We’re starting our spotlight on Devon this month with a bang, with the Mercure Hotel Paignton. This is a gorgeous, modern and flexible hotel, starring its very own stretch of South West Coastline, with a stunning terrace which makes this beach-side venue a showstopper!
To break Mercure Hotel Paignton into its highlights, firstly, you have to look no further than the incredible terrace space which looks out onto the waters of Torbay - or as we’ve heard it, The English Riviera! The hotel features 161 bedrooms, many with incredible floor to ceiling sea-views.
Mercure Hotel Paignton also has everything covered on the event front too, the team here emphasise their ability to cater to bespoke enquiries for your next event and boast two really stunning meeting rooms that are fresh, modern and sleek! This also stood out to us as the kind of venue that would be perfect for corporate incentives and team building. The seafront location makes it an unforgettable space that your guests would adore - if they’re anything like us!
As we approached the Mercure Hotel Paignton, the first thing we felt was just how beautiful this venue is! Surrounding the hotel is an amazing stretch of beachfront, featuring a gorgeous traditional promenade and pier, as well as plenty of green spaces. There was a real energy about the area, with beautiful new, colourful beach huts now in place all across the waterfront. The town itself is in line for nearly £14,000,000 from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, and you can see why, there’s a buzzing, vibrant atmosphere about the area that you just don’t get everywhere, and that really brings the venue to life as you enter!
As you walk into reception, the space flows beautifully with a large open area that leads to the hotel’s top class bar and restaurant… no spoilers! The reception space itself is gorgeous, just a section of this huge, modern, open-plan sprawl, it has velvet sofas, gold finishes on the decor and so much more that give the first impression a high-end feel. The seating area depicts a sunrise over the watery horizon, a navy, velvet couch as the water, and lights meant to resemble seagulls bring this brilliant centre-piece to life. What a great way to create a lively, instagrammable backdrop for hotel and event guests alike! The staff were also fantastically helpful. They didn’t miss a trick throughout our stay, from the moment we stepped in, to check out!
When we got to our room we were blown away, and we don’t mean by the coastal breeze! The bedrooms here are gorgeous, we got to view the coastline from up high, with the promenade and pier in view too. Our seriously impressive Privilege Sea-View room had an oversized bed that made for a super comfy night's sleep after exploring the local area! The bedrooms were all super-smart and many accented with gorgeous art by local artist Emma Carter Bromfield. Commissioned by the hotel to paint coastal scenes, we loved the way Mercure had taken real care to boost the community here - not to mention the art is fantastic!
Venue Name : Mercure Hotel Paignton
Venue Address: Mercure Paignton Hotel, ESPLANADE ROAD, Paignton, TQ4 6BQ
Venue Website: mercurepaignton.com
Sales Contact: Emily Hardy - Sales and Marketing Executive
Phone Number: 01803 229444
Email Address: hb9e9@accor.com
Distance from nearest airport: Exeter International Airport is 22 miles away.
Distance from nearest train station: Paignton station 0.3 miles away
The facilities at the Mercure Hotel Paignton perfectly complement the seaside location. The hotel’s restaurant, Latitude 50, combines Italian, seafood based dining, with seafront views of the coast. The whole experience at the Mercure’s restaurant is exquisite, everything feels so cohesive from the luxurious, modern decor, to the coastal views. The food can also be enjoyed alfresco on the aforementioned terrace, for breakfast, lunch or dinner! When we ate at the restaurant, all three of us ordered a different option, and all three of us were blown away - with compliments to the chef! This space can also be hired out privately, with sections of the restaurant able to be designated specifically to your event.
The fab facilities don’t just stop at dining however, as we mentioned before, this venue/area is rife with opportunities for team building. The team told us that gin and wine tasting, yoga on the beach trips and trips to Paignton Zoo or Kents Cavern were some of the amazing possibilities their partners can offer. We didn’t get the chance to go on any of these escapes, but certainly left, wishing we had more time to explore picturesque Paignton.
The venue also has Silver in the Green Tourism awards, we love to see their commitment to sustainability, especially given the amazing abundance of beachfront and green space they neighbour and occupy! Mercure Hotel Paignton also boasts a great little gym with a treadmill, cross trainer and vertical cycle machine all available to guests.
Now there may only be a couple of meeting spaces at Mercure Hotel Paignton, but you best believe that the team here have managed to pack a mighty punch into those two rooms. They’ve really leant into the idea of harbouring space for perfect focus when you’re in an executive meeting or a training day. The venue also has a brilliant designated team on hand to deliver a seamless and effective experience for all delegates. When we spoke to them, we really got the sense that they were a bunch of ambitious and knowledgeable event-profs with loads of experience under their belt!
It’s also important not to forget the amazing terrace space, which can also be hired and used if you fancy a one-of-a-kind meeting experience looking over the waterfront! This space could be hired for so many things but excels at private dining - imagine a sunset feast after a large team training day. Was that our stomachs rumbling, or yours!?
MEETING SPACE HIGHLIGHT : Elberry Meeting Room
Located on Floor 0 in of the main building in the Mercure Hotel Paignton, this space is accessible by lift, and an absolute delight. Their largest space is modern, simple and well equipped for your next event. There's loads on offer here, including double screens at the front, perfect for presentations and pitches. The seating is also extremely versatile and can be configured any way that your meeting requires. We loved the touches of lavish greenery around the room that really made it come to life!
Does the room have natural daylight: No
Room size: 45 Sq.m
Theatre style layout – capacity 36
Dinner – capacity 16
AV equipment: Screen & Projector High-end audio visual system Sound & Lighting System Microphone
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MEETING SPACE HIGHLIGHT: Preston Meeting Room
The smaller of the two rooms, the Preston meeting room is also on floor 0 and also accessible by lift. When you enter this room, you really get what the team here are going for with providing the perfect spaces to streamline your focus. The chairs are comfy, finishes premium and technology, top notch. This is a great room for any smaller meetings you might have, but interviews also popped to mind. This is a lovely space, made all the more welcoming by some beautiful paintings hanging on the walls!
Location: Floor 0, Main Building, accessible by lift.
Does the room have natural daylight: No
Room size: 20 Sq.m
Dinner – capacity 8
Boardroom style for 10 pax
AV equipment: Screen & Projector High-end audio visual system Sound & Lighting System Microphone
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Summary
And that’s that. This beach-side venue really had it all as you could tell, we felt like we only got to scratch the surface of the area, mostly thanks to how much the Mercure Hotel Paignton had to show off! The hotel was a hub of activity, filled with guests enjoying the south coast sunshine - if it is full, the Ibis Styles Paignton is right next door, perfect for overspill bedrooms. What a knockout, a brilliant first impression made by Mercure on our first trip to Paignton, which we can assure you - definitely won’t be our last!