Malmaison Newcastle Hotel

Given the £150 price tag on my twin room I expected something a bit special given prices in the North East. The location is fantastic, right by the Tyne and the walk along the waterfront is enjoyable. The hotel is, in my opinion, over-rated and expensive. The food was of a good standard, and the service was also good, but I found the place very unfriendly. All-in-all, it did not meet my expectations

Stayed at the Malmaison for the weekend of the Great North Run. Best things about the Mal in Newcastle were its location, the large and very comfortable bed. The continental breakfast we ordered through room service arrived on time and was fresh. The room was clean and had touches of style such as Art Deco posters, a modern colour scheme and stylish furnishings. Less good things were the reception area - it's probably supposed to look cool and understated but the low ceiling and even lower lighting make it feel anything but welcoming. For over GBP £150 a night I would have thought a couple of free bottles of water could have been provided, also some fresh milk in the minibar fridge for tea/coffee. This would have been more useful than the oversize bottles of soap and moisturiser that guests are invited to take home. The style of the room was slightly spoiled by things like having a big TV perched on top of some of the 'designer' furniture and the fact that the CD player didn't fit properly in its cabinet. Finally, having the lift (elevator) announcements in French sounds very silly indeed! So, a good place which I'd use again but slightly off the mark for the price.

Its a pleasant hotel with lots of business benefits (e.g. free broadband). It doesn't exactly swing with Geordie soul. Some of the others have more a Geordie stamp which makes them more lively and personable. It's well sited for the posher end of town.

We stayed at the Malmaison for the weeekend of the great North Run. We expected the increase in rates, due to the popularity of the weekend and because the Hotel obviously have to ensure more staff etc to deal with the increase in Guests. Disappointingly while the Malmaison was more than happy to add 40% to the Room price they had clearly not ensured sufficiant staff to meet the needs of the extra Guests. The Bar was not crowded at Lunch yet despite this staff seemed more than happy to disappear into the kitchen for 10mins at a time. I had to go and find someone to take our food order as clearly no-one was offering to do so. The order once taken took over hour to arrive despite it being Ceaser Salads (how difficult are they to prepare). The food quality was poor and we observed several people send theirs back to the kitchen. In the Evening the Restaurant appeared to have more Staff, the 4 people at our table ordered the Fish and the fish arrived but with no vegatables or potatoes, when we queried this we were told that we should have ordered them seperately! I think that anyone with common sense Should have realised that since none of the 4 people had asked for vegetables/chips etc it was a fair bet that we were unaware that we had to do so, and should have prompted us when taking the order. They are more than happy to prompt you to order extra wine when they observe the empty bottle!. It is my belief that the Staff are very youing and employed because they are inexpensive to hire, however this means poor service to the Geusts who are paying £155 per night and expect service and value which reflects this. I dont believe that the Malmaison reached our expectations.

After arriving to find a 'nasty' stain on carpet, we asked to move rooms. The reception staff could not have been more helpful and moved us immediately to a suite for the same price as a double. The suite was spotless, fabulous view and the housekeeping was very discreet. Bed was comfiest I have stayed in anywhere. Bar staff also great, but drinks very over-priced. Great hotel, great location, great staff .....would stay here again

Stayed at Newcastle's Malmaison for a couple of nights and this was without a doubt the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at. The staff made the place - the service was excellent, they were so friendly polite and always courteous - could't do enough to help. Our room was gorgeous - with a lovely view of the Tyne Bridge and Sage Building. The bathroom was large and luxurious and I've never been in such a comfortable bath - I could have lay in it all night and not went out! The bed was also extremely large and comfy. Each room has a cd player so remember to take your fave tunes with you. Mini-bar was quite reasonable compared to other 4 stars I've stayed in and the Bar on the Mezzanine level is amazing - all in all a fantastic experience! Well done, Malmaison!

I chose the Malmaison because I like Hotel de Vins and for its view over the Tyne. The view was beautiful, but for the price, I wouldn't stay here again. It all felt like a bit of a joke: the Geordie idea of world class. The staff are far too young and just not well trained. This hotel, especially reception is just not peaceful and welcoming and you get no sense that you are in good hands. When I came back at night the muzak was blaring. They put a lot of money into what they think is trendy decor but my bathroom was not spotless and the bedcover was horribly stained. Gross. I have stayed at many far better hotels, some cheaper than this.

I spent one night at the Malmaison in Newcastle, on a business trip. I was quite satisfied, I have to say, although I still think I spent a lot. Service is really good. Rooms are great, although I would expect a bathrobe, having spent 135 pounds for one night (without breakfast). The breakfast was a real experience, I loved it. Nice atmosphere in the Bar (lovely views on Quayside, reasonable prices). Brasserie was very luxurious but unpretentious. Polite Staff.

We booked a suite here in preference to one at the Hilton Gateshead (which offered more perks) - the location at the foot of the Millenium Bridge was brilliant - but the rest - well - not quite so. There was a worrying sticky chocolate (or blood?) stain on the carpet, 3 separate requests for ice (it was a v hot weekend) were ignored, I finally had to go down to reception to wait for it. When I opened the door to the suite the door jam fell off. The CD player needed fixing before it would work - and all for £195 per night room only ! I've stayed at Mals in Birmingham and Manchester and this one was definitely not up to scratch. The breakfast in the disco-like brasserie was good though and the service there more than friendly.

Hotel recommended for a lovely, relaxing weekend break. Good service and location right by the riverside is superb