Guest Reviews & Comments
Mercure Shakespeare Stratford near Stratford-upon-Avon: Stratford-upon-Avon Hotels
1 Mature couple - 12/02/06	94%
Further Comments: The staff and service in the hotel were excellent but the food choices were quite small and the restaurant menu was a bit pretentious - very good wine list. The open fires thoughout the hotel were wonderful but the bedrooms were far too hot and we could not find a thermostat so we slept with the windows wide open.
2 Young couple - 12/02/06	82%
Good Points: Extremely helpful staff. Beautiful room and hotel.
Bad Points: Cleaning staff; bathroom still had a lot of cleaner that hadn't been removed; esp. on walls and bath. Food was undercooked - 2 boiled eggs for breakfast, neither cooked properly - whites were mostly liquid. Slightly off-putting.
Further Comments: The reception staff in particular could not be faulted, extremely helpful and polite at all times,
3 Mature couple - 03/01/06	66%
Good Points: situation to the town. attractive hotel with good reputation. One open fire !!!!!!
Bad Points: Light the other two fires in the front reception. Haddock not available at breakfast - two mornings running. A daily charge for resident parking is very poor. Just like trying to find different ways of making the night fee look more attractive and then charging in other ways
Further Comments: The room provided was very poor with only a very smallwindow at a high level. I was offered an alternative which was a little better but on the second floor. A request for a room in the front was made at time of booking but not acknowledged.. I definately think that the car park charge should have been made known at time of booking. Again, only one open fire in an hotel of this size, is a bit mean. I think the staff could be encouraged to smile more. The reception staff were ok though, just the waiting staff appeared sullen, although very good and well trained.
4 Family with older children - 24/12/05	80%
Good Points: Cozy, atmospheric and convenient for a winter break
Bad Points: Lose the piped music
5 Mature couple - 20/12/05	100%
Good Points: The whole hotel was first class. We were made to feel important, the staff were extremely courteous. The hotel was comfortable and we would have liked to have stayed for longer! Of particular note I found, was the breakfast on the morning of our departure; the whole ambience was exceptional (as was the food!). Well done to all the staff at the hotel.
Bad Points: No, not really. The hotel was excellent.
Further Comments: The hotel was first rate, and we look forward to booking to stay in the hotel again. The Shakespeare Hotel was one of the finest hotels I have stayed in, in the United Kingdom. We are very hopeful that we will be able to make a return visit to The Shakespeare Hotel.
6 Mature couple - 16/12/05	82%
Bad Points: Breakfast was not ready in the restaurant at 0700 which delayed our departure for an appointment.
7 Family with older children - 29/11/05	66%
Good Points: very nice period hotel;great location
Bad Points: Restaurant atmosphere was grim - no music, very few guests, spread out around room. Food at dinner okay. Cooked breakfast portions very small, and had to ask for drinks/toast etc several times. Service in bar very poor - one lady trying to serve at the bar and meet restaurant needs - long wait and appeared very harried.
Further Comments: Nice hotel, but comments above stand.
8 Same sex couple - 23/11/05	66%
Good Points: lovely building, very professional staff
Bad Points: General cleanliness of the rooms
9 Young couple - 17/11/05	98%
Good Points: Central to town/facilities. Olde worlde building, full of character.
Bad Points: The only comment I can make which is not positive is it would have been nice to have had a larger bath in the bathroom!
Further Comments: We managed to get parked v. easily early on a Friday evening & the following day was allowed to stay until 6.00p
10 Young couple - 17/11/05	80%
Good Points: Convience with town centre. Style of hotel
Bad Points: Breakfast was delicious however service was a little poor.
Further Comments: My husband and I had a lovely night stay in Stratford and the hotel completed the experience. The hotel had an old feel to it making it feel romantic just what we wanted. I would recommend this hotel to others, we had a thoroughly good time
11 Mature couple - 17/11/05	46%
Good Points: The car park attendant was excellent. The generak ambience and olde world charm, but not of the bedroom. Its position in relation to town.
Bad Points: Teaching their staff to speak English.
Further Comments: Certainly the Hotel did not live up to it's own expectations, it thinks that it is perfect but it is not. Sometimes criticism is proportional to pretentiousness. Our room was freezing cold, half hearted attempts were made to put it right but we were told that the heating only came on at 5.30. on the coldest day of the year so far!?. There were no instructions in the room as to how to operate the radiators
12 Mature couple - 09/11/05	94%
Good Points: Location
Bad Points: Nothing. It was very good.
Further Comments: Have stayed here before so I knew the quality.
13 Mature couple - 08/11/05	60%
Good Points: Lovely unspoiled Elizabethan building. Our room in the old part was quaint.
Bad Points: On a cold night the heating in the room was inadequate. There was a draft from the window.
Further Comments: If the heating in the bedroom had been ok this would have been ideal for a short stay in Stratford. Right in the centre and on-site parking!
14 Mature couple - 31/10/05	80%
Good Points: Central location, ambience of the hotel
Bad Points: Getting the parking vouchers sorted better with the local NCP ie long stay.
15 Mature couple - 31/10/05	74%
Good Points: Convenient location. Cleanliness of the bedroom.
Bad Points: Dining room
Further Comments: The service in the dining room at breakfast was POOR. On the first morning we had to wait ten minutes for a table. Tables were available but were being cleared at a very slow rate. When we finally did get a table the wait for the tea/ coffee/ toast and cooked breakfast was unacceptably long. The staff were not well organised and seem to be rushing around. As a result of our experience at the first breakfast we did not use the hotel for our three evening meals and ate out in resturants. We are not usually happy to complain as we have stayed at McDonalds in Wigan, Albright Hall and cardiff and have never had reason to complain before.
16 Mature couple - 27/10/05	80%
Good Points: The character of the building.
Bad Points: Reducing the prices of the mini-bar stock, they were extremely expensive. Improve the parking facilities- we had to pay ﾣ13.50 to park elsewhere as the hotel carpark was full.
Further Comments: Excellent accomodation, excellent food, but spoilt slightly by the lack of parking and high prices. Parking in Stratford is ridiculously priced and really stings the tourist, making them think twice about returning.
17 Group of work colleagues - 18/10/05	72%
Good Points: Very Olde-Worlde, full of character, well placed within Stratford centre
Bad Points: Availibility of decent food after 11.00 (we arrived at 11.15 and only had the option of sandwiches) Reduce the prices in the bar - they are currently extortionate, and would prevent me from returning as a leisure guest. Introduce Self service hot buffet breakfast - allows you to grab something quickly
Further Comments: Overall, I enjoyed the stay, it was a very convenient base, and has bags of character. Parking was difficult, I had to park in the street and pay for a ticket on the first night. High cost of food/drink would prevent me from staying here when not on businness.
18 Young couple - 17/09/05	94%
Good Points: Very good, the only thing I could moan about is the TV did not work to well. Other wise a great hotel.
Bad Points: None.
Further Comments: A1, not cheap, but very nice.
19 Mature couple - 01/09/05	88%
Good Points: It was classic english style and elegance.
Bad Points: Not charging guests an addition to park in car park and replacing or recovering some of the thread bare sopfa's in the lounge area.
Further Comments: The hotel has the appearance both inside and out of what it should be with the name it carries. The restaraunt is charming serving excellent food at reasonable prices. My biggest complaint is the extra parking charge to park over night in its own car park, if this is advertised I certainly missed it. Over all though you get what it says on the tin, ideally suited to park your car and leave it and enjoy all the local sites before returning for a excellent meal and drinks.
20 Mature couple - 01/09/05	80%
Good Points: Very nice room in a charming building
Bad Points: The ventilation in the room was a bit inadequate as it was stuffy and difficult to keep cool. It was a warm night and we had the windows open but that meant we had to put up with considerable noise levels from the kitchen. The breakfast was ok, I did expect better given the overall standard and cost of residence in the hotel. The service at breakfast was slow and muddled. This put us off having lunch in the hotel.
If you are unable to book a room at Mercure Shakespeare Stratford then the nearest UK hotels around the Stratford-upon-Avon area are: Legacy Falcon Hotel Review, : Macdonald Swan's Nest Hotel Review, : Stratford Victoria - A QHotel Review,