Ahead of the opening of the Arthouse Hotel in Glasgow next week, we sat down with co-owner of hotel group Oberland, William to discuss the vision behind the exciting new project. Housed within the historic Art House building and set to become the new home of acclaimed restaurant Celentano’s, the hotel represents an exciting addition to Glasgow's hospitality scene. We spoke to William about bringing the landmark building back to life, collaborating with one of the city's most celebrated restaurants, and what guests can expect when the doors open.
What made you choose Glasgow for your first project in Scotland?
Glasgow has been on our radar since we founded Oberland. It is one of those rare cities that is completely comfortable in its own skin. It has an extraordinary creative culture, an exceptional food scene and a strong sense of civic pride, yet it remains refreshingly unpolished and authentic.
It also feels like a city that is having a real moment. The Commonwealth Games, TRNSMT and Glasgow International are all bringing renewed attention to a place that has quietly been building cultural momentum for years. More people are also using Glasgow as their gateway to the Highlands and west coast of Scotland, yet there has been a surprising lack of hotels that truly capture the spirit and ambition of the city from the moment visitors arrive.
For us, that represented an opportunity. Our ambition with Oberland is to create hotels that could only exist in the places they inhabit, and Glasgow felt like the perfect city to begin that journey.
What drew you to the Arthouse building, and how have you balanced preserving its character while creating a modern hotel experience?
The building immediately captured our imagination. It has incredible architectural character and occupies a wonderful position on Blythswood Hill, an area that has always been historically and culturally significant but now feels like it is being rediscovered as the city centre itself evolves.
Our approach has always been restorative rather than transformative. We wanted to reveal the building rather than overwrite it, preserving details such as the timber panelling, pine floors, stained glass and original birdcage lift while making it work beautifully for modern guests.
Working with Alessio Nardi and Lukas Persakovas at A-nrd has been a huge part of that. Alessio has built a reputation for creating hospitality spaces that feel effortless, deeply rooted in place and never over designed.
The result is hopefully something that feels less like a hotel fit out and more like a remarkable Glasgow building that has simply entered its next chapter.
How did the partnership with Celentano's come about, and what role will the restaurant play in shaping the hotel's identity?
Dean and Anna have created one of Glasgow's genuinely great restaurants, so when we first met it became obvious that we shared many of the same values.
Neither of us wanted the restaurant to feel like a hotel amenity. We wanted people to visit because they love great food, regardless of whether they are staying upstairs. In many ways, Celentano's will be the front door to Arthouse.
Hospitality is about creating places where people want to spend time, and having one of the city's best independent restaurants at the heart of the building means it immediately belongs to Glasgow rather than simply serving visitors to it.
You seem to be championing local artists and creatives from the beginning. Can you tell us a bit more about these projects and how they will contribute to the city's cultural landscape?
You seem to be championing local artists and creatives from the beginning. Can you tell us a bit more about these projects and how they will contribute to the city's cultural landscape?
That commitment has been fundamental from day one. We never wanted Arthouse to be a building that simply sits within Glasgow. We want it to participate in the city's creative life.
The launch of the GSA Arthouse Award is perhaps the clearest example of that. In partnership with the Glasgow School of Art, the annual award provides a bursary and a commission for an MFA student to create a permanent site specific work for the hotel, with the inaugural winner also creating a major façade installation during Glasgow International, which is in place now.
Alongside that, we are collaborating with Glasgow International, local galleries and artists, Scottish makers and creatives, and musician Illyus Brown, who is curating programming and giving as a channel to support emerging musical talent.
We see these partnerships not as marketing exercises but as long term relationships. Hotels have the opportunity to become platforms for culture, and if Arthouse can play even a small role in supporting Glasgow's next generation of artists and creatives then that will be one of our proudest achievements.
What are your favourite spots so far in Glasgow, apart from Arthouse of course?
One of the things I love most about Glasgow is that every neighbourhood has its own distinct character. The Blythswood Hill area, where Arthouse sits, feels like it is at the beginning of a moment now. It is home to the Glasgow School of Art and some of the city's finest architecture surrounds it, and there is a sense that the area is being rediscovered as independent businesses and hospitality return to the heart of the city.
The West End and Finnieston have a great food scene and almost village like atmosphere, while the East End has a more experimental creative energy, and the Southside has become one of the country's most vibrant neighbourhoods for independent businesses.
I also have to mention Drosten. It is exactly the kind of place that makes Glasgow special: independent, thoughtful and deeply connected to the city's creative community.