The Bristol Hotel – an elegant hotel in Bristol Harbourside

Set bang on the harbourfront, The Bristol Hotel offers a perfectly central location for anyone visiting the city of Bristol and offers a luxurious base to explore Bristol harbourside. Many of the rooms have a fabulous view across the harbour and the glass frontage of the River Grille Restaurant overlooks the cobbled quayside with a prime view of the boats in the harbour.

The Bristol Hotel was originally built as a motel in the 1960s and the honeycomb concrete facade of the adjoining multi-story car park is now a listed building, as an example of the architecture of the period.

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If you live in Bristol you’ll remember The Bristol as the former Jury’s Hotel, but when the Jury’s chain of hotels was sold in 2007, the Doyle family who owned the group decided to reinvest in a smaller portfolio of luxury hotels. In 2009 The Bristol Hotel reopened after a multi-million pound refit with new chic interiors and a boutique hotel feel.

I hope that you enjoy the video below about The Bristol Hotel and Harbourside area. 

If you can’t see the video above, view it on my blog here or on Youtube here

Superior Rooms at The Bristol Hotel

Within the Bristol Hotel there are a total of 187 rooms, with two different colour schemes. The Superior Rooms have a restful soft green and beige colour scheme with mirrored bed head, silk throws and luxurious velvet and leather upholstery. The rooms have a desk area with flat screen TV, free wifi and plugs for European and US appliances, so that you won’t have to be searching for a travel adapter when you visit Bristol. The bathrooms are sleek and modern with baths and power showers, generous sized toiletries and a beige and black marble scheme. Most of the superior rooms overlook the road, facing towards the Georgian Queens Square or the side of the hotel and are double glazed to reduce noise.

Deluxe Rooms at The Bristol Hotel

The Deluxe rooms are the premium bedrooms with views over Bristol Harbourside and are decorated in a warm, inviting deep red colour scheme. With all the same benefits of the Superior rooms, the Deluxe rooms also offer free newspapers, a toweling robe and Nespresso coffee machine as well as wonderful views.

Relax in the River Lounge

On entering The Bristol from the road side you pass through the reception lobby and up the steps to the lounge areas and bar. There are plenty of comfortable modern sofas to sink into with neutral shades injected with flashes of red and pink colour. When I last visited a group of friends were having a celebration afternoon tea, which looked delicious, served on an unusual slate platter. At the upper level, the River Lounge offers a place to meet after work for a drink or a cocktail with a view over the harbour.

Great food at the River Grille Restaurant

The River Grille Restaurant is an airy, double height space with floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the cobbled quayside. I was intrigued to find that the modernist style paintings on the wall had hidden in them the faces of famous people, such as Spike Milligan. The a la carte menu features aged steaks from my favourite Bristol Butcher, Ruby and White and there is also a good value Market Menu which changes twice a week, using local seasonal produce from the West Country. The Shore Cafe Bar on the corner of the hotel has an outdoor terrace where you can watch the comings and goings on Pero’s Bridge and is the ideal place for a quick snack or an after work drink.

Things to do in Bristol Harbourside

By now I’m sure you’re convinced about staying at The Bristol Hotel and if you’re a visitor to Bristol you’ll find the hotel is perfectly located to explore our city. If you’re a Bristol local then this is a chance to treat yourself or a loved one to a great night out in Bristol with no worries about late night taxis or last bus home, taking the opportunity to discover hidden corners you didn’t know were there. 

Artistic things to do in Bristol Harbourside

Don’t miss the Arnolfini, a centre for the contemporary arts that’s a stone’s throw from the hotel. There’s an arts cinema and free exhibitions which always raise a smile or an eyebrow – last time I was there I was hopping from log to log on a shallow pool in one of the upper galleries. Just up the hill at the top of Park Street you’ll also find the Bristol City Museum and Gallery which has an art gallery on the top floor and hosts different exhibitions of art and photography, featuring anything from Banksy to Leonardo da Vinci.

For Culture and Music lovers on Bristol Harbourside

Whatever your tastes you have plenty of choice for a dramatic or musical night out in Bristol. The Hippodrome is Bristol’s venue for all the top West End shows, musicals and ballet, while the Colston Hall with its glass fronted foyer is home to music from classical to pop, jazz to world music with a sprinkling of comedy thrown in – look out for the free foyer performances. The Old Vic is a lovely Georgian theatre that’s undergone a major refurbishment where you’ll find top class productions from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams, while the Watershed arts cinema just across the water shows the best of world cinema.

Stop for a coffee or lunch on Bristol Harbourside

There are any number of great stops around the harbour for a coffee or a lunchtime snack to keep you going until it’s time for your dinner at the River Grille Restaurant. The museum and gallery cafes of the Arnolfini, M-shed and SS Great Britain all offer great quality coffee, snacks and lunchtime dishes. Close to M-shed is the Wapping Wharf development housing numerous indie food and drink venues, some of them in cool shipping containers.

Just beyond the M-shed is the open air kiosk, Brunel’s Buttery where you can eat your bacon buttie washed down by a mug of steaming tea alongside the houseboats with the seagulls swooping overhead (or more likely pecking up the squashed chips underfoot). For something a bit more elegant al fresco, try the tapas at The Olive Shed nearby. Back on the other side of the water, the waterfront around Millennium square is packed with bars and eateries. Try the upstairs cafe at the Watershed, if you can bag the balcony on a sunny day for lunch.

Messing about on the water on Bristol Harbourside

From one end of the harbour to the other, the yellow and blue Bristol Ferry Boats run up and down, offering you  a different perspective of the harbour from the swan’s eye view. One of their stops is Bristol landmark, the SS Great Britain, an iron steam ship that was designed by Victorian engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel who was also responsible for the Clifton Suspension Bridge. You can spend a fascinating couple of hours here learning about the history and restoration of this historic ship and the sights and sounds of life at sea.

Stretch your legs on Bristol Harbourside

My favourite walk around the harbour is the circuit that takes you past the Arnolfini with a view of the industrial cranes, over the bridge and past M-shed then along the waterfront until you get to the SS Great Britain. If you time it right, you can exchange a few silver coins for a short ferry ride across the water and then make your way back along the reed beds to Millennium Square, where you cross Pero’s bridge to get you back to the Bristol Hotel. If you’re into urban hill-walking, walk halfway up Park Street and then turn left up to Brandon Hill where you can climb Cabot tower (more steps but at least it’s free) to enjoy the 360 degree views over Bristol and the harbour.

Fun with the family on Bristol Harbourside

If you’re travelling with the family, you’ll love to hang out in Millennium square, where the kids can have a splashing time in the shallow pools on a sunny day. Right beside the square is We the Curious, a hands on science centre with plenty of things to push, pull, fiddle with and generally learn about the world around you – that big silver ball you can see from the square is actually the Planetarium. Right next door is the Bristol Aquarium where you can view a tropical seascape and walk through the underwater tunnel. My favourite family museum for all ages (and it’s free) is M-shed, a colourful and fascinating walk through all that makes Bristol what it is today.

If you love to shop on Bristol Harbourside

Find some unique Bristol souvenirs to take home in the gift shops at the Arnolfini gallery, SS Great Britain, or At Bristol complex. A walk up Park Street will take you past boutiques and independent stores selling everything from young, funky and vintage to elegant clothing stores like Jigsaw, Whistles and Cath Kidston or shop for lovely things for the home at Bristol Guild. For something different walk up Christmas steps and find all the interesting craft and art galleries on Colston Street and Lower Park Row. If you need a fix of all the top high street brands, a walk through Queens Square, past Bristol Bridge and through Castle Park will bring you to Broadmead and Cabots Circus.

The Bristol Hotel makes a great base for a weekend stay or longer in Bristol, with views of the harbourside and access to all that’s going on there.

Check Prices and Book for The Bristol Hotel | Book for more hotels in Bristol | The Bristol Hotel Website 

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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