Mercure Darlington Kings Hotel

Hotel is in a good location. On booking we were advised that parking couldn’t be pre booked, but on arrival we were told that all parking spaces were booked up. The TV in the room didn’t receive any signal at all, and there were hair clips on the carpet from the previous occupant of the room. Pity as the rest of the hotel is well presented and the staff were really helpful. Just needs attention to small details and it could have been a 5.

A typical city centre hotel, modern in part built on the old bus station. Traffic noise could be an issue. Room small for a double ( really only a single). Comfortable bed and lovely pillows. Decent bathroom with shower but had to ask for shower tray mat. Usual choice evening menu but decent food. Breakfast not so good really,kept running out of things and service for hot food almost non existent. Would not choose to return.

I chose this hotel as it is part of the Accor group, but it is not up to the standard of the other Accor hotels that I have stayed in. As mentioned already, the shower head kept falling down, while trying to shower. The room was like a furnace at night-time. As for the breakfast it was an abyssal excuse for a breakfast. Every item has to be ordered separately and no sausages. I ordered an omelette, and it was far too salty. There were hardly any pastries out and no yoghurts that I could see. Even though I had paid for breakfast the next day, I went out and brought breakfast. Also there was no mention of our late beloved Queen, which I found very insulting. I will not be staying here again

Room 411 and adjacent have a noisy fan that runs 24 hours and should not be offered for let. Shower needs work to head so that it stays in a position to take a shower. Asking for a quiet room I was given this one and on hearing the noise of the fan asked to be moved. When told it would switch off at about 9 pm I accepted and of course that was not the case and it ran all night. I don’t appreciate being lied to. Lift was out of order as well.

So we were on a coach trip, only 37 of us so not a huge party. I'm sure they took great fun in winding me up, but it's not funny when you're a paying guest. Now OK this might seem petty but we only had 4 meals and 3 out of them had "issues". A) The meal on the Friday night - no water was offered, I had to ask. Now you'd say "so what" wouldn't you? But not when the Member of Staff decided to give everyone else water and walked by our table twice and didn't ask. I had to. B) The breakfast on Saturday - we were told to go in the room we had been in the night before. So I started to go into the "room we were in the night before - and Saturday night". "No, you're in this one" (different room altogether", went to use the coffee machine only to be told "No, don't use that, I'll be bringing coffee into your room in a few minutes" - no he didn't, 10 people all used the coffee machine until I realised I could have had mine when I first went in, can someone please explain what that was all about.... C) The meal on Saturday - bearing in mind we had only 1 hour 15 minutes to eat our meal and then head out. My main didn't turn up!!! 10 minutes after everyone else had been served, my Mum went in. They had FORGOTTEN TO COOK IT, it wasn't even on the side waiting to be handed out. Then to make matters even better, when the member of staff came and put it in front of me, I got "mind the plate, it's hot". Erm, well thank you for apologising for the "we didn't bother cooking it", only got an apology when I happened to mention it.