Make It The Maldron

The Maldron Hotel is the latest "new kid on the block" in Newcastle's burgeoning hotel & leisure industry.

Part of the £100m development of the former Newgate shopping mall, the hotel occupies a prime city centre location which makes it a top choice for a corporate stay, business meeting or weekend away. The Maldron brand is a part of Dalata – Ireland’s largest hotel group – and is the first Maldron to open in mainland UK.

This is undoubtedly a great coup for the city, so I pitched up with my son Jack to get a greater feel for this flagship new venue. On arrival, the hotel really exudes that classy, 4-star feel. The ground floor is a lovely, semi open-plan area comprising reception desk, bar, lounge and restaurant. Decked out in shades of chrome, white and grey, it’s supremely stylish and punctuated by splashes of the brand’s signature yellow stripe.

With 265 rooms in total, The Maldron offers a comprehensive mix of accommodation including everything from deluxe doubles to executive rooms to spacious family rooms. The hotel’s Conference suites (four in total with a capacity to hold 80 people) even provide a nod to the region’s heritage of innovation, with rooms named after Sir William Armstrong, George Stephenson et al.

Each room is fully air-conditioned and offer all the modern amenities needed to enhance your stay. These include flat screen TVs, high speed WiFi, large in-room safes, tea & coffee making facilities and 24 hour room service.

For those with a little more time on their hands, guests can unwind in the hotel’s very own in-house eatery. The “Grain & Grill” restaurant offers a scrumptious and varied selection of dishes with something surely to be found to everyone’s taste.

The dining area is nicely divided up into two main areas which affords plenty of space to relax with family and friends. After enjoying a swift livener at the bar, Jack and I adjourned to our window table with views out across the hotel’s courtyard – a mini haven of al fresco calm within the hustle and bustle of the city.

In hearty hotel fashion, Jack kicked off with the leek & potato soup with crusty bread whilst I sampled the smoked salmon potato cake with horseradish crème fraiche and crisp fried capers. Two simple starters both executed very well here.

As its name might suggest, the restaurant makes use of a powerful flame grill with a number of steaks and burgers on offer alongside the Maldron’s signature hanging skewers. In addition to this, there’s also a good selection of main plates. Think traditional fish & chips and steak & ale pie or new favourites such as the Thai green chicken curry or Cajun spiced halloumi salad. Jack elected for the 8oz rump steak with peppercorn sauce, homemade chips, grilled mushroom and confit tomatoes.

Cooked over the fierce heat of the grill, my chicken skewers had a deliciously smoky char and possessed a wondrous depth of flavour, delicately spiced in a BBQ marinade. Generous chunks of pepper and chorizo also provided much colour and interest.

The Maldron’s hugely accommodating team looked after us well throughout our meal and were even happy to recommend a bottle of Chianti to wash all of this down. The following morning, breakfast was served over the hotel’s capacious ground floor with a freshly prepared mix of cooked and continental options. This is a perfect choice for those starting their working day or those heading out to explore the city.

Over the breakfast, we both agreed that this brand-new hotel was a great new asset to the city and a testament to Newcastle’s thriving status as a business and leisure destination. I’m sure this classy hotel will accommodate plenty of both sets of travellers in the months and years ahead.