Built in 1822, the Mercure Hotel is Nottingham's oldest hotel. Underneath the hotel are medieval caves said to have been used in Robin Hood's time. Famous guests who have stayed at the hotel include Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Now a boutique hotel it does not mean that they have neglected its history and its past in the recent re-fit. The hotel is full of character. The first thing you notice upon entering the hotel is the carved oak staircase which also has photos on the walls of famous people associated with the city such as Torvill and Dean, Paul Smith and Brian Clough.

The rooms have been carefully updated. The ear plugs left at the side of the bed though alerts you to how thin the walls are, surprising in this old hotel. We woke in the early hours with some noise from an adjacent room. Admittedly it was a Saturday night a few weeks before Christmas. A quick call to reception and our noisy neighbours were silenced - we were also offered a different room for the following night's stay.

The Privilege room came with bathrobes and slippers, Nespresso coffee machine, complimentary soft drinks and upscale toiletries. The Wi Fi was fast and being in a Privilege room you get access to the gym, although it is very small.

The air conditioning worked well but the control was by the door and with not much light there it was hard to see the controls unless I used the torch on my mobile.

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Breakfast is buffet style but the cooked English breakfast was one of the tastiest we have had in a hotel in the UK. I even went out of my way to tell the kitchen staff this as everything was cooked just right and was hot too.

All the staff we met were friendly. The hotel is in the middle of the city and handy for the shops, theatre and the arena. Parking in the nearby car park is discounted for hotel guests. You could catch the tram from the main train station as there is a tram stop a minute's walk from the Mercure.

It is a popular hotel in the city and rightly so.

Mercure Nottingham City Centre, George Street, Nottingham NG1 3BP
Telephone 0115 9599777
www.mercure.com