A Studio You Could Actually Live In for a Week
Book it if you want a self-contained studio rather than a hotel room: every one has a real kitchen, its own washing machine and a private bathroom, on a quiet Southside street seven minutes from a train that reaches Glasgow Central in six. Skip it if you need a car park or breakfast made for you.
The difference shows up on the second morning. Instead of paying for another cooked breakfast you make your own in a kitchen that has everything a small kitchen should, and the laundry that would otherwise come home in a bag goes through the machine in the corner. Eight apartments in the building, five studio types to choose from, and every one of them set up the same self-catering way.
What lifts it above a functional let is how carefully the rooms are put together. Padded damask headboard walls run the width of the bed, ceilings keep their Victorian cornices, the bathrooms are lined in marble, and two of the studios have a projector screen rather than a television. Guests write about the cleanliness more than anything else, and about the small things that were not expected: toiletries, coffee, tea, biscuits. There is a 24-hour desk if you need someone, which self-catering accommodation usually does not run to.
Strathbungo, and Six Minutes to Glasgow Central
Melville Street sits on the Strathbungo edge of Pollokshields, in the tenement streets of Glasgow's Southside rather than the city-centre hotel belt. That is the trade the whole stay is built on: quieter nights, a garden at the property, ordinary neighbourhood cafés and pubs, and a train instead of a walk into town.
The train is the part that makes it work. Pollokshields West is roughly seven minutes away on foot, Pollokshields East about eight, and both run direct into Glasgow Central: ScotRail's own journey data averages about eight minutes from the West station and six from the East. Crossmyloof is around twelve minutes' walk and Shields Road subway about thirteen. Queen's Park, the Southside's big green anchor, is about a kilometre away, roughly a twelve-minute walk, and guests name it as the reason the position suited them.
Five Studios, and They Are Not the Same
The five categories differ by more than a number on the door. One has a jacuzzi bath set against a marble wall. One has a fireplace. One opens onto the garden and has a projector screen instead of a television, and another pairs a projector with an open shower. The plainest of them, the Superior Studio, still has the full kitchen and the washing machine that the others do.
Look for the numbered plate on the dark-painted door, and expect a chandelier or a cove of coloured light overhead: the interiors lean deliberately dramatic rather than neutral. Complaints in recent reviews are small and individual rather than repeated, running to soft pillows, a door that shuts loudly and a room that warmed up during a heatwave. If you want a lift, a car park or someone making your breakfast, none of those are here. If you want a good-looking studio you can cook and wash in, this is a strong one.
Why Book Novana Aparthotel?
The case is simple: it is a self-catering studio that has been finished like a boutique hotel room, in a part of Glasgow with fast trains and quiet streets.
Cook and wash on site
Every studio has an oven, hob, microwave, coffee machine, kettle, kitchenware and its own washing machine, which changes the maths on a stay of several nights.
Six minutes to Central
Pollokshields East is about eight minutes on foot, and ScotRail's direct run into Glasgow Central averages six minutes from there.
Cleanliness guests keep naming
It is the single most repeated word in recent feedback, alongside the thoughtful extras: toiletries, coffee, tea and biscuits waiting when you arrive.
Rooms with a feature
A jacuzzi bath in one, a fireplace in another, projector screens in two more, and a garden studio for anyone who wants the door open.
Check Availability at Novana Aparthotel
- 24-hour front desk
- Kitchen and washing machine in every studio
- No booking fees
Interesting Points About Novana Aparthotel
- The property traded as SH Apartments - Melville Street before it became Novana, which is why older reviews and directory entries file it under that name and why the accommodation listing URL still says sh-apartments
- It holds eight apartments in total, according to two independent current listings, but only five studio types are sold. The number of types is not the number of rooms
- Every one of the five studio types has its own kitchen and its own washing machine, which makes this self-catering accommodation rather than hotel rooms with a kettle
- Two of the studios have a projector screen instead of a conventional television, one has a jacuzzi bath and one has a fireplace. Guests mention the projectors unprompted
- Scotland Street School Museum, which many listings still recommend as the nearby Mackintosh attraction, is currently closed for a major refurbishment with no reopening date published. The Burrell Collection in Pollok Country Park is the Southside museum that is actually open, and free
- There is no verified standalone website for the property. Numbers published on travel directories could not be traced to a first-party source, so book through the listing rather than calling a number you found elsewhere
Rooms & Accommodation at Novana Aparthotel
Superior Studio
One double bed · private bathroom · full kitchen
The base studio, and the one to choose if you want everything the others have without paying for a feature you will not use. Double bed, private bathroom with shower, and the same full kitchen, washing machine, dining table and desk as the rest. Best for a couple or a solo traveller staying two or three nights who intends to cook at least once.
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Superior Studio with Jacuzzi Bath Tub
One large double bed · jacuzzi bath and shower · full kitchen
The one to book for an anniversary or a long weekend where the point is to slow down. It is the only category with a bath as well as a shower, and the bath is a jacuzzi set into a marble-lined wall. Everything else matches the other studios, including the kitchen and the washing machine, so you are paying for the tub rather than losing anything for it.
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Superior Studio with Garden access/Projector Screen
One large double bed · garden access · projector screen
Two features in one room, and both get mentioned by guests. The projector turns the wall into a screen for a film after a long day of walking, and the door to the garden makes it the studio to pick in decent weather. One recent guest reported rabbits out there. Works well for a couple who want a night in without it feeling like a night in a hotel room.
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Superior Studio with Fireplace
One large double bed · fireplace · full kitchen
The winter pick. A fireplace in a Victorian Southside room does more for a wet Glasgow evening than any amount of underfloor heating, and the rest of the studio is the standard fit: large double bed, private bathroom, full kitchen, washing machine, dining table and desk. Choose it between October and March, when the difference actually registers.
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Superior Studio with Projector Screen and Open Shower
One large double bed · projector screen · open shower
The most theatrical of the five, with a black damask headboard wall, coloured cove lighting around the cornice and a projector instead of a screen on the wall. The bathroom runs an open shower under a rain head against marble. Best for anyone who wants the room itself to be part of the trip rather than somewhere to leave a suitcase.
Check PricesFacilities at Novana Aparthotel
In every studio
- Kitchen or kitchenette with oven, hob and extractor
- Microwave, refrigerator, toaster and kettle
- Coffee machine and kitchenware
- Washing machine
- Dining table and desk
- Flat-screen television, or a projector screen in two studios
- Free Wi-Fi
- Heating and carbon-monoxide detector
Bathrooms
- Private bathroom in every studio
- Shower, toilet, bidet and hairdryer
- Free toiletries and towels
- Jacuzzi bath in one studio
At the property
- 24-hour front desk
- Garden
- Luggage storage
- Daily housekeeping
- Bicycle parking
- 24-hour security, CCTV, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers
- Not available: Lift
- Not available: Swimming pool or spa
Food, drink and parking
- Tea and coffee making facilities in every studio
- Street parking in the surrounding area, subject to current council restrictions
- Not available: Breakfast
- Not available: Restaurant
- Not available: Private car park
Location and Getting Around
Novana Aparthotel is at 48 Melville Street, on the Strathbungo side of Pollokshields in Glasgow's Southside. This is tenement territory rather than the city-centre hotel belt: residential streets, a garden behind the building, and local cafés and pubs rather than a hotel bar.
Two stations sit within a short walk and both run direct to Glasgow Central. Pollokshields West on Darnley Road is about seven minutes on foot, with a journey ScotRail averages at eight minutes into Central. Pollokshields East on Albert Drive is about eight minutes away, and its run into Central averages six. Crossmyloof is roughly twelve minutes' walk and Shields Road subway about thirteen. Arriving from Central, take the direct train to Pollokshields East, about five minutes, then walk the last eight.
For the Southside's own attractions, Queen's Park is about a kilometre away, roughly twelve minutes on foot. Pollok Country Park, which holds the Burrell Collection, is around two km, about five minutes by car. The O2 Academy is about 2.3 km and Bellahouston Park about 2.4 km, both roughly five to six minutes' drive. Glasgow Airport is about eleven km by the listing's own measure, with a current property map putting the drive at around eighteen minutes.
One correction worth having before you plan: Scotland Street School Museum, the Mackintosh building most listings recommend near here, is currently closed for a major refurbishment with no reopening date published. Send yourself to the Burrell instead, which is open seven days and free. For drivers, there is no private car park. The listing describes free public street parking nearby, but parking controls across Strathbungo and Pollokshields have been changing through 2026, so read the signs on the street rather than treating any of it as guaranteed. Nearby for food, Dini Pizza and Espresso Bar is about four minutes' walk and Bossa about seven.
- Pollokshields West station: about 7 min walk
- Pollokshields East station: about 8 min walk
- Glasgow Central: 6 to 8 min by direct train
- Dini Pizza and Espresso Bar: about 4 min walk
- Queen's Park: 1 km, about 12 min walk
- Pollok Country Park and the Burrell Collection: about 5 min drive
- O2 Academy Glasgow: about 5 min drive
- Glasgow Airport: about 18 min drive
Getting to Key Locations
Photo: Leslie Barrie, CC BY-SA 2.0
Pollok Country Park
5 min drive
About two km away, roughly five minutes by car, Pollok Country Park is where the Burrell Collection sits among the trees. The Burrell reopened in March 2022 after a long refurbishment, admission is free, and it opens seven days: 10:00 to 17:00 Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 11:00 to 17:00 on Friday and Sunday.
View on Map
Photo: LornaMCampbell, CC BY-SA 4.0
Bellahouston Park
6 min drive
About 2.4 km west, roughly a six-minute drive, Bellahouston Park is the big Southside park used for recreation and for the city's major outdoor events. It also holds House for an Art Lover, built to a Charles Rennie Mackintosh competition design, for anyone whose Mackintosh plans were scuppered by the Scotland Street closure.
View on Map
Photo: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0
Queen's Park
12 min walk
About a kilometre away, roughly a 12-minute walk, Queen's Park is the Southside's own big green space, with a hill that gives one of the better free views over Glasgow to the north. Recent guests name it as the thing that made the position work for them.
View on MapGlasgow, Seen From the Southside
Staying south of the river changes the shape of a Glasgow trip. The centre is six minutes away by train when you want it, but the days can just as easily run the other way: Queen's Park in the morning, the Burrell in the afternoon, dinner somewhere on Nithsdale Road or Allison Street rather than in a chain on Buchanan Street.
Pollokshields and Strathbungo are Victorian tenement neighbourhoods with the grid and the greenery that implies, and they have quietly become one of the better places to eat in the city. The Burrell Collection is the heavyweight attraction, free and open all week in Pollok Country Park. Bellahouston Park is a short drive west, and the O2 Academy sits between here and the river for anyone whose trip is built around a gig.
Glasgow Through Local Eyes
Two residents walk through the city's food, drink and headline attractions, north of the river from this Southside base.
Is Novana Aparthotel worth it?
Yes, particularly for two or more nights. You get a properly finished studio with a real kitchen, a washing machine and a private bathroom, on a quiet Southside street eight minutes from a train that reaches Glasgow Central in six, and cleanliness is the thing guests mention most. Skip it if you need a car park, a lift, or breakfast made for you, because none of the three exists here.
What Guests Say About Novana Aparthotel
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Superb
Cleanliness is the word that comes up most, in review after review, usually followed by how well equipped the studios are. Guests write about kitchens that have what a kitchen needs, easy arrivals, and small extras they had not expected: toiletries, coffee and tea, biscuits. The projector screens get named unprompted, and so, once, do the rabbits in the garden. Criticism is thin and personal rather than systemic, running to soft pillows, a door that shuts with a bang, and a room that grew warm during a heatwave. There is no repeated operational problem in the recent feedback.
Arrived without difficulty and found the studio exceptionally clean, with facilities that had clearly been thought through. Nothing to fault over a one-night stay.
Joanne
Described a clean, well-kept stay with a quick arrival and a position that suited her visit particularly well. No negatives at all.
Liked the room, the amount of equipment provided and being close to Queen's Park. His only note was that he personally found the pillows soft.
Picked out the quiet setting, the comfortable bed and how clean the kitchen and bathroom were.
Praised the position, the cleanliness, the condition, the toiletries, the kitchen equipment and the projector setup. His one practical complaint was that the apartment door closed loudly.
Appreciated the cleanliness and the unusually generous small touches, including hot drinks, toiletries and snacks, and was delighted to spot rabbits in the garden.
Praised the cleanliness and the range of amenities, mentioning the toiletries, staying comfortable on a warm day, and how useful the rail link into the city centre was.
Found the studio extremely clean and well equipped with an easy arrival and departure. During hot weather she found it warm inside at times.
Good to Know Before You Book
Arrival
Check-in runs from 14:00, with a normal arrival window to midnight, and check-out is by 11:00 with the window opening at 08:00. Let the property know roughly when you will arrive. Photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in, and the minimum age to check in is 18 unless you are with a parent or guardian. The front desk is staffed 24 hours.
Parking
There is no private car park. The listing describes free public street parking nearby, but parking controls across Strathbungo and Pollokshields have been changing through 2026, so check the signs on the street you use rather than assuming an unrestricted overnight space. Bicycle parking is provided.
Self-catering, not a hotel
No breakfast is served and there is no restaurant, but every studio has an oven, hob, microwave, coffee machine, kettle and kitchenware, plus a washing machine. Daily housekeeping is provided; linen and towels are supplied, though the source does not say they are changed daily.
House rules
Pets are not allowed and the building is non-smoking throughout. Children of any age are accepted, with cots available for under-twos depending on the option booked, and no extra beds. Parties, including hen and stag groups, are not permitted.
Damage policy and payment
A post-stay damage charge of up to £150 can be requested under the property's damage policy. Payment handling varies with the booking option you select, so read the conditions attached to your rate before confirming.
Photos of Novana Aparthotel
Novana Aparthotel FAQs
Eight in total, according to two independent current listings. The accommodation listing sells five studio types, which is a different thing: five categories to choose from within a building of eight apartments.
Walk about eight minutes to Pollokshields East and take a direct train to Glasgow Central; ScotRail's journey data averages six minutes. Pollokshields West is slightly closer at about seven minutes' walk, with a direct run into Central averaging eight minutes. Crossmyloof is around twelve minutes on foot and Shields Road subway about thirteen.
Arrivals run from 14:00 to midnight and departures between 08:00 and 11:00. Tell the property your expected arrival time in advance. Photo identification and a credit card are needed at check-in, and the minimum check-in age is 18 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. The front desk is staffed around the clock.
Not on site. The listing describes free public street parking nearby rather than a private car park. Parking controls across Strathbungo and Pollokshields have been changing through 2026, so check the signs and restrictions on the street you park in rather than relying on a guest report of finding a free space. Bicycle parking is available.
No, there is no breakfast option and no restaurant at the property. Every studio has a full kitchen with an oven, hob, microwave, toaster, coffee machine and kitchenware, so most guests cook. Dini Pizza and Espresso Bar is about four minutes' walk and Bossa about seven.
No standard arrival deposit is documented, but the property's damage policy allows a post-stay charge of up to £150 to be requested. Payment arrangements otherwise depend on the rate you book, so read the conditions attached to your option.
Pets are not allowed and the building is non-smoking throughout. Children of any age are accepted, with cots available for children under two depending on the option booked. Extra beds are not available, and parties are not permitted.
No verified standalone website was found. Telephone numbers appear on travel directories, but none could be traced to a first-party source, so treat them with caution and book through the accommodation listing. The property previously traded as SH Apartments - Melville Street, which is why older entries use that name.
Other Places to Stay in Glasgow
Ibrox Argyll Inn
Two km west on Copland Road, right by Ibrox, and an inn rather than a self-catering studio if a kitchen is not what you need.
Glassford Residence
In the Merchant City itself, so you trade the quiet Southside street and the garden for being able to walk home from dinner.
Nelson Mandela Place Apartments
City-centre apartments a minute from Buchanan Street, worth comparing if you want self-catering but would rather be north of the river.
Ready to Book Novana Aparthotel?
Five studios, all with a kitchen and a washing machine. Pick the jacuzzi, the fireplace, the garden or the projector, and see which nights are open.
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