Arthouse Glasgow: the hotel in the frame

I would put Glasgow in the same bucket as Athens or Lisbon – cities that pull a young crowd of creatives, but are also known for their historical institutions,” says William Riordan, co-founder of the Oberland group. Next month sees the launch of its debut hotel, Arthouse Glasgow, which Riordan hopes will capture the spirit of a city that has produced eight Turner Prize winners in the past 30 years, and is known for its sense of fun.

“It has a population that, frankly, just likes to go out,” he says. “A fully fledged Glaswegian told us early on that ‘Glaswegians smell bullshit’, and our approach ever since has been to avoid it,” says director of partnerships Lukas Zueger-Knecht. He is the man responsible for nabbing the city’s hottest restaurant, Celentano’s, which is reopening inside the hotel with twice as many covers. There will also be music programming by Illyus Brown, one half of electronic duo Illyus & Barrientos.

The bedrooms feature original artwork by local painter David Ian Brown and snacks from the city’s bean-to-bar Bare Bones chocolate. A sensitive approach to the 19th-century building itself – a 19th-century townhouse that was previously another hotel and the home of UK Prime Minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman – has also been key. “We’ve tried to take out more than we put in – whether that’s stripping vinyl flooring or layers of wallpaper,” says Riordan. The team has preserved a traditional birdcage lift, a sweeping mahogany staircase, terrazzo flooring and lots of wood panelling. “We’re proud of every flaw,” says Riordan.