Mercure Canberra - Braddon, Australian Capital Territory

SA YAP

This is a very old hotel. The wallls are paper thin. It is lovely and comfortable in that old style but you can hear all the sounds from adjacent rooms, upstairs and downstairs. If you’re using this hotel just to snooze and go venture Canberra during daylight, then it is the perfect choice and value. My room (105) was above the gym: every morning, an avid runner starts thumping the treadmill at 7am. I am an early riser so it doesn’t bother me. When I checked in, the guests upstairs were having loud sex or something. I don’t begrudge someone having a good time, but I can hear every single bump on the bed. I called reception and they did pipe down.
The staff are amazing.
There is ample parking out front.
Would I come back?
Yes but definitely would have extra ear plugs.

Barry

The facilities, i.e. hallways, room, bathroom etc. were all visibly clean which is good. However, everything felt old and tired as though you could clearly tell that hundreds of people had used it before. My children complained that the sofa was very uncomfortable and you never really felt good about using the bathroom, just kind of gross.
The breakfast was a massive letdown through. Although we got a massive discount, I still felt I overpaid. There were only two staff members that were clearly over-worked. Food was barely restocked and we had to had to use teamwork to catch someone to order eggs.
It's not the worst hotel I've stayed in, but I wouldn't stay again.

Andrew Crawley

The Mercure in Braddon is a quaint quirky old hotel. The superior rooms are spacious, and the bathrooms are modern. It is well priced for a budget stay. It is two storey and I don't believe it has any lifts. I have stayed many times for work trips. It is walking distance to the main Canberra shops. There is limited free parking at the front and paid parking at the rear.

Declan

Had an interesting stay here around Christmas time.

Location is great providing great access to Mount Ainsley and the war memorial (better options if you need easy access to the city but it is a great change to the cbd).

Service was all fantastic throughout the stay, however the experience we had after checking in has definitely negatively impacted this review. When we went to our room, we found broken glass on the floor and there was either somebody upstairs or a tv/radio was on. We instantly went back to reception and told them about the issue. Not sure what the cause of this was but staff were apologetic and gave us an upgrade to a different room which was appreciated but interesting this wasn't provided due to status (not a complaint just noting it). New room was very spacious and even had 2 levels, definitely bigger than any other room I've had in a Mercure. I doubt this incident is a regular occurrence but it definitely had a negative impact on how I felt about the hotel.

Note: This next part is predominantly personal preference and did impact my rating, however I understand other people may appreciate it and even see it as a positive so look for yourself to see if this is relevant to you.

I found the hotel quite dated and in need of a clean and refurbishment. I understand the heritage value, but there were flickering lights that could definitely use changing as well as the furniture being quite outdated. It was definitely different to every other Mercure I have stayed at. In my opinion it was less comfortable and even somewhat reminiscent of the creepy vibe from the hotel in The Shining.

Overall, service and location are both great and thank you to all of the staff. Our experience with the hotel itself wasn't the best so I don't plan to come back, however if you are after a more heritage vibe this hotel may be for you.

Margaret M

Check in was quick and very helpful staff. We were upgraded which was great, large room, very clean.|The car park was fenced and entered only by a code. The gym was very small. Breakfast was good. Not far from Anzac Parade and the War Memorial. Great pizza a couple of streets away

Tomas Z

This Mercure is in an old fashioned looking building on the outskirts of the city. Good but basic hotel rooms that were all clean and comfortable. Bathrooms quite small but fine and the hot water in the shower was amazing. Great air conditioning too.

The location is about a 20 minute walk from a shopping centre / civic downtown but there’s not really anything nearby the actual hotel. You can also walk about 20 mins to Braddon which has a lot of cool bars and things to see and do. If you had a car it would probably be a lot easier to stay here than relying on public transport.

Harshana Eranga Martin

The hotel is located close to attractions as well as close to the shops and restaurants.
The deluxe loft was very spacious and well designed. Brand new bathroom and fittings and comfy bed. Balcony overlooking the garden was a treat and even witnessed a wedding reception.
Lam at the Concierge Desk had been excellent and was helpful in sorting out everything for us! Thank you Lam!

Timeshare Chinchilla

A hotel oozing historic charm in a largely residential area near the Australian War Memorial. As an Accor Member who booked direct through their website, I was rewarded with a room upgrade to a deluxe 2 bedroom room. Room and bathroom was recently renovated and very well presented. Check in staff were friendly.

Only problem with the room was the wooden floors have been carpeted over without being desqueaked first which means any movement during the night would wake the other person. The bathroom basin tap was loose and the shower head was leaking - both were reported on checkout.

The hotel had a jazz/blues gig on the night we were staying and the courtyard area was very nice. The fish tanks in each of the wings were also cool.

Parking is free and ample on the street so save your money. Bit disappointing to see all the dinner room service food trays still outside doors the following morning.

Bistro food was top notch - see separate review.