Colchester Apartments

How delightful to be given an upgrade to a suite. Having checked in it was off for an evening with many old friends. On returning sometime after 10.30 we thought ordering from the late night room service menu would be a good idea. The gentleman who answered the phone went off to check with the kitchen as to which options were available, a curious event in itself. On calling us back we were told that not a single food option was available other than some cheese for sandwiches which ”wouldn't come up nice” whatever that may mean. We were offered the choice of buying packets of crisps from the bar or ordering food elsewhere that they would accept at reception for us to collect. What an absolute joke, amateur hour hospitality at it's appalling worst and at a premium price point too. Whether the fault lies with poor recruitment, training, supervision, management or all four is a question that needs answering before anybody reading this review considers staying in this venue. So now it's morning, the temperature in our room is unpleasantly cool. No problem, we turn on the heat pump. It's great at moving air but no heat is to be had, it's cold in here and now we're both sick of the place and just want to leave. The instructions for the heating are badly photocopied and somebody has used the paper to make notes on but nobody has spotted that either. Its nice and warm in the rest of the suite though so we prepare for the day in there. Mustn't forget that we've already struggled twice this morning with the toilet that flushes continuously until you push the buttons in the special way that stops it. The staff told us to do this last night. Ok if you know you have this problem why not do something about it and repair or replace the worn or faulty parts? I've genuinely enjoyed much better standards in the humble Travelodge. Greyfriars from where I sit right is just a poor joke. Breakfast was good, our suite was beautiful, in fact the whole hotel is beautiful. But when you go to bed hungry and wake up cold these things lose their charm

First thing I noticed was the excellent friendly service at the front counter. This service continued at breakfast the next morning, which was very nice - it was a menu-style breakfast where you order a breakfast you would like. Breakfast with salmon had a small supplement. The room was mostly okay, although there were some stains on the bedsheet. Inclusion of earplugs was a nice touch as it is on the main road - I happen to like the city noise, but ended up using them to block out the noise of the fan (there is no air conditioning). The bathroom had nice toiletries although we noticed that the cold tap ran hot for quite a while before it got cold. Overall the stay was fine, but with lots of hotels available in Colchester it wouldn’t be my first pick to return.

We came to Colchester to celebrate our friend's 80th birthday and so glad that we chose the Colchester Boutique Hotel. A beautiful Listed building which has been tastefully converted from Solicitors Offices and in a perfect location in walking distance to the local historic attractions, shops and restaurants. Free car parking a real bonus. A very friendly and professional team who made our stay memorable. Also we enjoyed the continental breakfast with such a great selection. We'll be back.

The hotel is small, simple, there is a bus stop at the door, and it is very close to the town center. It is very convenient to walk to the town. The English breakfast is very good (the chef is an older woman, one looks at the restaurant, likes her). While eating and looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I feel quiet.