Greyfriars is, without question, my favourite hotel in the UK. I have stayed here multiple times and each visit has been consistently excellent. The rooms are stylish, comfortable and spotless, and the atmosphere throughout the hotel is warm and welcoming. What truly sets Greyfriars apart, though, is the staff. Every member of the team is friendly, professional and genuinely committed to making your stay as enjoyable as possible. Whether it's a short overnight stop or a longer visit, I always feel well looked after and leave looking forward to coming back. Highly recommended.

Nothing

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.

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.

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!

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.

The hotel was stunning,clean tidy and demuor!! the staff made it and you couldn't with for better! the hotel was lovely in every aspect! the mixologist Dan was so knowledgeable in his recomendation and delivery!true this young man is beyound his years and a credit to the establishment! Beds comfy and you are made to feel by the staff like family!!

only thing I'd say is the bar wall papper needs addressing but I would say that running a large building firm to the untrained eye who would know. other than that it's faultless!!

The room was very good - breakfast was fine.

The hotel was like a morgue.... apart from some elevator music in reception every other area was silent We had arranged to meet friends in the bar at 7pm.... we arrived at 6,45...... and after 15 minutes without seeing a barman and sitting alone in a silent room we gave up.... when our friends arrived we moved to the George Hotel for the evening. Very sad.... we have often had lunch on the terrace etc.... and stayed at Greyfriars many times but this will be the last