Tulip Inn Newcastle, Gateshead

...WERE STILL PART OF THE TULIP INN CHAIN###

I won a night at this hotel in a charity auction at work. It is about 1 mile from work and about 4 miles from home, but a night away from the children with just my hubby is not something I would ever turn my nose up at.

LOCATION
The hotel is located just off the A1 in Gateshead and is easy to access. It is at the edge of a trading estate, 5 minutes drive from Newcastle ...
...Metrocentre. It is an ideal location for anyone wanting to take a break in this area which combines shopping, sightseeing and nightlife. There is a large free car park outside the hotel.

CHECK IN
The reception area is spacious, airy and welcoming. Check in was simple, I handed over the voucher that I had been given when I won. It was quickly verified, and I was not made to feel any less of a guest because I had not paid the ... more

####PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS HOTEL IS NOW A PREMIER TRAVEL INN AT THE TIME OF ME STAYING THEY WERE STILL PART OF THE TULIP INN CHAIN###

I won a night at this hotel in a charity auction at work. It is about 1 mile from work and about 4 miles from home, but a night away from the children with just my hubby is not something I would ever turn my nose up at.

LOCATION
The hotel is located just off the A1 in Gateshead and is easy to access. It is at the edge of a trading estate, 5 minutes drive from Newcastle City Centre, and 3 junctions on the A1 from The Metrocentre. It is an ideal location for anyone wanting to take a break in this area which combines shopping, sightseeing and nightlife. There is a large free car park outside the hotel.

CHECK IN
The reception area is spacious, airy and welcoming. Check in was simple, I handed over the voucher that I had been given when I won. It was quickly verified, and I was not made to feel any less of a guest because I had not paid the £79 for the room and whatever the cost of the meal would be (it worked out to be £52). I completed the standard registration card, and was asked if I wanted to book a table for dinner. I did, as it was included in the prize. Unfortunately, we could not have a table at the time requested, but the receptionist did apologise, and got us the next available time. We were handed our key, and off we went. There were 2 lifts which took us to the 6th floor where were staying.

THE ROOMS
There are 115 rooms in total. On first entering the room, it was clear that a designer had an input, as the rooms were very tasteful and not just your bog standard plain box rooms. The room was very spacious, and the en suite bathroom was small in comparison to most other hotels in this budget, but the actual washbasin was in the main bedroom so space was not tight, and the powershower was so nice I wanted one installed at home! There was no bath, but I prefer a shower when I am away from home anyway. The TV had limited satellite channels, just the news and sports but it is still better than your bog standard 5 terrestrial channels. The hairdryer was not the normal tiny plastic affair with a 2 foot cord, it was a powerful modern design with enough cord for me to see in the mirror whilst drying my hair. The tea and coffee was more than sufficient for a 1 night stay.
The hotel caters for a high percentage of business users during the week, and with that in mind there was a trouser press, fax point, direct dial telephone and wi-fi access, which I am sure was standard in all rooms.
I did notice there were no drawers and limited hanging space, but I did not take much for overnight anyway.
My only negative points about the room is that it was so roomy, they could add a sofa to maximise the comfort and use the space to more effect. The bed was not that comfortable and the pillows could have been plumper.

DINING
We went down to the Bibo bar an hour before our reservation for dinner so we could have a few drinks to chill out. As it was a Saturday night, we were entertained by some high spirited stag and hen parties having a few drinks in the hotel before hitting the town. We were a bit bemused to see that the Bibo restaurant was half empty when we had been told there were no tables. However, we only saw 2 waitresses so maybe they were limiting the number of diners to ensure the service did not suffer. The drinks in the bar were fairly priced, and we made ourselves comfortable and the large soft leather couches before heading into the restaurant for our meal.
The service was very friendly, and we were taken to a lovely secluded table in the corner of the restaurant. Our waitress was happy to discuss the menu and offer her advice, and when the food arrived it was delicious, and had it not been free I would have happily paid for it. The menu was varied and would meet most dietary demands. Breakfast the following morning was more casual, and was a hot buffett style with cereal, pastries, juice and hot drinks.

The hotel also offers limited conference facilities, as they do have meeting rooms but they are quite small.

I would recommend this hotel for anyone wanting to stay in this area but not directly in the city centre where parking is sparse and expensive. The staff were friendly and the facilities enjoyable. 

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