Mercure Holland House Hotel Bristol, Bristol

The Mercure chain owns two hotels in Bristol. One is the Brigstow in Welsh Back, a busy area for nightlife right beside the river. The second is the Holland House Hotel and Spa, only five minutes walk from the Brigstow but in a quieter spot on Redcliffe Hill. Choosing the quieter option, I stayed for a Saturday night at the four star Holland House in July 2009.

'''First Impressions'''
After travelling by train, I had a walk ...
...pay, we all need a taste of luxury now and then!

'''Contact Details'''
Mercure Holland House Hotel and Spa
Redcliffe Hill
Bristol
BS1 6SQ

Tel:0117 968 9900

Or consult any room booking website of your choice!   ... more

The Mercure chain owns two hotels in Bristol. One is the Brigstow in Welsh Back, a busy area for nightlife right beside the river. The second is the Holland House Hotel and Spa, only five minutes walk from the Brigstow but in a quieter spot on Redcliffe Hill. Choosing the quieter option, I stayed for a Saturday night at the four star Holland House in July 2009.

First Impressions
After travelling by train, I had a walk of around seven minutes from Bristol Temple Meads station to Holland House. Be aware if you are taking your car the hotel enforces a parking charge of £10 per 24 hours. This is quite expensive in my opinion and would add substantially to your final bill if you were staying a few nights. Check-in is after 2pm., and on showing my confirmation letter to the receptionist I was dealt with very politely and efficiently. The lobby of the hotel was very bright and modern, with seating, a board showing flights at Bristol airport, and also information about attractions in Bristol.

My Beautiful Room!
My room was on the 3rd floor, and I had no trouble finding it. As I walked along the corridors, everything looked clean and decorated to a high standard. Putting my key card into the door of my room - oh, it was lovely! King size bed, desk with mirror above and built-in TV. A wardrobe containing an iron, ironing board, trouser press, hospitality tray, safe, spare pillows and towels. There was a small fridge, although this is not stocked unless you request it. A hairdryer was provided. On the far side of the spacious room was a small table with two chairs, and off to the left was the ensuite shower. Like the bedroom, the shower room was spotlessly clean.

Other Facilities
A Guest Directory in the bedroom gives most information that might be needed during a stay at Holland House. There is a swimming pool for guests' use, but I did not have time to investigate this in person. Bicycles can be hired free from reception. A spa/salon is at the back of the main building. Prices of treatments were rather expensive, for example nails - file and polish £10; Swedish massage - 20 minutes £30; Indian head massage - 40 minutes £30. The spa has a fitness suite, open to hotel guests. Wake up calls, newspapers, dry cleaning and laundry services can all be arranged via hotel reception. Wireless Internet is available in the lobby. There is a fixed computer near reception which you can use whenever you wish. If you have an Ethernet cable apparently you can connect your laptop to a socket in your room to obtain the Internet there. Reception can provide one of these cables, but I didn't have a laptop to try this for myself.

Testing It Out
Each room has its own temperature control. As in many modern buildings the windows do not open. I used the air conditioning to freshen the room a little, and this worked fine. I think on the top setting the noise might be annoying after a while. When I tried the TV not all channels corresponded with the list in the Guest Directory, and on some channels the picture was not watchable quality. As I was not going to be there long I didn't bother seeing if staff could do anything to improve this. I used the iron, hairdryer and kettle, all of which were fine, and the shower was absolutely fab! Good water pressure, plenty of towels, bath robes and some complimentary toiletries. After arriving back at the hotel on the Saturday evening I wished I'd bought a sandwich earlier and kept it in my fridge. Consulting the room service menu in the Guest Directory, I felt it was on the pricy side, but I can't sleep if I'm hungry and in any case it feels like a treat to order from room service. Drinks, sandwiches and paninis are available 24 hours a day, hot meals from 10a.m. to 10p.m. I settled on a prawn sandwich for supper at a cost of around £7. This was delivered within 15 minutes, a good amount, nicely presented with salad and crisps.

The Bed
This was firmer than my own, but I found it very comfortable. The sheets were lovely soft cotton. I thought the bedside lights rather dim for reading by, and as they are fixed to the wall you can't adjust them very much. I slept really well. Nothing disturbed me, possibly this was helped by being at the end of a corridor so not having many people going past. I noticed on the Sunday morning that the bells of St Mary Redcliffe across the road were ringing from 8.45. If you were trying to sleep in, maybe this would be a rude awakening, but I was already up and about.

Breakfast
Breakfast is buffet style, from 7.30a.m. until 11a.m. The restaurant is quite large and you choose where you want to sit. The selection of food was pretty extensive, including bacon, eggs etc, cereals, yoghurt, fresh fruit, Danish pastries, juices. Items seemed to be replaced quickly by staff. Overall I was impressed with the range and quality of food, except for the tea which was possibly the worst I have ever tasted in my life!

Checking out
Guests are asked to check out by 12 noon, although for an extra charge you can arrange earlier check in or later check out to suit yourself. Again staff on reception seemed very professional and well organised, and I checked out quickly.

Prices
I booked through Superbreak, at a cost of £75 for bed and breakfast. Prices on the hotel's own website are significantly higher, but some special deals are available. Perhaps I could have got a cheaper price if I'd had any flexibility on dates, but I was in Bristol for a specific event so could not take advantage of any other offers.

Conclusions
I really enjoyed my stay at Holland House. Standards of comfort and cleanliness were excellent. Staff were friendly and helpful. I would definitely stay here again. Although the price was higher than I would usually pay, we all need a taste of luxury now and then!

Contact Details
Mercure Holland House Hotel and Spa
Redcliffe Hill
Bristol
BS1 6SQ

Tel:0117 968 9900

Or consult any room booking website of your choice!  

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