Radisson Blu Mercer Street review

Buried amongst the hustle and bustle of Covent, along the cobbled side streets in the surrounding of the boutique shop and delightful cafés is the Radisson Mercer Street.

A pleasant stroll of about 5-6 minutes from Covent Garden tube, the hotel is located on the corner of what is a mini roundabout but looks like a pedestrianised area.

I will be honest I didn’t actually realise it was the hotel I was looking for as there was a tree in the way of the main sign.  In someways this made me like it more… It felt exclusive and almost tranquil amongst the busy streets of London.

The bedrooms
The hotel has a 137 bedrooms each with a touch screen card reader, flat screen TV and free wifi throughout.

The room  I was in was compact but designed in a simplistic way that it made it feel spacious, however rich luxurious textured fabrics made it feel cosy and inviting.  Strawberries and home made cookies were left on the table as a welcome gift, and soft towelled dressing gowns sat eagerly waiting in the wardrobe.  It felt like a place of calm amongst the hectic London life.

The bathroom was smooth with marble tiles and a slim white bath complete with shower unit.  The shower itself was nice and powerful with a selection of toiletries and big soft towels to use.  Exactly what is needed after a long morning shower!

The room was as I said quite compact but that is generally what happens with hotels in London around popular places.  The majority of people wont stay in their hotel  all day when visiting because there is so much to do, but it will simply be a base for the towing and frowning.

The hotel, location and staff
The lobby was simplistic, clean, light elegant floors with dramatic artist sculpture dotted sporadically in the entrance area.  I probably should of said that the hotel has a collaboration with the Tate Modern, which I am fully aware some artists pieces delivered from this particular gallery aren’t to everyones taste but these just seemeed worked.  A fine balance between daring yet uber trendy, especially with the colours and grandness of some of the creations. I must admit I was mainly fond of the over sized chair and the fringed golden sheep… Sounds quite crackers but as I say it just worked.

The
hotel does have a gym but it’s very minimal but having a large gym/pool would perhaps be a waste?  If you’re in
London site seeing would you want the gym?

The hotel isn’t as large as some places as it’s in one of London’s hotspots but the hotel make use of every space without cramming too much in.  They clearly play on colours and fabrics to make it look bigger than it is and in no way did it feel over crowded, it also meant you didn’t get lost! Always handy.

The staff on arrival were all very friendly and extremely attentive without being too much.  The kind concierge staff we eager to assist with the doors and also take your luggage to your room.  I was in a in a superior room that even though didn’t overlook a glorious landscape (back of the building) it was so quiet considering the location.

Around the cobbled streets outside are all the theatres and the wonderful intriguing  cafés and restaurants.  St Martins Courtyard is a stones throw away and full of easy (yet delicious) places to eat, but if you didn’t want to venture out the hotel has it’s own restaurant called Scoff and Banter. I can’t comment on its evening food but the breakfast was fantastic.

The night in the hotel was very peaceful with no disturbances until around 7am.  It perhaps wouldn’t be the case for everyone but my room was located right next to the housekeeping door, unfortunately they started working early so there was quite a bit of noise.  This wasn’t obscene and I only think it was picked up on because of the time, and the fact my room shared a wall.

The food

The breakfast was located in Scoff & Banter and hosted by a team of happy attentive staff.  It was by far the best way to get up for breakfast – you are literally spoilt for choice.

A selection of cereals, (including build your own with nuts and seeds) pastries, salmon, ham, fresh fruit, freshly baked bread, smoothies, juice and of course teas and coffee.
You could have something hot cooked to order as well, with a tasty selection to chose from.  I’m really pleased they didn’t have a buffet because sometimes that can bring a hotel breakfast down, having items cooked to order makes you feel almost special.

There was unfortunately a down pour of water in the bar area next to us, which according to members of staff it was due to a shower/bath over flow.  The staff were extremely apologetic and tried their best to rectify the situation calmly, although when leaving breakfast there was no sign to indicate wet floor and the sheet laid down to catch the water was still there after the water had stopped.  It’s only a small thing but a sign would of been handy.

Summary

Overall I’d say that if you’re wanting to see London at a leisurely pace then this is the hotel for you.  I’d definitely say it’s somewhere you’ll want to be if you aiming to relax and indulge in London at a slower base, take in the bistros, the boutique and stroll about the cobbled streets and theatres nearby.  I found that I hardly had to use the underground because everything was in close walking distance, which was a huge bonus and down to the wonderful hotel location.  A standard room rate from £189 makes this a very reasonable hotel in such a sought after area… it gets the Annie Bean stamp of approval!

Annie

xoxo