Radisson Blu Hotel

Stayed here on leisure visit to Durham this month. Hotel is quiet and well-​kept. Check in was efficient and quick, though I nearly broke my neck the second I stepped inside — tiled floor, wet from rain outside — recipe for disaster! Some warning signs would be good in inclement weather.
Rooms themselves are generously sized and have all amenities you’d expect. Bed and pillows very comfortable. The only one niggle about the rooms is that there are lights flashing during the night when you’re trying to sleep — one from the fire alarm, one on the air con and a really annoying scrolling LCD display on the TV.
The pool area was clean and well-​tended though there was no one on hand to offer me a towel when I used the pool. Not realising that these were doled out from the front desk, I ended up having to dry off after a swim with paper towels (yes, you can laugh!).
Ate in the bar one evening — very expensive but good quality and quick service. Teddy, the barman, needs a little refresher on customer service and cocktail making though — his attempt at a mojito tasted like petrol and his slagging off of his colleagues wasn’t really very professional! The other girl on with him was great though.
All in all, if I had to return to Durham, I’d probably stay here again, as it was largely a pleasant stay and is handy for town centre.

This is a great hotel, comfortable and clean with friendly staff. Good spa and gym too. But oh dear the restaurant leaves a lot to be desired. For such a nice hotel the dining experience was a disappointment. Dinner menu uninspiring. Breakfast wait was long despite the fact that half the tables were empty and uncleared. We’d stay again but choose to eat elsewhere.

Spent a really lovely night here. The location isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely walkable to the cathedral and castle. Room was large, clean, and comfortable. Staff was very pleasant and helpful.

I really liked Radisson Blu Durham.
The room was really great, a very large room with massive ceiling to floor windows, cathedral and river view. Very large desk area with long strip lights, easy to hook up the laptop to the TV for dual screen working. The breakfast buffet was quite standard, but with made-​to-​order Belgian waffles which was a really nice special touch.
Sadly the restaurant that I was looking forward to eating at, was closed on arrival. Apparently the hours have been reduced lately due to lack of demand, which I quite understand all things considered. The receptionist was very good with nearby recommendations, including several in the new development mini-​mall which is just across the bridge from the hotel.

For Durham, I suspect this is a pretty good hotel. The bed was comfortable, although the room was a bit warm. I was there during the summer, and either with the window open or closed, it stayed toasty for my taste.
The location is top-​notch. Literally a 15-​minute, and picturesque, walk to Durham Cathedral. We passed one other hotel on the walk over, but it was rather scary. It may have been closer, but I wouldn’t have wanted to stay there.
Breakfast, which in our case came with the room, was rather blah. Not much flavor, and I think the mushrooms (a requirement for an English breakfast) clearly came out of a can. Not really any made-​to-​order options.
For England, the price was moderate. If you’re converting from dollars, it’s going to sting a bit, but that’s the case in the entire country.