The Glasshouse, Autograph Collection

I was dissappointed overall with the Glasshouse. I feel that it does not merit a five star rating which inevitably set me up for dissappointment. Certainly there are five star elements - the beds are very comfortable and the staff were very good and some were exceptional but there were some fundamental things which I feel fell far short of this rating. We arrived at the hotel early and had hoped for an early check in as I had e mailed in advance re same. This was unfortunately not possible and we had to wait until 2 pm for check in. I understand that check in time is dependent on what time the former patrons check out at but i feel that a hotel of this calibre should have a nice airy welcoming seating area to relax in with papers/ magazines and i would have expected to at least be offered a refreshment while we relaxed a while before heading out into the city. The lobby is too small and is not a pleasant place to hang out. The upstairs honesty bar area is dark and not pleasant for daytime seating. The overall layout of the hotel is labyrinthine and getting to the only main hotel bathroom is a bit ridiculous - up the lift and up the stairs and down a corridor. Surely there could be a large bathroom on the ground level. The cleanliness also left a lot to be desired. The carpet immediately in front of the lift area is very stained and dirty. We stayed in room 37 and the underneath of the toilet rim in our bathroom was dirty. The shower flooded the bathroom when used as the door seal was inadequate. So overall for the rates which we paid i dont think the Glasshouse made a positive impression at all.