The Swan Hotel, Southwold

Market Place, Southwold, IP18 6EG
3 star

Dating back to the 14th-century, the hotel displays the traditional character of an English country house, enhanced by fine furniture, carved door-frames and ma...

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£ Rooms from $223* per night
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8/10 Overall rating

Category Average Rating
9/10 Check-in process
9/10 Your room
8/10 Working order of facilities / equipment
9/10 Order and cleanliness of the hotel
8/10 Performance of staff
8/10 Overall experience
8/10 Overall value for money
  • 7/10 Malcolm (Mature couple) 

    from Leigh-on-sea , GB on  February 11, 2008

    "Good position. Expensive but good room. Great breakfast. Reception staff under pressure to sell higher value rooms to those who have booked standard rooms. Some standard rooms are located away from the main building and this was not clear to us when booking. The hotel's juxtaposition to the brewery may not suit some guests and was not clear on booking." (97307408)

    Our upgraded room was large,comfortable and stylish. The upgrade came at a price!

    Ambient light levels were high partly as a result of being on fire escape route (not uncommon in Suffolk).

    3 of 3 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 Barry (Mature couple) 

    from Bishop's stortford , GB on  July 31, 2008

    "Overall very good" (99073495)

    Good hotel in the middle of town. Staff very friendly and good at their job. Like the idea of the garden rooms.

    Our garden room was not the best. Lower room numbers are better. Drinks at the bar expensive.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 Lynn (Young couple) 

    from Colchester , GB on  January 24, 2008

    The privacy of the Garden Room was superb, it was cosy and clean.

    2 of 2 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 Michael (Mature couple) 

    from Welling kent , GB on  June 9, 2008

    "Very good but rather expensive." (97300873)

    Large bed, rather soft. Quiet setting in beautiful garden, might be noisier in summer when bar users sit outside. In centre of town. Excellent breakfasts. Polite and helpful staff.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 10/10 Denise (Young couple) 

    from Needham market , GB on  December 9, 2007

    "We chose this hotel as a special place to celebrate our wedding anniversary and were not disapointed. The staff were very helpful and our room was could not be faulted. WE definately felt relaxed and spoilt by the time we left...only wishing we could have stayed longer." (97040401)

    A beautiful room overlooking the market place made our stay. We loved the special touches, especially the luxurious bath robes!!!The breakfast was excellent.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 6/10 Glenn (Mature couple) 

    from Ipswich , GB on  July 31, 2007

    The room and bathroom (in a separate complex in the hotels gardens) were very clean and fairly modern in their decor/presentation. Surprising, since the public rooms in the hotel itself retained their 300 year old charm with many of its original features. Nice touch - comparatively modern accommodation with access to olde worlde charm in the main hotel. The staff, smartly dressed in the Adnams uniform, were very polite, pleasant and very efficient.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 Cliff (Mature couple) 

    from Abingdon , UNITED KINGDOM;GB on  June 7, 2007

    "Convenient car parking.Nice beer-Adnams! No smoking policy. Other comments as above." (99948723)

    spacious,airy and comfortable room with open views of the sea.window to bathroom. good food and service. nice dining room and lounge.central location.

    tea and coffee was bitter or tasteless.toast was burnt. sound proofing between rooms and to corridors was poor- room door locking noisey.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 Mark (Young couple) 

    from Ely , GB on  May 1, 2007

    "At the Active Hotels discounted rate, this was a value for money experience. At the hotel's headline rate, it would not have been. We attended a private function in a separate suite which may have had a separate kitchen. The hotel displayed copious illustrated press reviews of its cuisine. The actuality of what we ate seemed markedly different from what was being promoted in these articles. If the award-winning chef has moved on, perhaps his publicity should be taken down!" (99686824)

    Well appointed room, comfortable bed. Pleasant staff.

    Hotel was like a labyrinth. Tired decorative order on stairs, landings.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 Anonymous (Group of adult friends) 

    on  May 1, 2007

    "Went for my 50th birthday with 7 other couples. The attitude of the staff made it a great stay. Food also very good." (99978306)

    Friendly staff

    Room a bit shabby - though it didn't matter too much

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 John (Mature couple) 

    from Milton keynes , GB on  April 13, 2007

    "The web site did not do the hotel justice. I would like to have known more about the high standard of rooms and the high quality of the restaurant. It was an xcellent restaurant, withfriendly staff and overall our stay was a very nice experience." (99946870)

    spacious room and central locvation

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 9/10 Anonymous (Young couple) 

    on  January 25, 2007

    "we had a loverly break with every thing we needed it was a welcome break for me and my wife . if any think we could of used would be a map and info of area" (99468698)

    clean , bright , warm , every thing we needed and it made a nice change

    nothing to dislike

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 10/10 Elizabeth (Mature couple) 

    from Terling, chelmsford , United Kingdom;GB on  January 17, 2007

    Friendly staff, lovely room, great food, wonderful service - we will be back

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 6/10 Anonymous (Mature couple) 

    on  November 6, 2006

    "Would like to have known the type of room available." (99316665)

    Would have preferred to have had a room in the hotel rather than a garden room in a courtyard, which was rather like a holiday chalet.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 10/10 John (Young couple) 

    from Newbold heath , United Kingdom;GB on  October 30, 2006

    "Excellent stay and wonderful honeymoon" (99026169)

    cleanliness, staff hospitality, efficiency and friednliness, food was wonderful. Central location and comfortable accommodation

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 Rosemary (Solo leisure traveller) 

    from Bury st edmunds , United Kingdom;GB on  August 29, 2006

    "This was the first time that I have ever stayed in a hotel on my own and I wondered what it would be like. The garden room suited me because I could sit out and read -rather than being contained just in a room.I would definitely like to book one of these again.The hotel lounge was very convivial and the atmosphere was conducive to reading in there too. The staff could not have been more helpful -especially the restaurant staff who made me feel totally at ease as a single diner. It was a really positive experience and I would recommend the hotel to single folk without hesitation." (99753502)

    It was great to be in a 'garden room' because I could sit outside and read/drink on my own little patio or sit in the beautiful hotel garden. The bed was extremely comfortable.

    The decor in the bathroom was slightly dated, although the power shower was brilliant. The bath panel needed replacing, but when I mentioned this on checking out, the staff made a note of this and said they would look into it -which was fair enough.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 Roger (Mature couple) 

    from Stockport , United Kingdom;GB on  October 29, 2006

    "Make your restuarant bookings are far in as advance as possible! A very popular choice." (99121110)

    well presented, clean, well situated for local attractions. Very good restuarant and bar food. Most staff friendly and helpful.

    One of the bar staff, whilst knowing his job, did not have any customer empathy.

  • 10/10 Jeff (Mature couple) 

    from Eastbourne , United Kingdom;GB on  October 29, 2006

    "This 3-star hotel is better than many of a higher grade in which I have stayed. I simply cannot find any negatives to relate. Nothing detracted from a very pleasant and comfortable stay." (99534788)

  • 10/10 Anonymous (Same sex couple) 

    on  September 1, 2006

    "We usually book via the telephone, I am a new recruit to the computer as I am O.A.P so on line booking was a no go area. For the first time I tried my training skills out and to my astonishment I found that it was a lot cheaper booking this way. So in answer to your question I knew exactly what the Hotel waas like, I would recommend the Hotel and we will certasinly use you on-line booking service again." (99195219)

    Its appeal overall is very English very polite and quiet, just the place to chill out!

    There are no dislikes for us.

  • 8/10 Anonymous (Solo business traveller) 

    on  June 23, 2008

    "Satisfactory" (108031564)

    Do not believe in your attitude towards conventional food. If we all go organic and non-GM, the world will starve.

    0 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 10/10 J alan (Mature couple) 

    from Ely , GB on  November 19, 2007

    "THIS HOTEL WAS A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF WHAT HOTELS SHOULD BE - JUST AS WE CAME TO EXPECT ENGLISH COUNTRY HOTELS 40 YEARS AGO.KIND HELPFUL ENGLISH STAFF - NO SPOTTY RUDE FOREIGN GIRLS OR BOYS.EXCELLENT FOOD PROPERLY SERVED ON HOT PLATES CLEAN NAPERY AND POLISHED SILVER. CONGRATULATIONS" (97256989)

    Clean comfortable and warm

    1 of 3 people found this review helpful:

The views expressed on this page are the personal opinions of guests and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of Active Hotels, Active Reservations or our distribution partners (About our hotel reviews).

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