Location

Hotel Mercure Graz City is located in the Lend district, a trendy and artistic neighbourhood in Graz, west of the River Mur. It is on the same side of the river as Graz Hauptbahnhof, about a 15-minute walk from the train station. The hotel is also about a 12-minute walk from the sights in the Innere Stadt across the River Mur. There are several amenities in the vicinity of Hotel Mercure Graz City. There are four supermarkets near the hotel, with two just right below the hotel and another two in a 5-minute radius from the hotel. There is no lack of restaurants near the hotel where one can find a restaurant that matches one’s budget. In the morning, a market on the square next to the hotel sells fresh produce sourced locally. There are also two bus stops, with one directly in front of the hotel, making the hotel very accessible via public transportation. One of the bus stops serves buses heading to the train station.

The Suite

Hotel Mercure Graz City offers its guests two suites: the Junior Suite and the Executive Suite. The difference in price between the two suites is less than $50, so we booked the larger 46㎡ Executive Suite.

Entryway

The entryway to the Executive Suite revealed the contemporary decor of the suite. Here, we found a set of five hooks mounted onto a wooden feature wall, which made it very convenient for us to hang our winter jackets. A full-length mirror is installed at the entryway so we can check our appearance before heading out. Also in the entryway is a tall cabinet with a glass panel section revealing the coffee cups and glasses. The other cabinet sections are mainly empty, which we use to stow our stuff. We found one of the two mini fridges stocked with chargeable beverages in one of the cabinets on this shelf. Beside the tall cabinet is another waist-high cabinet that gave us more storage space.

Living Room

The living room of the Executive Suite has rather simple furnishings. The first thing that caught our eye was the two fabric armchairs, which were capable of being converted into single beds. There are no sofas furnished in the living room of the Executive Suite. These oversized armchairs are very comfortable to laze on while watching TV mounted onto the wall opposite it. Despite having over 70 channels on TV, most of these channels are in German. We only found a handful of English channels, limiting the entertainment we could receive from the TV. A large table with two chairs can be used as a dining table and a work desk. As a work desk, Hotel Mercure Graz City fitted a power outlet at the table enabling us to keep our laptops charged while working. The standing lamp at one corner of the living room provides additional lighting and an ornamental piece to make the living room feel less empty.

There is a small pantry in the living room of the Executive Suite at Hotel Mercure Graz City. The pantry is equipped with a microwave oven, a Nespresso machine, an electric kettle, and two induction cookers. A kitchen sink is also fitted in the pantry, but the hotel does not provide dishwashing detergents. We thought that having the sink next to the Nespresso machine gave us the convenience of topping up the machine’s water tank. We also found a set of china and cutlery and some cookware stowed in the drawers under the cooker. Hidden in the cabinet beneath the Nespresso machine is another functional empty mini fridge, where we used to stow the drinks we bought from the supermarket below the hotel.

Bedroom

The simple contemporary decor is also seen in the bedroom, consistent with the design language in the living room. I like the way Hotel Mercure Graz City fitted a row of lighting at the headboard that is bright enough to illuminate the bedroom without the need to fit any ceiling lights. The king bed is fitted by the wall facing the entrance to the bedroom. The Graz city skyline motif hanging above the headboard of the bed not only gave an artistic flare to the bedroom but also constantly reminded us of the landmarks we can visit in Graz. The sleep quality of the king bed was excellent, and despite the soft pillows (I usually prefer firmer pillows), I got a great night’s sleep. A couple of bedside tables are mounted onto the wall on both sides of the bed, with limited space for us to place our lifestyle devices. Even with the reading light mounted onto the headboard and the absence of bedside lamps, we still find the space a tad tight. European power outlets are fitted onto the wall on both bedside tables.

Sitting next to the king bed is a luggage rack, which is large enough for only one luggage. The hotel does not provide an additional luggage rack, meaning one of us has to lay our luggage on the floor. A large two-panelled wardrobe is fitted next to the luggage rack. The left panel of the wardrobe has a shorter hanger space due to shelving where the hotel places the in-room safe, while the right panel has a longer hanger space. I thought the amount of space offered by the wardrobe was rather limited, as there is little shelving to put on smaller clothing.

The TV in the bedrooms is slightly bigger than that in the living room, having the same channel options. Mounted on the wooden feature wall in the bedroom facing the king bed, the position of the TV allows us to watch TV whilst lying on the bed. A long table is mounted to the wall underneath the TV and has two chairs. This versatile table can be used as an alternate workplace for guests as the hotel fitted power outlets at the table. We mainly used this table to place our smaller items and things we bought from the city.

Bathroom

The bathroom is perhaps the weakest part of the suite. I found the bathroom a tad small for the suite, but I liked that the bathroom floor was heated. The toilet bowl was the first thing that caught my eye the moment I opened the bathroom door. It is fitted on the left side of the bathroom next to the entrance, while the sink is fitted opposite the toilet bowl, occupying the space to the right of the bathroom entrance. Due to the limited space, there is little countertop space at the sink. It does not help that the hotel fitted a rather large sink in the bathroom. Situated at the end of the bathroom and occupying about half the space is the walk-in shower, which is only fitted with a regular shower head. I did not quite like the design of the semi-open walk-in shower, as we found water splashing out of the shower cubicle. Regarding amenities in the bathroom, Hotel Mercure Graz City only supplies shower amenities. The other bathroom amenities, like dental kits, vanity kits and shavers, are available upon request. Nonetheless, I quite like the “Elemental Herbology” branded shower gel and shampoo provided by the hotel. It has a nice woody smell and feels refreshing after use.

Service

My first impression of the service at the hotel was mediocre. The staff processing our check-in seemed more task-focused than taking the initiative to build a relationship with the guests. There were no smiles or greetings from the staff, who we felt just wanted to quickly get the check-in process over with and send us to our rooms. She only briefed us on the breakfast timing and cost but not the rest of the facilities or services the hotel provides. However, she warmed up when we approached her after settling into our rooms to ask for in-room slippers (yes, the hotel did not even put these in the room, and we had to ask for them). Most of the time, we did not see the reception being manned, even when we headed out in the mornings to see the city. We met another staff member who seemed to multitask while manning the reception and the bar at the same time. He was friendly and made an effort to engage in small talk with us. Unlike most Accor hotels, Hotel Mercure Graz City did not offer us welcome amenities.

Hotel Facilities

Gym

Hotel Mercure Graz City has a small gym on Level 1 with limited workout equipment. The gym has only one treadmill, one elliptical machine, and two stationary bikes for cardio exercises. There is only one strength-building machine and some free weights for guests who want to do strengthening exercises. However, I was surprised to find a sauna room and a separate infrared sauna room, together with three benches, in the space at the back of the gym.

Overall

I thought the Executive Suite in Hotel Mercure Graz City was large and comfortable, but the furnishing of two armchairs in the living room rather than a sofa does not seem to invite guests to relax in the living room. The table in the living room took up a good amount of space, and might be the reason behind the absence of a coffee table. The bed has great sleep quality, but the bathroom is a tad small. The service we received was a mixed bag, with one staff who seemed more task-oriented and the other a little more people-orientated.