Name: The Saracens Head Hotel - The Coaching Inn Group
Address: High Street, Dunmow, England, United Kingdom, Dunmow, Essex, GB
Price range: US$63–US$216 per night
Rating: 8.33

What guests think

At The Saracens Head Hotel - The Coaching Inn Group, guests often highlight friendly, accommodating staff, a cosy historic pub atmosphere, comfortable rooms, and enjoyable breakfasts and dinners, plus a handy location for Stansted Airport and Great Dunmow’s high street.

A few reviews note rooms can be warm with no air conditioning, occasionally dark, or affected by noise from the bar, outdoor areas, or other guests. Some mention maintenance or design niggles such as small bathrooms, weak showers, or dated touches. Parking can be tight at busy times, and breakfast service or timing has occasionally caused confusion or delays. Overall, it delivers a cosy inn stay with personality and some trade-offs.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Characterful pub with bar and on-site restaurant; on-site parking is available but spaces can be tight or limited at busy times. Several guests appreciated the dog-friendly approach.

Related guest reviews

10

Kathleen

18 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice hotel, friendly staff. Great cockktails.

10

Louise

16 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Nicely updated rooms true to old pub style hotel. Food and beverage service of breakfast, dining, and pub were all outstanding. Shout out to the chef and and all the friendly staff who made our stay wonderful. Highly recommend.

8

Malcolm and Sue

27 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We found it difficult to park and too few spaces.

10

matthew

29 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

really nice room beds comfortable great setting , pub really nice food and breakfast , my only gripe and don't suppose they can do anything about is the amount of parking available for the amount of customers they attract for both the pub and hotel. Would defiantly stop again though

10

Louise

16 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Rooms have been updated while retaining original pub hotel features. We enjoyed a great stay, delicious meals from interesting menu, sitting by the fire in the lovely pub, and being welcomed into the weekly pub quiz.

8

AJ

30 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff all excellent. Rooms clean and comfortable. Heating too hot and uncontrollable, eg no thermostatic valves. Bedroom corridor doors need silent closing. Breakfast good, evening meal adequate as limited menu and poor quality burgers. Plenty of character and bar busy.

10

David

13 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely welcome on arrival, great staff serving in the bar and dining area and good food at a reasonable price.

10

PAUL

7 Jan 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed one night when flying from Stansted. Great hotel. Easy free parking. Great staff. Excellent breakfast.

10

Angela

1 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We were able to bring our dog which was a bonus. All the staff were helpful and knowledgable. Visiting sick relative which isn’t easy, but our stay was pleasant and easy, so it made up for the difficulties with relative

10

Deborah

14 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very helpful friendly staff. Dog made very welcome. Good sized comfortable room. Good food. Nice stroll to duck pond and green at the end of the street.

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Cleanliness

Rooms and bathrooms are generally clean or spotless. Occasional issues noted include missed items and minor bathroom mould or fixtures needing attention.

Related guest reviews

10

Alan

14 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

A really lovely place to stay, plenty of parking on site and all of the staff from arrival, dinner and breakfast were fabulous. The rooms are a good size, comfy bed and plenty of amenities. The food was lovely for both dinner and breakfast. The bathroom was a little tired and the shower temperature a bit temperamental but that is being picky! Highly recommended and I will definitely stay again.

10

Christopher

28 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was spotless , staff very helpful, food great thanks

4

Natasha

15 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The Saracens Head was a lovely stay. Starting with the pub side it was very lovely and clean. The food was fine dining experience, slightly smaller portions than expected but quality was fabulous. Waitresses were very polite and friendly however i disagree that a service charge is automatically put on the bill and not mentioned. I prefer to tip at my decision and did not want the confrontation to have removed The rooms are lovely and clean, as other views i have seen said with a bit of TLC it could be massively improved with a few tweeks. Our curtain pole was hanging down, mould on our bathroom ceiling and just felt a bit dated with the two keys to get in. Parking oh my goodness! Signage needs to be updated or clear instructions on reservation. We were driving up and down very narrow drives looking for the carpark and it wasnt until we stopped on a bad bed where the hotel is that we saw the sign and small writing of instructions Overall an ideal stay for Stanstead Airport and would definitely go again on our next trip

10

Angela

13 Dec 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room ok , not very spacious. Bathroom ok and very clean .

10

Kyli

29 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I stayed here with my husband after a wedding. The parking was convenient and well sign posted. Staff were all amazingly friendly and polite. Everyone was very helpful. The room was clean, and well stocked. The bottles of water by the bed were a lovely touch. Shower was easy to use and had decent water pressure. Breakfast was lovely, and there were plenty of options for all dietary requirements (the vegan sausages were very nice!) Check out was a breeze. Other all, really pleasant stay, and would highly recommend.

10

Frances

28 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean bedding and well kept rooms ,breakfast was very nice .helpful staff.bathroom a bit cramped but i would reccomend this place .central and good choice of food .

10

David

3 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean good breakfast

6

Kenzie

9 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

When I first arrived, the carpark was very small and tight to park in certain spaces. Checked in, got to the room. And the first thing I saw was an empty bottle under the desk. I found a towel on top off the toilet basin but could’ve fallen off the towel rail above. The bed was comfortable, but only having 1 pillow each side was a down full and there was a gap in the middle off the beds

6

David

8 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice atmosphere and friendly staff. The room was very clean and well thought out. Only downside is TV didn't have picture, only sound and shower didn't drain well

10

ruth

13 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely room very clean, comfy bed. Breakast was very good and staff very helpful. Would Definately recommended.

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Rooms

Many rooms are comfortable, some spacious or recently updated, but several guests found them very warm with no air conditioning, occasionally dark, or affected by noise from the bar or outdoor areas. Design niggles include small bathrooms, thin duvets, limited bedside plugs, and some basic furnishings.

Related guest reviews

10

steven

19 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff were very good, friendly, polite and helpful. Breakfast was very good and to a high standard. Rooms are quite basic, but to be fair they offer good value for the cost so we would stay again and recommend, particularly for a short stay.

8

Linda

28 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The Hotel is very tired, extremely hot,the window looks out onto the car park so felt unsafe opening it up and leaving it like that all night. Had a very bad sleep had to have the fan on. Breakfast was very small. Overall not worth the £144.00 paid.

8

Pat

20 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Found room rather warm and unable to keep window open as above outside sitting area which was quite noisy until quite late Room of good standard Bathroom rather small All well presented Good food and lovely breakfast

8

Andy

2 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were very nice, the room was very nice indeed and big with everything you would want. It was clean and had tea/coffee /bottled water. Bed was comfortable but the duvet is thin so i had to make noise at night trying to find a blanket which was in the bottom draw of the wardrobe, also the floor is noisy to walk on which made me conscious at night that i may have disturbed people either side late at night while walking to the bathroom. The kettle wont go under the sink tap so you have to use the bottled water if you have'nt already drunk it or fill it from the shower. I had a good stay but i left disappointed becuase when i went for my breakfast i was told i had missed it and there was no mention of times for breakfast anywhere in the room or at reception and we even had a conversation the evening before with the reception about friends meeting me for breakfast in the morning at 10.15 and was told thats fine and they will just have to pay for their breakfasts, no mention at all that it would be over by then....we went to the cafe down the road but i felt annoyed by it . Its a shame because it was a nice stay apart from that, i think they need to make it clear or even just leave a simple note in rooms about breakfast times

10

kevin

11 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very spacious and big room. Staff all friendly and very helpful Car park on site

8

Miss

8 May 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We booked a twin my daughter and I such a narrow bed for me 🙁 u use a sleep apnea machine no plugs close to bed 🙄 it's a nice hotel just didn't accommodate my stay very well breakfast was fab 😊

10

Victoria

13 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely hotel, the room was huge, staff were polite and it was quiet (even when the pub below was busy!)

8

Courtney

22 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed here for a couple of nights in the summer, when the weather was really hot. No air con but window open and they provided a fan, meant we still slept fine. Decent size rooms, good condition and good size bed. Staff were lovely, would recommend.

6

Amanda

9 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Nice big room which was pretty warm and comfortable but it was soooooo dark. There were several 5 amp sockets but scarcely any lamps and no wall or ceiling lights except one round the corner near the bathroom. We had one dim standard lamp with a black shade and two small bedside lamps and that was it! The bulb went in one on the second night. This is something that could be so easily dealt with. You need two or three more lamps with bright bulbs. The shower is also pretty dire. More of a mist really but this seems to be the case in the other rooms too. The pub itself looked warm and cosy with a great fire and vibrant atmosphere though we didn’t eat or drink there. It was full on both Friday and Saturday nights.

4

Paul

4 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

While a very friendly team, the room (junior suite) was shockingly bad and nothing like the photos. Despite calling early in the day to request heating be on, the room was freezing cold and the old radiators just were not enough so the room stayed freezing. The room was above an extremely noisy bar which to a certain extent is understandable but also next door to a function room meaning sleep was impossible and do did not stay the night and left that night. Main gripe is the room is nothing like advertised, freezing cold and reception was unable to change room due to being at capacity

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Service

Service is frequently praised as friendly, helpful, and accommodating across reception, bar, and restaurant. A few guests reported communication or billing issues and occasional delays at breakfast.

Related guest reviews

10

Jak

3 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel was very well situated for our needs and Great Dunmow is a very lovely spot, with a great feel to the high street. Upon arrival we were met by the receptionist, Mandy, who was friendly and knowledgeable and helped us with the usual arrival procedures. All of the staff were friendly and keen to help. We had a meal in the restaurant that was first rate and some welcome drinks in the bar before heading off to an event in the town. The room was lovely, well appointed, quiet and cosy. Lovely touch to have a DAB radio in the room tuned to Classical music station, adding to the room ambience. Breakfast was lovely too.

10

Mark

14 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I’ve stayed a lot recently due to my dad’s poor health. The whole team have been amazing. Food is fresh and delicious. Bar and waiting team superb. But I also have give Mandy a special mention for going above and beyond during my many visits

10

Sue

26 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I stay here every time I go to Stansted. It is the kindest and friendliest place i have ever stayed. The staff are lovely, the rooms are really comfy and the breakfast is extensive. I wouldn’t choose anywhere else.

8

Andy

2 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were very nice, the room was very nice indeed and big with everything you would want. It was clean and had tea/coffee /bottled water. Bed was comfortable but the duvet is thin so i had to make noise at night trying to find a blanket which was in the bottom draw of the wardrobe, also the floor is noisy to walk on which made me conscious at night that i may have disturbed people either side late at night while walking to the bathroom. The kettle wont go under the sink tap so you have to use the bottled water if you have'nt already drunk it or fill it from the shower. I had a good stay but i left disappointed becuase when i went for my breakfast i was told i had missed it and there was no mention of times for breakfast anywhere in the room or at reception and we even had a conversation the evening before with the reception about friends meeting me for breakfast in the morning at 10.15 and was told thats fine and they will just have to pay for their breakfasts, no mention at all that it would be over by then....we went to the cafe down the road but i felt annoyed by it . Its a shame because it was a nice stay apart from that, i think they need to make it clear or even just leave a simple note in rooms about breakfast times

10

Kyli

29 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I stayed here with my husband after a wedding. The parking was convenient and well sign posted. Staff were all amazingly friendly and polite. Everyone was very helpful. The room was clean, and well stocked. The bottles of water by the bed were a lovely touch. Shower was easy to use and had decent water pressure. Breakfast was lovely, and there were plenty of options for all dietary requirements (the vegan sausages were very nice!) Check out was a breeze. Other all, really pleasant stay, and would highly recommend.

10

Miss

23 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff couldn't be more friendly

10

Stephen

6 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We arrived late but the staff helped us find food late at night and the check in was simple and parking easy to find

10

Rob

13 Feb 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Beautiful old building with lots of character. Room was spacious and welcoming. Staff were friendly, personable and accommodating. Food was excellent.

6

Gregory

26 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel double charged me the room. I emailed them... no answer !

10

Ian

9 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

George and his team where excellent again from a fantastic dinner to fresh and hot breakfast. 5 stars George’s knowledge of the wine list was spot on with him choosing us beautiful bottle of red.

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Location

Handy base for Stansted Airport and well placed in Great Dunmow near the high street and bus stops. Good for overnight stays before flights and local events.

Related guest reviews

10

David Wallace

19 May 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Convenient late check-in. Nice room, excellent breakfast with friendly staff. My only 'complaint' was not with the hotel but the exhorbitant cost of the taxi from the airport. The staff told me about the local bus in the morning as it was impossible to get a taxi or uber.

8

Antigoni

23 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Perfect for an overnight stay before catch na a flight out of Stansted. Great breakfast offering

10

Julian

27 Jan 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Very comfortable. Amazing breakfast. Ten minutes from mid stay. Better than an airport hotel by miles. Nice little town as well.

10

Elaine

2 May 2025

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Stayed 1 night

A very enjoyable stay overnight. Very handy for the airport. The staff are very welcoming and extremely friendly. We had a lovely meal in the evening and a good breakfast in the morning. An excellent start to our holidays. We will stay again.

10

David S

11 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Relaxing stay in a very old hotel in an English country town.

10

Patricia

8 Sept 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Lovely old Coaching Inn with welcoming and helpful staff. It was very conveniently located in the town near bus stops with parking and my room was perfect with a large comfortable bed and a bath. Only little things letting it down was no croissants or Hash brownies at breakfast and the price of the Wine !! (Luckily found at half the price for lunch the following day at a cafe across the road......)

10

Sally

15 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely hotel very convenient for airport and much nicer than an airport hotel. The food was lovely and the reception very friendly

10

Dave

6 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great bed and good choice of food at reasonable price. Friendly helpful staff. Ideal location for airport - 10 minutes from mid stay parking.

10

PAUL

7 Jan 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed one night when flying from Stansted. Great hotel. Easy free parking. Great staff. Excellent breakfast.

8

David

10 May 2023

·

Stayed 4 nights

Large spacious room No 5. Well cooked breakfast, convenient for buses, cosy quiet snug, obliging staff. Dunmow buildings run down, needed repairs. Pity no buses running on Sundays. Aussie guests.

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Dining

Breakfast and dinners are widely complimented for quality and taste, with a welcoming pub setting. Some reviews mention slow service, limited or changing menus, small portions, or automatic service charges.

Related guest reviews

8

Julie

25 Feb 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We were lucky enough to get a free upgrade on arrival to a suite, which was a lovely, spacious room - very nice! However breakfast wasn’t great - only one member of staff doing her very best to seat guests, take orders, serve and clear tables….really not fair on her. First attempt at coffee failed…..it wouldn’t pour from the cafetière as way too many coffee grounds used! The scrambled egg with the Full English was floating in liquid and was inedible….disappointing. Pastries on the buffet were undercooked. Food quality needs to improve!

10

natalie

1 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel, clean and welcoming. Breakfast was good, staff were great and service was good, just ashame new manager decided to change the menue this time around. I mean who really eats spinach ravioli 😂 working men just want a nice decent meal after work. But overhaul the place is clean and comfortable, the staff is what makes this place, always smiling.

10

Astri Parawita

11 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff was nice, friendly, and helpful. The room was comfortable. The breakfast was excellent.

10

stephen

17 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel with comfy bed and excellent restaurant and breakfast with very helpful and friendly staff. Well worth the money.

10

Louise

16 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Nicely updated rooms true to old pub style hotel. Food and beverage service of breakfast, dining, and pub were all outstanding. Shout out to the chef and and all the friendly staff who made our stay wonderful. Highly recommend.

6

Brian

5 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Restaurant service was ponderously slow. We cancelled our desert order after waiting 25 minutes after our main course which took 40 minutes to arrive

10

Louise

16 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Rooms have been updated while retaining original pub hotel features. We enjoyed a great stay, delicious meals from interesting menu, sitting by the fire in the lovely pub, and being welcomed into the weekly pub quiz.

10

Jacqui

1 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Really nice rooms, nothing missing or broken or bodged up, like most on-the-cheap-end hotels. Food was amazing, both evening meal and breakfast. Staff were friendly and attentive. ~Would stay again

8

Tony

15 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Business trip and accommodation suited my needs perfectly. Room was functionj and spacious with all the amenities you would expect. Restaurant was ok and food was decent but watch for the service charges.

8

AJ

30 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff all excellent. Rooms clean and comfortable. Heating too hot and uncontrollable, eg no thermostatic valves. Bedroom corridor doors need silent closing. Breakfast good, evening meal adequate as limited menu and poor quality burgers. Plenty of character and bar busy.

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Month	Average price
January	US$104
February	US$82
March	US$80
April	US$87
May	US$102
June	US$94
July	US$96
August	US$95
September	US$109
October	US$105
November	US$99
December	US$119

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6 $80	7 $94	8 $131	9 $105	10 $130	11 $85	12
13 $134	14 $111	15 $106	16 $216	17 $80	18 $138	19
20 $63	21 $85	22 $103	23 $87	24 $82	25 $114	26 $122
27 $78	28 $107	29 $104	30 $107

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $109	2 $110	3 $128
4 $85	5 $103	6 $119	7 $100	8 $88	9 $104	10 $108
11 $74	12 $91	13 $110	14 $98	15 $90	16 $81	17 $150
18 $72	19 $98	20 $121	21 $114	22 $94	23 $85	24 $133
25 $66	26 $101	27 $113	28 $105	29 $92	30 $92	31 $99

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Guest reviews

Very good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property policies

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