Whilst visiting Newcastle, we stayed a couple of nights at the centrally located, four-star Maldron Hotel. With a spacious room, a super-friendly team and plenty to choose from at breakfast, it proved a great base for our adventures in the city and further afield.
Like many of its city centre peers, the Maldron doesn’t have its own on-site parking, but it does offer a 20% discount at the nearby Q-Park on Stowell Street. His Nibs managed to find a parking space up-in-the-gods, and then we just had to wheel our travel cases the short walk back to reception, where a super-friendly member of the team got us swiftly checked in.
Our room was certainly spacious. Alongside the king-sized bed, there was a table and chairs by the window, a hostess tray and kettle, a fridge, a wall-mounted Chromecast TV and an ample wardrobe. The bathroom had a double shower stocked with Rituals toiletries, and above the wash basin were travel packs of toothbrush and toothpaste, a shower cap and a shaving kit. Let’s face it, however well-versed a traveller you are, there’s always one item that gets left behind, à la Woody from Toy Story!
We unpacked and made ourselves at home, then it was over to the table to make use of the free Wi-Fi and do some work. It isn’t all glamour for us, you know! Having somewhere to sit with the laptops was handy, and once we’d finished, the city was right on our doorstep.
My first stop was Eldon Square for some retail therapy, much to His Nibs’ ‘delight’! With the likes of Sephora, Apple, Fenwick, John Lewis & Partners, Next and Superdry, there was certainly plenty to tempt me. I’m sure it’s lively enough on a regular day, but we’d arrived in the middle of Newcastle’s student Freshers event, and it was manic! I may have picked up a couple of pieces in River Island.
Shopping is thirsty work, so it was back to the Maldron for an in-room brew before freshening up for dinner. We’d chosen to dine at the hotel’s Grain and Grill restaurant, where the food and the lovely Valerie’s service really impressed us. You can read all about our evening meal in our separate Grain and Grill review.
For anyone who would rather stay put in their room, the Maldron also has its very own robot server. For a £2.50 tray charge, this nifty bit of kit will bring up your choice from a selection of Grain and Grill’s dishes. We didn’t get chance to order room service, but we did see the robot in action. Who knew that Wildes in Clowne’s Edgar Allan Poe/Ro-Bot had rellies up in the Toon?!
After being blown away by dinner, The Man and I wondered how breakfast would compare. It didn’t quite reach those heights, but there was still much to like. Breakfast at the Maldron is a self-serve buffet, and once we’d checked in at the desk, a member of the team explained where everything was. Gluten-free and dairy-free items were in the far corner of the breakfast room, along with the fruit juices and hot drinks facilities.
Our hostess also explained that poached eggs and porridge could be ordered through a member of the team. I liked the sound of porridge with stewed apple and toasted nuts, so I requested a bowl whilst His Nibs scoped out the cold buffet counter.
A couple of minutes after he returned with a pain au chocolat and a croissant, I was presented with a good-sized bowl of piping-hot, creamy porridge. A mound of soft, stewed apple topped it, along with a ‘crust’ of finely chopped nuts that added a fab texture. These choices might not set the world alight in terms of adventurousness, but they were tasty, solidly reliable options. There was also a selection of yoghurts, compotes, cereals and fresh fruit for those wanting a lighter start.
A choice of breads was available for toasting, conveniently opposite the hot counter. If you fancied scrambled egg or baked beans on toast, you wouldn’t be traipsing far! I helped myself to grilled mushrooms, a rasher of bacon and two halves of fresh, grilled tomato; His Nibs went for bacon, sausage, tomato, a hash brown, scrambled egg and black pudding.
Both of us were impressed with the quality of the ‘proper’ bacon, and The Man said that the sausage was a nicely seasoned, top sort. The tomato halves had a smattering of freshly cracked black pepper, which balanced their sweetness perfectly. When hash browns have a super-crisp outer and fluffy inners, you know you’ve hit the jackpot; His Nibs made a mental note to have two the following morning!
If I could pick fault with one thing, it would be that the slice of black pudding had begun to form a ‘skin’ on its surface, drying it out a little. Overall, though, breakfast was more than adequate, if not stellar, and would keep us fuelled whilst we explored The Alnwick Garden and Whitley Bay before dinner at Riley’s Fish Shack in Tynemouth.
On our second morning, we were scheduled to do a food tour with Triple A Food Tours, so decided to go easy at breakfast. Starting with orange juice and hot drinks, we both opted for natural yoghurt topped with fresh pineapple, watermelon and honeydew melon. I added seeds and dried cranberries to my bowl, whilst His Nibs went to grab a pain au chocolat for each of us.
Service from the team was as great as it had been throughout our stay, getting us off to a fab start for the day. As we left our room key in the Express Check-out Box in reception, both of us said we’d happily stay here again.
The Maldron’s central location made it easy to get out and about, our room had plenty of space for us to settle in, and the breakfasts offered enough choice to suit both a hearty start and a lighter bite before a food tour. Hot Wings happily given for our stay and breakfasts at the Maldron Hotel Newcastle!
To book your stay at Maldron Hotel Newcastle, 17 Newgate Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5RE, visit www.maldronhotels.com/newcastle, call 0191 640 9500, or email res.newcastle@maldronhotels.com.
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