Best Western The Rose & Crown Hotel

The Rose & Crown is a historic hotel that has charm and historical value. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be being patronised as much as it should. The rooms are warm, clean and comfortable. The staff are friendly which are the most important points for me. The hotel is tired and could benefit from some modernisation. Facilities are also thin on the ground with the absence of a restaurant in the evening. On my last visit, i found that the bar had no draught ales and not even bar snacks. Sadly, i will probably try somewhere else that serves evening food for my next visit to Colchester.

Lovely hotel, room fantastic, service excellent. First night great, 2nd night very noisy as a wedding being held downstairs & in garden, unable to park in carpark all day 2nd day/night due to this Was notified by email of possible disturbance too late to change booking. Would stay again but would phone before booking to check for any functions being held.

Located behind "Kind of Spice" so type that in when looking for this place. No lift in the annex building, which is where our room was (2nd flr). Otherwise, kind staff and clean rooms. Complimentary bottles of water at the FD, just ask. Breakfast selection was fantastic; you can pay the night before and save 4bucks compared to the day of. No dinner service, but the bar is open in the evening from 5:30- 10:15pm. "King of Spice" (curry) is right around the corner, so we had dinner there instead. NO a/c. -JB from Cali

Hotel was clean,staff were friendly but the only food available was breakfast which meant after a 5 hour journey my partner and i had to go and find somewhere to eat . The bar is also only open for a limited time and there's no room service so although a very nice place to stay it does seem like an expensive bed and breakfast

Upon arrival all seemed ok. Was given the key and told was in the annex . Was a little disappointed but thought benefit of the doubt. Alas ( If you are giving someone an Annexe would be nice to be informed upon booking) . It was very tired looking and had an awful musty smell. We opened the windows for a while but had to close as was going to a concert that night. After a good evening we returned. Unfortunately the smell had not dissipated at all. Opened the window again which stayed open all night. But didn’t make a difference. The bed was awful it was lumpy and every time you moved made a very loud creaking noise. We didn’t have a good nights sleep at all. Because of this it spoilt the second part of our evening. Couldn’t under why the bar was shut at 10.30 as we were told it would still be open, All in all not a good experience and will not visit this hotel again or recommend to anyone.

We used this hotel as we were seeing Tom Jones at Colchester castle. So location was fab, beautiful old building and the manager had a wealth of knowledge about the property. Downside. Both our room and our friends room smelt of damp when we arrived and therefore we had to keep the windows open. Our room had a lot of damp and the drain on the shower was very mouldy. And sadly the bar closes at 10.30pm which is a shame as the concert finishes at 10.15 so by the time we walked back we couldn’t have a night cap.. so ended up going to a bar further up the road, shame as it would have been nice to sit in the bar..

Room and bed fine, in the more modern wing. Breakfast very good, a shame hotel does not have lunch/evening restaurant. Reception desk is quite high and receptionist hidden, which gave a rather awkward welcome.

The room was great, including lots of space, a bathroom with bath and shower and his and hers wash basins. and a comfortable fourposter bed. The bar closes quite ealry (about 10pm when I was there) and there was no restaurant/food service in the evening. The breakfast was excellent. The area can be a bit noisy with traffic and a railway level crossing nearby but, to be honest, this wasn't noticeable when sleeping The TV was a bit dated and the remote control probably needs replacing.

Good bed and breakfast. No other meals offered, but this is reflected in the reasonable price

The hotel was easy to find with a good size free car park, especially for me with a long wheelbase van. I had asked for a ground floor room and they certainly didn’t disappoint. My room at access from inside the hotel, but also a door directly out onto the car park. The room was large and comfortable with a full wet room bathroom. I had a lovely warm welcome in reception and the staff I met for my short one day were all first class. I will definitely stay here again the next time I am in this area.

Lovely room, comfortable and spotlessly clean. Nice place to stay on Christmas Eve.

Extremely disappointing stay, nothing like the pictures. Asked for a better room and it was no better. Only the fact that we had already paid with little chance of a refund made us stay. Dirty carpets, broken tiles, needs a complete renewal. Breakfast was good and staff were attentive.

Easy check in. Room very clean.

Very noisy air conditioning unit outside our bedroom window. Bathroom blind didn’t work properly and was full of dust. Damp musty smell in room but this could have been the age of the building. Bed very uncomfortable. Breakfast was very nice and served freshly done.

We used this hotel as we were seeing Tom Jones at Colchester castle. So location was fab, beautiful old building and the manager had a wealth of knowledge about the property. Downside. Both our room and our friends room smelt of damp when we arrived and therefore we had to keep the windows open. Our room had a lot of damp and the drain on the shower was very mouldy. And sadly the bar closes at 10.30pm which is a shame as the concert finishes at 10.15 so by the time we walked back we couldn’t have a night cap.. so ended up going to a bar further up the road, shame as it would have been nice to sit in the bar..

The staff were really friendly and the hotel was clean and well maintained. The beds were comfortable and the bathroom was spacious and newly fitted. The breakfast was really good too. An easy walk into Colchester town centre made it an ideal location.

I loved the rustic look and feel of the hotel. The room was spacious and clean. The bathroom was modern with a rain shower. It is just a short wark to the town centre, which is a bonus. If I am back to Colchester I would definitely stay there again.

Great value and comfortable stay at the Rose and Crown Hotel for our weekend break in Colchester. Clean room, friendly staff, lovely historic building.

A quick stay to pick up some bridesmaids dresses. The hotel and location looked perfect on pictures but in reality not the best. We stayed in room 127 there was some dirty underwear under our bed, upon complaining to reception we were laughed at and nothing done!! Absolutely bonkers service!

Book a hostel instead. The room was dirty and stained all over. Paint was peeling off the bathroom wall and water was pooled on the floor below the toilet. I was eaten alive by what i can only assume to be bed bugs. It was the most unpleasant stay i have ever had. I hardly slept and couldnt wait to leave.

Located behind "Kind of Spice" so type that in when looking for this place. No lift in the annex building, which is where our room was (2nd flr). Otherwise, kind staff and clean rooms. Complimentary bottles of water at the FD, just ask. Breakfast selection was fantastic; you can pay the night before and save 4bucks compared to the day of. No dinner service, but the bar is open in the evening from 5:30- 10:15pm. "King of Spice" (curry) is right around the corner, so we had dinner there instead. NO a/c. -JB from Cali

Lovely rooms & very picturesque, but no air conditioning in the rooms.

The Rose and Crown was a lovely timber framed building but with modern facilities. The room was large, warm and comfortable with a couple of easy chairs which were an added bonus. The shower was good and easy to use. The breakfast was well presented and good and the staff were all pleasant and created a relaxed atmosphere

Initially was given a room in the original part of the hotel which was a very nice old tudor style building and room. Unfortunately I got in and found I had no running water. There was no maintenence person on site so had to move rooms to the annex. This room turned out to be a twin instead of the double I'd booked, so I had to move rooms again. This final room was part of the newer section too, but had paint peeling off the walls in both the bathroom and bedroom, had poor quality windows so the road noise was loud and the bathroom heating wouldn't turn off so it was like a sauna. Overall not a good hotel, but reception did help without fuss.

A recently renovated room and bathroom that was spacious, clean and comfortable. Walking distance to shopping and food precinct with a variety of shops, cafes and bars.

The hotel was lovely but our room was right next to the main road and it got busy first thing in the morning

This is a quirky stat in a 14th-15th century hotel, it could have been wonderful it wasn't. On arrival they demanded £25 per room (5 rooms booked) in case of damages despite the fact we had pre paid. The hotel is DIRECTLY on a busy road junction and on one side faces into the business side of an undertakers. One room was so noisy my mother got no sleep as lorries and cars rattled past all night. We had to move from Room 200 as we could clearly hear people talking in their cars as they waited at the junction! It is incredibly noisy. The room they moved us to was better but tired with peeling paper and big holes in the wall. Another room had damp in the corner. It's very tired. Sian in reception and the bar man were lovely. The woman at reception on the Friday morning was awful and rude. They only serve breakfast until 9.30 and no lunch or dinner but you can order take aways to the bar area and they will provide plates. I'd avoid this hotel if you hope to get any sleep. My second room had a radiator which let out loud bangs intermittently all night long too. We woke up in rooms 206 and 207 feeling like we had slept little more than an hour. Just awful when our comments were then rudely dismissed it ignored.

The exterior of the building is just lovely, unfortunately the room wasn’t. What is the main thing you want to do in a hotel room? Sleep. That’s simply impossible in room 130. Gawd knows why hotels with perfectly good sized rooms put in the smallest sized bed possible. I sometimes wonder if they just hate their customers. But this wasn’t the main issue, we can sleep in a small double bed but not this one. Ever seen The Exorcist? Well the bed in room 130 groans and moans and goes through to your very soul. Any slightest movement and we were in the film, it needs to be dumped or exorcised. The hotel staff either can’t be bothered to test the bed or simply like their guests to suffer. Needless to say, we barely slept. The pillows were uncomfortable. The bathroom: brown water stains on the door, chipped panels and a badly frosted window facing the carpark. The frosting didn’t meet the window frame, there were clear glass areas. Would you trust that people couldn’t see your shape through the glass, as it was right by the shower? Given the state of the bed, I didn’t, so I tried to hang a cardigan at the window. It needs a blind, otherwise it’s just plain creepy. No mirror in the room so I had to stand in the wardrobe to dry my hair, only the door would not open fully because it was badly fitted. Outside our room in the car park are benches, clearly audible hacking cough (poor person!) in our room early morning, maybe move the benches away from rooms so guests don’t hear th

We loved the ancient building, the good breakfast, the room was large and clean (in the annex). We didn't like the entrances to the car park (ok, it's an old coach-house so parking had to be created at some point, but one was blocked a fair bit by a party minibus), the noise from the wedding parties, the lack of bar/restaurant food

Our room overlooked a funeral parlour and was very close to a railway line so could hear trains until late into night. At the time of our stay there were no evening meals being served. Room was adiquate and clean but net curtains did not meet the bottom of the window so privacy compromised. Close to city centre and nice walks through castle gardens.

There was no evening food available. Breakfast the next morning was £15 and very poor. Staff were courteous but slow.

Excellent stay, was given upgraded room, staff were excellent, very good breakfast, would definitely return

Staff Very helpful , breakfast brilliant, hope to book again

The bedroom and hotel was clean, welcoming and had a good feel to it, parking was easy on site and a convenient location for our visit, however the service at breakfast was appalling. Tables were not cleared, we were not welcomed to a table, no glasses available for some time, short staffed and we had to wait a long time to be served at our table, which then resulted in another long wait for food to be brought out, which was over cooked and dry. Disappointing as the hotel is beautiful with a unique charm to it.

The staff in the hotel were brilliant.

The QOS from when I checked in until I left was excellent . Take a bow Sian, Rowena and Daniel also the two European ladies

This is a quirky stat in a 14th-15th century hotel, it could have been wonderful it wasn't. On arrival they demanded £25 per room (5 rooms booked) in case of damages despite the fact we had pre paid. The hotel is DIRECTLY on a busy road junction and on one side faces into the business side of an undertakers. One room was so noisy my mother got no sleep as lorries and cars rattled past all night. We had to move from Room 200 as we could clearly hear people talking in their cars as they waited at the junction! It is incredibly noisy. The room they moved us to was better but tired with peeling paper and big holes in the wall. Another room had damp in the corner. It's very tired. Sian in reception and the bar man were lovely. The woman at reception on the Friday morning was awful and rude. They only serve breakfast until 9.30 and no lunch or dinner but you can order take aways to the bar area and they will provide plates. I'd avoid this hotel if you hope to get any sleep. My second room had a radiator which let out loud bangs intermittently all night long too. We woke up in rooms 206 and 207 feeling like we had slept little more than an hour. Just awful when our comments were then rudely dismissed it ignored.

Great value and comfortable stay at the Rose and Crown Hotel for our weekend break in Colchester. Clean room, friendly staff, lovely historic building.

A quick stay to pick up some bridesmaids dresses. The hotel and location looked perfect on pictures but in reality not the best. We stayed in room 127 there was some dirty underwear under our bed, upon complaining to reception we were laughed at and nothing done!! Absolutely bonkers service!

The hotel was easy to find with a good size free car park, especially for me with a long wheelbase van. I had asked for a ground floor room and they certainly didn’t disappoint. My room at access from inside the hotel, but also a door directly out onto the car park. The room was large and comfortable with a full wet room bathroom. I had a lovely warm welcome in reception and the staff I met for my short one day were all first class. I will definitely stay here again the next time I am in this area.

Highly recommended! Walking distance to the town centre. Very accessible to shops, restaurants, & transportation. Staff were helpful and friendly. Hotel is clean and spacious. Definitely will book again if visiting colchester again. Good value for money. Thank you to all the staff. We had a great time.

Nice quaint looking pub although quiet. Room was generous for space and free parking with a straight forward walk into the centre of Colchester

A recently renovated room and bathroom that was spacious, clean and comfortable. Walking distance to shopping and food precinct with a variety of shops, cafes and bars.

Friendly staff, clean, good location for transportation.

The hotel was lovely but our room was right next to the main road and it got busy first thing in the morning

This is a quirky stat in a 14th-15th century hotel, it could have been wonderful it wasn't. On arrival they demanded £25 per room (5 rooms booked) in case of damages despite the fact we had pre paid. The hotel is DIRECTLY on a busy road junction and on one side faces into the business side of an undertakers. One room was so noisy my mother got no sleep as lorries and cars rattled past all night. We had to move from Room 200 as we could clearly hear people talking in their cars as they waited at the junction! It is incredibly noisy. The room they moved us to was better but tired with peeling paper and big holes in the wall. Another room had damp in the corner. It's very tired. Sian in reception and the bar man were lovely. The woman at reception on the Friday morning was awful and rude. They only serve breakfast until 9.30 and no lunch or dinner but you can order take aways to the bar area and they will provide plates. I'd avoid this hotel if you hope to get any sleep. My second room had a radiator which let out loud bangs intermittently all night long too. We woke up in rooms 206 and 207 feeling like we had slept little more than an hour. Just awful when our comments were then rudely dismissed it ignored.

The room was great, including lots of space, a bathroom with bath and shower and his and hers wash basins. and a comfortable fourposter bed. The bar closes quite ealry (about 10pm when I was there) and there was no restaurant/food service in the evening. The breakfast was excellent. The area can be a bit noisy with traffic and a railway level crossing nearby but, to be honest, this wasn't noticeable when sleeping The TV was a bit dated and the remote control probably needs replacing.

Stayed as part of my daughter’s 21st. Ideal for Castle Park and centre. Did not disappoint

I loved the rustic look and feel of the hotel. The room was spacious and clean. The bathroom was modern with a rain shower. It is just a short wark to the town centre, which is a bonus. If I am back to Colchester I would definitely stay there again.

Our room overlooked a funeral parlour and was very close to a railway line so could hear trains until late into night. At the time of our stay there were no evening meals being served. Room was adiquate and clean but net curtains did not meet the bottom of the window so privacy compromised. Close to city centre and nice walks through castle gardens.

There was no evening food available. Breakfast the next morning was £15 and very poor. Staff were courteous but slow.

Staff Very helpful , breakfast brilliant, hope to book again

The bedroom and hotel was clean, welcoming and had a good feel to it, parking was easy on site and a convenient location for our visit, however the service at breakfast was appalling. Tables were not cleared, we were not welcomed to a table, no glasses available for some time, short staffed and we had to wait a long time to be served at our table, which then resulted in another long wait for food to be brought out, which was over cooked and dry. Disappointing as the hotel is beautiful with a unique charm to it.

Located behind "Kind of Spice" so type that in when looking for this place. No lift in the annex building, which is where our room was (2nd flr). Otherwise, kind staff and clean rooms. Complimentary bottles of water at the FD, just ask. Breakfast selection was fantastic; you can pay the night before and save 4bucks compared to the day of. No dinner service, but the bar is open in the evening from 5:30- 10:15pm. "King of Spice" (curry) is right around the corner, so we had dinner there instead. NO a/c. -JB from Cali

Excellent breakfast

Room and bed fine, in the more modern wing. Breakfast very good, a shame hotel does not have lunch/evening restaurant. Reception desk is quite high and receptionist hidden, which gave a rather awkward welcome.

The room was very clean. The reception staff were brilliant also bar staff. Breakfast was a bit disappointing . Toast machine wasn’t working properly, going round 5 times and still not right. The waiter went to the kitchen with a slice of bread and returned with it toasted. When the full English arrived the sausage was nearly white. He took them away. We finished our breakfast. It was after breakfast after about 10 minutes he returned with them cooked but too late. On the whole really think the breakfast was not worth £15.95 each.

The room was great, including lots of space, a bathroom with bath and shower and his and hers wash basins. and a comfortable fourposter bed. The bar closes quite ealry (about 10pm when I was there) and there was no restaurant/food service in the evening. The breakfast was excellent. The area can be a bit noisy with traffic and a railway level crossing nearby but, to be honest, this wasn't noticeable when sleeping The TV was a bit dated and the remote control probably needs replacing.

After booking a room with a shower over bath in error (my fault, partner visually impaired at the minute) staff were very helpfull in relocating us in a room with a walk in shower. Very pleased with the new room and breakfast next morning was excellent.

Great stay , good breakfast and good accommodation and facilities and would recommend ,thank you