Grey Street Hotel

Hotel review

You couldn't get more central than this handsome building - formerly a bank with its elegant arched windows, columns and pediments - on the city's premier street (after which the hotel is named), a sweep of Georgian buildings that curves down to the river. Inside, the look is cool and spare with bedrooms a smart, monochrome palette of greys, blacks and chocolates. Blown-up black-and-white photographs of Grey Street’s architecture make bold feature walls while shots of colour in armchairs and cushions add warmth. Bathrooms are sleek in grey, stone-effect tiling. Standard rooms can be a squeeze so it's worth splashing out to upgrade. Suites, for example, have a mezzanine level. Views are great if you like cityscapes and rooftops though you can’t escape city noise; rear rooms overlook internal courtyards but are the quietest. It's definitely a boutique hotel; there's no dining-room so breakfast is served in the next-door restaurant, part of a chain, and nothing special. However, there are plenty of eateries - including Italian, Japanese, South American, plus decent coffee bars - within a five-minute walk. And when you've done the city's museums, galleries and shops and famous Quayside - all within 10 to15 minutes - you can revive in the small, basement beauty spa.

Helen Pickles Review published: 26/02/2024