Mercure Paignton Hotel

Lovely hotel, but staff training is seriously lacking. ​We only stayed for two nights, and the room itself was beautiful—spacious, spotlessly clean, and very comfortable. It was also wonderful to see that the hotel is dog-friendly; being able to bring a four-legged companion makes this place a real gem. ​Overall, we had a nice stay, but the lack of staff training really let the experience down a bit. First and foremost, the reception team needs to communicate much better. Unfortunately, we weren't given proper information about the parking situation, which caused a major misunderstanding at checkout. It really doesn't take much to explain up front: - "We charge £15 a day and have three parking locations: behind the hotel, next door at the Ibis, or in the lot behind the Ibis." - Instead, they just took a £15 payment—which we assumed covered our entire stay. When we couldn't find a space in the main lot, only then, were we told about the alternative options. To make matters worse, at checkout, the receptionist spoke absolute nonsense about the charges instead of just clearly explaining how the system works. ​The second issue we experienced was the bar staff, who desperately need training. The tables on the terrace were consistently filthy and neglected. Because this seems to be ongoing issue, the restaurant and bar management really need to be held accountable. They are obviously failing to train their staff to be efficient and professional, which completely lets down an otherwise lovely hotel.

a month ago · via Google

My experience at the Mercure Paignton was completely unacceptable and far below what anyone should expect from the Mercure brand. When we entered the room, we found leftovers from the previous guests, including a wine bottle and confetti. More seriously, the sheets and pillows appeared visibly used and dirty. To the hotel’s credit, our complaint was handled promptly and politely, and the room was cleaned again. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning. The bathroom floor was so filthy that I eventually cleaned it myself. The photographs show how much dirt was still coming off the floor during the second cleaning. This was clearly not the result of one missed spot; it suggested that the floor had not been properly wet-cleaned for quite some time. The room has only one window, and it cannot be opened. There is literally no possibility of getting real fresh air into the room, meaning the air-conditioning has to run continuously. The carpet also appeared neither regularly deep-cleaned nor vacuumed to an acceptable standard. Anyone with asthma, dust allergies or other respiratory sensitivities should take this seriously. Breakfast was another disappointment. Loud cleaning machinery was being operated nearby at exactly the time guests were trying to eat. The mediocre buffet repeatedly ran out of basic items—not merely food, but even plates and cutlery. Most staff members were perfectly reasonable, but one waitress was remarkably rude and should not be working in a customer-facing role. The hotel’s environmental messaging about “saving the planet” felt rather cynical when placed alongside such basic failures in cleanliness. Sustainability should not mean leaving rooms, floors, carpets and toilets insufficiently cleaned. Parking is also a genuine problem. Spaces are extremely limited, the EV-charging space is not consistently respected, and staff members also use the parking area. Even after paying for parking, you may find yourself without a usable space once the small car park is full. Finally, this is a “no toilet brush” hotel, which creates entirely predictable hygiene problems—not only in the guest rooms, but also in the lobby toilets, which did not appear to be cleaned at anything approaching a reasonable frequency. I have stayed in many three-, four-, five- and luxury-category hotels internationally. This was not a minor service failure or an isolated housekeeping oversight. It was a collection of basic hygiene, maintenance, ventilation, breakfast and parking problems that made the stay deeply unpleasant. Absolutely unacceptable for a Mercure hotel. I would not stay here again and cannot recommend it.

4 weeks ago · via Google

A very comfortable stay here this week. Spotlessly clean. Comfortable room. Great food. Friendly staff. One piece of constructive criticism: I could have done with more surfaces to put things down on in the bathroom. I’m disabled so we had an accessible room. I could have done with room to put my tooth brush and toiletries etc down on.

3 months ago · via Google

Excellent stay! We had a fantastic stay at Mercure Paignton. The hotel is modern, clean, and perfectly located with lovely sea views. The rooms were comfortable, and the staff were friendly and welcoming throughout our visit. The on-site car park was very convenient and made our stay even more enjoyable. Overall, a wonderful experience, and I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Paignton. We will definitely return!

a month ago · via Google