There are honeymoon suites, and then there are honeymoon houses. Patricia-Ann Young discovers a whole new level of luxury at the Garden House at The Redhurst Hotel in Glasgow’s southside
As someone who’s been a wedding journalist for over five years, it’s fair to say I know my way around a honey-moon suite. But even an old hack like me had never seen anything quite like the Garden House at Giffnock’s Redhurst Hotel.
The Redhurst has a lovely spot amid the leafy streets of Glasgow’s Southside, along with beautiful, contemporary decor and a relaxed atmosphere. I arrived just as a private function was about to start, but the layout of the hotel’s public spaces meant it never felt overcrowded or loud.
Owned by the swanky Manorview Hotels and Leisure Group, also responsible for other fabulous wedding venues such as Boclair House Hotel, Cornhill Castle and the Busby Hotel (you may remember Manorview’s stunning wooden gazebo stand from The Scottish Wedding Show), I knew I was in safe hands as soon as I stepped through the doors.
I was thrilled to be spending a night in the Garden House. I had heard about it before my visit and was intrigued by the idea behind it. One slight drawback of holding your wedding in a hotel is the relative lack of privacy; even if you have a big room all to yourself, you are still incredibly close to whoever is through the wall from you. There’s nothing romantic about hearing your bridesmaids continuing the party next door on your first night as a married couple.
The Garden House solves this issue. It is completely separate from the hotel, allowing the newlyweds to be alone on their special night, without any persistent revellers chapping the door looking for an afterparty.
As I took a look around, it quickly became clear that this is much more than a private hidey-hole for you and your new spouse to enjoy some alone time. Opened at the end of this summer, the space is cutting-edge in everything from decor to tech. The living room/bar area is amazingly chic, with a minibar stocked with pre-mixed cocktails. The outdoor terrace is stunning, with a private hot tub and fire pit – there’s even a TV out there!
My favourite area, however, has to be the bedroom. Dressed in sumptuous fabrics, it is a super-cosy space where you can curl up together for the ultimate romantic night in. Just a few feet away from the bed – and having to be seen to be believed – is a stunning circular copper bath. It’s huge, with plenty of space for two, and has been perfectly positioned in front of a grand mirror-cum-television, so you can watch a film or TV show as you soak.
It was hard to pack everything into one night, but we tried our best, sampling the complimentary cocktails while playing tunes through the Garden House’s Bluetooth surround sound system. We headed outside to warm up next to the fire pit, before taking a quick evening dip in the hot tub. After that, it was into bed with a nightcap and a movie – although the plush bedding made it hard to stay awake until the final credits.
Next morning was just as fun – it’s easier to feel pumped about the day ahead when you get to start it under an amazing rainfall shower and can blast out feelgood tunes in each room with a state-of-the-art sound system (Beyoncé’s Renaissance album, obv).
Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned the best bit: book your wedding at the Redhurst, and you get a complimentary stay in the Garden House on your wedding night. Where do I sign up?
Need to know
Location The Redhurst Hotel offers an amazing honeymoon suite and a chic private function space, barely 15 minutes from Glasgow city centre
The function space The hotel has a variety of function spaces, and welcomes both large and small weddings. The Grand Ballroom, which comes with a private entrance and separate bathrooms that can only be accessed by your guests, seats up 180 for dining and more than 200 for the evening reception.
The decor Every corner of the Redhurst is gorgeous and sumptuously decorated. The Grand Ballroom is especially eye-catching, with Art Deco-style chandeliers, a garden wall (which you can add to with neon lights or flowers in your own colour scheme) and an amazing (and huge!) disco ball in the centre of the room. No detail has been overlooked – even the toilets are glamorous!
The accommodation Apart from the Garden House, the hotel has 17 bedrooms, all of which can be reserved by your guests if they wish to stay over on the night of the wedding. Speak to the coordinator about potential discounts on room rates for your gang.
Intimate weddings While the Redhurst is well suited to a huge wedding bash, it can happily accommodate small, intimate celebrations too. The Clarkston Suite works really well for gatherings of all sizes and even the Grand Ballroom can be sculpted into the perfect shape to host a cosy wedding with only your very nearest and dearest in attendance. The hotel has a few packages catering specifically to wee weddings, meaning everything will be easy and already in place when it comes time to book your big day.