Brook Red Lion Hotel

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

Bed bugs I have been bitten all over

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 Everything in the room was outdated and just unbelievably horrible.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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Loved the town and building absolutely amazing

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.

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.

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.

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

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 !

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

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.

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.

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