The Grand Hotel is a hotel located on Broad Street in Bristol, England, in Grade II Listed Building. It first opened in 1869 and has hosted a number of celebrities, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. 

It’s in the heart of the city, but the atmosphere is more historic than touristy. The interiors are modern, but original details, such as the cast-iron metalwork at the entrance and small-paned windows, remain. Nonetheless, some of the areas have begun to show signs of wear and tear. (In 2016, renovations to address this began.) 

The hotel has a restaurant and cellar bar on-site, but the pool and fitness center are in a separate building next door. Free Wi-Fi, on-site meeting rooms, and indoor paid parking are also available. Previous guests have complained about slow elevators and inadequate soundproofing. 

Visitors may also want to consider the Mercure Bristol Holland House Hotel, which has a pool and a fitness center on-site.

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel review

Description

The Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel is a magnificent Victorian building in Bristol’s heart, close to Temple Meads railway station.

The Grand Hotel is an elegant and convenient starting point for exploring Bristol’s rich history.

Brunel’s engineering masterpieces, the ancient cathedral, and one of the region’s finest shopping malls are among the local attractions.

Scene

This handsome five-story 150-year-old hotel is a heritage building and Bristol landmark, wedged across a street corner. Its facade features classic architectural elements such as arched windows, while the ground floor has French windows and an ornate cast iron and glass portico. 

The lobby is traditional, with masculine wood paneling, hardwood floors, and leather chesterfield sofas. The clubby theme is continued with oil paintings and framed historical documents. 

Overall, the look is appealing if dated and out of step with current fashion. The slow elevators at the property seem to emphasize its age. The hotel caters to both business and leisure travelers, particularly couples.

Location

Located across from the Law Courts in a business district close to the harbor, shops, and restaurants.

The Grand Hotel Bristol is in the city center, in a business district dominated by offices and courthouses, but it has a historic feel. 

There are few shops and restaurants in the immediate vicinity, but the harbor, shops, restaurants, art galleries, and theater are all within a 10-minute walk. Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station is a 10-minute public transportation ride away, and Bristol Airport is a 44-minute drive away.

Rooms

The Grand Hotel’s 182 rooms offer a variety of room sizes, from Family Rooms to Singles designed for solo travelers, but the latter can feel cramped with little floor space separating the beds from the wall-mounted TVs. 

The rooms have an adult feel thanks to a masculine color palette of grays, browns, and burgundy. Narrow striped carpeting and red-velour chairs, as well as framed black-and-white photographic prints, add an elegant touch. 

Bathrooms keep things simple with black-tile floors and white walls. They have shower/tub combinations (Suites include separate showers too). Sinks in some bathrooms can be quite small, with separate hot and cold water faucets.

Air conditioning, flat-screen TVs, coffee and tea-making facilities, hairdryers, irons, ironing boards, and free Wi-Fi are standard in all guest rooms. Bathrobes, slippers, luxury toiletries, and bottled water are included in Superior Rooms and Suites. There are no minibars or mini-fridges in the rooms.

Guest rooms that have yet to be renovated appear tired and show signs of wear and tear, such as stained carpets, dirty grout, and broken shower heads in the bathrooms. Guests have also complained about the lack of soundproofing.

Features

The Grand Hotel Bristol offers a variety of tempting amenities, although not all of them are available on-site. Tyrells serves a breakfast buffet of hot and cold dishes (not included in standard rates), and it is generally well-received. 

There is also room service, and lunch and dinner are served there. In the evenings, Marlows, the underground cellar bar, serves a variety of drinks and light meals.

Guests can use the swimming pool and fitness center at the nearby Otium complex for free. Although the fitness center is small, it contains a variety of cardio and weight machines, as well as free weights. For an additional fee, the hotel also has a sauna, steam room, and spa bath, as well as massage treatments.

Six meeting and special event rooms on-site can accommodate up to 600 people. Indoor parking is available for a fee, and bikes can be rented from the hotel.

 Wi-Fi is complimentary and free throughout the hotel.

Food and drink

The informal Keepers Kitchen & Bar is open throughout the day. It’s not your typical hotel restaurant, with its brick walls, distressed color scheme, varied lighting, and mix of wood and metal furnishings.

The “crowd-pleasing” menu is wholesome and has sharing boards (from £14.95), burgers (from £12.50), roasted garlic marinated half chicken (£13.95), salads (from £12.50), and flatbreads (from £6.95).

On Saturday nights, the bar and restaurant merge into one, and there is a DJ playing ambient/mellow music. Cocktails start at £8.50 and include two with honey (Keepers and Purple Rain), while the wine list is straightforward European/New World and starts at £20.95. Breakfast is self-service, with some à la carte dishes starting at £15.50.

Pros of Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel 

• A 150-year-old heritage building in the heart of the city, located across from the Law Courts.
• Rooms have flat-screen TVs, and higher-level accommodations include bathrobes and slippers.
• There is a restaurant, a cellar bar, and room service on-site.
• Use of a pool and fitness center in a nearby building
• There is a sauna, a steam room, a spa bath, and beauty treatments available.
• Six meeting and special event rooms are available on-site.
• Wi-Fi is complimentary throughout the property.

Cons of Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel 

• Inadequate soundproofing between rooms
• Some areas are showing signs of wear and tear.
• Standard rates do not include breakfast.
• Elevators that move slowly
• There are no minibars or mini-fridges in the rooms.

Restaurants near Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel 

• Urban Tandoor
• Full Court Press – Specialty Coffee
• Keepers Kitchen & Bar
• The Forge & Fern
• Congresbury
• Hort’s Townhouse Pub & Restaurant
• Salkaara
• Matina