I stayed i this hotel whilst going to watch the athletics, and was emmensly impressed. It is walkable distance to a tram stop and the train station. I was near everything i needed and found this fantastic. The breakfast was included in the price (which was extremely cheap) an everything about the hotel was nicely decorated and clean. The only fault i could point out was the room was very hot at night, but the window only opened up a tiny bit because we were quite a few floors up, but that was it! Great hotel.

I travel frequently on business, and prefer "soul-less" institutional hotels (where everything is basic and everything works). Have stayed on several occasions at the Bristol, always for one week minimim.

In general, Sheffield has a paucity of hotels, so prices are high and quality is variable. There is a great deal of construction, so noise is unavoidable (think of it as a free wake-up call).

PLUSes: Good value for multi-night stays. Location is far enough from "center" to be quiet, yet walking distance to everything. Make the effort to explore the area ("Kebabish" restaurant one street away has fantastic Indian food; ate here every night when not on business dinners). Going up the steep-ish street facing the hotel brings you to the edge of the center; a nice short-cut, but seemed a bit scary at night. Room is large, two beds, a sofa, and a desk provide enough "sprawl" space. Enough empty space for calisthenics (the original "in-room gym"). Everything works (but a bit old). Window opens. Request a room facing the back (faces the river and a parking lot; no noise from either) - these are the even-numbered rooms. Bathroom works, good water pressure and temp. Heated towel rack useful for drying socks and undies. Tea kettle has it's own power plug, so no need to unlplug tv or laptop to boil water. Clothes closet has a closeable door so clothes dont absorb room odours.

MINUSes: Not enough drawer space. Breakfast buffet is too expensive (GBP 11 if memory serves!). Popular with visiting sportsteams and tour groups, so check-out can take a long time. In-room ADSL is expensive. I suspect most of staff are Uni students earning some pocketmoney., so "service" is typical of "the young people today" (Insert picture of Old Curmedgeon here)

SUMMARY: Not quaint or kitschy, but serves well for a night or longer. Best for experienced travelers who dont need staff/service/pampering. Not a destination in itself.

I booked this hotel from 01.10.06 till 13.10.06 but checked out after 3 days and stayed in Novotel (a very good one).

I had to change two rooms in Hotel Bristol. The main room doors in both rooms (and it appeared to be in the entire hotel) were terrible, the sound it produced was so noisy, even if you want to be gentle with it. Having a proper sleep, huh, forget it. You wake up with a door shock !!!! What a nightmare....

Secondly, the staff in the restaurant were literally chasing after you asking your room number, instead of giving you time to have a proper seat.

Will never book this hotel and will definitely discourage my co-workers / friends not to stay.

Savas Duvan

I recently stayed in this hotel for two nights on business. Yes it is above a petrol station which is not actually a problem and is handy for buying water and other bits and pieces.

My room (5th floor) was clean and comfortable and bigger than many rooms i have stayed in. Only problem was that it was hot - but a fan was already provided. Hairdryer in the room and the two shower gels worked fine for me. The hotel is modern and the decor may not be to everyones taste, especially if you like lots of pattern and old-style furnishings (which I don't).

All staff were very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was fine, cereal, toast, yoghurt and cooked breakfast - service excellent, but the hotel didnt appear to be busy. Dinner in the evening also very good, if a little eclectic.

The main drawback with this hotel is its location - it is not close enough to the centre and to any restaurants and the general area is quite run-down, which meant that we had to eat in the hotel as there was nothing else close by. Some shops (high-street) a 5-10 minute walk away, but the main part ot town is further. I would not use this hotel as a base for visiting Sheffield.