Durham Swallow Three Tuns Hotel

Nice hotel, conveniently located, moderately priced, in need of a little investment (but they know that).

Just one note, there is no disabled access to rooms.

The Three Tuns Hotel is very conveniently located close to the centre of Durham - an easy and pleasant walk to the town centre. It is a bit difficult to find though, we drove round for about 20 minutes, despite having printed directions.

First impressions are that the hotel exterior is a little bit shabby and could do with a paint job. The hotel is also located right on the edge of a busy main road.

Our room was quite large - a huge and very comfortable double bed, separate area with sofa and chairs and desk. The bathroom was also larger than average. However, although clean and comfortable, the decor is somewhat in need of updating. The room was a bit shabby and "tired" with old fashioned scuffed furniture and the walls and doors were scuffed and marked. Also the bathroom was old fashioned and dated.

We ate in the hotel restaurant and found the food to be of a reasonable standard, although it did take quite a long time for the food to be served. The restaurant is old - oak beamed and quite nice. However, the next morning at breakfast our table was a bit grubby with crumbs on it. Also the highchair our toddler used the previous evening was brought to us, but had not been cleaned and was covered in (his) sticky food and ketchup stains.

As guests in the hotel you are entitled to use the leisure facilities of the nearby Marriott - a short walk away, but we did not have time for this.

Durham itself is a beautiful city - winding, cobbled streets, beautiful river walks and a magnificient cathedral are all highlights. We spent the day just wandering and exploring.

We also visited Diggerland - a theme park based on construction vehicles, which is just 3 miles away. It is very good, reasonably priced with all sorts of diggers, trucks and other vehicles that children can ride in and use. They even have a thrill ride involving a JCB. Our toddler enjoyed it, but it is most suitable for over 5's, as they can generally ride on everything.

Our verdict on the hotel is that it could do with updating and refurbishment. It is well placed for exploring the centre of Durham but would be so much better if the rooms and bathrooms were modernised.