Brook Red Lion 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.

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

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

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

Breakfast excellent Bar never open

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!

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 .

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Verry dirty hotel bad smell

Bath was 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.

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 !!

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.

Bed bugs I have been bitten all over

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 .

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Good value good location

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

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

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

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

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.

I enjoyed my stay. Central, Fascinating history, and amazing staff. The only thing I can complain about is that I did not get to meet the famous ghosts I know residence there...

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.

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!

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.

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

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

Breakfast excellent Bar never open

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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.