Hampton by Hilton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

The Hampton by Hilton is a good value hotel with a perfect location in the centre of Newcastle.

The train from Newcastle airport takes about 25 minutes to arrive at Newcastle Central Station, the Hampton is just across the street.

In the evenings, the entrance is guarded by security and they check that you are a hotel guest. You then need to take one of two elevators to reception. I asked what problems had required the need for security. It seems that late night revelers stumble into the entrance believing it to be a bar or at worst a bathroom!

The reception area was modern and check-in staff were fast and friendly. There’s also a secure room for bag storage.

I was assigned a room on the same floor. The bed was a standard double and TV was small, but everything was clean and comfortable. The TV also had plenty of English channels.

The bathroom was modern with plenty of towels and a nice walk-in shower.

There was a safe, an iron, ironing board, folding luggage stand, kettle and tea/coffee. The wi-fi and air con worked fine.

For my Saturday night stay, I was worried that the room might be noisy, either from the street or from other guests. I slept peacefully.

Breakfast is free for all guests. It was surprisingly good – full English breakfast, pastries, cereals, decent orange juice and coffee. However, the buffet space is a little cramped and it was hard to find a table.