Name: The Golden Lion Hotel, St Ives, Cambridgeshire - The Coaching Inn Group
Address: Market Hill, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, GB
Price range: $74–$169 per night
Rating: 8.83

What guests think

At The Golden Lion Hotel, St Ives, Cambridgeshire - The Coaching Inn Group, guests highlight the central location, friendly service, and comfortable rooms, but recurring drawbacks include very hot, non-air-conditioned rooms and occasional noise from extractors or nearby pubs.

Cleanliness is often praised, though a few guests noted dust, cobwebs, or lingering odours in some rooms, and breakfast and pub food are widely enjoyed despite occasional cold dishes or inconsistent table service. There’s no on-site parking, with inexpensive public car parks a short walk away. Best suited to travellers seeking a characterful, pub-style base rather than modern, upscale amenities.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Pleasant bar and atmosphere mentioned; no on-site parking, but several inexpensive public car parks are a short walk away.

Related guest reviews

10

Chris

Jun 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent Hotel - perfect location - friendly staff - good food / bar - can highly recommend.

10

Maureen

May 28, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Friendly staff, excellent location for the river and meadow walks. Clean, well maintained. Very good breakfast. Parking is a slight problem, Waitrose supermarket has long term stay, £4 a day, short walk away.

10

Graham

Jun 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

St Ives is a nice place, it still has a tradition, no chain, department store for goodness sake. The Golden Lion is a good base to explore from. The rooms are comfortable and well equipped. The bar and restaurant is nicely laid out and decorated. Breakfast was excellent. All in all, really nice. Would I stay again? Yes, most definitely.

10

i p

Jan 14, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel, public car park 200m away was jusr £4 for 24hrs Friendly team, good bar and nice breakfast selection The hotel is in the town centre and so we requested a quiet room, and it was Highly recommended in a pretty and bustling town

10

Carol

Jul 10, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely hotel staff and food excellent be aware parking is a little difficult outside the hotel there is a car park near by

10

Louise

Jul 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I had a lovely night at The Golden Lion. Every staff member I encountered was super friendly and helpful. Breakfast was delicious and the bar was nice. I also liked my small but cozy room which came with tea, coffee and some biscuits. The ONLY issue I had, which was not really the hotel's fault, is that my room was swelteringly hot as I stayed during one of the hottest times of the year. I was provided with a fan, but unfortunately this did not help. Overall though, I had a lovely stay at this hotel.

10

Diane

Apr 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely pub hotel in the centre of town. Parking is available at a number of nearby reasonably priced car parks. The hotel is very comfy and well presented

8

Jane

Mar 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We only had a one night stay for an occasion. Once we found a car park, that was good, but there is no hotel parking. The hotel staff were very pleasant. The room was clean and comfortable. The breakfast was good, but we thought it was a little bit pricey. An enjoyable stay.

10

Andrew

Apr 8, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very friendly staff, excellent location, good food and great atmosphere. The only downside is that there is no on site parking. Although very cheap car park is only 5 minutes walk away

10

Michelle

Apr 5, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This is a lovely coaching inn and despite there not being any parking due to the central location, there is a large car park a 5 minute walk away - and it only costs £4 for 24 hours. The communal areas of the inn are nicely decorated and, although our double room was a bit on the small side and the bathroom was tiny, it was still comfortable. Drinks are reasonably priced in the bar and the breakfast was very good.

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Cleanliness

Many reviews describe clean or spotless rooms; however, some report dust, cobwebs, stained seating, or pet odours in certain areas.

Related guest reviews

10

Faye

Nov 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room was spotless. Bathroom lively and clean with everything that you needed. Staff very friendly and courteous. Breakfast was good and the service too. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay.. Would

10

James

Dec 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was clean and spacious. The bedside water was a simple but greatly appreciated extra. Loved the rubber duck in the bathroom!

6

debi

May 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Not the cleanest and poor service

8

lee

Jun 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location. Good sized room and clean inside. Excellent staff. Great breakfast for £12 per person. The bedroom carpet smelt of dog. The seat covers in the breakfast area were badly stained and both need deep cleaning. I would stay there again.

10

Andrew

Jul 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We had a lovely time and the staff were excellent. the only thing to mark you down was cleaning. Some cobwebs in our room (27) and ceiling dirty outside room in corridor and so on. We would certainly stay again 😊

6

Miriam

Jul 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed in Room 27 which was said to be the deluxe room. Room is very dusty. Blinds at the windows need changing. The screen outside the windows full of cobwebs. ‘This room is spacious and can be a great room- there just is no cleaning being done in here. I have hay fever and could not stop sneezing.

10

Michael

Jan 20, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Really friendly staff, for whom nothing was too much trouble. Clean tidy room. Nice breakfast. Will definitely stay there again when in St Ives.

8

JOHN

Oct 27, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Good location, comfortable room which could have been a bit cleaner. Beware when putting out the 'green card', as well as not changing towels and linen they may not replenish tea bags, etc nor provide clean cups. Food very good, but table service is a bit variable.

10

Roger

Dec 6, 2025

·

Stayed 7 nights

Clean room and very polite staff

10

Lisa

Nov 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely hotel clean room good nights sleep

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Generally comfortable, with size ranging from small to spacious and some decor a little tired; several rooms were very hot due to no air conditioning, and some experienced noise from extractors, events, or nearby pubs.

Related guest reviews

6

Linda

Sep 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Despite a warm welcome from Reception, we found the room to be small and in need of updating. We also had a very loud buzzing in our room which we were told was from the kitchen fans below us. The noise eventually went off at 9.30pm only to start again at 6.40am so ruined our relaxing lie in.

8

Moira

Aug 12, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Room was vey hot, fsn supplied didnt do any good. Should have had grab rails on bath Walk in shower would have been nicer. Didn't eat here. Bed very comfortable, lovely duvet which we didnt use as it was so hot.

10

James

Dec 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was clean and spacious. The bedside water was a simple but greatly appreciated extra. Loved the rubber duck in the bathroom!

6

Joanne

Dec 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

A very comfortable bed, staff very friendly. No parking so had to park in nearby carpark. There was a Christmas party in the event room below us which didn’t finish till midnight and was very loud. If I had thought about it I wouldn’t have booked a town centre location so my fault.

8

Peter

Jul 6, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Alas it was the hottest day of the year and the small fan just did not do it the room was so hot you could not sleep.A portable air con would have been nice

6

Mel

Aug 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff are friendly, it looks like a nice property, but there is noise from the pub on the same road, and the room was tired looking.

6

Nick

Jul 20, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Okay hotel pub but incredibly hot rooms in the summer

10

Louise

Jul 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I had a lovely night at The Golden Lion. Every staff member I encountered was super friendly and helpful. Breakfast was delicious and the bar was nice. I also liked my small but cozy room which came with tea, coffee and some biscuits. The ONLY issue I had, which was not really the hotel's fault, is that my room was swelteringly hot as I stayed during one of the hottest times of the year. I was provided with a fan, but unfortunately this did not help. Overall though, I had a lovely stay at this hotel.

10

Michelle

Apr 5, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This is a lovely coaching inn and despite there not being any parking due to the central location, there is a large car park a 5 minute walk away - and it only costs £4 for 24 hours. The communal areas of the inn are nicely decorated and, although our double room was a bit on the small side and the bathroom was tiny, it was still comfortable. Drinks are reasonably priced in the bar and the breakfast was very good.

8

Phil

Mar 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Comfortable stay, some noise from the kitchen extractor

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Service

Staff are widely praised as friendly, helpful and professional, though a few guests mentioned poor or variable service.

Related guest reviews

10

Faye

Nov 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room was spotless. Bathroom lively and clean with everything that you needed. Staff very friendly and courteous. Breakfast was good and the service too. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay.. Would

6

debi

May 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Not the cleanest and poor service

10

Iva

Apr 12, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Wonderful hotel with excellent staff and hospitality

10

Roger

Apr 7, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great hotel and very friendly staff

10

Michael

Jan 20, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Really friendly staff, for whom nothing was too much trouble. Clean tidy room. Nice breakfast. Will definitely stay there again when in St Ives.

8

JOHN

Oct 27, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Good location, comfortable room which could have been a bit cleaner. Beware when putting out the 'green card', as well as not changing towels and linen they may not replenish tea bags, etc nor provide clean cups. Food very good, but table service is a bit variable.

6

David

Nov 23, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great hotel but such a shame about the service as it was atrocious

10

Roger

Dec 6, 2025

·

Stayed 7 nights

Clean room and very polite staff

10

GARY

Dec 30, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We normally stay at Premier Inns but for once we thought we would try a village hotel and we were not disappointed. The hotel was clean, quiet and well run. Good nights sleep and then a warm and cheerful welcome in the morning from Gemma one of the girls in the restaurant. Gemma was polite, attentive and very efficient. In summary we enjoyed everything about our stay and would not hesitate to stay again in the future. Thank you

10

Jacqueline

Sep 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Loved our stay, staff were helpful and breakfast was delicious. Cannot fault our experience and will return to stay in the future.

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Location

Central position in St Ives close to pubs, restaurants and riverside walks; some noise reported due to the setting and there is no on-site parking, though nearby public car parks are inexpensive.

Related guest reviews

10

Christine

Aug 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel very clean and up to date in decor. Right in the centre of town and plenty of pubs and restaurants. All amenities close at hand.

8

Julian

Aug 17, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Good location, nice bed.

10

Maureen

May 28, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Friendly staff, excellent location for the river and meadow walks. Clean, well maintained. Very good breakfast. Parking is a slight problem, Waitrose supermarket has long term stay, £4 a day, short walk away.

10

Graham

Jun 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

St Ives is a nice place, it still has a tradition, no chain, department store for goodness sake. The Golden Lion is a good base to explore from. The rooms are comfortable and well equipped. The bar and restaurant is nicely laid out and decorated. Breakfast was excellent. All in all, really nice. Would I stay again? Yes, most definitely.

10

George

Aug 31, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Conveniently located, great service

6

Mel

Aug 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff are friendly, it looks like a nice property, but there is noise from the pub on the same road, and the room was tired looking.

10

Diane

Apr 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely pub hotel in the centre of town. Parking is available at a number of nearby reasonably priced car parks. The hotel is very comfy and well presented

8

Jane

Mar 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We only had a one night stay for an occasion. Once we found a car park, that was good, but there is no hotel parking. The hotel staff were very pleasant. The room was clean and comfortable. The breakfast was good, but we thought it was a little bit pricey. An enjoyable stay.

10

Andrew

Apr 8, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very friendly staff, excellent location, good food and great atmosphere. The only downside is that there is no on site parking. Although very cheap car park is only 5 minutes walk away

10

Michelle

Apr 5, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This is a lovely coaching inn and despite there not being any parking due to the central location, there is a large car park a 5 minute walk away - and it only costs £4 for 24 hours. The communal areas of the inn are nicely decorated and, although our double room was a bit on the small side and the bathroom was tiny, it was still comfortable. Drinks are reasonably priced in the bar and the breakfast was very good.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

Breakfast and pub food are frequently praised, though some guests encountered cold items or undercooked bacon and occasional inconsistencies in table service.

Related guest reviews

10

Faye

Nov 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room was spotless. Bathroom lively and clean with everything that you needed. Staff very friendly and courteous. Breakfast was good and the service too. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay.. Would

10

Chris

Jun 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent Hotel - perfect location - friendly staff - good food / bar - can highly recommend.

10

Mary

Dec 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Bacon wasn’t cooked well

8

Steven

Jun 13, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Despite using this hotel for drinks and meals for years, I had never stayed. I was pleasantly surprised and would recommend. Breakfast was a bit of a disappointment, served pretty cold both days. On the first day I asked for cold beans with my full English and was told the chef had refused to do that, I needn’t have worried, the whole breakfast was cold 😃 Desk staff and bar staff were superb.

8

Karen

Jan 31, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

A very pleasant hotel with lots of charm. The food was mediocre but the hotel and its character made up for this. The room was large and spacious and the amenities very good with great products in the bathroom

10

Louise

Jul 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I had a lovely night at The Golden Lion. Every staff member I encountered was super friendly and helpful. Breakfast was delicious and the bar was nice. I also liked my small but cozy room which came with tea, coffee and some biscuits. The ONLY issue I had, which was not really the hotel's fault, is that my room was swelteringly hot as I stayed during one of the hottest times of the year. I was provided with a fan, but unfortunately this did not help. Overall though, I had a lovely stay at this hotel.

10

Stephen

May 22, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very good nice and friendly and helpful , food was good

10

Gregg

Jul 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great room with all the facilities needed WiFi, TV, tea and coffee, iron, etc and great sized bathroom for room type with full bath… Really good breakfast and choice, and cooked to order. All for a very reasonable price in a lovely Cambridgeshire town

8

David

Feb 27, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Situated in the heart of St Ives - lovely location and staff really friendly - enjoyed the food too!

10

Jacqueline

Sep 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Loved our stay, staff were helpful and breakfast was delicious. Cannot fault our experience and will return to stay in the future.

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Month	Average price
January	$91
February	$112
March	$103
April	$109
May	$104
June	$120
July	$112
August	$112
September	$119
October	$103
November	$97
December	$96

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19 $114	20 $112	21	22 $81	23 $92	24 $111
25 $77	26 $125	27 $169	28	29 $99	30 $93	31 $128

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
1 $74	2 $124	3 $120	4 $97	5 $77	6 $119	7 $144
8 $79	9 $92	10 $92	11 $96	12 $93	13 $131	14 $169
15 $79	16 $85	17 $101	18 $102	19 $79	20 $102	21 $126
22 $86	23 $119	24 $121	25 $117	26 $113	27 $152	28 $126
29 $78	30 $96

The Golden Lion Hotel, St Ives, Cambridgeshire - The Coaching Inn Group

Prices for The Golden Lion Hotel, St Ives, Cambridgeshire - The Coaching Inn Group

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About this property

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Guest reviews of The Golden Lion Hotel, St Ives, Cambridgeshire - The Coaching Inn Group

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