I had one of the best hotel stays I've ever had at the luxury Dakota hotel in Glasgow city centre

Glasgow is not short of luxury hotels and sometimes it can be difficult for visitors to decide where they want to stay. There are names such as the Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel and Hotel du Vin which people instantly think of whenever they are speaking about the hotel offerings which the city has to offer.

Dakota Glasgow should undoubtedly now be a part of that conversation as it has established itself as one of the best places to stay in the city. The stylish hotel offers so much to those staying overnight or just popping in to have a drink at the bar.

As soon as you walk through the front door at Dakota Glasgow you feel as though you are immersed in luxury as you enter a dark, moody and muted setting which is the perfect place to relax and unwind after a busy day.

I headed down to Dakota Glasgow to kick the weekend off last week and the experience was absolutely first class from start to finish. After being warmly greeted at reception, myself and my partner headed up to our room where there was a lovely greeting card placed on the table along with some delicious chocolates which we both thoroughly enjoyed.

The room itself was generous in size with one of the comfiest beds you could imagine as well as a tremendous shower. Although both are basic things that you would expect in a hotel, Dakota do both really well. You could say that doing things well forms part of their raison d'être which hotel General Manager Andrew Doherty spoke to me about saying: “I think we just do a lot of things right when it comes to basics like a great shower, a great bed, things where they should be to hand.”

At the heart of our conversation together, what was apparent was that you are treated much more than a customer whenever you stay at a Dakota hotel - staff go out their way to make you feel welcome and at ease meaning that you don’t need to worry about anything after you check in at reception.

As well as offering luxury rooms and suites, one of the standout features about Dakota Glasgow is their impressive bars and dining area. We were booked in to have dinner in the evening, but decided to head downstairs for a drink to the cosy and inviting Jack’s Bar which was recognised as the best bar at the Glasgow Bar Awards.

Firstly, it is important to point out that you don’t have to be a guest to enjoy a drink at the bar or indulge in the great selection of food on offer downstairs. Jack’s Bar is a terrific city centre spot that you can head to at any point of the day - whether that be for a coffee in the morning or even an after work glass of wine. The space is cosy and the service is second to none with their cocktail menu also being extremely popular for late night drinks.

General Manager Andrew Doherty explained to us a bit about the reason why the hotel have put so much emphasis on making their bar area so popular with locals and visitors saying: “I was considering how independent restaurants operate. Generally if you've got a booking at 6.30pm you turn up to that restaurant ready to eat and start your dinner. Whereas here we've got people who are joining us an hour before their meal that want to go to the bar. It means that they're in the bar first and settled, then it's downstairs for dinner, then back upstairs for after dinner a drinks. So it's a real journey. That's something that a lot of standalone restaurants can't necessarily offer.”

You can fully immerse yourself in that experience at Dakota Glasgow and after a couple of early drinks, we were taken downstairs for our evening meal where we opted to sample their steaks. The restaurant has built a great reputation in the city and offers one of the best steak dinners in the city. Although it can be difficult for hotel restaurants to compete with local independent establishments, Dakota’s food offering could give any place in Glasgow a run for their money which was reflected by how busy the restaurant was on Friday night.. My 12oz ribeye steak was cooked to perfection and served along with crunchy chips which were perfect along with the tasty peppercorn sauce. It was up there with one of the best meals I’ve had, rounded off with a black forest gateau.

After a wonderful nights sleep and warm shower, we concluded our stay with a cracking full Scottish breakfast in the morning which is a great way to start the day served with pots of steaming hot coffee and freshly-squeezed orange juice. There is a magnificent selection on offer at breakfast and it is totally faultless as you can also choose from Scottish smoked salmon, porridge or eggs benedict.

Our stay was incredible from start to finish and I would encourage anyone who is visiting Glasgow to book into this hotel as you won’t be disappointed. Dakota have exciting plans for the future as the brand, which started in Glasgow, continues to evolve. They currently have premises in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester and Eurocentral meaning you can enjoy Dakota hotels across the UK. Dakota will next add premises in Newcastle to their portfolio which is going to be an exciting project.

You can look for best room rates here.

Dakota, 179 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 4DP