Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Accor

Gdansk – Hotel Mercure Gdańsk Stare Miasto

I’ve stayed here before and it’s one of my favourite Accor hotels in Poland, so as there was a relatively low price I thought I’d opt for here for my single night in Gdansk. Here’s the view from my hotel window as I didn’t take another photo of the hotel’s frontage. The welcome at the front desk was immediate, engaging and personable, a very positive first impression.

The rather lovely seating area on every floor. This is one of those little touches that does make a difference. Thinking of my friend Richard, who gets tired easily, having a chair to sit down whilst waiting for the lift is very useful. Incidentally, he’s now a TV star, I’ll excitedly post links when iPlayer has his appearance on.

I booked a cheap single room, but was upgraded to an executive room and I was surprised and delighted at the arrangement. Clean, comfortable and I love that window seat option.

Drinks in the minibar. I didn’t want to be greedy and so I left the lager. I’m very helpful like that.

I wasn’t sure when I stayed last time if the drinks were free, but it was clear this time.

There were also some welcome gifts, a nice postcard, badge, amber soap and some sort of coffee. A really lovely gesture. Richard very much liked my exciting ‘welcome gifts from Accor’ page when I had it, so I must update that at some point.

The view from the window and one of the free drinks from the fridge, the Złote Lwy from Browar Amber. It’s a light, malty and refreshing drink with the view adding to the whole experience.

The Gdansk shipyards are visible here, formerly known as the Lenin Shipyards and where Solidarność was founded.

The view at night and the city’s main railway station is visible on the left-hand side.

Downstairs at the bar, these were the local beers to choose from as a welcome drink. The helpful team member said I could have any and I was tempted by the Baltic Porter but it was rather strong and I didn’t want to overdo it.

I instead went for the Kozlak from Browar Amber, which was sweet with flavours of toffee and caramel. I very much like it when hotels make an effort to support a local brewery, with Browar Amber being located in Bielkówko which is a little to the south west of Gdansk.

I won’t witter on any more as I’ve already written about this hotel, but I was entirely content at this repeat stay, it felt well managed and organised. And giving me free beer is always a way to get me to write lovely things about anything…. Unless it’s Greene King and then I’m more picky.

June 21, 2025
Vilnius – Novotel

I was fortunate to get a cheap rate for this hotel as it was a Sunday night, an Accor hotel that I didn’t visit when I was last in Vilnius. It’s a very well reviewed hotel on-line and it’s located in the centre of Vilnius, it was all a little more decadent than what I’m used to.

There was a wait of a few minutes to check-in as they had a little rush of customers, but it all looked quite organised in the lobby. They wanted to see my credit card so that they could take a deposit for the mini-bar that I had no intentions of using, but this became problematic as my cards are from Chase and don’t have the number printed on them. This caused the helpful staff member some confusion as she said she hadn’t seen this, so she decided to trust me not to run off with their Cokes.

The lobby bar and this felt modern and on-trend, but it didn’t ever seem very busy. It’s an interesting space that seems under-used, perhaps they should open a craft beer bar there.

They had two beers available as my welcome drink, one of which was some lager and this was the Penki Mazgai from Brick by Brick Brewery. It was perhaps slightly thin, but it had a tropical flavour, stone fruit and was an agreeable pale ale.

The welcome gift from the hotel, cheese, crisps, olives and red wine. I don’t much drink wine, especially red wine, but I did have this the following evening in Kaunas as they didn’t offer me anything there. A lovely gesture though and I fancied a snack. Although I nearly always fancy a snack, but that’s a different matter. I did take a video of the room, but no photos, but I don’t think it’s exciting enough to share. The room was clean, functional and in the bathroom there was a bath as well as a separate shower with the room design being near identical to the Novotel which I stayed at in Athens a few weeks ago. It was an upgraded room on a higher floor, not the cheap and cheerful room that I actually booked.

The view from the window of my room.

And at night.

Breakfast was included in the room rate and it was very busy, although I took this photo during a brief period of calm, although I found a seat without too much trouble. The space here is insufficient though, they have this large hotel and they’ve got a relatively small counter which is hard to navigate with the number of customers they have. At the back is the coffee area which also isn’t really large enough and there are numerous pinchpoints with this whole arrangement.

The hot food, which I ignored.

The cold food selection at the end, which was reasonable choice although not as good as in Dortmund. I liked the choice there, not least as they had guacamole. I suppose one of the challenges is trying to offer people what they want, so sacrifices are made with the quality to offer this level of quantity. Although I would personally have them ditch all the hot stuff and replace it with guacamole, I accept that this might not be a decision that went down with universal approval.

That’ll do. I’d add I might have had another couple of plates of this and at least two litres of orange juice. They had takeaway containers for the coffee which is a helpful bonus so that I could have one for the room as well.

As mentioned, the on-line reviews are very positive although one guest went to TripAdvisor to leave a 1/5 as there was a small hole in their bed sheet. I do wonder sometimes how people cope with life, but maybe I have lower expectations. And the member of the public who wasn’t allowed to use the toilet even though they’ve stayed at an Accor hotel in another location before, so they felt the need to leave a 1/5. Not only that, but he made sure to mention the staff member to try and cause her issues, which feels rather unfair to me. The vast majority of customers were though content with their stay, I just like having a little read of the negativity.

For the price that I paid, which was around £50 for the room and breakfast, I thought that the value was excellent. I’m not sure that they made much on me given they upgraded my room, gave me a welcome wine, snacks and then a welcome drink, but I’ve left them a positive review and I’m wittering on here in a helpful manner. I’d definitely stay again, although the rack rate for this hotel is usually quite expensive, so I might have to pick a cheaper option unless it’s a cut-price Sunday again…..

June 21, 2025
Dortmund – Mercure Dortmund City

I had a one night stay at the Mercure Dortmund City a few days ago and it’s fair to say that I rather liked the hotel.

I had arrived, without sleep, into Dortmund so I thought that I’d go to the reception desk at 14:00 to see if the room might possibly be ready. It was and the staff member there was friendly, engaging and personable. The welcome gift here is offered in this large glass bowl, so I went for some chocolate to give me energy. Although I was so tired I forgot to eat it and found it in my bag the next day (the usual energy I bring to things evident there….).

The room, which was an upgrade from the cheap and cheerful £40 one that I’d actually reserved. I got a Nespresso machine, a highlight of an upgrade, and all the trappings of someone who pretends they understand crema and intensity levels. There was also a large bath in the bathroom, something sadly being removed from hotels at some pace at the moment.

And a large bottle of water which given the extreme heat of Dortmund was much appreciated.

Some decorative items on the wall of the corridor. I didn’t understand them, but they were trying and I respect that.

The bar area, everything spotlessly clean again.

My welcome drink of the Dortmunder Kronen Pilsener which was light, hoppy and a bit generic, but improved considerably by the supply of snacks.

The breakfast was excellent and it’s a reminder that this is something Germany can do better than most other countries. No distraction of unnecessary hot food, just delicious cold items such as meats and cheeses.

Yoghurt, salad items and bread in the background.

This went well on my yoghurt.

And guacamole! Every hotel should offer this and I apologise that they lost quite a lot of it to me that morning (along with quite a few olives), but guacamole and bread is a delightful thing. There were also little cakes, rich coffee and numerous juices. A delight.

I read through the on-line reviews and most are broadly positive, although a few uncultured heathens complained about the breakfast, but I hope that the hotel ignored them. The extreme heat of Dortmund that weekend, when it was reaching 33°C which is evidently excessive, meant that the room temperature was just marginally above where I’d like it, but the air conditioning was doing its best.

I left my bag behind reception for the day and I’m pleased to say they returned it in the same immaculate state that I gave it to them. Everything about this hotel was clean, organised, functional and worked. Actually, it’s a shame that the hotel doesn’t operate the Dortmund public transportation system, but I may have already written enough about that.

June 17, 2025
Budapest – Ibis Styles Budapest Airport

I mentioned in my last post that it took just seven minutes for me to get from the aircraft to the reception desk of the Ibis Styles, a building they share with their sister Accor hotel chain Tribe.

The team member at the reception desk was friendly, engaging and welcoming so my first impressions were positive. They use the bar at Tribe for drinks until midnight, so I was able to get my welcome drink there, opting for the Soproni as that was the only beer that they had. As an aside, an on-trend brand such as Tribe should probably have a better range of beers, but I won’t get distracted down that path.

I note that the hotel gets some negative reviews from airport users who want to come in and use the bar facilities overnight whilst waiting for their early morning flights. I’m with Accor here, you can’t really have a hotel which has a heap of people sleeping in their foyer when they’ve got hundreds of rooms on the floors above. For those staying in the hotel, they do though have a 24 hour bar available.

It was a relaxed and comfortable vibe though, Accor have been pretty ahead of the curve on making these foyer areas feel welcoming.

The room, before I had found the light switches. The hotel didn’t have opening windows, but the air conditioning worked well and soon made the room freezing cold just as I like it. The ceilings in the room are raw concrete, with a couple of lines painted on, which has annoyed a few customers who assumed that their rooms hadn’t been finished. I’m all for the industrial look though, although I didn’t follow the instructions plastered on the wall about making a paper airplane. Quirky is positive though, there’s enough corporate blandness in the world already.

And the room after I had found the light switches.

And the rather lovely welcome gifts which were very much appreciated.

Breakfast was included in the room rate and the hot options were better than they often are, with the potato lumps (probably not their official term), the roasted vegetables and the tomato based sauce all having some taste and flavour to them. The sausage was a bit generic but it was all at the appropriate temperature.

The cold elements of the breakfast, always my favourite part. I tested a lot of the cooked meats selection and that met my expectations.

There we go…. After I had collected the various component parts of the breakfast up as there were separate bread, juice and pastry counters. The breakfast area was quite large and it was quiet when I was there, but the opening hours are long and they offer light breakfasts from 04:00 for those with early flights (or those who just get up early).

I liked this hotel, it was clean, comfortable and everything seemed to work properly. The major selling point is that it’s the airport hotel and is just a two minute walk from the airport terminal, which is rather optimal to say the least when arriving into the city late at night. I’d happily stay here again and the pricing seems reasonable for an airport hotel, it’s cheaper than the numerous options at Luton Airport.

June 2, 2025
Basel (Saint-Louis in France) – Aparthotel Adagio Access Saint-Louis Bâle (Accor Hotels)

I haven’t stayed at an Adagio before, but this one was showing as the cheapest Accor option in the area. The Adagio Aparthotels brand is offered in three distinct tiers, Adagio as the standard option, Adagio Access for budget-friendly stays and Adagio Premium for a more upscale experience. No surprise I was visiting an Adagio Access, I know where I stand in the hotel hierarchy….

After the faff of getting here, I was pleased to see the welcome gift of crisps and water, a nice little gesture. The check-in had been a little convoluted as the person in front decided to ask far more questions than I felt necessary about the hotel, but as patience is one of my middle names, I just stood and tried not to look too passive aggressive whilst standing there waiting. The team member at reception was helpful and engaging, with everything feeling well managed here. Unusually, I was given an actual key to get into the room rather than a card, it felt like something of a throw-back…

The bedroom area of the room, with everything being clean and organised.

The kitchen area, with the desk and bathroom at the rear of the photo. I didn’t need to use the kitchen area at all, as I decided to eat my crisps from the packet rather than from a plate, but I noticed from signage that they would be charging if the washing up wasn’t done.

The view from the window over semi-rural France. It’s located in the French village of Saint-Louis and is literally a one minute walk from the Swiss border and it’s easy to meander into Basel from the hotel.

As I rather like doing this, since I don’t get out much, I thought I’d have a little look at the reviews to see if there was anything exciting.

“I was going to take a shower and didn’t have hot water, tried to call the reception and they wouldn’t answer the telephone. Had to go there in a towel.”

No, there is no logical requirement here to walk to reception in a towel.

“Catastrophic. Having to leave the hotel at 7:00 a.m., I asked if it would be possible to have a simple breakfast made for me, namely a small coffee and a glass of orange juice. I was told that breakfast opened at 7:30 a.m., period.”

I’m not sure that being a refused a breakfast before they were open is “catastrophic” especially when each room has a little kitchen, but each to their own….

“Well situated, but disastrous bedding. Definitively NOT recommended for side sleepers as the beds are as hard as a rock.”

Disastrous?

“We reserved 2 rooms at this Aparthotel when flying from Denmark to Basel. Unfortunately, our flight was cancelled at the last minute after we already traveled to Copenhagen Airport and got our boarding passes. We had no options at that point but to cancel our trip to Switzerland, France, and Germany, because we had to return to the USA soon. On top of this great disappointment, the hotel would not cancel the room and refund our money. We called as soon as the flight was cancelled, which was late, but they were unwilling to make any adjustment. I understand that was their policy, but in a situation like this, I would expect better customer service, rather than hiding behind their policy.”

I liked that the hotel reminded them that they had booked non-refundable rooms and that their policy was common in the industry, adding “the cancellation of your flight was not our doing” and they’re not wrong there….

As they’re designed as apartments for slightly longer visits, I doubt that many guests usually stay for just one day at these hotels, but I suspect they are sometimes quite cheap as they have gaps between bookings that they can’t easily fill. Anyway, it’s not really a brand within the Accor chain that I’d prioritise in terms of staying as I don’t need kitchens and the like, but if it looks like an affordable option I suspect that I’ll be there again…..

April 24, 2025
Accor Hotels – Newcastle Accidental Booking Review

I was eating breakfast this morning at the Mercure in Warsaw and because I’m really exciting, I thought I’d look at reviews of Accor Hotels on Trustpilot. I saw this review and thought that this must be nearly impossible to do and I was initially sceptical how someone could do that.

But I did a dummy booking and, actually, I can see exactly how someone would do this. Accor displays the price in GBP as standard for customers in the UK and as their hotels have similar external designs globally, I don’t see anything in the photo that would immediately stand out. I feel quite sorry for the guy, if he spent over £1,000 on room bookings for a hotel he couldn’t use, that’s really quite sub-optimal and I’d certainly be disappointed as it’s obviously not completely out of their hands. It’s actually very much in their hands.

April 20, 2025
Wrocław – Ibis budget Wrocław Południe

For my final night in Wrocław, I switched to the Ibis budget Wrocław Południe which was £30 including breakfast. Fortunately, I had enough points to pay all but 0.8zl (about 15p) which it was noted was the cheapest room they’d charged at the hotel for a while. On which matter, the receptionist was friendly, engaging and spoke beautiful English (as in, she spoke it beautifully rather than me making some general comment about how great English is as a language….).

I forgot to take a photo of the room as I was distracted by the welcome gift, which the hotel doesn’t really need to offer but I always appreciate it. Especially when it’s food. I have stayed at this hotel before, but it was around eight years ago and all I remember is the three mile walk to the city centre. I made sure to leave a five-star review because they gave me a doughnut and that is why hotels should give doughnuts…..

From my extensive collection of photos that I keep….. This is the room in 2017 when I last visited and it hasn’t changed much to be honest.

To quote the great philosopher Frank Spencer, a trouble shared is a trouble doubled, so there are other things…

The view from the window and it’s a peaceful location. The building in front is the Novotel, but it’s quite a bit more expensive than the Ibis Budget and I’m not as decadent as Richard.

The breakfast buffet arrangement, albeit at a slight angle.

Very hearty. Bread, butter, gherkins, salami, a hot dog sausage, tomato, cucumber, cheese, coffee and apple juice.

This is a photo I took in 2017 of the breakfast room, which also hasn’t really changed much. The on-line reviews of the hotel are generally positive, although I suspect that some people have some perhaps excessive expectations for a budget hotel. Such as….

“No brush or toothpaste. No water bottle or drinking water.”

I mean, there is drinking water out of the bloody tap. And there’s a Lidl a short walk away, but I’m not sure many hotels supply toothbrushes in rooms.

“No shelf under the sink”

I really don’t know how some people cope.

“The distance of the hotel from the most important points of the city of Wrocław. Everything is far away. For people who do not have a car at their disposal, it will be incredibly inconvenient.”

I’m annoyed on behalf of the hotel (I’m like that) about reviews like this. Why on earth book a hotel which is three miles out then? It’s a 45 minute walk into the city centre and there’s a bus stop which is a two minute walk away for those who want to use public transport.

“Breakfasts are a big disappointment, a few concise vegetables and cold cuts. I do not recommend buying!”

I like the hotel’s response which was “We would like to remind you that we are an economical one-star hotel that offers basic products for breakfast. However, this does not mean that there is nothing to choose from. In addition to cold meats and vegetables, we also serve yellow and white cheese, pâté, two types of salads, fruit, three hot dishes, breakfast cereals, yogurts and jams. However, if you are looking for more variety, we encourage you to check out the breakfast offer at our partner hotel Novotel Wrocław City, which is a three-star hotel. We believe that the breakfast offer of this hotel will meet your expectations regarding the variety of dishes”.

Anyway, I really like this hotel which is in a peaceful area of the city, it’s keenly priced, the staff are friendly and there were no noise issues. All really rather lovely and I managed admirably without a shelf under the sink.

March 26, 2025
Athens – Novotel Athenes

A sleepy bear at the Novotel Athens where I spent three days and I will say in advance that this hotel surprised and delighted me. I was very pleased to discover on arrival that they had upgraded me to a room on the top floor with a balcony and a free mini-bar of soft drinks which would be refilled daily, which is hardly bad when paying under £50 a night. Richard checked in later and they had shoved him on a lower floor and not given him a balcony, but he did have a view of the Acropolis if he looked carefully in the right direction. They gave him two macarons (one of which I had) and some wine to distract him from noticing how small his room was, but I didn’t say anything.

I liked that the receptionist pro-actively told us of the potential problems the next day and it was also signed around the hotel, but more of that later.

The room and it also had a large bathroom that had a bath and shower. I’m not a design expert, but the light colours were cooling and the carpet was clean and seemed a sensible colour to me. That’s it, that’s my design opinion.

The balcony. As one of those people who likes city noise, I rather liked keeping this door open at night. I didn’t have any noise issues internally or externally, indeed, it wasn’t entirely clear how many other guests were actually staying here. There was air conditioning, but I didn’t much need it on which was handy as opening the balcony door turned it off.

The receptionist said that they refilled this daily, although the cleaning staff forgot on the second day, but I won’t hold that against them. They were probably shell-shocked when they entered Richard’s room early without knocking, although he quite rightly went to reception to complain about that situation. There’s also a kettle for those wanting hot drinks.

The view from the balcony and I will say that it’s not the best location within Athens as it’s not the most salubrious of areas and it’s about a twenty-five minute walk to the Acropolis area. The hotel was built in 1988 and received a large renovation in 2007 which has given it more of a modern feel. There are some design quirks, there are two sets of double automatic doors which the hotel doesn’t use, but which guests keep trying to use as they don’t sign they’re out of use. The layout of reception, the restaurant and breakfast room isn’t in keeping with how the designs are arranged now, but everything was easy to find.

I did also have a view of the Acropolis (it is there if my two loyal blog readers look carefully), although I accept Richard’s was clearer than mine. There’s a swimming pool on top of the hotel, although I didn’t go and investigate it, nor did I burden myself with visiting the gym.

The welcome drink and I went for a Paulaner Weissbier which I’ve never had before, it was rather good, smooth with banana notes whilst being light and fluffy. Richard had a red wine which he hated. Bonus points to the hotel bar for the chilled glass and also the free nuts.

There is an underground car park over two levels and it’s free of charge, which is unusual. I won’t go into too much detail of the little crisis that Richard had when trying to drive out of the car park up the ramp, but I was very brave in very challenging circumstances where I thought we’d be there all day. All told, I thought that this was one of the best Accor hotels that I’ve stayed in. The staff were friendly, the hotel was spotlessly clean, the room exceeded my expectations and the service was on point. All rather lovely and a credit to the Accor chain.

March 3, 2025
Athens – ibis Styles Athens Routes (Visit 1)

The outside of the Ibis Styles in Athens where I was staying for one night, although I stayed there again for my last night in Athens. The staff member at reception was exceptionally friendly, explaining about the hotel and offering a positive first impression. It’s relatively centrally located and not far to walk for the Acropolis and other city centre delights.

The room which was an upgrade to the one that I booked. Spacious, cool, clean and with a desk.

It also had the benefit of having a balcony which brought about a rather pleasant breeze and I’m also one of those people who likes road noise.

The welcome drink and I was offered a choice of three beers, although they’re effectively all lagers. I went for the Mamos from the Athenian Brewery, a generic but not unpleasant clean and light beer. I also like the free snacks that are provided with drinks in most locations in Athens, this is one of the little policies that I wish was followed in the UK.

The on-line reviews are very positive and not many customers seem annoyed with them. The area is agreeable and doesn’t feel like you need a stab jacket, with the design feeling modern and on-trend. Their restaurant isn’t open at the moment other than for breakfast, although the bar is trading as usual. I didn’t have breakfast, as unfortunately the days of free breakfasts at Ibis Styles have long gone and the cost of over £12 seemed a bit high. I enjoyed the stay so much I booked to return for my final night, although matters weren’t quite as decadent on that one. But more about that another time…..

March 2, 2025
Rotherham – Ibis Rotherham East

This is now routinely the cheapest Accor hotel venue in the country (although it’s the fifth cheapest tonight, Ibis Lincoln is down to £34), priced even lower than the Ibis Budget hotels. I’ve now stayed here twice and the room rate has averaged £26 a night, which is to be fair not very sustainable. However, they don’t need it to be sustainable as the hotel is coming to the end of its 25 year lease and it’s on the market for £4 million and will cease being an Accor hotel in a few months.

I had a seven minute wait for check-in as there were no staff visible. It’s never entirely optimal, but I don’t think they were expecting many guests to check-in. I had two bookings, one of four nights and another of one night, but they didn’t have the technology to merge the two bookings and I often think it’s just best to keep them separate to avoid confusion. All the staff members were helpful and personable, it was probably the main thing that was keeping everything together at the moment.

The room is dated, but serviceable. It’s the old style Ibis design which was phased out several years ago, but I imagine there was little point making a large-scale investment at this stage. The broken hairdryer holder in one room had its last electrical safety check in 2007 to show how little has changed here. The bathrooms need a refit and they need to have the traces of mould removing as well, that’s a slightly sub-optimal arrangement.

I was disappointed when I e-mailed the hotel to say I might not be there for the first night (it was the day of the storm) and they didn’t burden themselves with taking the time to reply. I will be disappointed if I have to chase up the 200 points I got from the above ‘skip the clean’ offer, but I suspect I’ll have to. As a comparison, I e-mailed Ibis Budget Warsaw Centrum a couple of weeks ago to tell them I might be arriving at 01:00 (I’m aware they didn’t need to know this, but they do say to let them know) and they responded within three minutes.

They didn’t mention the welcome drink at check-in, but it was willingly given when I asked for it.

For my purposes, the hotel was generally clean and it represented excellent value for money when taking into account this is boosting my room stay nights at a very low price as I return to Platinum this year. It offers breakfast and meals, but they don’t try very hard to push these, and when I walked by the restaurant area was nearly always empty. It’s a challenge given that they’ve got a McDonald’s literally in front of the hotel, and a Greene King pub next to it. It’s a tired hotel and a country mile behind the standards of Ibis in Poland in particular, but at the price point they’re charging, I was entirely happy. There was some internal noise, but no external noise, with the temperature in the rooms being appropriate. There’s a good chance that I’ll stay here again before they cease being an Accor venue, especially as the regular First buses to Maltby to Sheffield go by the main road adjoining the hotel.

January 31, 2025