The North Hill Hotel, Colchester

“Great location, friendly helpful staff, clean.”

The staff were friendly, the location fantastic, the hotel clean, and the two of the four beds were comfortable, although the other two beds were not.

Julie·2 weeks ago

“Disappointing and overpriced.”

The hotel sits in a central spot, within easy walking distance of the city centre, shops and restaurants, and the parking is conveniently close; the bed linen was fresh and clean. The twin room has its own separate entrance, giving it a slightly independent, cottage‑like feel, which families with young children should consider because the door opens onto a driveway and alleyway. The hotel entrance is through a bar, with printed directions to help guests find their way. The receptionist was welcoming and helpful. However, the rest of the experience fell well short of expectations. The room key was attached to a cheap plastic fob that kept falling apart. The overall décor was very dated and tired, with stained carpets and a worn, cracked faux‑leather chair. Access to the double room was through its own external door, which clearly needed better insulation, as daylight was visible around the edges. The outside area also needed considerable attention: various items awaiting disposal, including old piping, mats, a table and a tarpaulin, were stored around the property. The view from the rear window was of bright yellow bins, which did little to improve the setting. The bathroom was equally disappointing, with black mould and limescale build‑up in the shower, as well as yellow discolouration around the toilet seat hinges. The room itself had a smell of cheap air freshener, which was unpleasant. There is potential for this property to be a charming place to stay, but it needs significant investment, updating and better attention to cleanliness and maintenance. Sadly, at £165, the room was nowhere near the standard we expected and simply did not represent value for money. We received a message regarding parking arrangements, but due to a recent change of ownership, the promised discount was no longer available on arrival. We also had to download a different parking app, with other signs offering a questionable QR code for WhatsApp payment. Beware!

Emma·2 weeks ago

“Just excellent.”

The staff were extremely polite and helpful, and my room was comfortable, bright, and impeccably clean.

Edwards·2 weeks ago

“Relatively cheap but don’t expect a good night’s sleep”

The hotel sits in a convenient spot and the staff were friendly, but the room facing North Hill was shockingly poorly insulated from noise. They did give ear plugs, so they’re aware of the issue, yet I can’t understand why they used that room when the hotel was almost empty. The bathroom had mould and the ceiling was peeling, and the room itself was small and oddly shaped, offering little room for luggage.

Jana·2 weeks ago

The room was ok lamp shades falling apart and room very noisy as we were at the front but they did supply ear plugs which I thought was strange at first until 130am. I had to use them may be if we were in a back room things would of been better ,it’s not the hotel’s fault it’s mine for not checking it out. Being told about the noise

Kersey·2 weeks ago