Mercure Winchester Wessex Hotel

It’s difficult to be enthusiastic about this hotel. The first problem is that it is so ugly. A terrible piece of 1960’s style planning. A hideous structure in a prominent position right next to the historic cathedral, ruining the view. For example, the car park with the rooms suspended on concrete pillars above and all the effluent running down in metal pipes beside the cars. The rooms look their age. Some retiling and furniture changes do not conceal the dirt and the fact that the windows don’t fit - so you are woken early by dustbin lorries and shop suppliers lorries reversing past. Our chairs had black slime on the armrests. The staff were lovely, but let down by the breakfast. Poor coffee, lukewarm fry ups and little in the way of fruit. Certainly not worth the £15 they were demanding as an add on. The only really good thing is the location - but you would do better to stay at the next door travel lodge. Clean rooms and a 20 yard walk to the high street where you can get a good breakfast for half the price.

All looked good on the website, in real life very poor. Very dated,very dirty, threadbare and rucked carpets or what was a carpet, room not hoovered, bathrooms mouldy around bath and shower screen, main reception, very dirty. Staff were excellent however and got the impression embarrassed as they realised the hotel is very run down and in desperate need of refurb. We left as we’re not prepared to put up low standard.

Awful hotel, don’t waste your money! It has a great location for the Christmas Market & Cathedral in Winchester but it’s clear Accor management have forgotten about this hotel. Mouldy, dusty dirty room with worn curtains and carpets. Mould on the window and in bathroom. The double bed was two singles stuck together so you have a lump in the middle and feel like they are older than the cathedral. Paper thin walls so you hear everything in the hotel. The staff looked dishevelled with creased, untucked shirts and messy hair who could do with some training on how to provide customer service. The car park is expensive, chaotic and unmanaged (apart from fleecing you!). The buffet was bland looking and poorly kept. On top of all this, they are still charging 4 star hotel pricing. Absolute rip off! The worst hotel I’ve stayed in for a long time, if it hadn’t been so late and wanting to enjoy the Christmas market I would have walked out at 2am.

Lovely situation in middle of the city. Our room was very large and overlooked the cathedral. All very clean. Our problem came when we discovered the wheelchair lift was broken and had been for some time. so staff who were extremely pleasant fixed up a ramp for me but it was so steep my husband couldn’t push me up there and a couple of guests rushed to help, coming down just wasn’t safe. I couldn’t access breakfast room without struggling down front steps and husband carrying my wheelchair then round the side of the building to a back disabled entrance so didn’t bother with breakfast though the young man on reception did give us refund though according to my husband I hadn’t missed much. Mediocre breakfast only egg option fried and not very well stocked buffet. All in all a very disappointing experience. If you are disabled this is not the place for you. Additionally no grab rails in bathroom.

The car park for the hotel is so small, we tried to park for nearly 3 hours without success. We went around so many car parks in Winchester and in the end we had to park so far away from the hotel. The car park wasn't open on a Sunday so we went to get some food, had to go back and get the car to spend another hour+ trying to find somewhere to park. The hotel car park is just a free for all, some people parking there weren't even staying at the hotel but it isn't manned at all. Absolute shambles and they don't advertise this very well! The rooms are in a desperate need of a refurbishment. The staff are friendly but that's about it. I paid for upgrades and arrived for them not to be in the room. Tried phoning reception multiple times but they never answered. Went down and at first they couldn't find them, finally they did and said everything would be sent up to the room ASAP. We waited. And waited. Nothing. Tried to call reception again and again but no answer. We would never stay here again. Lovely staff but terrible experience all round to be fair.