Name: Brook Red Lion Hotel
Address: High Street, 43, Colchester, CO1 1DJ, GB

2/10

Poor

19 Jul 2026

Benjamin

Filthy hotel, with staff who smoke in every room. Unfriendly and useless staff — they lost paperwork and overcharged me. An absolute disgrace to the historic building. Should be shut down!

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jul 2026

Jacob

The staff and facility were extremely inviting and courteous with welcoming this traveller back home!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2026

Julie

Lovely historical hotel,
Staff are very helpful friendly and welcoming
The breakfast had a great choice and was very tasty
Enjoyed a lovely evening in the bar
Looking forward to coming back in September

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2026

Carmen

Clean room ,friendly staff, quick check in

Self

6/10

Pleasant

29 May 2026

Charlotte

The building is beautiful, however the room itself was truly nothing special, the windows do not stay open and there is no air-conditioning so the room was unbearably hot all night. In the morning when I had a shower I had to pick between scorching or freezing and due to the hot room freezing was preferred. Overall, the main attraction to this hotel is the building being beautiful but I would be highly unlikely to stay again and would not recommend to my friends and family.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2026

Lisa

Beautiful grade 1 listed building.
Staff were fantastic nothing was too much trouble, and very friendly.
Would definitely recommend it and would love to go again

Business

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2026

John O'Keefe

The staff is lovely and the property is in a great location, I will definitely be staying here again!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2026

Deborah

Right in town so perfect from train station.
Lovely staff and my room was lovely. Great sleep. Check out at 11. Will be back again :)

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

01 Jan 2026

Thomas

Check in was straight forward.
- Bathroom was not very clean
- Urine on the toilet seat
- Shower was boiling due to shower hose split and cold water escaping
- Stained bed linen

Would have been nice to have some bottled water in the room.

Asked for an iron and was burnt so couldn’t use it.

Had a room facing high street that was extremely noisy so had little sleep.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Dec 2025

Richard

I turned up early, and the friendly receptionist, chatted with me for ages. The room was sootless and when I checked in they had put a heater on to ensure the room wad warm. I will definitely return.

Friends_and_family Friends

4/10

Poor

15 Dec 2025

Edward

The hotel's boiler was broken so no hot water.

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2025

Stuart

Perfect

4/10

Poor

06 Dec 2025

Teresa

It is a lovely and clean hotel, but the boiler was not working properly so there was no central heating or hot water for a time.

The staff made me welcome and as comfortable as they could with a heater and an extra duvet but for a long time I was cold and could not shower when I wanted to, unfortunately I spent more time in the room than planned!

I will return but will be 100% better when the hotel and rooms are warm.

Friends_and_family Friends

2/10

Poor

30 Nov 2025

James

No Hot Water. Stained Bedding. Suspicious brown stain on wall. Room not ready for check in. Heating not working. Bed uncomfortable. Toilet seat loose. No one at reception on leaving to complain to. Not a stay I enjoyed I’m sorry to say.

Leisure Friends

2/10

Poor

17 Nov 2025

albert

Breakfast excellent
Bar never open

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2025

Spike

Everyone very helpful and friendly.
The room was clean and comfortable.
The breakfast was generous and I especially liked the tasty omelette and coffee.

Self

4/10

Poor

26 Sep 2025

Angela

We had room 5 at the front. Very noisy from taxi rank & general street noise. Cold as radiator not working and window wouldn't stay shut as restrictor fitted wrongly. Toilet reluctant to flush, towel rail disconnected from pipe, plug in sink ineffective, kettle too big to get under tap. Main room light dim, only one bedside light, not possible to read after dark. The restaurant isn't open in the evening. Staff were pleasant and helpful and did supply an electric heater after we complained about teh cold.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2025

Paul A.

Historic, excellent location and comfortable

Business_and_leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Sep 2025

Steven

Every nice staff. Noce building with lots of history ohhh and ghosts

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2025

Sarah louise

This hotel really and staff are friendly. Would stay again

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

02 Sep 2025

Caroline

Clean and comfy room although a bit hot and window didn't open far enough to get a breeze through

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

02 Sep 2025

Ross

The whole property needs a serious upgrade/renovation. Its history is very interesting but everything is shabby & worn. On arrival the person at reception had difficulty understanding English, obviously his 2nd language & we of course had trouble understanding him, although he had a very pleasant manner. We had an almost impossible climb to our room which although cleanish was very outdated with worn carpet with holes. The other staff we spoke to were helpful & kind. It would have helped to be given the town map & proper accurate car parking instruction on arrival. A one & a half star rating!

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

24 Aug 2025

Mark

The Brook Red Lion is a lovely old building, dating back to the 1400s...lots of wooden beamscand original features. But....

Firstly, it's right on the main high street, so it was noisy. There is a nightclub almost directly opposite (Trilogy) with music load music until 2:00am on Friday night. The windows are single glazed, so it was loud in the room right through, with little chance of sleep. And expect church bells to wake you at 7:00am.

Next....the property is historic and has\"wow factor\". But it needs some love...it needs updating. The bed was too soft, and the room felt unloved....not dirty, but not clean to modern standards.

Then....the breakfast should be a lot better. It was served buffet style, but the cooked food was cold and overcooked (very dry fried eggs, for example, which were inedible).

Overall...I'd love to be more positive but it's really difficult. For the money it should be a lot better.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Aug 2025

Deborah

Angela was so helpful and friendly also the bar staff only moan was the bar didn't open until 3 pm and had no drinks on draft

6/10

Pleasant

08 Aug 2025

Patrick

Great Tudor style central hotel.

A great location with easy access to the Castle, Park, Shops and transport. However, because our room was the front of the hotel,we found it very noisy both inside and fom the street outside. A nightclub directly opposite and a taxi rank outside. Not sure, but the rear rooms may be quieter. There is a cozy lounge and bar/restaurant, but doesn't seem to attract many clientell. Good value for the price.

4/10

Poor

03 Aug 2025

Heath

Checked in and the room only had one small bed which you won’t fit 2 6foot lads in. Booked a twin room but that’s the only room available so didn’t stay and had to find other arrangement. Not easy on a Saturday night.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2025

Anthony

Very central so walk to anywhere in the town. Quirky but very acceptable. Some people wouldn't like some aspects but good for one night. Would stay again. No parking but street parking lets you park 3 hours before 8pm and after 8am. Unfortunately I misread the signs and parked on a disabled. An extra £35!

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2025

Paul

Good value good location

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jun 2025

Alison

The hotel is old and dates but we didn’t pay a lot for the room. Room was clean and tidy but old decor. Was going yo use bar but no one in there including bar staff so didn’t bother and no info on breakfast times, has to ask. On the whole it’s ok for the mo au you pay

2/10

Poor

01 Apr 2025

Marian

Verry dirty hotel bad smell

Business Self

2/10

Poor

29 Mar 2025

Jean

I would never stay in this hotel again. It was absolutely terrible. It was my birthday on Thursday after traveling for 3 hours on bus and 2 trins i wanted a bath to freshen up. I turned the hot tap on the bath went to turn the cold tap on and it wouldn't turn so went to reception told the man who was very uninterested said he can't look at it till tomorrow which was Friday. I tried to sleep but had scalding hot water running all night so no sleep. You couldn't go in the bathroom because it was so hot. I had paid for 2 nights but left in the afternoon. It totally ruined my birthday as my family and i were going to an expensive restaurant on the evening and i couldn't even have a bath. I would likea full refund for both nights or im contacting my solicitor

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

18 Mar 2025

William

Very dated but ok if you need to get your head down a few junkies hanging about outside but i recon thats just the uk all over nowadays.

Business

4/10

Poor

23 Feb 2025

Natalie

Unfortunately the hotel is in need of a makeover. It’s such a shame as it’s a lovely old building.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Jan 2025

James

Red Lion Colchester

I’m going to be completely honest. Do not go bro this hotel if you are expecting a 5 star treatment, mod cons and fine dining.

But please stay here if you love culture , old buildings and history. The building is amazing , and Angela the manager is equally as amazing , she really went out of her way to take us around the building & tell us all the history linked to it. It is alleged to be very haunted so if you’re scared of things that go bump in the night , go and stay in a premier inn somewhere. Having said that, we stayed in the most haunted room and didn’t experience anything , if you’re over 6 feet tall I wouldn’t recommend the Four poster bed , I couldn’t stretch out as much as I’d have liked too but I was there for the experience and to go back in time and I’m really glad I did.

Breakfast was amazing , I had the full English and didn’t leave a crumb.
The bar/restaurant area when we stayed was empty… we had the place to ourselves, it just felt like home from home , some people may prefer a bit more atmosphere, I was happy to sit on the sofa and stare at the amazing wooden beams all around me wondering what secrets the walls hold.

Overall , there is room for improvement in terms of cleanliness, bathrooms were a bit dated and scruffy… but at the same time you simply can’t ruin a building that amazing by turning it into a modern resort with shiney everything.

Man up , and enjoy it for what it is. A piece of history you get to experience

Partner

2/10

Poor

31 Dec 2024

Barry.

Bed bugs I have been bitten all over

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

21 Dec 2024

Verified traveler

Worst hotel i ever been to

The reception lady was amazing really friendly,helpful and overall nice. Very warm welcome and good byes.Room was horrible dont even know were to begin. Floors wonky and very squeeky. Furniture and bed stained. Bathroom wonky toilet and bath just horrendous. Windows not double glazed and gap in between windows were cold air just came in. Curtains just falling apart bearly could close them because they were falling of the curtan rails and dont get me started on the noise coming from outside all day and night. Maybe got like an hours sleep all together. Everything in the room was outdated and just unbelievably horrible. Im so sorry but it was the worst hotel i have ever been too. The accommodation was bad but the service of one lady was just amazing.

Partner

4/10

Poor

08 Dec 2024

Susan

Historic hotel just dont take a street facing room

Have stayed here several times for its convenience as a great location for a stay in Colchester - right in the heart of the high street. I have always been very happy but on this occassion we left before sunrise & skipped the breakfast we had paid for. Had it not been for having had a few drinks, we would have in fact left in the middle of the night.

Its an historic hotel with charm but it is what it is, old & lacking mod cons. Not a problem at all normalky but on this ocassion we had a room facing the High Street. The noise from happy party people, the pub which was open into the wee small hours, people waiting on buses & taxis was relentless & it was impossible to sleep one wink. I accept a High Street hotel in any city, particularly a builing of this age will not be soundproof but you could hear word for word peoples conversations in the street below.

More significant though was a barely tepid shower as the water just never heated up. Additionally the room was not clean. There were cobwebs & dust in the beams & the bed was just awful. The divan base was splattered with some sort of liquid, possibly some blood. The matress had springs almost ready to pop out & my partner had an awful back ache as a result & could barely drive us back home pillows ( 2 squashed into one pillowcase each) were too big & lumpy.

Ill stop there as you get the drift. Dont be put off stsying but do make sure you dont get a room at the front. We will only stay again in a room at the
back

Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Dec 2024

Craig

Hot water fluctuated. Central location handy for walking about town.
Staff helpful, especially at breakfast which was filling.

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2024

Kamran

My great thanks goes to helpful and friendly staff.
Breakfast was very good.
Location of the hotel for me was excellent.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2024

Jude

Very welcoming and I booked it 2 hours prior. Very helpful and couldn’t do enough for you. Totally recommend

Business Self

2/10

Poor

06 Nov 2024

dinesh kumar

I booked a twin room, but when we reached the hotel, there were no twin bedrooms available! 😱 #TravelFail #HotelDisappointment

Business_and_leisure Family

2/10

Poor

29 Oct 2024

Karen

The heating was on full abd couldnt not be turned down. No privacy curtain at the massive windows which was heavily over looked, so the main curtains had to be permanently closed for privacy. Very very dirty.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

26 Oct 2024

Gary

I stayed at the Red Lion hotel in colchester last week, very historical place, sadly my first bedroom room 14 had major hygiene issues, it was damp, dirty, and i had mice dramas in the room. A mouse ran feom under the bed and under the bedroom door into the hallway. I was told its an old building, and these pests do frequent the hotel.
I was to another room 4 doors away in a worse state as the other room. I had to leave, i couldnt stay it was terrible.

I wrote in to the manager and was refused my £95 as they said they followed the rules.

Note to expedia - you were the booking agent for this hotel, even though the hotel took my payment.. i feel that you are advertising a hotel that has terrible reviews , yet your site reviews gives the impression the hotel you're promoting is a great place to stay. I feel this is terrible advertising on your behalf, and this will make me question trusting hoursite

Red Lion Hotel Colchester - i would not recommend staying here with family, its a H&S nightmare.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

02 Oct 2024

Tina

Loved the town and building absolutely amazing

Business_and_leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Sep 2024

Angela

Our bed was very comfortable, the staff were very friendly and helpful and the breakfast was great, We would recommend for a stay in Colchester as it is in the centre of town. Perfect for shopping, attractions i.e. the castle, theatre and pubs and restaurants etc.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Sep 2024

SUSANNA

Brilliant staff!

The staff are really friendly and helpful. The breakfast was great value for money and nothing was too much trouble. Only issue we had was that the window wouldn't stay open and because it was very warm in the room we had to place a drawer in position to wedge the window open a little to get some air into the room, but otherwise it was clean a great pit stop for what we wanted.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2024

Nick

A lovely pub hotel in a top spot in Colchester

Ours was a one nighter. We were greeted with an amazing front of house staff member called Angela who couldn’t do enough for us, even helped us to secure our luggage as we had arrived early. The other front of house staff were fantastic as was our breakfast host who provide us with a top notch breakfast and gluten free options. The Red Lion is an amazing pub to stay in. it’s ancient history just adds buckets to its charm. None of its walls are straight. As for value for money it is a steal at what paid. As for Colchester, it should be called Cool Chester, it’s a wonderful, vibrant city that has just so much to offer. We liked it better than York, and we did really like York. It’s a very old easy to walk around hub of ancient treasure and fun.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Aug 2024

Stephen

Very old staff were very nice, room could have been a bit cleaner.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2024

Rune

A historical hotel from 1400 with large rooms , staff who all care about their job and the place they work, reasonable rates, tasty breakfast and a 100s of years old ghost to go with it . Hidden secret in Colchester in the middle of town, would definitely come back !

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

22 Aug 2024

clive

Property dates from the fourteen hundreds, the plumbing was installed shortly thereafter.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

14 Aug 2024

Robin

My daughter stayed here rather than me. Good location but room was old with hole in wall so could clearly hear guest in next room talking on phone. Also bed leaned to the side.
Breakfast OK and staff friendly.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Aug 2024

Verified traveler

Lovely staff and great service

The hotel was clean. Every memeber if staff we encountered was pleasant and helpful.
Felt at ease . The breakfast service was efficient and very tasty.
The building itself was beautiful and characterful.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jun 2024

Kathleen

Great stay!! Excellent for transport links, shopping and dining

Self

4/10

Poor

14 Jun 2024

Kevin

The central heating doesn't come much. Luckily I complained and got use of an extra heater. The mattresses are old and you can feel the springs. Disappointing got the price

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2024

Gary

Easy access to shops etc on foot, taxi & bus service within walking distance from hotel

Business_and_leisure Self

2/10

Poor

03 May 2024

joanne

Never stay here. Absolutely unclean. Great central location however opposite a night club that doesn’t finish till 4am with taxi queue until about 5 Our ceiling leaked during the night. Couldn’t report it as phone didn’t work. Told staff next day and was told cleaner would pull out bed away from the wall!! Asked for toilet roll but never got any so had to buy some at tescos. Shower was a trickle. Walls and floor and curtains absolutely awful. We stayed in room 6. Couldn’t move without the floorboards making an horrendous racket. Staff however were pleasant enough if not slightly strange to be honest. I was offered a free stay my the receptionist next time and I told him you couldn’t pay us to stay there again. Breakfast I have to say was ok but I was scared of who was cooking it to be fair and what the cleanliness of the kitchen was if the rest of the place was absolutely awful. Avoid this hotel at all costs.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Apr 2024

Damian

Lovely building, but book for that alone.

While the building is a must see if you appreciate history, the 'modern' fittings were tired and predominantly broken (blinds on velux windows that were long gone, broken bath panels and no working radiators in our 'executive' room for example).
The advertised restaurant was closed and the bar was locked on one night, and unmanned on our second.
Breakfast was buffet cereals and fruit with served cooked, this was fine, though as I can't eat eggs I always like it when a hotel offers to replace with another item, sadly this was not the case here. I do also feel I need to comment on the breakfast tea and coffee. I do drink a lot of coffee, and am almost certain I was served Nescafe instant in a coffee pot! Equally my wife's tea was made with the cheap flavourless tea bags, we skipped hot drinks on the second morning!
In summary we felt the hotel had huge potential, but has tried to cut every cost. While I appreciate times have been hard in the industry other hotels have made effort to wow us so we want to come back, sadly the Red Lion feels like it's given up, which is so sad for such an amazing building.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Apr 2024

Melissa

Very old historical building but tired and needs a thorough cleaning. Nice architecture but could be so much better.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Apr 2024

Marie

It as a beautiful 1400 Grade 1-listed building, which was great, but I had problems with the shower. In my initial room the water was lukewarm at best. I was moved to another where the water was hot but the shower was weak. The staff were excellent and the breakfast was good. They had soya milk for my coffee.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2024

Malachy

The ambiance of the hotel was very welcoming and it was what it said, a Tudor building. It was what we wanted, Quirky. All the staff were excellent, friendly and most helpful. The only negative was that the street outside was very noisy at night but that is not the fault of the hotel as we were in the centre of Colchester. Over all it was a very positive experience.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Apr 2024

Dee

We had a lovely night stay! The room was clean and comfortable and the location was fantastic after a night out in Colchester. The breakfast had good options and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Highly recommended!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Apr 2024

Glenn

It was quite old but we enjoyed it.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

25 Mar 2024

Shaun

The room was very dusty and dirty. The receptionist said there will be 24hr service on the reception desk, but no one was to be seen during the evening. I would not recommend this hotel at all..

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 Mar 2024

Wendy

Excellent location and great value. Amazing cooked breakfast. Highly recommend

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2024

Robin

They hosted us as part of a wedding party and it was very special. Everything from staff to food to charm was excellent. My only complaint would be about cleanliness of the shower, and water temp issues - but the latter is what one expects in a very old building.

2/10

Poor

11 Feb 2024

Verified traveler

Left early, couldn’t bare a second night

I wouldn’t recommend this hotel. Whilst the building is beautiful and full of character, it is long overdue a good clean and some basic maintenance. On arrival, the first thing we done was go back out for some anti bacterial wipes and ear plugs. The bed was lumpy, the sheets too small and ripped, the curtains were in shreds, the room was cramped and grimy, the radiators had no way of turning off so it was sweltering (February), had to ask for use of iron and hair dryer. The bathroom was basic, bad lighting, towel rail disconnected, bit smelly, useless shower, small towels, everything very shabby and long long overdue for replacement. Back to the earplug - our main problem was we were in room 2, which is at the front of the hotel on the high street, right opposite a very noisy bar and a night club. NO SLEEP, literally no sleep until the grand finale of a fight outside our room at 0430 am then eventually it quietened down in time for our 0700 alarm. The worst of it was it ruined what should have been a wonderful next day for us as we were just so tired, we left our event early and forfeited the second night we had already paid for as we couldn’t bare to spend a second night. I’m disappointed there was no warning about the noise we would encounter, the building is old so the windows do little to block anything out and we were booked for Friday and Saturday nights. If we had known we would have booked elsewhere for what should have been a very special weekend.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2024

Greg

It's a very old property and a bit run down in places but has lots of character. The staff were very helpful and considerate allocating me a quieter room. It was a cold night but the hotel was heated well. The bathroom and bed was ok, but there was only a small TV in the room. The breakfast options were a bit limited but the cooked breakfast was reasonably good. Overall a good stay and at a reasonable price.

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

10 Jan 2024

charlie

Nice old building. The bathroom could do with being upgraded , black grouting and broken tiles . Shower wasn’t very good . Slow and took ages to get to the right temperature. No heater in the bathroom. Bed was too hard and too many stairs to climb for us as we are elderly. The staff were ok and willing but we thought they had parking facilities as on the web site is says discounted parking but you have to park in a car park owned by another company not on site .

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Dec 2023

Josaia

GOOD

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Nov 2023

Paul

I liked the friendliness and helpful staff the hotel was very clean and well layed out, very tidy they was a lot if history to the place which was very interesting.
It was on top of the main high street very near some very nice pubs,restaurants and shops which were very interesting. Bue shops opposite, train links very near at night i felt very safe with a night porter there and was very quiet at night, my room was very tidy, very clean was had everything i needed on my break i felt very welcome, the lady who was in charge was very helpful, friendly, and valuable my stay just like all the staff were ,when i left i felt i didn't want to leave if i could have i would have stayed on for days but had to get back for work.
I will be definitely be turning to the red lion when i am off from work again it was very reasonably priced at affordable prices if anyone wants to know more i will be more than happy to answer any queries and i will end by saying i was very happy with my stay and will definitely recommend the red lion

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Aug 2023

Valerie

Our stay was enjoyable the area is fabulous The Hotel has lots of character but the rooms and housekeepers need to be more attentive and and maintenance
Old buildings are old but they are more appealing when they are maintained and and cleaner !! Otherwise it is s stunning Hotel !!

Leisure Pet

2/10

Poor

28 Aug 2023

Shaun

Run down, extremely rude staff, shower didn’t work, cigarette butts on window cull. Very dated decor, bathroom dirty. Could hear room next door crystal clear. Good job it’s not on hotel inspector.would not recommend to my worse enemy

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

21 Aug 2023

Alfred

the hotel was satisfactory but is long overdue to be updated

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

07 Aug 2023

Verified traveler

Ok hotel but tired

Family weekend trip, entrance stairway had amazing period features. Staff were friendly and helpful. Unfortunately the room, hall and stairs were worn and tired. (Worn carpet, paint pealing, torn & heavily marked wallpaper). Bed mattress not the most comfortable, could do with a topper. Breakfast was basic, 3 cereals, OJ and apple juice then egg, bacon, sausage, beans and mushrooms.
The hotel served a purpose for us, with a bit of money and love this hotel could be amazing.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jul 2023

Bridget

Enjoyed our stay 🙂

Staff were friendly and helpful 🙂

We were at the front of the hotel so did get road noise but we were out until 230am so we didnt mind.

Breakfast was lovely lots of it and well done.
Room was clean and tidy.
Hotel has so much history and is a beautiful building.
Thank you so much for making our stay lovely

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

21 Apr 2023

Richard

The young man at reception was very pleasant & helpful👍😊

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Mar 2023

Katy

The staff made our stay all the more better, friendly, helpful, sociable and accommodating! Very clean and tidy too, All we needed were there and more!
Excellent hotel!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Oct 2022

Faith

Great location!

Great location, friendly staff. Old but quaint. I would stay there again

Friends_and_family Friends

4/10

Poor

23 Sep 2022

Chris

Disappointed

Stayed for one night for business , very dated, water pressure for shower was poor , the sink was cracked and over all very dated

Bed was queen size but cheap uncomfortable mattress will not pick this hotel again

Business

8/10

Excellent

21 Sep 2022

Wataru

Comfortable stay

A bit dated, but has its own charm.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

12 Aug 2022

Nigel

Characterful Hotel

Nice tudor hotel, don't expect 90 degree corners, or level floors, its 500 years old. Right in the centre of town
breakfast was excellent,
beds really comfy
car parking was in a NCP off site, but a simple 5 mins walk away
Bad bits, being so central meant pubs on high street, outside tables were noisy until 11 pm.
Nothing hotel can do about that
Our shower was hit and miss, no hot water one morning.
overall a nice, different hotel just don't expect a modern building

Partner

4/10

Poor

26 Jul 2022

Steven

Red lion colchester

Unfortunately I am struggling to find a possitive about my stay,I don't normally complain but I feel in this case it is necessary,we were in a room that was not clean,very dated(decor and fixings,nothing period)bed wasn't comfortable,we were next to a walkthrough and because the weather was hot we had to have the window open,room very stuffy and no fan, consequently it was very noisy,but the icing on the cake was the fact there was no hot water,when I managed to contact reception(no welcome pack)I was greeted with very little concern,I was told they were aware that they had a pressure problem and had an engineer on it,I was staying for work and needed a hot shower,there were no apologies,I checked the shower in the morning and although there was more pressure,the water was certainly not warm,when I went down to reception the front desk wasn't staffed,breakfast was acceptable and lady was pleasant, overall very poor and will not stay again.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2022

Lucy

Happy with accommodation

Staff were friendly, room was comfortable but had some cobwebs which we didn't expect but wasn't an issue for us.

We also had breakfast which was delicious 😋 thank you all for being so welcoming

Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Jun 2022

Dawn

The room.was nice and clean and the staff was very helpful

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

17 Dec 2021

Robert

Shower wasnt great and the room was cold as the heating didnt work.

Business_and_leisure Self

4/10

Poor

13 Dec 2021

Dave

Very noisy hotel

A very very noisy hotel, I booked to stay close to work as I was finishing late and starting early, only to get no rest due to comings and goings through out the whole night, very disappointing.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2021

Gavin

Great stay in Colchester

Great hotel set in a very old building which added to the character.
All staff were very polite & professional.
Rooms were clean & tidy & had everything you’d need.
Breakfast was nice & sets you up for the day.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

07 Nov 2021

Lynn

This hotel was lovely and authentic! It was like going back in time! Didn’t see no ghost (not for want of trying) although there was some weird activity and John was very informative one evening, he was great, one of my fav nights that night! If you want up to date and modern, then no, this hotel isn’t for you, but if you want Tudor type old worldly, then this hotel is perfect! It’s such a lovely hotel and the staff are amazing and free breakfast can’t be bad! All in all a lovely stay (just don’t park at the high street car park) park at the other one! Thanks guys

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

06 Nov 2021

Michael

Disappointing,

Bathroom was in a poor state.
Nice old building with character

Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Nov 2021

Shem

I stayed in room 17, unfortunately I did not experience any ghost activity. The breakfast was slightly high in price £10 but the service & the breakfast was very good

Business

2/10

Poor

29 Oct 2021

Stephen

Room 20 was was so dirty and run down we did not even stay. There were two staff on desk duty. One was sympathetic, the other was not, bordering on hostile. They were fully booked so had no alternative rooms. It was absolutely shocking.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2021

Gary

Very old building and was in the hart of Colchester

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

04 Oct 2021

Chris

Central location

Nice central location, parking was a good price too

Business

10/10

Exceptional

27 Sep 2021

mary

Love it

We loved the old world character of the place. The check in and check out was quick and easy and staff are friendly

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Sep 2021

Verified traveler

Red Liin Colchester

All the staff i saw were very friendly and helpful. Breakst was very tasty. The hotel did look a bit tired and dated. But extremely clean. The cold water did disappear in the shower whennthe shower head was raised to go innthe holder. Making it extremely hot.
A strong smell of 'weed' could be smelt coming fron the dining/bar area on the Saturday evening.

Self

4/10

Poor

06 Sep 2021

Verified traveler

Thank you but no thank you

If you are taller than 6ft I do not recommend as I had to crouch the whole time while taking a shower. I was not able to have a good nights rest as the location is near pubs and restaurants. As a result there were loud drunk people outside at all hours of the night to early morning. I do feel as I if I was being profiled by one member of staff at night, which made me extremely uncomfortable. I would never go back, unless it was a last minute decision where I needed a roof over my head with a bed.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

30 Aug 2021

Jackie

Very good for price only down side mattresses were lumpy

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

10 Aug 2021

Cheryl

Great location

Great location and staff friendly however the hotel itself is a little shabby and run down. Loved the bed.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2021

Douglas

Excellent

What amazing staff management go out of there way to please you

Self

2/10

Poor

24 May 2021

MARK

Forty towers, Reborn

The whole hotel décor was out of forty towers, to say it was tired would be an injustice it’s given up the goasts, Bed was hard and unconfutable, the drain in bath fills up with dirty water from hopefully only your hand basin! The toilet seat is actuality blistering, Carpet seen better days, but the kicker was the amount on noise you can here in the corridors and from other rooms including the urtication at about 6.45 that required the police to be called, statements to be given. Worst stay in a hotel in 20 years.

Friends_and_family Friends