My wife and I have just returned from a two night stay at the Ramada Plaza Bristol hotel. After a three hour drive from Essex along the M4 through filthy weather including snow we eventually arrived at the hotel late afternoon. Finding the hotel was a bit of a palaver at first as you have to drive round this one way system in the Temple Meads area of the city and I actually overshot the entrance to the hotel first time round and I couldn’t reverse back so I had to drive all the way round again but we got there in the end. After parking the car up (take your ticket as you go through the barrier) we made our way to reception. As another reviewer pointed out, the reception wasn’t actually on the ground floor you either get one of the lifts or walk up one flight of narrow stairs which is a bit awkward with luggage. Once at reception, check in was quick and easy, you give your car park ticket to the receptionist for validation which allows you to gain access and exit from the car park as you please. This is where I have one small grumble, I thought the £5 per night charge was a little unfair. As a PAYING guest I would have thought car parking would have been FREE. I am aware that most of the city centre hotels in Bristol do charge for parking. We were given a room on the fourth floor (401) which was right by the lifts. For a four star hotel the room was rather on the small size with not a lot of storage space, just two drawers and an open plan wardrobe . There were no bedside cabinet’s just two small tables. We specifically asked on the booking form for foam pillows as both of us are allergic to feathers, but on checking, all the pillows were Duck feather. However, this was soon put right by housekeeping. The room also had an LCD television with internet access and pay-per-view movies. Tea and coffee making facilities were supplied as was a hair dryer and trouser press but the room didn’t have an in-room safe which rather surprised me for a four star hotel. The room also had air-con. The bed was quite comfortable. The bathroom again was on the small side. Toiletries were supplied as were clean and soft towels. The shower water was hot and powerful. The room was clean and tidy with nice decor. The hotel had a small health spa which unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to use. There was a very nice lounge and bar area with various TV screens although the bar prices might make you choke - £3.20 for a normal lager. Providing there are enough guests, the bar stays open until around 1.30am. We only used the restaurant once on our first evening. The Kiln restaurant is very unique as it is an old glass blowing kiln which Bristol is famous for. Some of the old blue glass is on display and a history of the kiln can be read at the entrance to the restaurant. Our meal was excellent, well presented and served and surprisingly was reasonably priced. If you fancy a flutter, the hotel has a casino right next door called the Gala casino. There is also another one right across the road called the Mint casino which we used as we were already members of that casino group. One of the hotels biggest plus points is its proximity to Bristol’s Temple Meads railway station. If you arrive by train the hotel is only a short 5-10 min walk away (providing it isn’t pelting down with rain or snow!!). Although I have stayed in Bristol before in the Clifton area, I chose the Ramada as it was the closest hotel to where my friend’s 50th birthday party was being held in Stockwood south of the city. The city centre itself with its various attractions is only about a 10-15 minute stroll away. There is one other place worthy of mention, the pub that sits behind the hotel called The Bell. Very Olde world type pub where we had a couple of drinks on the Saturday afternoon after spending a few hours walking around the city. The pub was very warm and friendly (and cheaper than the hotel bar). The pub is easily found by walking through the hotels rear car park. In summing up, the hotel staff were friendly and helpful. I would give our room a three star rating and the rest of the hotel four stars. We paid a total of £168 for two night’s including the £10 parking charge but didn’t include breakfast. We had a pleasant stay and would consider staying at the Ramada again.