What a shocker!!! This place is a disgrace. The hotel is situated right next to the river (hence…read morethe name) and only 5 minutes walk from the town centre. That is about the only good thing going for it. Upon entering the "reception" area we were greeted with stained and sticky carpets, peeling paint and an unidentifiable smell. We should have walked straight out but stupidly decided to go to the rooms. These were even worse with cobwebs in all the corners a thick layer of dust on the furniture and ensuite bathrooms full of mildew and mould. The beds only had a bottom sheet with the duvet covers obviously not changed between guests. Luckily we were out late into the evening and did not have to spend any time within the shabby confines of this hell hole. They really need a hotel inspector to go into the place and close it down or completely revamp it.

Not bad for Colchester!…read more Being part of the Best Western brand of hotels, it serves as a nice hotel with a lot of character. Walking in, there is a well sized car park for overnight guests and the rooms are of good size. The beds usually don't feature more than a full sized bed, but the bathrooms are quite large and it is very clean. When booking, there is a breakfast option you can choose. The entire hotel has a creaky old English feeling, but it adds to its character. Try it out for size if you're ever in the area! :)

Very old, authentic building. Clean, friendly, comfortable, economical…read more The pub seemed great to us tourists. Pub food was very good and well prepared. We plan to return.

I have been staying here for a couple of days a week for the last 6 months. Typical Holiday Inn…read moredécor which could do with a refresh but all very clean. This hotel also has a nice gym, swimming pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. Very friendly staff here which really makes a different when you are staying somewhere for a while. Only downside was the restaurant. They have the usual hotel basics and some changing weekly specials but from night to night the quality could differ and after a couple of weeks the menu becomes boring. But plenty of restaurants in Colchester. This hotel can be busy with coach parties during the summer holidays.

I guess once you have been to one Holiday Inn then you have seen what to expect from them all…read morereally. The place is easy to find, well located (not far from the main A12 road) and the rooms are of a decent enough size. The reason i give a four star rating is for the 'little' differences that can make the difference. Having stayed and know people who have stayed here, there are two things that often get said each time: 1. The staff were polite and welcoming and seemed to genuinely want to help if possible, and 2. The rooms are of a good clean standard -something which can not always be said of other hotels i have visited unfortunately! Ok, maybe not the big 'wow factor' many people might look for, but certainly consistant good value for money

Smallish Premier Inn conveniently located just outside of town centre on the ring road . The usual…read morestantard of room . Clean and excellant staff service . Good car parking on site , though as it shares thus with the Beefeater Inn suggest you park around the side .

Was staying in Colchester during our trip to London and wanted to do high tea last minute. My uncle…read morewas able to book at the Wivenhoe even though they required a reservation at least 48 hours in advance. The hotel was lovely and we absolutely enjoyed our tea experience. The ambiance was cozy and tables were pretty spread out. I loved the Tiptree jam that they provided and their scones were the best I've had. There were a couple of menu options, including vegan, and it was pretty filling. Their dessert plate was very interesting and we enjoyed the different chocolate decorations on the pastries. A lovely place to have tea.

Description of the hotel in general: - four star luxury…read morehotel near Colchester- surrounded by beautiful parkland, forests and quiet lakes - located near the campus of the University of Essex; only few minutes from Colchester, Britain`s oldest recorded town (10 min) - part of the hotel is an eighteenth century Grade II listed house, the other part is a new construction - the hotel offers a modern, award-winning brasserie open every day and a traditional afternoon tea served in elegant lounges in the main house Rooms: - free WiFi and parking area - had a room in the newly constructed part of the hotel: elegant and modern style, nice bathroom - nice view to the parkland, a terrace also belongs to the room - however, the room is not really spaceous - iMac computer for television/radio/internet in the room - tea and coffee making facilities - price: 305 GBP/2 nights/double room (breakfast included) Restaurant: - 2 different restaurants: Signatures restaurant serves traditional cuisine; Rosette brasserie restaurant in the garden wing serves creative dishes - did not try any of the restaurants for dinner, only for breakfast - breakfast: buffet very small (not too much choice); breakfast can be upgraded (with costs) - service okay but not too well educated for the standard the hotel pretends Service: - service at the reception was friendly but also not too well educated (three people are busy with checking in one guest) - questions about next bus stop etc. could not be answered by the staff at the reception Conclusion: Nice hotel (not as good as a four star hotel in London for example) but too expensive for the service offered and the room size! (for me it is between 3 and 4 stars because of the high price and more pretending to be than offering great service)