StuartLast weekend I took a short trip to Paignton for my husband’s birthday and I took the opportunity to stay at the brand new Mercure Paignton.
The Mercure Paignton is a new hotel which only opened in April 2023 on the former site of the Park Hotel which closed in 2017. It is located right on the seafront across from the pier and within a short walk from the town centre so it is very convenient.
If you are arriving by train then the station is about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. I decided to drive and I was able to park in the undercover car park for £15 for the night. Although this might be steeper than other car parks in Paignton, it is secure and attached to the hotel itself so there’s no need to go outside and I was able to get the lift right up to reception and my room.
Checking in to the Mercure Paignton
My check in experience was very efficient and friendly. I had been in contact with the hotel beforehand as I wanted to order a bottle of prosecco for the room as a surprise and to enquire about an early check in. These were both done when I arrived. The prosecco was accompanied by a lovely note from the hotel team and some cubes of fudge which were very tasty! I also had late check out until 5pm which you can pay for before you go to guarantee this. However, as an Accor card holder I was given this free of charge.
The Room
I booked a Privilege room which had lovely views of the bay and the pier itself through its floor to ceiling windows. As part of the Privilege room, I also had bathrobes and slippers, some soft drinks included in the mini bar fridge, Nespresso coffee machine and tea making facilities and complimentary bottled water. The room I booked also had a double sofa which could convert to a sofa bed. The interactive TV has a range of UK TV channels but I would have liked to have seen some connectivity with the TV so I could watch apps such as Netflix.
The bathroom had a walk in shower with a range of toiletries attached to the wall which smelled lovely and a heated towel rail to keep my towels dry. It was a reasonable size but two people would struggle to get ready in there at once.
The Bar at the Mercure Paignton
I went to the bar in the hotel to have a drink so we could settled in to our stay. The bar service was very efficient and personable and the prosecco at the bar was nice and chilled. There were some comfortable sofas and chairs to sit in but a majority of seats were at tables. I would have liked to have seen a few more of the sofas so I could relax further. The drinks were all done by table service and there is a menu of light snacks. There is also a patio area which was not used due to the inclement winter weather but this would be lovely in summer.
Dining at the Hotel
I decided to book a half board rate for the hotel. This includes breakfast and a £30 allowance per person towards the evening menu.
Evening Meal
Before the evening meal, I went down for a pre-dinner drink. It was nice to find out they had entertainment in the bar comprising of a really talented singer and pianist. The layout of the restaurant and bar meant I could hear this in the restaurant as well which was nice.
As the time for our table booking arrived (booking as advisable), the supervisor came over to say our table was ready and we were escorted in to the restaurant. I wasn’t particularly happy with the initial table allocation as I am not really keen on banquette seating. However, when we asked to move, this was done with the minimum of fuss.
There were two menus to choose from for dinner: the Festive Set Menu (£30pp) and the standard a la carte menu. It was good that I could use the restaurant credit for either of these menus. The food and the wine was quite reasonably priced, especially for a hotel. You could eat in the restaurant even if you are not a guest in the hotel.
The food was hot and tasty. However, there were a bit too many peppercorns in the pasta so I would ask for the dish without these next time. The service was also very efficient. However, with one of the waiters, the inexperience was evident at times especially when it came to dessert where we had an issue. However, the supervisor resolved this and the waiter came over to apologise and to confirm everything was okay. I appreciated this very much. Overall, it was a lovely meal in a really nice atmosphere.
Breakfast
Breakfast on the Sunday was served between 7am and 10:30am. I went down to breakfast around 10am and I was seated straight away. The food was still plentiful and hot. I could help myself to a range of cereals, pastries, fruit and hot breakfast items. As part of the cooked breakfast buffet there was scrambled egg available. However, I was told by the staff that if I wanted a differently cooked egg they would cook this fresh. I could also help myself to a range of coffees and teas including cappuccinos and lattes. We were also told by the staff when the buffet was about to close so we could get more items if we wanted.
Conclusion of my stay at the Mercure Paignton
I had an amazing stay at this hotel. The bed was comfortable and the room was very quiet. All staff I encountered were friendly and professional and couldn’t do enough for you. This is a real step up from what you think a seaside hotel would be. I would definitely stay here again if I was in the area. I look forward to the Ibis Styles opening in January which is located next door to the Mercure.
