From supermarkets and restaurants to fashion stores and hotels, ‘chains’ can receive a mixed press.
However, if you’re looking for smart accommodation, often at great price points, then these are the hotel brands worth knowing about. Some feel like a bespoke collection of properties, while others offer modern city breaks in the heart of the action.
SimpsInns: West Kilbride, Irvine, Troon
Showcase – Gailes Hotel & Spa, Irvine
The family owned Gailes hotel offers a slick finish across its 42 rooms and penthouse suites, plus excellent value SPAcation packages. The Si! Spa is a thing of beauty: indulge in a heat and water experience within its Thermal Suite, relax in the outdoor hot tub, before booking an ishga spa treatment. With renowned golf courses nearby, Irvine beach on the doorstep, and Glasgow airport only 40 minutes away, it’s a great location too.
simpsinns.com
Double rooms from £230, incl. breakfast
Apex: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee
Showcase – Apex Dundee City Quay
As well as an excellent central location, Dundee’s Apex has a 12-metre swimming pool so it’s a real draw for families. The smart but welcoming Quayside Bar & Grill menu offers set prices for two to three courses so it’s easy to budget. The Yu Spa promises relaxation, and little details like easy parking and regular collaborations/deals with venues such as the V&A make this hotel a real winner.
apexhotels.co.uk
Double rooms from £121
Motel One: Edinburgh, Glasgow
Showcase – Motel One Glasgow
Neighbouring Glasgow Central Station, the glam Motel One’s modern bedrooms offer simple comfort at affordable rates, but the public spaces really do punch way above their weight when it comes to aesthetics. Motel One doesn’t simply copy and paste a look but aims to create entirely fresh themes for individual properties. In Glasgow, the artworks are inspired by the West Highland Line, with photography by Matthew Dalziel and Louise Scullion depicting Scottish rail travel. Look out, too, for the wee sheep dotted about the foyer, the woolly representatives of Scotland’s rural landscape.
motel-one.com
Double rooms from £69
Sandman Signature: Glasgow, Aberdeen
Showcase – Sandman Signature Aberdeen & Spa
The centrally located Aberdeen property houses a beautiful spa, sauna, steam room and relaxation room. The decor is playful, with Doric messages, such as ‘Gie’s A Bosie’, lit up in neon across the bar. Highland Cattle images and seagull lampshades tap into the local fauna, and in the contemporary bedrooms black and white photography depicts Granite City landmarks. This Canadian chain has made a big impact in Aberdeen so enjoy a mix of Canadian/Scottish food in the Chop Grill — think haggis bon bons and fish tacos.
sandmansignature.co.uk
Double rooms from £89
Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels: Crieff, Peebles, Glencoe, Ballachulish
Showcase – The Park Hotel, Peebles
Most Scots have heard of the renowned Crieff Hydro, but this hotel group offers some lesser-known gems. The Park 24-bedroom hotel is tucked away in the Scottish Borders and dates back to 1851. Dining options include the relaxed Ballantyne Bar, the Park Bakery, a Sunday Roast, and a 5-course tasting menu at Tryst. The Park’s sister hotel is the nearby Peebles Hydro, where guests can take advantage of the pool, gin school and distillery.
crieffhydrofamily.com
Double rooms from £89
Crerar: Nairn, Ballater, Inverurie, Glencoe, Oban, Mull, Inverary, Dunkeld, Pitlochry
Showcase – Fonab Castle, Pitlochry
Crerar offers a range of luxurious boltholes across Scotland, and Fonab is the five star jewel in its crown with 3 AA Rosette dining in the Sandemans restaurant. Several of Fonab’s 42 five-star rooms offer views of Loch Faskally and the impressive Ben Vrackie.
It’s also a luxurious base for autumn’s Enchanted Forest experience in nearby Faskally Woods.
crerarhotels.com
Double rooms from £235, incl. breakfast
Sleeperz: Dundee (and CityRoomz in Edinburgh)
Showcase – Sleeperz Dundee
You can’t really get closer to Dundee railway station than the modern Sleeperz hotel. Its views over the Tay, V&A and RRS Discovery are pretty hard to beat too. Affordable double rooms decorated in bold reds and greys include panoramic floor to ceiling windows, anti-steam mirrors and heated floors in the wet rooms.
sleeperz.com Double rooms from £60
Macdonald Hotels and Resorts: Aviemore, Aberdeen, Inverurie, Inverness, Falkirk, Peebles, East Kilbride, Livingston, Aberfoyle
Showcase – Inchyra Hotel & Spa, Falkirk
The original Macdonald hotel founder, Donald Macdonald, was born into a crofting family on Harris, and this hotel group now has properties in Spain as well as the UK. The hotels vary hugely, from beautiful stately homes like Norwood and Thainstone House in Aberdeen and shire, to the welcoming Inchyra in Falkirk. Inchyra is home to a spa, 20-metre pool and it’s also within easy reach of the Falkirk Wheel, the Kelpies, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling, making it a great base for sightseeing.
macdonaldhotels.co.uk
Double rooms from £120, incl breakfast
Highland Coast: Kylesku, Ullapool, Dornoch, Kyle of Tongue, Brora, Plockton and Inverness
Showcase – Kylescu Hotel
The Highland Coast hotels are a gateway to the NC500, offering seven hotels around the route. Kylesku stands out due to its destination lochside dining on the banks of Loch Glendhu. Expect excellent seafood, hand-dived scallops, and lobsters from Ullapool and Oban. Wake up to the rugged landscape of Assynt on the doorstep.
highlandcoasthotels.com
Double rooms from £99, incl breakfast
Ibis: Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee
Showcase – Ibis Budget Edinburgh Park
Ibis is a huge chain but you can find hidden nuggets in the portfolio. While it’s notably difficult to find budget accommodation in Scotland’s capital, Ibis Budget Edinburgh Park is near the airport but, essentially, within walking distance of trams into the city centre. With free tea and coffee in the lounge, breakfast for only £8.50 (kids eat brekkie for free), booking Ibis can free up money for other purchases and experiences.
ibis.accor.com
Triple rooms from £68.85
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