This hotel is very conveniently placed for anyone wishing to go to Newcastle University for a conference. It is about 5mn away by foot from the Jesmond metro station, and the city centre (and campus) station, Haymarket, is one stop away. Alternatively, it's a 15mn walk to the campus. On osborne road, there are lots of hotels and restaurants but it's not a loud neighborhood. The metro at Jesmond also goes directly to the airport (about 20-25mn). If you stay for a week, I recommend taking the zones ABC 1-week metro saver ticket; it costs £19.80 and you can go everywhere by metro, including the coast :)
I've stayed in room 6, a single en-suite room, with a high ceiling, rather small but with enough space to open a suitcase. There was also a little wardrobe with an extra cover. The tv works well, and so do the kettle, hairdryer and all the power outlets (although there are quite few of them).
The heating worked, but the windows are not well isolated, so the room was very draughty; it's alright if you close the curtains and use the extra woolen blanket (if you need more, anyone at the reception will give you one :) ). There was no heating in the bathroom, but otherwise it was alright; don't follow the hot/cold arrows on the shower tap though, it's a trap! :p
I did notice a few stains on the duvet (probably been washed often for a long time), but not where it touches the skin, and some hair that wasn't mine on the woolen blanket, but otherwise the room was clean.
The included breakfast was good; you could choose from a few sorts of cereals, canned fruit, orange and apple juice, tea or coffee, and you could also have the full english breakfast or pick parts of it. The staff was very flexible, welcoming and fast :)
Said breakfast took place at the adjoining Italian restaurant, Spago's. It's a lovely place for lunch and dinner too!
Staff at the reception was very warm, welcoming and helpful. I had a little trouble understanding one of the ladies' strong Scottish accent (I'm french), but after a few minutes chatting you get used to it. They can provide maps of the city centre, as well as the Jesmond metro timetable and information on the surroundings (Hadrian's Wall...), and are delightful to talk to.
Payment (I chose to do it upon arriving but you can also pay when checking out) was quick and efficient, by visa card, everything went just fine.
Coming back after midnight doesn't seem to be a problem; I once went back at 1am, the hall door was open and a gentleman was there to hand me my key.
Finally, I was glad to see that they had free wifi, which worked quite well in the rooms as well as in the lobby.
Overall, this hotel is a good 2-star value (£45-50 per night, with breakfast), I'm ready to recommend it and will certainly stay there again if I come back to Newcastle (in summer hopefully, cause last week was freezing!!).