Blythswood Square, a five star hotel housed in the former Royal Scottish Automobile Club (RSAC) building in Glasgow, has opened.

The £25m redevelopment of one of the city's most iconic buildings has been carried out by boutique hotel group, The Town House Collection. The opening is around 12 months later than originally planned and marks the first of a three phase opening which will run into the New Year. Overlooking one of Glasgow's only remaining green spaces, the hotel offers 100 bedrooms including six suites and a top floor penthouse complete with rooftop hot tub. It will also house Glasgow's first luxury spa offering indigenous Scottish treatments, a 120-cover restaurant created from the RSAC's ballroom, bars, a private screening room and event facilities.

The spa at Blythswood Square will open early in 2010, offering bespoke natural treatments using Scotch Thistle extract, Scottish seaweed and a selection of treatments from the Anne Semonin and ila brands. It will be home to Glasgow's only Seaweed Bath chamber filled with organic seaweed sourced from the Hebrides. The marble Heat Suite will offer a range of hot and cold experiences including a large hydrotherapy pool. The 11m relaxation pool will lead to the Dark Pool where guests can float under a crystal chandelier.

The spa will also house a Rasul, relaxation rooms and nine treatment rooms including a double suite. Additional highlights of the hotel include a 35m salon featuring two original fire places, columns and cornicing, and a private screening room, the first in a Scottish hotel, which will be furnished in over 40 different designs of Harris Tweed.

Elsewhere is the RSAC's original 'Rally Bar', named after the Monte Carlo Rally which started from Blythswood Square in 1955. This is being restored to its former glory and will be available to guests booking the hotel's event suites. Blythswood Square joins four existing Town House Collection hotels in Edinburgh - The Bonham, Channings, The Howard and The Edinburgh Residence.