'Hotel heaven': Hostel for the homeless soars to top 100 of TripAdvisor's best places to stay after jokers give it a five-star rating



Bellgrove Hotel in Glasgow listing inundated with complimentary reviews

Hostel houses around 150 homeless men

Users described outstanding spa and pool facilities and fine cuisine as prank



With its peeling paint and windows covered with wire mesh, the Bellgrove Hotel in Glasgow city centre doesn't exactly ooze luxury.

But according to travel website TripAdvisor, the homeless hostel is one of the country's finest establishments after jokers inundated the hotel's page with five-star reviews.

The prank saw the Bellgrove soar into one of Britain's leading 100 hotels after users left descriptions of outstanding spa and pool facilities and fine cuisine.

Misleading: The Bellgrove Hotel in Glasgow is a shelter for a homeless but ended up with a listing on TripAdvisor

User gordy682, from Dublin, posted a review under the headline 'Pure Joy'.

It read: 'Great hotel, friendly staff and a very warm welcome. Excellent food and room service with a smile. Nothing was any trouble for the staff. Central location near town centre.

'Hotel did look a bit shabby on the outside however appearances can de deceitful. Luxurious rooms, spa and leisure facilities a real gem.'

Another said: 'The marble floors and crystal chandeliers were breathtaking! You feel like a king!'



And user 927Jimp, from Exeter, described a stay as 'hotel heaven'.

It read: 'Strongly recommend this as an ideal hotel for young couples and those just looking for a relaxing city break. As a couple who travel regularly, we weren't quite sure what to expect of Glasgow, we need not have worried, a glorious three day stay, made all the better by our choice of hotel in the Bellgrove.

'The restaurant menu is a mix of Scottish/French cuisine and we ate in the hotel resaurant each night. Reasonable prices and service with a smile. Remember to take swimwear to make full use of the facilities.'

Photos of a spa and indoor pool were even posted on the site.



The Bellgrove, which houses around 150 men, once featured in a BBC investigation in which it was described as a 'dumping ground for the poor', although some of the claims made were disputed by the hostel.

Tongue in cheek: One of the joke reviews which was left on TripAdvisor about the Bellgrove Hotel

Recommended: User 927JimP posted this review which described the Bellgrove as 'ideal for young couples'

Hotel manager Joe McKee said: 'We didn't even know we were on TripAdvisor. It looks like there's been about five or six jokers on there who have been posting these reviews. We contacted TripAdvisor and asked them to take them down because it's misleading.

'Sometimes we get the odd call from people after a room if they're coming for a concert. But we just tell them "sorry it's not what you're looking for".

'It's rather ironic because in May the place is actually getting renovated. But it's still going to be a men's hostel. We've 150 men here, some have drug and alcohol problems and there isn't enough places for them to go.'

A spokesman for TripAdvisor said the posts have now been removed from the site.

Emma Shaw added: 'Thank you for alerting us to this. As this property is a homeless shelter, and therefore doesn't meet our listing guidelines, the listing itself is being removed from TripAdvisor.

