Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kendal, Cumbria and Luzon
Programs: BA Bronze, PR Elite, Avis Preferred Plus, IHG Plat Ambassador, Avanti Platinum
Posts: 1,622
Second Stay - no slippers this time.
What is your Priority Club status?
Diamond Ambassador
Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes – IMO best UK CP
Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Standard Queen – Got Standard King Club Floor. Not sure if Premium is a category. But this room felt more Premium than UK HI’s/CP’s!
How are the rooms?
Good condition considering the close proximity to a major football stadium. The inevitable few carpet stains but housekeeping were clearly competent
Not a fab of the linen in UK CP’s but it was OK
AC worked – but I don’t really need it. That said I suspect Brits may find the building naturally “warm”
Only noise issue was very noisy juvenile Seagulls.
USB outlets and lighting good. But of course, not USB C
Minibar came with drinks (two water, two cola variants and two Tunnocks wafers.)
Shower and separate bath. Body/Hand wash, conditioner, shampoo and lotion were wall mounted (Antipodes). The lotion bottle waw as usual next to the faucets. As mentioned in previous reviews I find this irritatingly dumb. Washing your hands in the middle of the night with body lotion is a bugbear. This is not rocket science to sort out.
How is the exec. lounge?
For a UK/Western CP it is really good.
The evening lounge manager was beyond exceptional.
Views over the very attractive railway station and high-level Tyne Bridges.
Basic breakfast with sausages (surprisingly good), bacon (Massively under cooked), and hard-boiled eggs to add to a continental breakfast. Only fresh fruit was slices of melon in half-moons with rind on. For me it did a job as I really struggle with western pork and egg breakfasts.
Evening service was 17.30 to 19.30. Quality OK – usual CP deep fried selection plus some Lasagne, which was OK. That said nothing other than spring rolls and sausage rolls seemed to get replenished post 18.30.
Lounge was packed by 18.00. I moved seat 3X to assist locating groups/families.
What was good and what was bad?
Good
Rooms are of good size and well maintained
Good connection to public transport
Staff are astonishingly well trained and warm. They asked your name and remembered it. It was like being in Asia. If FT gave awards for best IHG staff in a hotel I suspect this hotel would walk it….
Swimming pool is “lovely” – as my grandmother would say
Neutral
Staff and hotel itself asking for Trip Advisor mentions – even handing out QR codes ( I have written to the hotel about this,)
Towels in swimming pool are very low grade – being polite
No face towels in rooms.
Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Astonishing value with LP at UK£71.20
TIP
If arriving by rail ignore Google Maps. Turn right out of Newcastle Central. Go barely 50M turn right again through the single lane road tunnel – Orchard St., where taxis line up to enter the station pick up. Turn right again and hotel is about 400m on the left.