Room Service: One Devonshire Gardens, Glasgow

Described in the brochure as "a Hotel du Vin with a little bit more", One Devonshire Gardens had a lot to live up to. I've always been a fan of the brand, launched in 1994 in Winchester by Robin Hutson and Gerard Basset. That first hotel, housed in a Georgian building dating back to 1715, set the mould for the mini-chain: historic properties transformed into chic, contemporary - and, what's more, reasonably priced - bolt-holes. Cosy interiors with sea-grass or rough wooden flooring, deep velvet sofas in the dimly lit bars, upstairs comfortable rooms with free-standing tubs and monsoon showers. The concept, which includes naming rooms after different wine houses, could have been a theme too far, but instead, aided by the well-stocked wine cellars and the Birmingham branch's Ecole du Vin which runs residential courses for wine enthusiasts, it has become a quirky asset. At a time when beige, minimalist design was sweeping its bland arm across the country, the shabby chic decadence of the Hotel du Vins added a splash of welcome character to the hotel scene.

The second hotel to open was Tunbridge Wells in a Grade-II listed building, followed by Bristol in a converted sugar warehouse. In Birmingham an old Victorian eye hospital was chosen while the fifth, in Brighton, was housed in a cluster of gothic-style buildings in the Lanes. Number six was Harrogate, the Yorkshire spa town, and seven, Henley-on-Thames, in the old Brakspears Brewery. The latest property to be added to the stable was Glasgow's One Devonshire Gardens last year, differing in that it was already a luxury boutique hotel.

It was heralded as the new flagship for the group and first impressions of a row of grand townhouses on a leafy slip road in Glasgow's fashionable West End were positive. The group acquired the property in the middle to link the five houses and when I checked in last November that part was still a building site.

The welcome was warm, a dram of whisky proffered by a friendly man in tartan trousers. A fire was roaring in the grate; the Sunday papers were scattered around. Halfway up the grand staircases light filtered through stunning stained glass windows - one window was missing as the owner took it with her, we were told.

The decor generally, however, was quite heavy and masculine, especially in the bar and lounge with its wall-length cabinet of whisky. The dining room, although called a bistro, was smart in a half wood-panelled, half textured wallpaper kind of way - against which the pictures were lost. The floor was dark wood and the tables had fussy frills of taffeta around their legs. Our dinner was delicious: to start, lobster ravioli and a boudin of Normandy partridge; for mains sautéed tranche of wild halibut and cannon of Border lamb. But it was fancy rather than relaxed bistro in style. I couldn't help feeling that, by trying to be more polished than a regular Hotel du Vin, it had lost its way. One Devonshire Gardens is a little bit more than a Hotel du Vin; it's a luxury boutique hotel.

LOCATION

Hotel du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens, Glasgow (0141 339 2001; www.onedevonshire gardens.com).

Time to international airport: Glasgow airport is 15 minutes away; taxis cost about £17.

COMFORTABLE?

There are 49 bedrooms spread throughout the warren of townhouses, some with antique four-posters. The beds come with marshmallow-soft mattress toppers, squishy pillows and a pillow menu. Our room was in the basement, a masculine suite with a small lounge leading through to the bedroom with a sleigh bed and then through to a small bathroom with black granite-topped bath. I prefer traditional free-standing baths and it felt a bit dark and dated. A door led outside to a small courtyard garden.

Freebies: very generous Arran Aromatics products in huge glass bottles - with a sign saying "please take home".

Keeping in touch: direct-dial telephones and satellite TV.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Double rooms from £140 excluding breakfast.

I'm not paying that: Rab Ha's, 81 Hutcheson Street (0141 572 0400; www.rabhas.com) has doubles from £75 including breakfast.

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