More about Mercure London City Bankside Hotel
Good, clean but functional
by TripAdvisor Member Rusty75
Stayed here recently (Aug 2007) for a 2 night business stay. After experiencing the frankly dreadful Holiday Inn Express 100m down the road, this came in as a pleasant surprise. Ok, its quite functional and business like but very clean, spacious and modern too. The bathroom was a good size and the whole hotel was decorated nicely and in good neutral tones. Staff good , but as is unavoidable in London now they all seemed to be from East Eurpoe so slight language difficulties at times.
Overall, pretty good and I'll definitely be staying here again (and I can't really fault a hotel that has hot pancakes on the breakfast buffet !!)
nice hotel
by TripAdvisor Member blueandwhitehoops
room was well fitted with all mod cons and was very clean (spotless). All facilities worked perfectly.
Hotel has free car parking in a good central location but is still very quiet.
Breakfast offered a vast array of different foodstuffs from full english to american pancakes.
The only downside to this hotel is that it is very characterless.
Very nice hotel
by TripAdvisor Member telboy1999
My wife and I stayed in this hotel overnight on our way to Italy, and we were very satisfied. Our room was spotlessly clean and the staff were efficient and friendly. The food was very good too with a very wide selection for breakfast. It's lacking a little in character but this is more than made up for by the location, right on the South Bank, close to all the sights and very close to Waterloo Station for the Eurostar.
All in all, I would recommend this hotel to anyone staying in the area, as a clean, economical, friendly hotel.
Perfect for a weekend stay!
by TripAdvisor Member NC15
Stayed at this hotel for one night, we had one twin and one triple. Both rooms were quite spacious, and we had three single beds for the triple. Rooms were clean, had plenty of storage, safe, mini-bar, tv etc. No issues with noise - had a great nights sleep. Breakfast on a Sunday is up until 11:30 am - plenty of choice to suit everyone's taste. Located just behind the Tate Modern and a five minute walk to either Southwick or London Bridge station - perfect for those who don't mind travelling on the tube. Would definately stay again and recommend to friends.
Very Clean But
by TripAdvisor Member JPQ
Just got back from a two day trip to London to see both Tutankhamen and the terracotta warriors booked a package trip with supabreaks. The hotel is very clean and the breakfasts were very good, even though buffet breakfasts never work as something is always running out.
The problems we encountered are mainly minor we where on the fifth floor and despite no heating being one and the air conditioning being switched on to the max it was still stiflingly hot (this is December in the UK). Secondly the shower was in very poor repair and with hardly any pressure. Thirdly the parking is extremely limited but we did manage to squeeze on.
However the main concern was at check in when we were asked to supply a credit card (normal procedure nowadays) they not only swiped the card but also took a £200.00 charge to cover an incidental expenses not wanting to cause a scene we agreed (we spent £2.50 on a toblerone from the mini bar).
Upon checkout we were informed that the £200.00 deposit had been cashed and we would get a refund within 3-5days when they had cancelled the transaction. Once again we agreed not wishing to create a scene. I will be contacting my credit card company first thing in the morning to complain, and I will also be writing to the Hotel management to explain why they have taken £200.00 for no reason whatsoever.
If you think I am over reacting please add a comment but this is the first time I have ever come across this practice.
Exhilerating Break
by TripAdvisor Member HolidaygirlNorfolk
We stayed at this hotel from Thursday 27th to Saturday 29th December and had a wonderful London break at a dull time of year. The hotel is set amongst office buildings so may be noisy on business days but we found it very relaxing. It was immaculately clean and the staff were very helpful - it was also so near to so many attractions - just 5 minutes from the Thames and all it has to offer. The only downside was breakfast - the food was very good but the staff were overwhelmed by the number of guests arriving at 9.00 a.m. - no clean tables, no juice glasses etc. However they were doing their best and kept apologising for any inconvenience. I have recommended this hotel to friends as it is so central - we had a great time.
Nice hotel, pity about the breakfast!
by TripAdvisor Member jonstanford
Stayed for one night in January 2008
Check-in: We arrived somewhat early at 12:30 - polite guy on reception checked our room out and said it'd be ready in 20 minutes - and it was! No problems here.
The Room - very clean and fresh, pleasantly decorated, flat screen TV, mini-bar, safe, iron & board, tea & coffee. Had really nice comfortable king-sized bed and they put in a foldaway bed for our daughter. Bathroom ok, quite high step into bath, shower over bath.
Location - not bad at all, easy walk to Southwark Tube station - even quicker when worked out a short-cut! Easy walk also to Thames, Tate Gallery and Millennium bridge.
Check-out - no problems here, they stored our case all day too until we left London.
Breakfast - now, here's the downside - am glad it was included in our rate as they were charging £13.50 per person!! The staff could not keep up with demand at all, it was quite hopeless! The food itself was good but we were very frustrated we couldn't get what we wanted at the same time or even at all. Nice juice but I must have gone back 6 times for some more and couldn't get any. When they did bring more supplies it was gone in a flash, taken by all the vultures circling ! They really need to sort this out as it's many peoples last impression of the hotel which isn't a good one!
Apart from the breakfast, this hotel provides a good value, comfortable stay in London.
Good location and good value
by TripAdvisor Member winerunner52
Booked through Superbreak for two nights. Saturday and Sunday. Good location for "Southbank" attractions and 5 minutes from London Bridge station. Comfortable room - large comfortable bed, flat screen TV. Requested "high floor" and was placed on 6th floor (7 floors hotel) so happy with that. Everything worked and was in very good order. No problem with noise. Friendly and efficient reception staff.
Breakfast - as others have mentioned at peak time (eg. 9am Sunday) it is very busy - but so is every other hotel I have been to (and I stay at a lot). The staff worked very hard in clearing tables and keeping the (good quality and good choice) buffet topped up. Go before 8.30 or after 9.30. Monday at 8.30 was very quiet!
Car parking - although they say they have car parking there are only 4 bays and a further 5/6 cars can be squeezed on the forecourt. There is no charge but you do have to leave your key with reception.
Booking through Superbreak we paid half of the "advertised rate" . Although not in West End it is a good location and was a good base for our weekend. Recommend.
Nice Hotel, Good Location
by TripAdvisor Member loobyloo79
Stayed in this hotel for one night as I was attending a conference with work. The staff were friendly, the room was a good size and everything was clean and tidy. A friend stayed in the room next door and her room was smaller, but still fine.
The breakfast was busy but there was plenty including pancakes, waffles, bread, cold meats, cereals and cooked breakfasts items. They had run out of fried eggs, however the staff did refresh quickly. The only thing I would comment on was that the staff were very quick to clear away the breakfast dishes, meaning that the buttered bread left on the table whilst I was getting cooked items had gone from the table on my return.
