Newport’s newest hotel is finally open, standing tall and proud in what is officially the city’s tallest Building. The MERCURE NEWPORT may have a big name behind it but it also very much reflects the area both in look, feel and taste, with a locally inspired menu.
Let’s give you the figures first…….
- Mercure Newport comprises 135 guest rooms
- 4 meeting rooms
- 1 Fitness suite
- 1 Restaurant bar and a terrace
- It’s less than 1 minute away by foot to Friars Walk shopping centre and leisure complex
- A 7-minute walk from Newport Train Station
- Less than a 5-minute walk from Newport Central Bus Station
- 1.7 miles from the M4 motorway (J25)
- 29 miles from Cardiff airport.
- By direct train the hotel is………
- 1 hour 40 minutes from London
- 34 minutes from Bristol
- 14 minutes from Cardiff
The hotel takes its inspiration from Newport’s historic and iconic Transporter Bridge, the theme of this actually runs throughout the hotel with the images around the property. The local heritage is very much part of the hotel’s design, with industrial themed accents the use of metal and timber materials and a contrasting colour palette of white, black and grey tones featuring throughout. The hotel brought in Welsh artist CAROLINE REES to create an artwork inspired by the city’s famous Transporter Bridge as a tribute to the local area.
Caroline loves simple, bold and graphic imagery and is inspired by primitive art, Scandinavian textiles, her Welsh heritage and the beautiful Gower landscape where she lives.
She likes to create quirky and humorous designs which make you smile and those in the Mercure Newport will certainly do that.
Of course, when we stay in a hotel our mind, and stomach always turns to the food and drink and the the Mercure have got that taken care in their contemporary restaurant which sits on the third floor where you can enjoy a casual meal or pre-dinner drinks or cocktails. With the recent lovely weather, we suspect the outdoor terrace will be incredibly popular and a perfect place to unwind, particularly in these warm summer days and evenings.
As you’re sat enjoying your drinks with friends, family or colleagues, you look over at the activity on Commercial Street.
The Transporter Bridge and Newport’s Chartist past theme extend as far as the menu too, put together by Newport Chef STEVE WHITE. The restaurant itself has also been given a local name – NP20 BAR & KITCHEN. Some of the items on the menu also reflect the building and surrounding area.
- NP20 Fully Loaded Burger
- The Chartist Burger
- The Frankie Lodge Burger
The Frankie Lodge is named after one of Newport’s most well-known characters, busker Francis ‘Frankie’ Lodge, who died four years ago at the age of 90.
Frankie was famous for entertaining shoppers from his favourite arcade location near John Frost Square. He was renowned for not knowing all the words to the songs he sang, but whether you loved his singing or not, he was most certainly a much-loved character.
The hotel has four purpose-built, flexible meeting rooms on the ground floor. These accessible meeting rooms have access to complimentary Wi-Fi and a spacious breakout area for coffee and networking.
When you’re inside the property, or indeed looking at the Chartist Tower building from Upper Dock Street. there is no doubt you are in the gateway between Wales and England. Newport is a vibrant, multi-cultural city steeped in a rich industrial heritage, where traditional industries sit alongside new electronics and financial service sectors. The Mercure Newport is an impressive addition to the city landscape.
South Wales Life will be checking-in to the MERCURE NEWPORT tomorrow evening and will bring you our review soon after. We’ll also be chatting to chef Steve White to find out exactly what’s on the menu this summer, and beyond.
In the meantime, to find out more about the hotel and check-out the latest deals before you check-in, go HERE.
