We liked: size of the room, use of fridge, two easy chairs, decent sized tv, efficient heating, good lighting in bedroom, good amount of sockets, good parking and the willingness of the staff to accommodate a few requests. We visited in February, so didn't use outside area, but looked a really beautiful addition to the hotel.

We were disappointed with the bath / shower. In order to get wet from the overhead shower, you had to stand almost with your face again the wall - we tried all orientations, angles etc. The overhead shower was in the bath, which is fine, but to get into the bath was quite a height. The bath was slippery, so we had to ask for a non-slip bath mat (we almost slipped in the bath when showering).

All the staff with whom we came in contact were friendly, professional and helpful. The room was upgraded which was appreciated.

The Prosecco we asked to be left in our room on arrival was not. It was delivered promptly when we reminded the reception staff. We were charged although I have a message to say that we would not be charged for this request. The ceiling lights in the bedroom did not work. The main shower head needs descaling. There was an apparent issue with the seal on the shower.door which led to water spilling on to the floor - quite a lot. I was unable to turn off the extraction fan which ran all night. I even tried removing the access card from it's slot but it made no difference.

The rooms are spacious, luxurious, and very, very comfortable. The tariff was reasonable and affordable. (Worth every penny!) The check-in procedure was quick and easy. The staff were warm, friendly, and engaging. Pre check in instructions were clear and comprehensive. Reception was quick to respond to questions, and any issue was solved immediately. The hotel smelled nice upon entering. I really loved the L'Occitane toiletries and appreciated all of the thoughtful touches like fluffy white robes, coffee machine and coffee pods, and complimentary mini- bar items. Secure parking was another bonus, as was the location. We would love to come back.

Having to leave!

I stay regularly at Greyfriars when I visit Colchester over the odd weekend and I wouldn't stay anywhere else. The staff are always very friendly and welcoming. Its a beautiful old building which has been modernised inside well without taking too much away from the original character. The rooms are to a very high standard with complimentary refreshments in the fridge and a good range of local teas and coffee. The bathrooms are nice and in the superior rooms you get double sinks and a large double shower. In one of the suites I've stayed in you have a large free-standing bath too which I think would appeal to a lot of people, plus an additional sitting room. I like the fact there is free gated parking and you are in an excellent location at the top of east hill next to the castle and among some of the better preserved historical buildings in the town. During the summer there is an elegant private outdoor terrace within the confines of the grounds. At night you are a couple of minutes walk from the bottom of the high street, but it is still very quiet when you want to get to bed. Town can be a bit noisy late at night during the weekend but Greyfriars is just out of the way enough to avoid this. Overall I think this is the best hotel in Colchester and I am someone who grew up in the town.

This is one of my favourite hotels in the UK! I was DJing locally on the Friday night, so I brought my partner along and we decided to stay for two nights instead of just one. It was her second time here, and she absolutely loves this hotel. We stayed in the annex, just across the hall from reception, in the top room, which had a huge bathroom and the usual excellent amenities. For the first time, I had breakfast at the hotel, and it was absolutely delicious, just like the room service on our first night. As always, I’ll definitely be back!

Nothing

We have stayed here before and it’s a really lovely hotel even in the depths of Winter, I have some mobility issues and we were (very kindly) upgraded to a suite which was perfect, with step free access and a walk in shower. The restaurant is outstanding and my husband is still talking about the game pudding👍

There are a couple of small things, the hotel was very cool while we were there so I was glad I had a thick jumper on, also the toilet in the bathroom was VERY low to the floor with nothing nearby to assist me rising from it which, if I was staying longer would have been an issue.

Our room was excellent with a beautiful, luxurious bathroom. The bed was very comfortable. I would give the room a score of 10/10. The location was perfect, with easy on-site parking.

The cooked breakfast option was just that. Cooked breakfast with tea or coffee. There was no cereal and no slice of toast included. Bubble and squeak was included however it was unusual - dense and bland. The cooked breakfast did not included fried bread or toast so without the bubble and squeak it was all meat/egg apart from half a tomato and a mushroom.

Room was good ,chose a room with a bath which was 2 flights upstairs, in the annexe, very large bathroom but problem with the plug which we coped with as only stayed one night. Restaurant fir dinner was good ,excellent service, cost fairly high but food was good.

Breakfast staff good but service erratic, hot food served while we were eating cold cereal, no milk bought with cereal, needed to request granulated sugar for cereal only cubes on table.. Unfortunately not many guests staying so Breakfast was very quiet, maybe some background music?

Firstly the staff are fantastic, nothing is too much trouble and they go above and beyond to help. The room we stayed in was clean, comfortable, light and airy. The coffee machine is a nice touch along with the toiletries in the bathroom which are superb. Situated just along from the high street the hotel is a great base for exploring the castle and grounds as well as the shops. Breakfast was lovely too with a great choice. Would highly recommend

My only gripe was the green light on the ceiling from the smoke detector was very bright whilst trying to sleep, this is of course a necessity so if you’re light sensitive take an eye mask

The list of things that were great at Greyfriars reads like a hotel inspector’s definitive check list; the charming and exceptionally helpful staff, the quality of the food and the extensive choice of cuisine and drinks, the spotless cleanliness of the room, the exceptional L’Occitane toiletries, the super-secure private parking, the uncommonly quiet air-conditioning and sophisticated lighting in our room, and so on. Greyfriars location very near to the Castle, the park, the visitor information centre, Hollytrees museum and Firstsite gallery is by far the most attractive and convenient in Colchester. Greyfriars exceptional website is a treasure trove of helpful information, including ultra-detailed travel directions and all its various menus. We’ve stayed in everything from £99 B&B to £600 a night hotels, and Greyfriars punches well above its modest room-rates in every single department.

Maybe we got super-lucky, but there really was not a single thing that we felt could have been significantly improved, and considering the exceptionally reasonable price we paid, that felt like a minor miracle.