My daughter and I returned a third time and I have to say we will not be returning. Something is…read moreradically wrong with this place- it used to be great value and well maintained but now it's poorly cared for and the staff reflect this. Firstly there is no warm welcome at all when arriving at the reception and a horrible smell as you go through the door. The breakfast is shockingly poor quality ( the bacon inedible and chewy and the hash browns frozen and tasteless) and frankly for a wellness spa as it alleges to be there is nothing healthy to be eaten here. Barely any fruit and only sweet sugary juices. Afternoon tea was appalling I can honestly say it was the worst experience I have ever had. Gluten free options included a rancid chocolate pot that my daughter described the smell as a hamsters cage! It tasted like the chocolate had been burned and curdled. The only decent thing was the scone and not enough sandwiches. An afternoon tea should offer a selection of teas but we were simply offered tea or coffee, and we had to pay extra for a glass of Prosecco which would normally be included in the price. As for the pool area ..where to start?! No beds free at all and overcrowding meant no space to hang your towel either, all this on a Tuesday! In the steam room the tiles are falling off the seated areas and huge gaps mean it's not comfortable to sit on, the jacuzzi was overcrowded so we had to wait for a space for some time and what a disappointment it was he temperature was lukewarm not hot at all and miserable bubbles barely noticeable. The showers were no better and the only place worth sitting in is the sauna. The therapists doing the treatments were the only highlight but 25 minutes was more like 20 mins on the bed. I had a great back and shoulder massage and a facial but it was just too short to really notice any benefits. It would be better value to have a spa deal without a longer treatment as other spas do. The worst experience was the relaxation room - the dim lights covered up a multitude of sins but in one area the beds were in such a poor condition that the foam was bare and the plastic coating ended up on my daughters face! We were in a better lit place and were appalled to see the state of the beds and quickly left. The shop is a little better in terms of service and help that's about all I can say. This place could be excellent but it is clear there is no maintenance being done and the premises are falling into disrepair with corner cutting and likely staff cutting as there are many empty spaces in the treatment rooms and nail bars and many therapists simply standing about. My advice : make the repairs or cut the costs to your customers or frankly it's likely things will get worse and the reviews will reflect the poor standards.

You have to experience to believe. But a few hints. Modern,…read moreclean, funky interior Gorgeous gardens and surroundings Excellent staff & service Incredible food Relaxing spa and treatments. Fun and motivating gym staff & wide range of classes. You may even spot a celeb or two!!

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

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.

Gladwins Farm is a brilliant holiday cottage location in the Suffolk/Essex border. We booked a…read moreweekend over there last Christmas and we're thinking about going again this year. The owners are very welcoming and last Christmas we were greeted with yule tide joy wine, mice pies and chocolate snowmen for the children. As a holiday cottage, Gladwins is set in the perfect location with plenty to see and do in the local area. The beach isn't far away, you can take a trip to see Colchester castle or just enjoy the beautiful countryside. Even in the dead cold of British winter Gladwins makes a perfect holiday home. I loved it and I'd highly recommend it to anyone else.

thank you for your help towards making our holiday as carefree as possible. we really enjoyed our…read moreholiday cottage and our time at gladwins farm. the pool and hot tub were great. our children loved the animals, especially the goats and are already nagging at me to take them back again. we'll definitely be booking in to see you again soon. to anyone thinking of visiting gladwins farm do it, you won't be disappointed!

Lovely place with friendly staff. Surprisingly well insulated from the road and had a great view of…read morethe sea. Also, free English breakfast! Great value for money. Thanks so much for a relaxing vacation!

Definitely wouldn't stay here again. The rooms were dusty, there was no toilet paper dispenser in…read moreour room just a little like of tissue. The hallways were kinda gross and dirty. Everything just seemed like it hadn't been cleaned.

Just opened and a great hotel. Very friendly staff who will…read morehelp out with any problems. Right by the pier but quiet at night. Totally secure using room key cards which operate the lift, security doors and room door. Nice restaurant for breakfast and evening meals with a bar. Beds extremely comfy with choices of soft or hard pillows. Tea/coffee making facilities. Free wi-fi. Bathroom with nice clean white towels and wall mounted soaps and shower gel. Totally brilliant.

One of the funnier quotes I have heard from colleagues staying here was It was like the carpet…read moreattacks you! :) This was before they had a bit of a revamp, apparently this is much better now. I have not stayed here, but a lot of people that come for business are booked in here. They are generally happy with the accommodation, but not ecstatic. The bar is OK, however getting someone to help you can be quite difficult. Lots of older people frequent the hotel so it could get surprisingly busy. They also have conference facilities that I have used a few times, nothing to complain about there the rooms can be expanded to fit up to 50 people quite easily.

From the outside its not much to look at but once inside you feel the old Victorian oppulance as it…read morehas a beautiful wood finish, elegant cabinets and clasy touches from room to room. This is Felixstowe's biggest hotel and has 60-70 rooms (of mixed quality as half have been refurbished), an elegant restaurant with piano, a 'library' bar with plush leather seats, a huge hall which can be divided according to your needs and various little rooms and seating areas for you to stop for tea and scones. Everywhere is finished off beautifully, there is ample parking in the rear and a small sunken garden (which would have been a pool a long time ago in order to increase the star rating but the rules changed). This is ideal for weddings, events where you want a sense of occassion and more recently, business meetings. The only issue is the service, when they serve you it's great but with it being so big and 'pokey' its hard to get someones attention, howver once acheived it is fine. There are plenty of bars and a great wine list and the costs, although slightly above average are fine. Room costs are better than you would expect and if you are passing through, visting sons, daugthers, and grand children then treat yourself and try out the Elizabeth.

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)