GreyFriars Hotel & Restaurant in Colchester

Favourite place in Colchester for cocktails - caring and dedicated. Tends to be a little quieter as well.

We were upgraded to a suite which was really appreciated. The room was lovely, clean and well presented. The bathroom was really impressive with a stunning huge traditional bathtub. We also really liked the L’occtaine shower gels and soaps. The mini bar is complimentary (saw some reviews complaining about there’s few options but it’s free guys 🤷‍♂️). The bed was comfy, the pillows weren’t to my liking but didn’t see any option to change as some hotels offer. In hindsight I could have asked at reception but overall they were fine, not just to my taste. Overall I had a really pleasant stay and importantly would stay again.

A bit impersonal in the restaurant at breakfast. We weren't made to feel that we were welcome. Apart from that, all good.

I was given a free upgrade to the Marcela suite which was very traditional, spacious and clean. The biggest disappointment was the breakfast to the extent that we never ate in the evening at the hotel. The food was only average but some of the staff particularly one of the male waiters on the first two days were abrupt and unhelpful. The tables were stained and old but more to the point despite being newly laid up were unclean with crumbs. I took photos and mentioned it to this same waiter who aggressively disagreed snatched cleaning spray and cleaned the laid up tables with spray so the cutlery and crockery was then covered in cleaning spray. The tables had like a rubber top and many clients including us got their hot teapot firmly stuck ..this is not only dangerous but had the tea jerked out our phones could have been soaked too. Absolutely ridiculous for a four star hotel. Receptionist on arrival and same on checkout was super but the others were not great at front of house.

At this price point you expect a certain standard. Unfortunately the standard during my visit was akin to a premier lodge. Room 7 had a very bad small of cigarettes. It needed airing badly. I think the smell was coming from the carpet. There was also a problem With the plumbing of the toilet. The water would run through the cistern all night and this was noisy. The window does not fully open (not uncommon in hotels) but the aircon vent was filthy. The general reception and welcome is lovely but it’s let down by the room experience. The room needed a lick of paint and a freshen up. For £180 a night, you would expect better!

Expensive but worth every penny

Wow, I was really surprised how nice this hotel is. The cleaners do an amazing job! Fantastic location, loads of parking, definitely recommend. Only downfall, no USB sockets, but reception did give us a plug (had to pay a deposit) and horrible cheap toilet roll. Also £8 a pint.

Unfortunately I found GreyFriars disappointing. Over sold and under delivered. I would describe my experience was 'adequate' rather than impressive. The free mini bar was laughable! 1 bottle lager, 1 bottle alcohol free lager, 2 cans coke and a bottle of water.

Stylish yet cozy, elegant yet relaxed. Great hotel! Not exactly cheap, but the price-performance ratio is right. Also particularly noteworthy is the excellent breakfast.

My friend and I came for afternoon tea today and the service was amazing. I know his name began with A but I can’t spell it (sorry). He was so attentive and patient; we had two babies with us who were being a little bit hard work but he made sure it was a stress free as possible for us. He got me two different high chairs to try as the first one was too big for my daughter. We wanted to tip but had no cash and the card machine didn’t give us the option. We hope you see this as we really enjoyed your service today! Thank you

Stayed here for one night when visiting Colchester zoo (3 miles away). Had far too many cocktails, all of which were delicious. May have woken up with a headache. The hotel itself is immaculately clean and tidy. We had dinner and if I'm totally honest, I wouldn't dine again. The staff however were so professional and dealt with the matters raised perfectly. Breakfast was fantastic too, the best I've ever had at any hotel. The staff are all so brilliant, I will certainly stay again. Car park is secure and close to the main entrance. Very fairly priced accomodation.

We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea. The food and service was excellent. Thank you

Such a great place for cocktails and coffee. Presented and served very well. The shaded garden area is peaceful and comfortable yet so close to the city centre.

Stayed for business. Free upgrade from a standard room to the suite, nicest bath I have ever had. Food also amazing in the restaurant. Three courses for £35, great offer and standard of the food was excellent. Will be going out of my way to stay again!

Dinner and afternoon tea on separate occasions were lovely

Stayed here a number of times and never been disappointed. Staff are friendly and helpful, rooms comfy and clean, breakfast is tasty with lots of choice. Perfect spot for visiting Colchester and surrounding areas. Easy access to the park and the town centre

We stayed at the GreyFriars Hotel last week for a few days as we explored Essex, it was brilliant Hotel - and we've been around a bit. It has superb positioning in Colchester town centre - very handy for all its attractions. Our room (8) was beautifully presented with all comforts, the service was magnificent. A wonderfully characterful Georgian hotel and not a modern built soulless series of boxes. The catering was excellent with a vast range of breakfasts promptly and beautifully presented, prices were competitive with wonderful, highly competent staff, nothing was too much trouble. A superb terrace at the back and under the amazing Holme Oak Tree - the biggest we've ever seen. Car parking was excellent, secure and well managed. Very strongly recommended.

It is highly recommended for anyone visiting Colchester. The stay is the most comfortable and they serve the authentic English breakfast. The amenities are the best. Very very comfortable stay.

Good old fashioned comfort and customer service

Very smart hotel with good furnishings and friendly staff.

Absolutely fantastic in all areas. We had reasonably high hopes of Greyfriars and, unusually in today's Britain, they exceeded them all. Our arrival was difficult, co-inciding as it did with some cycling event that denied us car access to the hotel. This was soon emolliated by the excellent reception staff and the sheer quality of the room and guest experience. The room was stunning. Clean, stylish and with a bathroom equipped with a double shower, large bath and top-quality fittings. Comfortable bed. Top quality accessories such as an espresso machine and drawer-mounted drinks set. Above all, the welcome includes a modestly provisioned mini-bar, which is gratis. You tend not to see that so much, these days. Food. Given the overall guest experience it was predictably good and the service flawless. Combine this with the breakfast experience, then all I can suggest is that whoever is responsible for the restaurant, they are exceptionally good. I cannot recall any downside. I would return to Greyfriars in a heartbeat. Well done to all the fantastic staff!

The hotel was lovely. Gated parking so could feel confident that the car was secure. We stayed in the Signature Suite, The Vinoyl amd it was very clean, spacious and the bed was super comfortable. As for the copper baths, they were a real treat. Breakfast was beautifully cooked. The location to town is very close, a 5 minute walk, so very conveniently situated. Would highly recommend this wonderful hotel

Fantastic stay! We got upgraded to a Junior suite that was positioned away from the main corridor, there was no noise disturbance and plenty of plugs. The room was clean and spacious, the bed was comfy, and the bath was deep. We ordered room service one night and had breakfast, the food was cooked perfectly. The staff were lovely and the location was perfect, only a few minutes walk away from Colchester Castle. Our room had stairs leading to the bathroom so please be aware of this if you have accessibility needs. Would stay again.

Popped in for a spontaneous coffee and the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming.

Lovely place. Great staff. Very clean.

It's a pleasure to leave this post as we had an amazing two night stay at the GreyFriars Hotel. Couldn't fault anything. Thank you.

Very nice staff, high quality decoration and furniture, spectacular afternoon tea, lovely terrace.

Lovely place to stay. Beautifully decorated and treated very well indeed. Great location for sightseeing. Surrounded by history.

I visited Greyfriars as it was somewhere I had never been to before. I was having a day in Colchester, and I really wanted to have tea and cake. Greyfriars was quite easy to find. I walked up the stairs to Reception and was taken to the bar area where I ordered a Cream Tea, which was very nice indeed. The staff were extremely professional and I had a lovely visit.

Great secure parking at rear. The internal bar is lovely, great selection of drinks and the staff are fabulous. Can't wait to stay again.

My first time visiting Greyfriars for breakfast, they were very accommodating considering I had no booking at an early hour on a Saturday morning. The service was flawless and the food was excellent! I had the Eggs Bennedict. Compliments to the chefs, I will be visiting again for sure. Thank you.

I went to the Greyfriars for the afternoon and didn't stay in the rooms - so I can't say what they're like. I took my mum there for Mothers Day gift the weekend after day, and the overall experience was absolutely amazing. Firstly, the hotel called me the day before to confirm what our preferences for the tea were, as well as letting us know that the half marathon would be on, so to prepare for delays in traffic. The hotel decorations were gorgeous, and you can tell that the cleaning staff pride themselves on keeping the building spotless. The tea itself was amazing as well! It was really nice to have a freshly prepared tea with tea leaves! Felt like a nice novelty. We really enjoyed all the food options, and when we were offered more of the sandwiches, we were pleasantly surprised! Our watering staff were really pleasant, making us feel comfortable and at ease and made lovely conversations with us. My only criticism for the afternoon was the initial interaction with the reception staff.l, which I didn't want to out at the beginning of the review and colour the whole review. We did arrive quite early, as there wasn't much traffic, but we had prepared for the half marathon to cause more problems. When we arrived, the staff didn't greet us very professionally, and we were left to "fend for ourselves." Whereas other guests coming in were shown by the staff to the dining area even though they weren't that far behind us. Still, this doesn't make it a bad place to go for afternoon tea in the slightest. Thank you Greyfriars for the lovely experience.

Had Mothers Day afternoon tea was delicious with brilliant service. Well done will definately be returning. Many thanks

Amazing On par with any luxury hotel in London

Parking available. Efficient staff. Friendly service. Nice good.

Great afternoon tea could have been 5*, but some basic errors occurred.

Had afternoon tea with my Mum and Sister, it was a lovely treat, we were treated like royalty. The sandwiches and cakes were all very nice.

Terrible! Went for afternoon Tea. Food was slammed on the table. The waitress was beyond miserable! Would never return.

Had a fantastic stay at GreyFriars Hotel! The rooms were top-notch, the staff super friendly, and the value for money was unbeatable. Highly recommend for a comfortable and hassle-free stay.

Dirty rooms, rude staff and terrible parking would never stay here again absolute joke of a place

Lovely hotel. Beautiful building. Room was great. Lovely bar with a fire in the evening. Staff friendly and helpful. Breakfast was top notch.

My wife and I loved the stay at the Boxing day.