James Watt, whose improvements to the steam engine helped power the Industrial Revolution, was born in Greenock in 1736, when the town was becoming one of Scotland's great ports on the Firth of Clyde. The elegant Custom House of 1818 still stands on the waterfront as a symbol of that maritime wealth, and right beside it, on Custom House Place, is Gin House Hotel, also listed as OYO Gin House Hotel and formerly known as the Bay Hotel.
This small three star hotel offers rooms with free wifi, a free continental breakfast, free parking, a bar, a nightclub and a convenience store on site. Live music and jam sessions sometimes fill the evenings. Greenock Central station is about five minutes on foot, and Glasgow Airport roughly twenty minutes by car. Guests rate it around 7.4 out of 10, often praising the staff and the price.