Hotel room with a railway view

Imagine staying in a hotel overlooking the platforms at Warszawa Centralna station - the continual racket of muffled announcements of train departures and delayed arrivals penetrating your room. Can't imagine it? The Grand Central Hotel, overlooking Glasgow Central station gives you just this experience.

I've stayed here before, back in the early 1980s, staying here for a conference. If not the same room, then one with the same general view. There is a charm associated with the place; one can imagine it during the era of steam trains.

Below: looking at the hotel rooms from the station concourse. My room is on the top row, second from left. The double glazing and thick roller blinds do little to cut out the sound of the station's loudspeakers.

Below: view from my room, looking down on to the concourse. One for the connoisseur - I for one can appreciate the ambience, but would prefer total sound-proofing. As I write, around half-past eight in the evening, the announcements are no longer constant as they were in the late afternoon, but even between 21:00 and 22:00 this evening, there will be 35 departures from this station.

Below: it's a very special station, architecturally. Look at the girders, and the wooden fronted shops. This is a Grade I listed building, as is the hotel (notable for the fact that the very first long-distance television signal was received here in 1927).

I hope I'll be able to get to sleep and have an undisturbed night.

Postscript, Wednesday morning: the station announcements begin at 07:00; until then, the station operates in silence.