Is there a place in Wales that’s as much maligned as Newport? If there is it’s hard to think of one.
All towns and cities have their ups and downs, but sometimes it feels like the negativity towards Newport is overwhelming, coming as it does both from within and without.
As the Director of Sales of the Mercure Hotel Newport, I’d like to offer a different perspective.
Our hotel recently celebrated two years in the city, and in that time we’ve welcomed more than 90,000 guests from 12 countries to Newport.
Whether they’ve travelled for business or leisure, for a couple of nights or a longer visit, our location means our guests get to stay in the heart of the city.
And when we speak to our guests about their experience, the feedback they give about Newport itself is largely positive.
In fact, the phrase we hear most often is “pleasantly surprised”.
Sometimes guests arrive with preconceived ideas of what Newport is like, perhaps based on an outdated view of the city or from stories they might have read in the press.
Sometimes guests arrive with no expectations at all, and only know Newport as being a place near Cardiff or Bristol.
But whether they’ve come from the UK or overseas, they all leave with a better idea of what the city is like today – a friendly, vibrant, up-and-coming place with lots of potential.
They talk excitedly about recent developments, like Friars Walk shopping centre and the redevelopment of Newport Market. They praise the nightlife at the city’s various bars, clubs and restaurants. And they marvel at its storied past and historic buildings, from the castle to the Corn Exchange.
As the Mercure Hotel Newport is a relatively new addition to the city centre, we share the excitement of our guests at the many positive new and upcoming developments.
And, as occupants of the city’s tallest building, the landmark Chartist Tower, we’re proud to be a part of the city’s rich heritage.
One of our more well-known visitors paid perhaps the best tribute to Newport recently. On her BBC Radio 6 Music show last December, Welsh singer Cerys Matthews, said:
“Newport is buzzing. I was there recently and there was a new hotel right in the middle of town, and you can just hang out there, it’s really starting to feel like something is going on. Newport, Gwent – go there.”
We couldn’t put it better ourselves.
