Hotel du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens

Possibly Glasgow’s finest small hotel, and certainly its poshest, Hotel du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens is the favorite of many a visiting actor or pop star. But don’t hold that against it. Some hotels try altogether too hard—with flashy design, precious modern cuisine, and always-packed nightclubs—to court the most fashionable guests, and compared to these hip hotels, this quiet row of converted Victorian townhouses may seem terribly grown-up.

That’s entirely the point, though—this is classic hospitality, in classic surroundings, with no gimmicks or flash, just the simple things, done right. The 49 guest rooms are spacious, and while elegantly decorated, are never ostentatious. Some antique-heavy hotels feel so fussy you’ll be afraid to touch anything; not so here. The mahogany four-posters, many of them kings, are meant to be slept in, not just admired, and as old-fashioned as the bedrooms may be, the bathrooms are utterly modern—given the choice between authentic century-old claw-foot tubs and brand new high-pressure rain showers, we’ll take the latter.

You may not have come to Glasgow for the food, but you won’t leave cracking jokes about it either. Wherever there's a Hotel du Vin there's a Hotel du Vin Bistro, serving modern, upscale bistro fare accompanied by a long list of wines, and nearly as many whiskies in the adjoining bar. The drawing rooms and the garden are equally suitable for afternoon tea, though this hotel is so intimate and private you may be surprised to see other guests, shattering the illusion that this place is yours alone.