Lifestyle

Mercure London Bridge Launch

June 27, 2013

Yesterday evening I attended a party thrown by the Mercure hotel near London Bridge. The hotel has just had an extensive re-design and last night I was invited along to celebrate and check it out.

As soon as you walk into the hotel, you can’t help but notice the superb new welcome lounge. The lounge is a public space of the hotel and sort of looks like a really trendy living-room. What’s great about this space also is the three separate check-in areas, yes three! You have the high reception desk for guests who wish a speedy check-out, so think business people staying the night.

There is also medium and low host tables which are great for families or solo travellers, the idea is for you to take your time checking in and relax on the comfy sofa areas and even enjoy some cookies. I really loved the idea of not having a reception desk straight in your face, it felt really welcoming and I loved all the furnishings, including this skull candle and the books about Borough Market!

I felt at ease straight away, but I couldn’t quite take my eyes off the food that was surrounding me. For the party they had an abundance of food which was inspired by the London Bridge area and Borough Market which is just a quick walk from the hotel. Everything you could have thought of they had, from amazing oysters to beautiful macaroons. I enjoyed some mini fish and chips, sausage and mash and one of the best strawberry tarts I have had in ages!

There was a surprise in store for all of us, after an announcement by the waiter that it was a staff members birthday and she tried to sing a very weird song, we realised these weren’t ACTUALLY waiters, and they started bursting out some opera, it was great. Other entertainment included a caricaturist, I think she got mine pretty accurate although I’m not sure on the buck teeth!

An area of the lounge I loved was the ‘study’, it’s a casual meeting space you don’t need to book out and comes with a blackboard, how good is that?

Now who wants to see inside the new rooms? Of course you do! The amazingly lovely host Cecilia showed us round the new Classic and also Privilege rooms. She made us feel super at ease and was incredibly funny, a great host.

Inside the classic room, you have a large bed, bathroom and TV with Freeview. All rooms come with free WIFI too which is a definite must.

The Privilege rooms are similar just a little bigger and I loved the bathroom features, there is a clock on the mirror and the shower had a fab design.

It was great to hear too that the manager likes to make sure us ladies are accommodated and makes sure they get the rooms with the hair straighteners!

The hotel has 144 rooms of which I think it was 2 or 3 floors that now have these new rooms. It is located not far from London Bridge station, stepping outside you get a great view of The Shard and just further up Tower Bridge.