Exploring Salisbury & Stay at Mercure White Hart Hotel - Salisbury, UK
I’ve been a huge fan of the Mercure chain of hotels ever since I’ve stayed at one of their hotels in the Emirates 6 years ago. It was just a staycation on a weekend at the time when I was living in Dubai, and now I’ve experienced staying at several other Mercure hotels worldwide, and have never faced any issue as nothing ever goes wrong.
My family and I had our most recent stay at the Mercure White Hart Hotel in Salisbury, a medieval cathedral city located in Wiltshire. We also wanted to see the iconic prehistoric stone circle at Stonehenge standing on the Salisbury Plain, so the White Hart Hotel was the perfect location to stay, as it’s just 9 miles south of the Stonehenge. Salisbury is also known for the ornate 13th-century cathedral that has a 14th century clock which is still working even today, and also has the original copy of an extremely key document of the 1215 AD called the Magna Carta. This document has also been taken to the other historic cathedrals all over the UK, and was also displayed at the Durham Cathedral few years ago when I was living in Durham.
The White Hart hotel in Salisbury has their own gated, paid parking lot just next to the main building, so it was really convenient for us to take our luggage to the room. After an extremely smooth check-in, we headed straight to our room on the first floor where we were welcomed with a packet of complimentary chocolates, a very sweet gesture from the hotel.
The four star has 68 upscale rooms in a 17th century Georgian style building, and has a prime location that enables guests to explore Salisbury and its rivers. Besides serving their signature afternoon cream teas, they also offer dining options to guests and the hotel has beautiful function rooms which are ideal for a wedding or meeting. Since the hotel is located in the center of Salisbury, the guests have easy access to the shopping and entertainment district of the historic city and even the Salisbury Cathedral, which is just at a walking distance. Besides restaurant dining, the hotel also has an option of courtyard dining and that sounds ideal for the summer months.
Our Privilege room had a flat-screen TV, radio, direct dial telephone, complimentary access to the internet (WiFi), tea and coffee facility as well as an iron and the ironing board. Our room also had a minibar with complimentary still and sparkling water bottles and some soft drinks. Moreover, the spacious cupboard next to the four poster bed also had bathrobes and slippers.
The hotel does not have a lift, but the staff was happy to help with the luggage and also offered us to leave BabyN’s stroller in a safe place near the reception. After retiring for some time, we wanted to go out to one of the restaurants in Salisbury which was advertised in the magazine in our room, but BabyN’ wanted to stay inside as he was quite happy with the room size, and so we decided to get a takeaway instead, after which we went to bed. If you prefer eating Halal food, then it’s easily available in the city center and Salisbury has got both takeaways and dine-in restaurants which you can easily find online.
The next day, we had a hearty buffet breakfast downstairs and decided to sit on a window table that had lots of sunlight coming through. Full English breakfast was already laid on the buffet tables, along with a variety of breads and bakes, fruits, juices and cereal.
Soon after the breakfast, we went out on walk to explore the Salisbury city center and the historic cathedral that had medieval walls and massive grounds surrounding the main building. I always visit the local cathedral of the city where I travel, as it feels great exploring religious places and appreciating their architecture.
Soon after heading back to the hotel, we spent some time in the balcony outside our room before checking-out, and then drove straight to the Stonehenge, which was just 20 mins (11 miles) by drive from the hotel. Our overall stay at the Mercure White Hart hotel was fantastic, the staff was helpful, and even the other hotel guests were really friendly.
Visitors going to the Stonehenge have to purchase ticket to enter this English Heritage site, if they don’t have a membership. Entrance and parking for members of the English Heritage sites is free of cost, and I believe it’s worth because the members can get access to a lot of sites all over the UK. However, we do not have a membership yet, so we decided to see the Stonehenge free of cost through the farmer’s field nearby. I have some other shots as well, and I think I managed to take some good shots of the historic Stonehenge.
Visitors going to the Stonehenge have to purchase ticket to enter this English Heritage site, if they don’t have a membership. Entrance and parking for members of the English Heritage sites is free of cost, and I believe it’s worth because the members can get access to a lot of sites all over the UK. However, we do not have a membership yet, so we decided to see the Stonehenge free of cost through the farmer’s field nearby. I have some other shots as well, and I think I managed to take some good shots of the historic Stonehenge.
Important Information - Mercure White Hart Hotel
Check-in: 2:00 pm
Check-out: 12:00 pm
Parking: Paid parking available
Breakfast: Full English breakfast, buffet styled
In-room amenities: Hair dryer, iron, kettle, coffee machine, complimentary toiletries & tea/coffee facility provided
Location: 1 St John StreetSP1 2SD Salisbury
Telephone: (+44)1962/312801
Website: http://bit.ly/2oRlh2e
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I’ve been wanting to go to see the Stonehenge since quite some time but didn’t know that the visitors can also see it through the farmer’s land.
ReplyDeleteSalisbury seems like a lovely city, and I’m also always keen on exploring the historic cathedrals, so I’ll definitely visit the Salisbury Cathedral, and can maybe also stay at the White Hart hotel.
ReplyDeleteI have been once to Salisbury to attend a family function. I think I should plan a visit again and should book a stay at this hotel. The breakfast photos are really tempting.
ReplyDeleteoh wow that bed looks amazing!! Bet you had a really lovely nights sleep in that. The breakfast also look really good too
ReplyDeleteI love Salisbury but have only ever day-tripped there - mostly for the Magna Carta because I'm a real history buff. The hotel room looks gorgeous - there is nothing like a 4 post bed for a fancy instagram photo!
ReplyDeleteC x
I like the Mercure chain but find their hotels a real mixed bag of properties. Glad you had a good time in Salisbury.
ReplyDeleteOooh Stonehenge! It's such a shame you cant get closer now though isn't it? Salisbury looks lovely, as does the hotel. Love the view from your window! I'd be a bit annoyed about the lack of lift though if i'm honest x
ReplyDeleteThat place looks fantastic, I’d definitely loved to visit it some time, so magestic but simple looking,
ReplyDeleteOh wow that food looks gorgeous, the rooms like amazing, I bet you didn’t want to leave! I haven’t stayed in a hotel with a mini bar, that will be my next quest x
ReplyDeleteIt looks incredible I love the old Georgian style and the bed looks divine. It was lovelt they had breakfast laid out for you already. I would be very happy to stay here
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful looking hotel, that bed is amazing. I love Salisbury, so much to explore there.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great place for a quick getaway. The room and breakfast looks great.
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