Where to Stay During the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026
If you’re coming to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games this summer and you haven’t booked somewhere to stay yet, you need to get a shift on. Over 500,000 tickets have already been sold, there’s no Athletes’ Village this time, and the short-term let situation is tighter than you’d think. Here’s what you need to know.
No Athletes’ Village: What That Means for You
Unlike 2014, there’s no dedicated Athletes’ Village. Athletes and officials will be housed in hotels and university residences across the city. That’s thousands of team staff taking up rooms that would normally be available to visitors. Fewer rooms to go round, simple as that.
The Airbnb Situation: Don’t Bank on Short-Term Lets
A lot of folk assumed Glasgow Council would relax the short-term let licensing rules for the Games, letting unlicensed Airbnb-style properties operate during the event. That proposal was rejected. Only properly licensed properties can operate legally, and the council has been actively enforcing it.
The upshot is a much smaller pool of Airbnbs and holiday lets than you’d expect. Don’t plan your trip around finding a cheap one at the last minute. It’s not going to be like that.
Best Areas to Stay
Glasgow’s a compact city with excellent public transport, so you’ve got options. But some areas make more sense than others depending on which events you’re going to.
City Centre
Your safest bet if you’ve got tickets for multiple venues. Walkable to most things, the subway’s right there, and every bus route passes through. You’ll find everything from Premier Inn and Travelodge to Motel One, citizenM, the Radisson, and the Hilton.
Finnieston and the West End
Ideal if you’ve got tickets for the SEC and OVO Hydro, where a big chunk of the indoor sports are. Walk to the SEC campus in minutes, with Kelvingrove Park and the bowls venue just up the road. Some of Glasgow’s best restaurants and bars are along Argyle Street and Dumbarton Road. Boutique hotels and plenty of options along the Great Western Road corridor.
Merchant City
For events at Glasgow Green (which hosted athletics in 2014 and will be a key venue again), Merchant City puts you right on the doorstep. It’s also one of the nicest parts of the city centre. Cobbled streets, good restaurants, bars, and it’s got its own character. The area around Ingram Street and the Trongate has a decent selection of hotels.
Mount Florida and the Southside
Hampden Park is the national stadium and it’s in Mount Florida, about 15 minutes on the train from Central Station. If you’re mainly going to athletics or the opening and closing ceremonies, staying on the Southside saves you the commute. It’s also generally cheaper than the city centre. Queen’s Park is lovely if the weather’s decent, and Shawlands nearby has a brilliant food and drink scene.
Dennistoun
This is your budget shout. Dennistoun is just east of the city centre, walkable in about 20 minutes or a quick bus ride. It’s close to the Emirates Arena, which was a main venue in 2014 and sits right beside the Velodrome. The area has come on massively in recent years. Good cafes, a real community feel, and accommodation tends to be cheaper than the city centre. Worth a look if you’re watching the pennies.
New Hotel: Prize by Radisson at the SEC
There’s a brand new hotel opening right on the SEC campus in summer 2026. Prize by Radisson is a new brand from the Radisson group, and Glasgow is getting one of the first. You genuinely cannot get closer to the Hydro without sleeping in the car park. Mid-range pricing, so not the cheapest, but unbeatable for convenience if you’re all about the indoor events. Whether it’ll have availability by the time you read this is another question.
Budget Tips
Not everyone’s looking to drop a fortune on a hotel room, and that’s fair enough. Here are some ways to keep costs down:
- University halls. Glasgow’s universities (Strathclyde, Glasgow, Caledonian) often rent out student accommodation over the summer. It’s basic but clean, central, and usually well under what you’d pay for a hotel. Check their accommodation websites directly. They don’t always list on the big booking platforms.
- Book budget chains early. Travelodge and Premier Inn rooms are released months in advance. If you get in early enough, you can grab rooms for under £50 a night. Wait too long and you’ll be looking at £150+ for the same room.
- Hostels. Glasgow has several decent hostels. The Euro Hostel near the Clyde and the SYHA on Park Terrace in the West End are both solid options. Private rooms are available if you’re not keen on dorms.
- Look slightly further out. Paisley is 10 minutes on the train from Gilmour Street to Glasgow Central. Motherwell and Hamilton are on direct lines too. You’ll pay less and the commute is genuinely short.
- Set price alerts. Use Booking.com or Google Hotels to set alerts for your dates. Prices will fluctuate, and you might catch a cancellation or a rate drop.
Book Now. Seriously.
This isn’t the usual “book early for best prices” advice. No Athletes’ Village, restricted short-term lets, 500,000+ tickets sold, and the Games running 23 July to 3 August, Glasgow’s accommodation is going to be properly squeezed.
If you’ve got tickets, get your room sorted. If you’re still deciding, book something refundable now as a fallback. Glasgow’s a brilliant host city, but it’s not a massive one, and there are only so many beds to go round.
Check out our full Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games guide for everything else you need to know.
