UK Edit: 24 Hours In Bristol With Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Our week in the Cotswolds felt like it was over in the flash of an eye. Luckily for me, there was a delightful little holiday extension for 24 hours as part of the Mercure Hotels #staydifferent campaign. Whilst Pete drove back to London with Maddie and all our belongings, I hopped on the train at Cheltenham Spa and zoomed down to Bristol for a night at the Grade-II listed Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel. Lucky me!

A guest of this striking Victorian grand-dame, it was a much needed 24 hours of selfish indulgence after our fairly rainy week away. The hotel itself is so stunning, with the elegant facade nestled away in the Old Town but just a short walk from the hustle and bustle. It felt both peaceful and in the midst of all the action at the same time.

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Internally, the hotel has a large and airy reception/lounge area with Keepers bar and restaurant off to the right. If like me you’re a little nuts about interiors, you’re immediately struck by the decor of the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel. The refurbishment has been completed in conjunction with Ian Haigh’s Central Design Studio and a collaboration with street art festival, Upfest. Over 500 pieces of artwork by local artists now adorn the walls and rooms of the hotel and the end result is so eye-catching. In particular, the reception installation by Gemma Compton and the carefully hand-painted wall decor by Cai Burton truly need to be appreciated.

Let me show you the room! Such a treat with soft green-grey walls, accessories which nodded to industrial trends and more local artwork. This print of King Kong targeting Clifton Suspension Bridge is my favourite. Essentially the room had everything you need from a stylish city hotel stay. And an extra special mention to the plugs, which I waffled on about endlessly on my Instagram stories at the time. TWO PLUGS AND TWO USB SOCKETS NEXT TO EACH SIDE OF THE BED. Now I appreciate that not every hotel is inhabited by a blogger, but most people no matter what generation these days are very tech savvy. There is NOTHING more annoying than getting to a hotel room to find there aren’t enough plugs or they’re miles away from the bed. Big thumbs up Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, you made my day.

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

My bed was super comfy (although it could have been a lack of bed partner that made it so ;)) with the right combination of sturdy pillows, cosy duvet and medium mattress. So many hotels make the mistake of thinking we’re all the Princess and the Pea, putting endless mattress toppers and duvets on top of the mattress, making them too soft. It’s bad for sleeping and bad for posture. Again, thumbs up Mercure. Your bed was so comfy that the next morning I didn’t make it down for breakfast and ordered room service instead #winning.

The bathroom was decadently huge for a city centre hotel, with natural light and a full-sized bath with shower over. Of course in a hotel room by myself it was the right thing to do to have a bath but a minor disappointment that the toiletries were Mercure-branded, rather than a quality identifiable brand. As important as the plugs are, so too are little things like toiletries. It’s only a minor criticism but this is a review after all.

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Our evening entertainment was dinner at the stylish Keepers bar and restaurant, so named because they have beehives on the hotel roof, and the bee theme was prevalent throughout the decor, a neat little touch. I hoped the other guests didn’t mind our small group of bloggers but we were comfortably accommodated. The menu is fairly extensive and a few of our party took advantage of it being Steak Night, but they have a way to go on service. The staff were friendly but service was fairly haphazard, both when we were being served pre-dinner cocktails (which were amazing by the way!) and during the meal. Items were forgotten, drinks brought over one at a time. It certainly wouldn’t stop me eating there again by any means but in all honesty, the restaurant doesn’t match up to the rest of the hotel standard-wise.

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

On Saturday morning before our main Bristol city tour, we were shown around the rest of the hotel space including the beautiful ballroom with its stunning chandeliers and the Wessex suite, ideal for business or private functions. But my favourite had to be the Cellar Bar which I really hope is brought back to life for public use. Currently only available for private hire, it used to be open as a main bar in the hotel and for me it just had so much more history and personality. Sure, the decor is a little old-fashioned but just being down there you could sense the amazing history, fun and conversations that must have happened. And I LOVED the main hotel toilets, interior lovers dream!

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

There is also a 600-year old well located in the bar, covered with reinforced glass so you can actually walk over it. It’s lit up so you can see all the way down to the water at the bottom and dare I say it, a shiver went up my spine as much as I loved the space. Perhaps not to spend a night there by myself but I’m delighted it still exists. We lose heritage all the time as renovations take place and I think the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel could do so much with this space.

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

All in all it was a wonderful stay and over far too quickly. I will absolutely be returning to the hotel and would give it a huge recommendation for anyone looking for somewhere to stay in Bristol. Tomorrow I’ll be sharing what we got up to on our tour with local culture blog, Lifestyle District!

Thank you to Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel for inviting me to stay at the hotel, including dinner, breakfast and afternoon tea free of charge in return for an honest review. This is not a paid collaboration. All words, opinions and images are my own unless otherwise stated.

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24 Comments

  1. September 27, 2017 / 9:33 am

    Wow, love the interior design of this place! The bedroom wall colour is gorgeous, really restful. My brother works in bristol so I must tell him about this place. #HomeEtc

    • Lins
      Author
      September 28, 2017 / 9:44 pm

      It’s so gorgeous, I’ll hopefully go back next time we visit x

  2. September 27, 2017 / 11:19 pm

    It looked amazing and loved seeing all the pictures you shared in your stories on instagram!

    • Lins
      Author
      September 28, 2017 / 9:50 pm

      Ah thank you lovely, I had such a good time X

  3. September 27, 2017 / 11:49 pm

    The hotel looks so inviting and designed so beautifully. I will definitely check it out if I’m ever heading that direction 🙂

    • Lins
      Author
      September 28, 2017 / 9:51 pm

      It’s totally worth a visit if you find yourself there X

  4. October 1, 2017 / 2:51 pm

    Love the decor – and that chair, gorgeous. Are those lights washing machine drums? #homeetc

    • Lins
      Author
      October 2, 2017 / 8:01 pm

      Yes Steph, spot on – I actually forgot to mention that!

  5. October 1, 2017 / 9:22 pm

    Oooh it looks so lovely, what a great way to spend a day and night. Plus a hotel room by yourself is the dream right?! Xx

    • Lins
      Author
      October 2, 2017 / 8:08 pm

      Becky it is the complete and utter dream! I could have stayed for a fair while longer 😉 Xx

  6. October 1, 2017 / 9:30 pm

    I am very surprised actually! I did not expect it to be this designer-y! For me, the winning picture is that of the bed with the hanging leather headboard – LOVED THAT!

    • Lins
      Author
      October 2, 2017 / 8:08 pm

      I was so surprised too! The decor is really lovely and unique X

  7. October 2, 2017 / 11:01 am

    The decor of this hotel looks amazing!!! Looks like you really enjoyed your stay, I know I would have!! I love staying in places that have a quirky and not so mainstream feel and look! Thank you for sharing your experience!

    • Lins
      Author
      October 2, 2017 / 8:09 pm

      I really loved it and I’m so with you on staying somewhere unique, I think it really adds to the whole stay X

  8. October 2, 2017 / 1:08 pm

    This is such an honest and thorough review, Lins. I truly enjoyed your Stories that weekend. I have stayed at the new Mercure in Bristol, but there’s a special charm about period buildings. Did you try the pool?

    • Lins
      Author
      October 2, 2017 / 8:16 pm

      THanks so much for your lovely comment Juan! Unfortunately we didn’t have time for the pool but perhaps a very valid excuse to return 😉

  9. October 3, 2017 / 9:48 am

    Ohmygoodness!!!! What a gem Lins!!!! Dickie’s nephew lives in Brizzle and we’re always looking for fab places to stay down there! Last time we stayed at Hotel Du Vin, which was lovely too. Love, love, LOVE the look of the Mercure!! That bathroom?!! Aaaah gorgeous tiles!!! 🙂 Fab review lovely! xx #HomeEtc

    • Lins
      Author
      October 4, 2017 / 6:06 pm

      Ooh yes if you’re down there regularly then I’d totally recommend a visit. That said, I’d love to check out the Hotel Du Vin too 😉 Xx

  10. October 3, 2017 / 2:04 pm

    Wow, it looks stunning Lins! Glad you have a wonderful break. Love that chair in the bedroom.x

    • October 3, 2017 / 2:09 pm

      Wow it looks stunning Lins! Glad you had a wonderful break, love that chair in the bedroom.x

    • Lins
      Author
      October 4, 2017 / 6:06 pm

      Ahh thank you so much, it was a real treat indeed X

  11. Jade Wilce
    October 3, 2017 / 7:22 pm

    What a wonderful stay you had, I never tend to stay in hotel chains (unless I have to!!) but this has really changed my mind, beautifully designed and decorated! 🙂 x

    • Lins
      Author
      October 4, 2017 / 6:08 pm

      I’m totally with you Jade, they’re normally so mundane aren’t they? It’s really good when you can find that breaks the mould X

  12. October 3, 2017 / 8:58 pm

    Such a gorgeous hotel. Glad you had a relaxing break. Love that chair in the bedrooom! x

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