The Mermaid

I was here for a free BBC thing. As a venue it is excellent — good accoustics and comfortable seats etc. The Bar is small so the pre concert queue wa a bit frustrating, but okay for a theatre bar. They do offer a interval booking option which was good as you can avoid the mid performance queue.
My main issue with this place was that they sold me a bottle of wine — I checked if I could take it to my seat in the auditorium and the bar staff said yes. I was then stopped by security on my way back to my seat and had to get into a discussion with the head of security about it, as glass containers werent allowed in the hall. This really annoyed me as why would they even sell a bottle if it wasnt allowed into the main area? The security manager tried to get me to drink it before the concert started and I refused. He eventually let me in with it as I refused to back down, but wanted to know exactly where I was sitting etc so he could monitor me. I then got told off for dancing in aisles — so my low score reflects my experience with the security staff, not the venuw as a whole…

This is a theatre and the conference took place in the main auditorium. Comfortable but coffee service was rather basic with no sweeteners offered.

Ropero gratuito, varios aseos, buenos accesos a pista situados en lo alto del espacio. La visibilidad desde los laterales es buena y no estás alejado de la escena. Sonido limpio y claro, sillones cómodos quizá un poco pegadas unas a otras las filas.
Quiero dejar constancia de que este fue el lugar donde escuché en persona a Seth Godin y de que, tras haber encargado a un amigo que me recogiera el abrigo y la mochila y salir con el bolso de alguna inglesa desconocida, no hubo problema alguno en cambiármelo por mi mochila verde. Bueno, en realidad el encargado del ropero se puso un poco tonto pero una de las chicas que estaban allí tomó la iniciativa y devolvió las cosas a sus dueños originales.

I came to The Mermaid to see a lecture, so I didn’t see anything of this gigantic building but the main lobby and the theatre. And what I saw was… OK.
The theatre feels like a university lecture hall. Rows and rows of stadium style seats all looking towards a medium sized stage on the front. The acoustics were excellent and the screen behind the presenter big enough so that even the back row could see clearly. Still, there was no heart or atmosphere to the hall. Fine for seeing someone speak, less fine if someone was going to do something like show a film or give a concert.
The lobby is beautiful though and very spacious to stand in. Which brings me to my next point.
Where they really lost focus though was organisation. For a space that does this stuff all the time, it was pure chaos. Our ticket was scanned at the door and then no one had any idea where to go. Queues were being formed on each direction and none of the ushers pointed anyone in the right way. When the doors opened, everyone flooded in at once, making it feel like a mad dash to grab a good seat. Why, Mermaid, why?
Also, we checked our coats and bags at the door and then they lost my friend’s bag and ended up giving me the wrong one. Isn’t that exactly what the check in number is for? To hand the number and get back the right thing?
So not great, not terrible, an overall Ok experience.

In my goodness this place is huge!
I had no idea when I passed just the sheer size of it inside. There are lots and lots of room all differing in size and shape (I assuming, not having seen them all, but making an educated guess based on the shape of the building.)
It reminds me if a middle of the road hotel. Spongy carpets and lots of fancy spot light type arrangements.
The toilets are a bit of a conundrum: lovely L’Occitane soap and hand cream, but chipboard doors cover in plastic made to look like wood. Hmm!
Overall it’s a pleasant enough venue in a central (ish) location. It also has a beautiful view over the Thames from the River rooms.

The Mermaid is a conference and events venue in the City of London close to Blackfriars train station. I recently went to the 5^th IAB Engage hosted at this venue. The outside is rather unappealing I think it was built in the 1970s/​1980s, however the inside is slightly better, but no where near as nice as the Hospital Club. If you’re looking to seat a few hundred people then this could be a venue option for you, but if you’re looking for something more upmarket then I would suggest looking elsewhere.