Review: the Courtyard Glasgow Airport hotel, part of Marriott Bonvoy
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This is our review of the Courtyard hotel at Glasgow Airport, part of Marriott Bonvoy.
Regular readers will know that Courtyard has been opening a number of brand new hotels at UK airports recently. I reviewed Courtyard London City Airport here and reviewed Courtyard Inverness Airport here – both are new build hotels and both are great.
The new Courtyard at Heathrow has closed again but we hope to make it down there next month. Rhys looked at the Courtyard Luton Airport in 2020 but this is not brand new.
Courtyard Glasgow Airport is not a new build hotel, so it was never going to match up to London City or Inverness. But how good is it?
The first thing to say is that the image above is not what you will see. If you walk to the hotel from the airport, you approach from the other side and it looks very different. There is also an extension stuck onto the far left, sticking out at a right angle.
This hotel was previously a Ramada. In 2017 it reopened as a Courtyard after a substantial refurbishment.
It was the first UK Courtyard to have the new ‘design and feel’ that has been followed by all subsequent openings. The lobby and restaurant look great, and the bedrooms aren’t bad – just not as good as a new build.
Getting to Courtyard Glasgow Airport
It is a 7-8 minute walk from the terminal to the hotel. The Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express are a little nearer. You should head towards the Holiday Inn Express and continue underneath the elevated section of the motorway. You will see the Courtyard on your right.
More importantly, if walking, is that the final 3-4 minutes are outside with no shelter. Given that Glasgow’s weather is not the driest, you should bear this in mind. We had to return to the terminal in light drizzle, pulling two suitcases.
Check in
This hotel was exceptionally cheap when we booked – £39 on a Sunday night, room only. I paid more (£55) to have breakfast for two included, because I wanted to use my £7.50 Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite food and beverage credit on an evening snack.
Check in was swift and friendly, although there is no realistic option for an upgrade.
Next to reception is a mini-market, which was actually quite well stocked, albeit with junky snacks. There’s nothing like starting the New Year with a Double Decker and a Starbucks coffee from the bar though ….
The bedrooms are what you would expect from a Courtyard (or Hampton by Hilton, or Holiday Inn Express). As a refurbishment, however, it lacks some of the design flair that I found at London City and Inverness:
All of the essentials are there, although I wouldn’t have wanted to work from that stool for too long. The desk was a decent size though and, as you can see, had easy to each sockets (the only USB was by the bed) and tea and coffee facilities.
The bathroom had clearly been fully updated during the 2016/7 refurbishment. (Post covid, you really need to knock off two years in your mind when discussing hotel ages. Whilst this hotel has now been open as a Courtyard for five years, it has only been welcoming guests in any number for three years.)
Toiletries are the standard ‘Pure’ and ‘Nirvae’ ones that I’ve seen at other Courtyard properties. They are still supplying individual toiletries rather than using larger bottles bolted to the shower wall.
The public areas at Courtyard Glasgow Airport
Where the Courtyard really scores is in the public areas, which are impressive for a hotel of this category. Courtyard London City has a bit more zing but, of course, Glasgow Airport was designed five years earlier.
This is the area opposite reception:
Here is the dining area, where breakfast and dinner are served. There is a bar off to the right which is not pictured.
As you can see, they did invest in good quality furnishings:
Breakfast is currently half buffet, half cooked to order. All of the usual cold items are laid out for you, and you can order a full English – or whichever elements of a full English you fancy – on top.
I’m not sure if the cooked items were being done to order as a covid measure or simply because the hotel, on a Sunday night with a Bank Holiday the next day, was very quiet.
Conclusion
Courtyard Glasgow Airport is another winner from Marriott, albeit lacking a few small touches that you find in new builds. I’d be surprised if you could find anything better in walking distance.
My only niggle is that, if you are walking to and from the terminal, you are not undercover for the full walk. If you are concerned about the rain, choose the Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express.
The Courtyard Glasgow Airport website is here if you want to find out more.
How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (September 2024)
There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.
The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.
You can apply here.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express
20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review
You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.
Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card? It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status. We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:
- American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
- American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)
and for small business owners:
- American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
- American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Avios. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.
The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.
(Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)
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