The old saw holds that Edinburgh is the capital, but Glasgow has the capital. The point is that while Edinburgh may be the center of all things cultural and intellectual, Glasgow is Scotland's commercial center — like New York to Edinburgh's Washington.

Commercial used to mean industrial, and the city was once drab and grimy — though the recent shift from manufacturing to retail and service has found the city looking rather chic. Even during the bad old days, though, it would have been a pleasure to visit the building that is now the Glasgow Malmaison's home; it was converted from a stunning landmark 1830s Greek Orthodox church.

Today it's an entirely secular establishment, unless you happen to be a worshipper of modern boutique hotel chic, or an astonishingly fussy degree of cleanliness. The rooms are not huge, as they had to fit into a 19th-century space; but they are stylish and individually decorated, some with French windows to let in the intermittent sunlight. Some suites are split-levels, with the sleeping area on a mezzanine above the living room, and skylights in the angled ceilings.

Service is efficient but casual, which is not meant as a euphemism for rude — the staffers are exceedingly friendly and courteous, just young, informal, and quite a bit chattier than those at your average luxury hotel. All of this contributes to the laid-back feel which is the Malmaison chain's calling card.

Glasgow is a major commercial and retail center, second only to London — visitors who come expecting the grey Glasgow of the Seventies will be shocked by the cosmopolitan sheen of the city, and the wealth of bars, clubs, restaurants and shops within walking distance of the hotel.