Merry Hill is overrated in my opinion.

I often visit this and other shopping centers in Europe. It's certainly not the best, despite it's claim at being the biggest (what in, crowds?)

Actually reaching Merry Hill by car is a nightmare; its vicinity places it right in the middle of an industrialized rat-run at the best of times and queuing to reach its entrance has been part of the shopping experience for years.

Try to visit in the week, as on a weekend Merry Hill can become quite annoying. Too many people cram into the area. The roads are jammed solid all day by the way, not just at weekends and rush-hour. Not the best place to build a shopping center!

So what of public transport? Dirty, crowded and unreliable. Too many routes take far too long to reach the mall. The bus station looks about as inviting as a bottle of sand in the desert, and on weekends it magically transforms into a litter-strewn cattle train.

The interior design of Merry Hill is bland but very clean indeed. The decor doesn't really inspire, it's more like a minimalist combination of white walls and chrome elevators, with a sprinkling of cheap tacky artificial plants.

This shopping center scores highly once you're inside and that's why so many people come here; it's clean, indoors, easily accessible and safe. You always notice the security staff wondering about and they don't tolerate yobs - the people who come here mostly shop, which is rare in the Midlands..

The range of shops is good but not cheap. You will find special offers now and again, but I wouldn't say the prices are the sole reason people visit.

There are hotels near the center for the business traveler, but they're way too overpriced for the below average facilities they offer; don't expect a room with a view.

There's also quite a few "factory outlets" in the surrounding area, which sell goods direc
t to the public from industrial parks. Better prices can be found here than any of the shops in Merry Hill.

I think on the whole Merry Hill is like it's 3 McDonald's 'restaurants': expensive, tacky and bland but at the end of the day it serves its purpose.