The Old Bell

United Kingdom , Tewkesbury
MALMESBURY, Abbey Row
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2026

joseph

We had such a lovely weekend at the Old Bell Hotel. The staff is so warm and friendly which definitely made our stay. The property itself is very uniquely decorated and had so much character and charm. The staff accommodated our every need and our room (we booked a junior master) was spacious, beautifully decorated and so comfortable. I would recommend this hotel to anyone! The breakfast was also delicious!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

06 Feb 2026

Vicki

The town house was lovely, however the staff were dismissive to the point of being rude when we checked in. The guy who took my card and showed us to our townhouse literally couldn’t be bothered to smile or make any effort at all. We paid a lot of money for my partners birthday and he opened the door handed over the key and left. We had no idea how to use anything barely slept because we couldn’t turn the heating off. So disappointed.
However when we went for supper in the restaurant we had a lovely young waitress who was engaging, courteous and attentive.
When we checked out again the lady on the desk wasn’t interested in our complaint of the heating and barely smiled. Such a shame for such a lovely place to be let down by some of its staff.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2026

Michael

Room was extremely clean,third time we have stayed,a little disappointed with the fish and chips we had on evening,which were very over cooked,(disappointed),we will be back though.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jan 2026

Charlotte

The room was clean. Check in was pleasant although Prosecco a bit flat. The menu offered in the room by the coffee facilities was totally inaccurate and bore no resemblance to the menu in the restaurant. The dishes came with potato but the side dishes were potato based and only one vegetable option -an unbalanced menu. The cod at dinner was badly cooked and inedible. A message was sent to the kitchen but there was no recompense or response. Overall dinner was highly expensive and not good value. The waiting staff were lovely. The cooked breakfast was nice. The house granola was really awful, just powdery oats, inedible. They ran out of yoghurt although they did offer to run to the shop. No smoothie available. If you don’t want a cooked breakfast the continental wasn’t good enough.

For very close to £200 for the night and then £162 for dinner we expected something of a higher quality and left disappointed and will not revisit. The staff members we met were lovely.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2025

Dawn

Very homey, comfortable and cozy. The beds were comfortable, bathrooms were clean and the water pressure was fantastic. It was a home away from home. We wish we could have stayed longer.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

20 Dec 2025

Simon

Breakfast was great , good variety, good quality very friendly helpful & efficient breakfast team

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2025

Karen

Lovely, well equipped room, very clean and comfy bed.
All staff extremely helpful and friendly. Extremely well organised private function for a family 80th birthday celebration.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2025

Bruno

The room was perfect, very festive for the holidays, and the staff were truly lovely! I would highly recommend paying the hotel a visit.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Dec 2025

Joseph

Hotel was very fun and interesting

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2025

Anjaneya

Great hotel, fantastic staff and delicious food!!

10/10

Exceptional

21 Nov 2025

James

Amazing breakfast

Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Nov 2025

Katie

Lovely hotel, nice breakfast

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

03 Nov 2025

Chisa

The parking spaces are not enough for the guests.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2025

Karen

The room was lovely with a comfy bed and nice shower room. The fancy kettle was easier to use than it looked. We felt well looked after. The breakfast was really tasty, with a number of choices.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2025

John

Fantastic place. Full of authentic charm and character. Fabulous rooms. The team were exceptional.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2025

Natalie

Beautiful hotel, great service and wonderful food. Highly recommend!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2025

Jonathan

Well appointed town house outside the main hotel building with modern kitchen and bathrooms. Only small negative was the WiFi dropping in and out in usage.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Oct 2025

Sally

We loved everything about the hotel. Our meals were amazing and the staff soo special. We hope to return even though it’s far away.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2025

Kerry

History of the building and setting was interesting and the ambience was excellent

8/10

Excellent

26 Aug 2025

Rob

Excellent staff team - excellent breakfast - good clean room

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

12 Aug 2025

Elizabeth

Charming hotel, ideally situated by the Abbey. Choice of lounges to sit in the evening, loved the decor. It was drizzling so we couldn’t use the outdoor space.
Enjoyed a delicious evening meal in the restaurant and full English breakfast next morning. All staff so friendly and welcoming. Loved the stories of the local area involving pigs, emus and tigers!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2025

Jonathan

Great hotel and staff

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jun 2025

Linda

Loved our stay at the Old Bell. Faultless. Super friendly staff, hotel, town and food perfect. Would go back tomorrow

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 May 2025

MIKE

Fabulous hotel, the hotel staff were amazing they looked after us and our dog in every way. Would highly recommend the Old Bell hotel. Thank you for making us feel so welcome!

Leisure Pet

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2025

Stephanie

I’ve been staying at this beautiful hotel for close to 30 years each time I return to Malmesbury to visit Family. It’s always a special treat, no matter what season!

Business_and_leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Apr 2025

Glen

Excellent short stay for family get together. Friendly staff, great location, clean, comfortable and quirky. Perfect.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Apr 2025

Louise

Great Hotel, full of character, lovely friendly service
Would definitely stay here again

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2025

Sophia

Stunning family weekend away!

My family and I had an amazing weekend, we had a small child and 2 dogs with us and everything was great. The lounge area was stunning, this is where we had drinks and breakfast. The Townhouse we stayed in was absolutely stunning and actually looked so much better in person, the photos didn't do the place justice. We will definitely be back!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2025

Nicola

Rooms are wonderful and the staff go above and beyond

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Nov 2024

Pieter

Excellent location - more than enough options for dining and sightseeing

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Nov 2024

Deborah

I love staying at this hotel. It is quirky, comfortable and with superb friendly staff.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Nov 2024

Dave

A wonderful find

A wonderful find in a fascinating town. Excellent atmosphere, service and food.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2024

Les

Really nice hotel

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2024

Verified traveler

Wonderful hotel

Beautiful hotel, comfy and cosy rooms, amazing restaurant serving delicious food and breakfast. Would love to stay again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2024

Andrew

Great staff and customer service

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Sep 2024

Maurice J

We didn't plan to eat here, but due to convenience we ordered lunch, which was so good we returned for dinner, then breakfast (which was included). All in all, a great place to stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2024

Sean

Every detail has been thought of, would recommend and definitely stay again

10/10

Exceptional

15 Aug 2024

Thomas

An oldie but a goodie.

The Ye Olde Bell Hotel is reputed to be the oldest hotel in England. Despite the fact it has been operating since 1220, it offers the same level of service and luxurious accommodation as many of today’s modern hotels have to offer. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Aug 2024

Lisa

Quite simply, the perfect place to stay.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2024

Antony

Very clean, friendly and helpful staff

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jun 2024

Angela

Our stay in Malsembury

Very large room with large comfortable bed. So unique and a great experience overall. Wish we could have stayed more than one night

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jun 2024

Elizabeth

Beautiful hotel with wonderful friendly staff. Lots of quirky features and fabulous food.
Hot water a bit hit and miss but will still go back

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2024

Dean

Always loved the Town and now haveing stayed here at The Old Bell Hotel we have been completely Blown away, fantastic property, deco, staff and service. We will return for sure. Many thanks to all for the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. Absolutely great.

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2024

Gordon

Wonderous break. Cannot fault it at all.

Absolutely superb stay. No issues what so ever. Will be back asap.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2024

Nicola

Exceptional staff,very helpful, rooms very clean and beautifully presented

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2024

Samantha

Was amazing thank you so much

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Dec 2023

Great place. Excellent service

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Dec 2023

Verified traveler

Loved it

Lovely lounges, staff and room. Outstanding restaurant

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Nov 2023

Emma

Lovely Hotel

Truly luxurious relaxing breakaway.
I felt very welcome and at home with lovely friendly staff. Very comfortable and warm room.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2023

Hazel

Couldn’t be better!

First time travelling with our dog and the hotel couldn’t have been better. We also ate in the restaurant and the food was excellent. Just one night but will definitely be coming back.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2023

Chris

Stunning

We had a wonderful stay and thought it was a beautiful and stylish hotel. Hats off to those who made it look stunning. Food wise - excellent. Comfort wise - impeccable. Staff - impressive. Amazing place

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2023

Verified traveler

Would be perfect with a few tiny tweaks

Great stay, beautiful room (room 1). It was quite noisy as right above the bar, but this quickly died down around 11.30pm. There were a few parties in on our night, so couldn’t eat in the restaurant (offered 6pm, which was too early for us), but plenty of options locally.
Only thing that would make this perfect would be:
Better pillows (they were quite hard and synthetic)
More water in the rooms. A large refillable glass bottle would suffice, instead there were two small cans of water in the mini fridge (one still and one sparkling) for two people. Most pub b&bs have this.
Fresh milk in the room. Again, for the price point of the room, I’d have expected this. Or at least be offered some at reception before being shown to your room. There’s fridges in the rooms so this would be an easy win.
Otherwise, breakfast was phenomenal, all the staff were friendly and helpful. Lovely stay in a beautiful location.
We rode in on motorcycles, and the parking behind the hotel was tucked away enough for us to feel safe leaving them secure.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Oct 2023

steve

In my top 5 easily

Stayed in soooo many hotels and pubs around the world, this place, just loved it, and I am very picky. Bet Christmas here is wonderful. The picture is literally next door

Business

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2023

Andrew

First class accomodation and customer service.

Business_and_leisure

4/10

Poor

25 Sep 2023

Eryl

Lighting in the lounges is very poor. Cannot read the magazines and newspapers thoughtfully provided.

A residents lounge would be a good idea. The garden has been covered by yet another building. Totally out of keeping with this old pub.

Loud music being played at breakfast is an intrusion

We have been coming to this hotel for 25 years Such a shame the owners have ruined it.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Sep 2023

Wendy

Beautifully appointed, unusual and excellent food, beautiful rooms, helpful staff.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2023

Laurence

This excellent and very old hotel began life as a hostel for monks visiting the next door abbey. It has a wonderful old world charm. The staff are universally friendly and helpful. Breakfast is freshly cooked to order and is delicious. Dining is modern British and of very high quality.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Aug 2023

Deborah

A charming old hotel with very friendly and helpful staff. Nicely appointed comfortable room. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2023

Mark

All good.

The food was good, The service was good. The location was good.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jun 2023

Jodi

We had a fantastic stay, by far the cleanest hotel & room we have stayed in - (& that’s quite a lot!). Excellent food & lovely, helpful staff, Nicole particularly gave top notch service. Very vegan friendly which is hugely appreciated!

Gorgeous hotel & decor. Our cosy room was perfect, not really that small either!

Highly recommend the afternoon tea - we will be back!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2023

Carolyn

Lovely hotel, staff were fabulous, always helpful a cheerful without being over bearing. Very comfortable room and we had a fab meal in the restaurant. Indeed, the food was of a high standard. There are lots of areas to sit and enjoy the hotel,?it’s been very well thought out.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Mar 2023

Mr. Martin

Great overall
Bit hot for my liking even though turned off radiator

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2023

John

A really nice welcoming
Very clean & tidy

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2023

Castanheira

We had a lovely stay. Will certainly be back. Excellent service.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2023

Alina

Had an amazing stay at the Old Bell Hotel!
It looks deceivingly small from the outside, but actually there is plenty of space to explore once inside.
The hotel has a cosy feel to it and there are a lot of areas to lounge around.
Everyone was welcoming and helpful.
Thank you :)

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2022

Elizabeth

Fabulous staff - really kind and efficient

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Sep 2022

Jane

All staff were brilliant. The table waiting staff were a credit to whoever trained them. All very friendly and professional. Nothing was too much trouble 😀

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2022

Valerie

Truly lovely oldy worldy

Met friends for a one night stay. Dinner in hotel restaurant quite quirky but relaxed and food delicious. All staff are super friendly and helpful. Room clean and bed very comfortable. Would definitely stay again.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

18 Aug 2022

Therea

Friendly staff

The receptionist Jackerine is a cheerful and friendly staff. She helped to fix the lock, informed us directions and always tender cheerful greeting. The restaurant is a lovely one with friendly and helpful staff. I have allergic issue and the staff checked out ingredients and even steps to prepare the food. All good and our lobster dinner was excellent.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Aug 2022

Lisa

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jul 2022

Great Stay

Great stay, came to a wedding in the local area. This hotel was perfect for us all, location bars and food.

All staff are very polite and helpful.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2022

Adrian

Would not change a thing!

We received a warm and friendly welcome and even a complimentary glass of fizz whilst checking in.
All staff were friendly and helpful and the food both at dinner and breakfast was top notch. The rooms were comfortable and well appointed. I can not wait to find an excuse to return again!

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jun 2022

Jacquie

Avoid the annex it is not up to standard!

Well it was a very attractive hotel with interesting decor and helpful staff. Food was excellent. BUT the room was pokey,the bed was small ,the double glazed windows had blown and could not be seen through due to condensation. The corridor leading to the room was narrow and claustrophobic. The worst aspect was the parking of cars right outside our window. We did complain but felt too tired and rushed to move rooms. What we would say is the room was not worth the £250 full price. We used our Hotels.com voucher and cynically think that one gets given a poor room in this circumstance.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2022

Raymond

Exceptional hotel. Superb breakfast. Loved the room and cannot fault the faculties or staff. However the parking was problematic at the rear on our visit caused by a car parked in a non-allocated spot (that was reported to reception but still an issue come departure).

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2022

Mark

Outstanding in every area.

It was one of the best hotel experiences we have had in a very long time.Outstanding in every area.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2022

Sue

Quirky, stylish and comfortable

What a fabulous hotel. Excellent service, decor superb and room warm, clean and comfortable. A real treat!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2022

Breda

Perfect stay in the Cotswolds

Amazing hotel. Really looking forward to to returning.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Feb 2022

Julien

Beautiful, interesting historical building. Clean.Friendly welcome.
Room very small with small bed . No mirror in bedroom . Builders onsite . Noisy . Drilling and hammering until 6pm . Centre of town so noisy at night with loud shouting from people in street coming out of pubs. Restaurant very noisy like a school dining room. Inexperienced waiting staff . My husband is in his seventies and we object to being addressed as “ you guys”. Fabulous food but very slow service . Staff apologetic and helpful . Took the drinks off our bill . Offered us more drinks on the house . We paid £255 for one night and it just was not worth it at all . Very disappointed and glad to get home. I do not recommend this hotel .

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Feb 2022

christine

Could be cleaner

Lovely hotel and staff. Brilliant location. Found dust in room and en-suite

Business

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2022

Alin-Filip

One of the best!!!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2022

Christine

Overnight stsu

One night stay on our way home. Lovely hotel having had meals here on several occasions before.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 Dec 2021

Paul

We stayed for two nights, but had no hot water in the room.
On the second night the hotel gave us access to another room so that we could have a shower, though this was on the floor below and through reception, not really acceptable to have to carry everything just to have a shower.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2021

John

Malmesbury short visit

This is an excellent hotel in a great location....nice rooms and good food.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2021

Daniel

Lovely little place.

It's a lovely quiant hotel. Our room had a bedroom and a living room. Great service from the bar, with reasonably priced drinks. The bed is so comfy, slept like a log. Staff were helpful and attentive. Really nice hotel will be staying again

10/10

Exceptional

15 Nov 2021

Verified traveler

A perfect little foodie haven

We had a lovely stay at the Old Bell. From arrival to departure, the staff were all so friendly, helpful and accommodating.
We ate in the restaurant on the first night and the food was exceptional and so hard to make a choice from such an amazing menu that catered so well for those who don't eat meat. I could have happily eaten there all 3 nights of our stay if we hadn't already got plans.
Breakfasts were equally delicious... between us we tried the full English, eggs royale, eggs benedict, avocado & sourdough, pancakes & berries and pancakes & bacon. They were all amazing and we couldn't find fault with any of them! My mouth waters just thinking of them.
Only one little downside was the occasional brief loss of hot water in our room, but frankly it was a minor niggle and everything else was so good, it barely matters.
Would definitely visit again and hope that we do!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2021

errol

Wedding

Excellent

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Oct 2021

Amber

R & R

Totally relaxing experience

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2021

James

Business Stay

Great friendly service. Lovely place to stay

Business

8/10

Excellent

20 Sep 2021

John

It was over priced for what we were offered. Parking was hit and miss. Staff were friendly and helpful.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2021

Carol

My Room was soo lovely (single room )
The Staff were soo helpful and nothing was too much trouble😊

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

08 Sep 2021

Grace

Loved the history of the property and the quirky decor. Cocktails were super yummy. Disappointed with the breakfast and service at breakfast. We’re made to wait a long time and had to ask for a lot of things that you would have expected to have received at that type of hotel.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2021

Sandra

Loved everything about the hotel

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Sep 2021

Rekha Rama

Excellent stay from start to finish, staffs were amazing and very helpful.

I would throughly recommend.

I wil be coming back

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

31 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

A giraffe, a little Texan, and an English…

If you’re looking for an authentic English feel, you may realize you’ve landed in Texas or a safari park. The building is beautiful with lovely furniture, wall paper inside, and vines on the outside. The location is perfect. The rooms are small but larger than we expected given the old building! Shower was clean but we did notice some mold which seems common when bathrooms don’t have windows. Feels more like a 3-star rather than 4 as listed.
Given it’s “the oldest hotel in England,” we were expecting (and wanted) a more English feel, so was a little taken aback by all the giant sized giraffes in the lobby. The entrance also had a welcome “y’all” sign which we felt was random and out of place….until we saw the menu had many Texas inspired items. It was hard to tell whether we were at a safari park, in Texas, or in an English town. If you’re looking for whimsical, this might do the trick. If you’re looking for a more “English experience,” I might look elsewhere. We love Malmsbury and plan to come back, but might opt for a bed and breakfast next.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

Lovely stay

Had a lovely stay. We booked a cosy room but it was actually a decent size and we’ll cleaned. Breakfast was nice with plenty of choice but the dinner menu was a bit hit and miss. They could do with changing the menu as choices were limited. Outdoor courtyard was very pleasant in the sunshine.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

Would stay again.

The 'cosy' room was actually standard size and fine for a short stay. These cosy rooms are in an annex and are very old and tired, especially the bathrooms. I'd guess they were installed in the 1980s and show it. But it did not stop us enjoying our stay. The main part of the old hotel is quirky and fun. The food is excellent, both dinner and breakfast.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2021

Colin

Lovely characterful hotel

A beautiful and fascinating old hotel right in the centre of Malmesbury with on site parking. Great breakfast, lots of character and room facilities top notch. Only complaint (common to most hotels) was the duvet was way too thick for hot weather. Ended up sleeping under a towel! However, would definitely recommend and stay again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2021

Chris

Lovely hotel.

Very polite and helpful staff. Food was delicious. Very good location close to the old town. Room was clean but had signs of wear and tear. Barroom a little on the small side but adequate, but the window need privacy glass. Will be back.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

A lovely hotel in a great location, full of character but still clean and fresh in the main area. All of the staff were friendly enough and efficient, a couple of them really good. The bedrooms we stayed in were fine but perhaps a little tired. One was very hot, affecting sleep. The other had a tiny bathroom. It might be worth paying a bit more than just for the basic rooms.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Jul 2021

Alan

Iconic hotel, terrible room

So glad this iconic hotel has reopened and is being refurbished. We had planned to stay one night in a Cosy room. When we decided to stay two nights, we 'upgraded' at +65% to a Traditional /Character room - this was a BIG mistake. Description on Hotels.com is incorrect - no garden view (all these second floor rooms are road facing). No bathrobes (even on request), no espresso maker, mattress had uncomfortable piped edges (not 'memory foam' ?). Room had sloping ceiling as shown, but it was also low height and with even lower intruding beams - we would say 'Attic' rather than 'Character' - no way was it worth its premium price. The receptionist at checkout kindly showed us a Cosy room, which looked fine - so if we ever return, it will be to a Cosy room, thanks (or a Classic room at +92%).

Partner