton Amsterdam yesterday for just over £200 per night for 4 nights for the weekend after next.

    The rate earlier this week was over £250.

    These were for the non refundable ‘stay longer pay less’ rate.

    So I’m getting 20% off

  • Shoestring says:
    19 May19 May 14:37

    apparently: BA First Class return flight to San Francisco (Christmas & New Year dates / Departing LHR) £1685 @ Skyscanner
    eg 25th-31st Dec
    25th Dec – 1st Jan
    26th Dec – 1st Jan

    • TGLoyalty says:
      19 May19 May 16:30

      BA has it as 1800 with connecting flights.

      • Shoestring says:
        19 May19 May 16:37

        There are direct flights as well (I think), you’d be looking for BA286 & BA287, on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday

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