Stanwell Hotel By Mercure

The breakfast was lovely, with different menu options and staff happy to help. Everyone was friendly, and the hotel felt modern and nicely decorated. Our room had useful things like a hair dryer and safe. We’d asked for a twin and were told that was what we’d been allocated, but it wasn’t. Since we were only there one night after an in-house party, we didn’t make a fuss. Apart from that, we enjoyed the stay and would come back.

We left earlier than planned after a really disappointing overnight stay before our flight. The room was in poor shape, with a thin pillow that I had to pad out with my jacket, and the hotel generally felt tired and in need of renovation. The window had been left open, so there were mosquitoes and bugs in the room. The bath plug got stuck after my husband showered, which meant I couldn’t shower. At checkout we waited 10 minutes, but nobody came to the front desk, so we left the key in the box. The welcome was poor too: the receptionist didn’t acknowledge us for a full minute, despite us being the only people there, and then wasn’t friendly. We’d booked breakfast but weren’t told where or when it was served, so we missed it. We expected better from a Mecure hotel. I don’t usually leave bad reviews, as my other reviews show, but people should know what happened to us.

Breakfast worked well, with a nice range of hot and continental options, and the coffee was especially strong. Service was great. Some things looked a bit old, though the place was generally clean and pleasant. The shower setup was poor and let a lot of water onto the floor. We also had an organized dinner at the hotel, which was about what you’d expect from preselected meals, nothing especially fancy. I’d give the service 5 stars and the facilities 3.

It’s a handy place to stay for a flight, about a 7-minute drive from Heathrow, and I’d be happy to come back. Staff went above and beyond to make sure we could have breakfast before food service started. There’s free parking, and the room was well equipped. The heating stayed on full all night, so we opened the window to cool things down. The shower screen was too small as well, leaving a puddle between the bath and toilet.