Mercure Brigstow Bristol Hotel

The city centre setting is the main draw, with the riverside right there and the craft beer pubs on King Street just seconds away. I’d stay again. My room was modern and spacious, with a river view, though the bed felt harder than I like and noise carried in from the riverfront and corridors. I still slept well, probably because I’d had a few beers, so those were small issues. I was only there for one night.

Breakfast had a decent choice, but staff could have topped things up before they were nearly gone. The sausages looked very pale and needed more cooking. Our corner room faced the water and had two windows with panoramic views. It was comfortable and had enough supplies, and the bathroom TV was a fun extra. We really enjoyed staying here. There was some Friday night noise from drunk people passing outside, but it wasn’t unbearable.

I’ve stayed here twice before without many problems, so this visit was disappointing in several ways. The good parts were the spacious, clean, warm rooms, fairly comfortable beds, large bathrooms with good amenities, plus a mini fridge and coffee maker. The central location is always a bonus. We had a privilege suite with a balcony, but despite the no smoking notice there were cigarette ends outside. Used glasses and a wine bottle sat in the hallway outside our room for all 20 hours we were there, apparently left by nearby guests. Nobody warned us the lifts were out, so we had to climb four flights. That’s a real problem for anyone with mobility difficulties. I hope standards return to what they were before.

The breakfast buffet has plenty of choice, and I also like the restaurant food. The hotel itself is by the river, and it’s lovely to walk around the neighborhood. The rooms are fine but nothing special, which is why I gave four stars. A few small things could improve the stay: one of the two lifts was out of order, and they still provide those little shampoo and shower gel tubes, which seem like a lot of waste. I enjoy staying here.