Newcastle Marriott Hotel Gosforth Park

Great hotel right next to the metro centre.
Stayed here with our Tesco points.
Fantastic location. Great hotel and great breakfast...Fantastic

Finished swimming in the Health Club and fancied a Latte in the Hotel Lounge. 20 minutes after sitting down I left due to poor table service.

This is our usual hotel when we head over to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. We have always found Marriotts to be very good hotels, at fairly reasonable prices, and Gosforth is no exception.


Reception / check-in has always been a straightforward and pleasant experience for us. Our friends also reguarly stay here and generally have had no trouble either. One night in November last year, arriving late, they did; the hotel was overbooked. Needless to say, this was annoying for us all - but I have to say the duty manager's response was second-to-none. He immeadiately arranged for the other couple to stay at the nearby Metro Centre Marriott, and even upgraded them to an executive room. He offered to arrange and pay for taxis for them to the Metro Centre and back to meet us the following day. And then he offered all of us two free drinks each!!!


The rooms are your typical Marriott rooms, which do not disappoint. Large, comfortable beds with those fantastic pillows! Decent room in the main bedroom and in the the bathroom. As you would expect, everything is spotlessly clean.


The bar is fine, though lacks a wee bit of atmosphere from time to time. The staff are friendly though and light meals are served. As is normal in Marriott bars, the selection is quite limited, but there should be something to suit most tastes, and it's quite decent stuff when it arrives. We have not yet eaten in the main restaurant at this hotel, mainly because we find the price scandalous!


Breakfast is great. I have always found the chain to offer one of the best buffet breakfasts in any hotels, and Gosforth Park is no exception. All the staff are extremely friendly and helpful, and the restaurant is tastefully decorated with a lovely view onto the adjacent grounds.


Leisure facilities are brilliant here, some of the most relaxing I've found anywhere. Whilst I would say that the swimming pool is slightly smaller than I would like (and would they please enforce the rule about only having kids there at specific times!), it is in such delightful surroundings that I find it hard to care. You have a lovely view onto the grounds and lots of greenery about (even if it isn't real!). Part of the pool area is almost like a conservatory too and it lets loads of light in. Adjacent to the pool is a sauna, a steam room, a jacuzzi and a plunge pool (the latter of which is still fairly uncommon, so it's always a pleasure to see one).


The gym is quite small, but is well equipped with a variety of machines and weights and well air conditioned. Again, it overlooks the lovely grounds in which the hotel is set. They have TVs as well, though I chose to stick to my trusty iPod.


There is a light refreshment menu available from the leisure reception, and you can enjoy your coffee or whatever overlooking the pool.


The hotel also boasts a hairdressers, which I have never tried, and a beauty salon, which I have. I had a full body massage at, I think, £45. This seemed a little on the pricey side to me, but when I checked out other salons it actually wasn't much higher, which was good considering the standard of the hotel. The massage itself was wonderful, and was carried out by a competent and friendly therapist.


Gosforth Park is a few miles outside Newcastle, but there is a bus stop just round the corner from the main entrance to the hotel. Any bus that comes past, as far as I can tell, will take you directly and cheaply to Haymarket. There's also plenty of parking at the hotel, which is on a major road into the city centre.


Just over the roundabout from the hotel is the Falcon's Nest, which does absolutely fabulous traditional food at very reasonable prices. Also a nice place just to enjoy a few pints. A very traditional yet well-appointed pub that I can't wait to go back to! There's also a McDonald's next door, if you like that sort of thing (!).


Overall, apart from the few quibbles about the food (which are more than mitigated by the proximity and price of the Falcon's Nest), this is a wonderful hotel which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. Yes, Marriotts do tend to be a little more expensive but you get what you pay for, and in any case I've stayed in hotels in Newcastle city centre for the same price which were no where near as good!

The restaurant is dreadful. poor options, overpriced and such slow service.
Issue with cross contamination as a dairy free meal contained dairy.
Avoid

A very smart hotel at the higher end of the market. It is situated near the racecourse and has a pool, restaurant and bar and a beauty centre which does lovely treatments, although they are pricy. It is convenient for access into the city centre and buses stop nearby. It has a large car park and a pretty location in a wooded area.