Some really lovely staff - Carol in housekeeping ,especially (thank you for our bathrobes!) and Katy on the front desk, who patiently helped to facilitate my activating the App) Lovely pool and buffet breakfast too. Super view from our room overlooking the river.

Check in was rather brusque on Tuesday afternoon. Would have been more than happy to pay a deposit for two bathrobes, but not a fee for borrowing them. And because I was there with my 10 year old granddaughter for 4 nights I would have loved a fridge just to pop in some food and snacks , as the child food menu was rather limited.

The location was very good, easily reached by car yet only a short walk from all the historical monuments. The room was a good size, ditto the bathroom. Breakfast was decent. The staff were all great, friendly yet professional. On-site parking was convenient and not overly expensive.

The lighting in the room was unsatisfactory. The bedside lamps were not enough to read by, and there was an actual fluorescent tube as the main light of the room (integrated into a piece of furniture), giving off very bright, unpleasant light. I found it impossible to keep it on. Why not install LED lighting? The room was obviously quite recently renovated so I found the whole thing baffling.

The room was clean and comfortable with more than adequate storage facilities. The provision of chilled, filtered drinking-water was invaluable in the hot weather. The view of the river with its geese and ducks, and of the old town was excellent. There was a wide range of foods available at breakfast, hot and freshly cooked, along with cold options. We enjoyed two evening meals in the 'Josef Restaurant'. We were much impressed by the calm and well-ordered way the manager and all of her staff managed what seemed to be a medical episode in the restaurant. All the hotel staff whom we encountered were pleasant and helpful.

Can't think of anything.

Staff are always fabulous in all departments very friendly and helpful. I like the spa facilities. The bar area is lovely. Nice riverside location.

The price was ridiculous but I had no choice due to graduation. The twin beds were smaller than expected. Breakfast not as exciting as before - limited bakery, some of the little extras like charcuterie/cheese/veg weren’t appetising. Not the best buffet selection compared to a cheaper competitor I visited recently. Was going to wash my hair but no conditioner in showers - btw the showers by the pool are slippery - again lesser hotels provide more and better products. Tea facilities basic again. For the shocking price at this time of year I expected better.

The hotel is great in a good location, close to all the city centre attractions, but located in a quiet street with little traffic. You can sit outside with the river flowing close by and enjoy the quiet.

Breakfast - If you do not want scrambled eggs then you have to wait for them to be cooked individually. This takes time, especially at busy times. You are left in limbo waiting for your eggs to come out, so you then go to the servery and add the rest of your breakfast. The rest of the food was good, but not hot. Why is servery food always cold. None of it would pass a probe test.

Location was much better than I had thought - quiet and easy walk to the old town; walking distances to a lot restaurants. Rooms are bigger than usual hotels; bar was nice and has a good menu for light meals which we enjoyed in the first night. Swimming pool was also a nice plus. Would stay here again next time we visit Durham.

There was a fire alarm at mid-night in one of the nights we stayed. All guests were waken up by the alarm and evacuated. We were told later that this was a false alarm but no more information was offered. This was a bit unfortunate and hopefully doesn’t happen very often.

Excellent location; our room overlooked the river with a great view of Durham Cathedral. It was a short walk into the city centre, albeit our room was very quiet at night time. We drank at the hotel bar, Josef’s, which was lovely & able to sit outside by the river, or inside as the weather went cooler. After a few busy days of walking we even used the hotel swimming pool, sauna & steam room. Again, everything was brilliant & staff were helpful & attentive throughout. Would certainly recommend this hotel.

One tiny niggle - the pillows were far too soft & my partner & I didn’t have the best night’s sleep whilst there.

My recent stay at this hotel was nothing short of magnificent, characterised by unparalleled professionalism, warmth, and genuine care from the phenomenal staff who were incredibly friendly, accommodating, and excelled at handling last-minute requests with grace and efficiency. The room itself was amazing, offering luxurious comfort and spotless cleanliness, perfectly complemented by the hotel's impeccable location which provided breathtaking views of the castle right from my window, making my morning truly magical. Furthermore, the spa was an incredible sanctuary, providing a serene environment and rejuvenating treatments, ensuring that every aspect of my visit was flawless and exceeded all expectations. Truly recommend it to everyone who chooses to stay there!

Honestly, nothing!

We booked the Premium Room with the River View for a 2 night stay. It was a great choice! The room on the top floor was great, spacious, well equipped, lovely bathroom with walk-in shower, comfortable king size bed. The window seat overlooking the river is big enough to be a bed & definitely comfortable enough. The room had plenty of storage from the wardrobes to large drawers under the window seat. All the staff were very attentive & responded to requests quickly. Durham isn't a large city & hotel location was central without being in the noisy centre, making for a quiet stay. We only ate Breakfast at the hotel but there were lots of options & food was hot, tasty & plentiful (buffet style). On our second morning we chose the avocado & poached eggs from the menu. A great choice! We used the pool & spa facilities (steam room & sauna) and all were clean & working well. Pool had a life guard who was alert but not interfering. Lanes set aside for proper swimmers but a little narrow for me.

This is a personal preference ... lighting! Most hotels we have been in recently have poor (low level) lighting. Even with lots of options or combos for lighting, the only way to read is to use the bedside lamps. A light in the window seat area would have been awesome. No central light leaves the room in twilight all the time.

Brand newly refurbished room, huge super size king bed, very quiet on the river, view of the cathedral was lovely. Restaurant very good value for dinner- huge portions and Northern prices 20% off London: featherblade beef with all the trimmings, £19.99, Salmon stir fry with egg noodles £22, large cocktails £12. Breakfast less attractive at £25 each fixed price, so we went out / Treats in town was amazing. Durham Cathedral was incredible- book the tour- well worth it!

I appreciated their sustainability efforts- they had removed the minibar and fridge- imagine 100 fridges running 365 days a year- and instead offered a carafe that you can fill up yourself with chilled water dispenser in the lift lobby- minor inconvenience but do be ready to trek down the corridor in your PJ’s! The carafe only holds 2 glasses of water so you may have to do it again :)