Mercure St Helens

We were there for a family wedding, and the day went smoothly. The bride and groom were very happy, which mattered most to us, and the practical arrangements helped us relax and enjoy it. We’d had some booking issues at first, but General Manager Daniel Stewart dealt with them efficiently and professionally. He was approachable, accommodating, and happy to help. Thanks to the team for their efforts.

The hotel is in a nice spot, but a lot of small things made this a disappointing break. We booked two rooms for two nights. At check-in the man at reception was wearing a coat, so I wasn’t sure he was staff. He gave us forms and asked us to write who’d be staying in each room, but both forms had our daughter’s name, even though we’d made the booking. We filled them out as asked, then got two keys that didn’t match the forms. No one explained breakfast or whether we needed to book or pay, and they didn’t mention checkout time either, so we went out to eat. The TV in our room wouldn’t let us change channels. Liverpool TV was all we could watch. On the second day, we came back late in the afternoon and found a wedding reception underway. Nobody had mentioned it at check-in. The reception space is open, so music and children running, playing and screaming carried through the area above reception and down the corridors. Guests returning from the wedding were noisy too, and we got little to no sleep that night. At checkout, the receptionist was busy with another guest, so we used fast checkout and left the keys in the box. When she became free, she didn’t ask how our stay was or say thanks. The only thing she said was to ask for our room numbers. It could have been an enjoyable stay, but these issues let it down. We wouldn’t come back.

The room was a good size and had effective air conditioning, and the parking was easy. I also liked the gym, spa and pool for a hotel. There was nobody at reception for a while when I arrived, with no way to check myself in, but someone did turn up and got me sorted quickly. I’d stay again.

The one thing that bothered me was the TV in the dining room, which kept blaring eighties music at night and even during breakfast. Otherwise, the rooms were spotless, spacious and had huge, comfortable beds, and everyone on staff was so friendly and helpful. We had dinner there and a generous breakfast, with a gluten-free table and lots of fresh fruit and veg. I can’t make sense of some of the negative comments about the food. Maybe they’re from competitors.