The Ancient Gatehouse & Rugantino Restaurant

It is without doubt one of the finest views I have ever had from a hotel window - set upon the arch of the gateway to the cathedral, and looking back at the structure in all its glory. We had the much anticipated Room Nine, which is in the tower above the arch and has a distinctly medieval feel. its accessed by a thin passageway off the first floor, followed by a rather daunting accent up a winding stone tower stairway which is not suitable for anyone with either height issues or accessibility problems - Its an adventure, but be aware you need to be able to climb these steep steps to get to it! Once you get to the room its a treat. A hand carved four poster, the view, the sheer feel of history and nostalgia all add to the sense its a bit of a romantic fantasy. The bathroom, is a couple of steps below on the same stairwell just outside the door. Again, access wise its a little steep, and if you have had a couple of 'Ales' you need to be careful of the short journey down those steps. But its a great bathroom, one of the most luxurious I have come across. It retains period charm with a ostentatious full size copper bathtub, but mixes a bright modern shower and WC without any compromise. Hot water is there within seconds and room is huge. Me and my wife had the most wonderful two days, and Wells was another great discovery. Loads of pubs and restaurants. a food market on Saturday, the cathedral, castle moat and great explorations through the town. Sadly, we did not get chance to sample the restaurant that was attached to the property, we simply ran out oftime - but the menu looked very good. Things to know: A) Parking is not nearby, at least five to ten mins walk albeit flat. We opted for fifteen mins and parked for free to the north on the roads outside the town, but there are long stays at the Waitrose for a fee. B) Room nine (ours) is not suitable for anyone who struggles with access (as above), but most other rooms looked perfectly fine in this regard. C) Two o'clock check in, and eleven o'clock check out are generous nowadays - and a credit to the management. D) Staff were extremely helpful (even when we locked our key in the room by mistake). keys give access 24/7 E) Great nights sleep, not a sound except the occasional dull chime of a cathedral bell.

My wife and I stayed at the Ancient Gatehouse last week first staying in room 7 then room 9 both rooms were so comfortable and gave a real sense of history like stepping back in time 500 years but with all the mod cons. The breakfast choice offered a full english breakfast cooked with quality ingredients which was absolutely delicious and the restaurant RUGANTINO was outstanding serving primarily Italian cuisine but there were other choices available The Chefs are excellent. And lastly, what a cracking team, the staff Andy, Nicky and Antonio, and the others were absolute professionals making you their number one priority and all were so friendly.

We stayed the one evening on our way home from Cornwall. Staff were very friendly and breakfast good, we sat out facing the cathedral. I'm afraid our room was very much in need of refurbish. Faded wallpaper and when you were in the bathroom you could hear the traffic outside as if there were no window in it. We went downstairs to ask if we could have another room or upgrade, but was informed ours was the last room ( I'd booked it weeks in advance, so I'm guess we drew the short straw - I'm afraid)

Booked into the Ancient Gatehouse in Sept 2023 for one night. Communication before arriving was very good. The hotel itself if very old and a most beautiful building. I have seen some reviews commenting about the smell and the stairs etc, which is rather ridiculous. The building is about 500 years old! This only adds to the charm. Views from the back of the hotel are stunning as it looks directly towards Wells cathedral. I forget her name, but the manageress was most helpful and very friendly. Unfortunately the restaurant was closed when we stayed so we are looking forward to eating there when we return in a few months time. If you don't like old buildings and creaky stairs then stay in a Premier Inn. We loved it, hence our return for 2 nights soon which we are very much looking forward to in a bigger room.

Lovely hotel in good location, would have preferred room at back of hotel, very noisy at front with Dustbin men at 6am and not much privacy with big window, no nets and tea making facilities in bay of window. Lush Breakfast. Not for hard of walking or disabled with steep narrow stairs

Had to stay in Wells one night for business. The location is central and great for sightseeing. The staff was very friendly and the restaurant was great. But. The rooms... Oh my... The rooms are not good at all. As others have mentioned, the stairs to the rooms are extreme. I was booked into a room that is - aparantly - part of the escape route. So, on the door there is a "break glass in case of fire"-thing that will allow anyone access to the room. Also, the lock could probably be opened with a rusty spoon as it was about as ancient as the rest of the hotel. So, 0 stars on "security". Ceilings are VERY low, so watch your head at all times. Bed was OLD, and lumpy. Now, two days later my back is still sore. A lot of noise from the street. Heating is turned up to max - probably to compensate for the windows that are not windproof at all... The final kicker was the lack of breakfast. At dinner we asked when breakfast was served, at which point we were told that they had opted to not serve breakfast. No staff after the restaurant closed. No staff in the morning. So, not really a hotel - more like a bed & breakfast without breakfast...

This ancient building definitely has its challenges, and I can see that it would be difficult if you have any mobility issues. Some of the decor is a little tired, but inserting mod cons and moving furniture in such an old building is very hard. We very much appreciated the wonderful view of the cathedral from our room. The mattress was a little soft for our taste. Breakfast was good (dinner in the restaurant was excellent).

Quirky hotel. Great location for the cathedral and city centre. Staff very attentive and a lovely restaurant for an evening meal. Only downside is the rooms overlooking the street are very noisy with traffic. Had we known we would have asked for a room at the back which has views toward the Cathedral.