Detailed review by fizzytom
fizzytom
Gateshead, United Kingdom98%
The hotel is in a good location and it is possible to shop around and get a reasonable rate. For a short stay the facilities are adequate but the hotel is let down in terms of the standard of service. It might be a good idea to have one receptionist dedicated to helping guests with enquiries other than check in.
Mercure Manchester Piccadilly6
Ratings
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Room
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Size
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Cleanliness
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Features
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Room Condition
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Design
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View
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Overall the general impression was that the rooms were cosy and comfortable; practically speaking, though, two people sharing a double room wouldn't want to do so for more than a couple of nights. The bed was a small double and there was one chair, a straight-backed chair that didn't offer much in the way of comfort. The small size of the room meant you could only really watch television from the bed; anywhere you might have been able to situate the chair would have been too close to the screen. Interestingly there was no remote control for the television - they had, no doubt, reralised it was totally unnecessary.
The clothes hanging area was tiny and there was also no obvious place to stash luggage after unpacking. Luckily, there was the usual trouser press - probably vital after you'd extracted your crumpled clothes from the miniscule hanging aea. There was a kettle and the makings of tea and coffee as well as a couple of packets of shortbread. It was difficult to find somewhere to plug in the kettle and use it safely because the surfaces were quite narrow and the cable was so short.
In general the electric sockets were poorly located for anyone wishing to use hairstyling equipment in front of the mirrors.
The colour scheme was acceptable if a little unimaginative. the furnishings were in good condition.
Our room had a view over Piccadilly Gardens which was especially pretty because of the beautifully lit Christmas tree. Being on the twelfth floor we could escape traffic noise although it should be noted that the window opens only a fraction and I could imagine the room could get stuffy in wamer weather.
The en suite bathroom was small but pristine. The only negative was that there was a small lip around the washbasin that filled with water if you ran the taps fast enough to get hot water. The mirror was so far behind the basin that when you leaned towards it to apply make up, your clothes were soaked by the water in that lip.
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Hotel facilities
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Appearance/Architecture
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Lobby Atmosphere
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General Condition
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Front Desk
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Staff
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The hotel is easy to miss, situated in the centre of a modern block of shops, it is dominated by the multistorey carpark attached to it. You enter at street level and proceed to the second floor where reception is situated. On the surface it looks quite good and even expensive but slowly small faults start to become noticeable. There were already people waiting to check in and there were three staff behind the desk. It took twenty miuntes to be attended to and checked in. One didn't get the impression that the staff were especially bothered or welcomed additional requests for information from the guests.
There were no city plans available but there was one on the wall. However the lighting was so dim that you couldn't see the map very well. We would have asked the reception staff for directions to our restauant but the check in queue was too long when we were going out. As a result we ended up taking a taxi to a restaurant just a couple of minutes walk away.
In the morning we only needed to place our room key in a box in reception to check out. We would have liked to have stored our luggage until lunchtime but again the queue was so long we didn't have time and ended up hauling our bags round the city all morning.
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Food & Beverages
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Food Variety
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Food Quality
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Range of Beverages
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Service
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We ate only the breakfast buffet served in the Arts Restaurant on the third floor. We had to queue for fifteen minutes until a table became free. When we did get a table nobody came to ask us if we wanted tea and coffee and toast. We had to physically chase staff round the tables to request these. It was another ten minutes before these items arrived at our table.
The food was not exciting but the hot items were hot and tasty. There were also cereals, patisserie items and fruit.
The table next to us was not cleared and then other people started to use it to pile their dirty crockery on. Eventually we felt like we were sitting in the kitchens by the sink. I asked a waiter why the tables were not being cleared and he made a lot excuses without actually gettting it done.
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Location
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Location (City)
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Transportation Connection
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Shopping Opportunities
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Cultural Opportunities
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Night Life
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Quiet Location
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The hotel is located just five miuntes from both Piccadilly mainline train station and the Chorlton Street Bus Station. Just round the corner is the tram stop at Piccadilly Gardens.
There are plenty of pubs, cafes and restaurants in the vicinity and the hotel is one the edge of Manchester's vast shopping area.
The hotel is within walking distance of several theatres and concert venues.
Although the area is busy in terms of traffic we experienced no disturbance from traffic noise.
