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4.0
#6 of 14 hotels in Royal Tunbridge Wells
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Royal Wells Hotel, Tunbridge Wells is a stunning Hotel & Wedding Venue with a stunning restaurant & bar. Part of the multi-award winning Coaching Inn Group estate Signature Collection, you can expect a stay like no other. With 23 individual & uniquely designed bedrooms with plump pillows, premium linens, luxury toiletries, and all the modern amenities including our deluxe rooms; The Royal Wells is the perfect place to unwind in Tunbridge Wells Our restaurant is the ideal place to dine as a couple, or family and friends for a full table service restaurant experience. Featuring options to satisfy all tastes and dietary requirements, our chef's design their menu in house with fresh, local produce, prepared and cooked to the highest standard. Our bar provides a welcoming sanctuary to stop and enjoy a drink. With a full-stocked bar featuring a premium wine list, handmade cocktails, as well as a premium spirit & draught offering. Non-alcoholic also available.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Modern
Languages Spoken
English
Location
59 Mount Ephraim, Royal Tunbridge Wells TN4 8BE England
Royal Wells Hotel
562 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled in the heart of Tunbridge Wells, the Royal Wells Hotel garners praise for its prime location, with guests appreciating the proximity to local sights. Many visitors commend the clean and well-furnished rooms, though there are sporadic mentions of creaky floorboards and temperature control problems.
While the staff's friendliness often receives accolades, some guests have experienced slow service, especially during breakfast. Despite the hotel's comfortable ambiance and cleanliness, a number of reviewers find the hotel pricey, particularly highlighting the cost of beverages.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Comfortable
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Well-appointed
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My husband booked this hotel for a valentines treat for us. On arrival I couldn’t find a spare parking spot, my husband popped in and a member of staff (later found out his name was Steve) kindly came out in the cold and wet to make sure I got parked. We had a lovely warm welcome on arrival in reception. Checking in was nice and easy, the lady at the desk was helpful, friendly and polite. We booked for the restaurant for dinner then made our way to our room. We were in room 20 which is at the top of the hotel, a lift is available and the stairs not too taxing. Our room was big enough, beautifully decorated, clean and warm. Bed was comfortable and plenty of pillows. There is coffee, tea, hot chocolate, water, sugar & shortbread provided. The bathroom is a good size, fluffy towels, shower cap, body wash, shampoo & body lotion also provided. We were told to be prompt for our 7pm dinner booking although I’m not sure why as it wasn’t overly busy. We were able to choose where we wanted to sit and we chose a table overlooking the courtyard. The staff are brilliant at this hotel, the bar man was helpful with wine recommendations, Steve was in the restaurant now and a really friendly guy. We ordered 3 courses each and the food was excellent. We had for starters: king prawns with soda bread and mushrooms and avocado on soda bread with hummus. Mains we both chose seafood linguine and dessert was the most delicious cheesecake I’ve had in a long time! We went for a drink in the bar and got chatting to the barman who was happy to tell us about the local area and what was near the hotel. The bar area was lovely and warm with the fire on too and a nice relaxed atmosphere, there was also a Greek barmaid who was fun to chat with. Great nights sleep in the room, I usually wake a lot in unfamiliar surroundings but slept like a log! Breakfast again was great, help yourself to coffee, teas, juices, fruit, cereal, toast. Order cooked food. My husband had a full English which he throughly enjoyed and I had poached egg, avocado and smoked salmon on toast which was delicious. The cleaning staff were well under way on our floor when we returned to our room and again very polite and friendly and respectful. Would highly recommend this hotel. Fantastic service, food and ambiance.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here for 2 nights so we could explore the surrounding area. We got a family room at the same price as the normal room so we took it. We got lovely tea/coffee amenities and toiletries. The room was a large size, very comfortable bed and sofa. It was very well decorated and I was particularly happy with the 2 sinks in the bathroom. We were also provided with robes - hit and miss with me and my partner, I liked them, he didn't find them comfortable. Breakfast was great, there was a good choice of different options on the food and they were happy to accommodate for changes or as many things as you wanted. It wasn't noisy where we stayed so we got good sleeps. The bed I really liked, I managed an 8 hour sleep one day which was fantastic!
In terms of Covid, the hotel were very conscious. There was anti-bacterial available at multiple key areas in the hotel and requested masks on check in and check out. They had clearly marked floors for the dining/ bar area and we had to book in breakfast to ensure that we were able to sit socially distant from others (they call you in advance but worth trying to request a week earlier so you can get the time you want). Housekeeping was not available as to minimise contact but if you needed anything they were available e.g. new towels/ mugs etc.
Location wise it was great. You could walk to the Pantilles in 5/10 minutes and the high street in 10/15 minutes. It's very lovely town so being able to pop out for dinner and drinks can work very easily from this hotel without the need to drive or take a cab/ public transport.
The few areas for us that we weren't particularly happy with was that the power in the shower wasn't great and the head is directly above you on the ceiling so if you're trying to avoid getting your hair wet, it isn't great! Additionally, there was no fridge which was surprising in such a nice hotel but we did get an ice bucket on request both nights. We also couldn't figure out how to open the windows, but they did provide a fan in the room. Parking is quite limited in the hotel but there is unrestricted free space in some of the surrounding roads (surprising as it's so close to the main high street).
All in all, this is a great hotel to stay in and worth the money. It is a little pricey if you're just needing a place to stay but the hotel and location make it worth it. I would definitely recommend to others!
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Date of stay: August 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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I'm struggling a bit in reviewing this hotel as we kind of liked it but were, ultimately, disappointed. I think some of this is down to Covid procedures as it appears that all of the soft furnishings and decorations have been removed which makes the interior a bit uninspiring. However there is also a strong case for some inward investment to tidy up certain areas. The location is excellent, an elevated position overlooking the Common and just a short walk from the town centre. First impression is that the hotel is a lovely looking old building but, equally, it is clear that the exterior requires a fair bit of maintenance. Internally, the ground floor reception and bar/restaurant areas are quite bland and sparingly furnished/decorated providing something of an underwhelming welcome for what is clearly an historic building. The staircase to the rooms is probably the least appealing area being narrow, worn and a bit creaky and rickety. We had a feature room which was really quite nice and very spacious but, again, suffered from the removal of the soft furnishings etc. which provided for a fairly basic and functional ambience. The room was well furnished with a large and comfortable bed but the coffee table in the seating area needs to go in a skip. The bathroom was very well appointed, stylish and spacious and was spotlessly clean. The room was well-equipped with kettle, coffee machine, iron, hairdryer and two TVs but the biggest downside to the accommodation (and indeed throughout the hotel) was the fact that the floors creak everywhere that you go. We ate in the in-house brasserie and the food was delicious and reasonably priced but, again, the ambience was poor with stark lighting and a lack of decorative trimmings. We managed to get one of a couple of tables in the corner of the rear bar area which worked much better in terms of atmosphere. Breakfast was excellent and there is a choice of cooked options plus juices, cereals, toast and tea/coffee. We both went for the full English and it was very good. All of the staff we encountered during our stay were very friendly and helpful and there is a reasonable amount of free parking in front of the hotel. Wifi is via The Cloud and we found it to be problematic experiencing difficulty either getting logged on or staying logged on.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
From first contact with staff at reception, to cleaning staff, restaurant staff and management, everybody was very friendly, helpful and welcoming. Our room ( we had been given an upgrade to a suite) was great, with a lovely comfortable and large bed. The room was very clean and well decorated. The large en-suite was a lovely surprise, very clean with a large bath and separate shower. It was great to see a good supply of tea/ coffee/ hot chocolate/ biscuits and milk which is usually very limited in most hotels.
The restaurant where we had breakfast was a very nice airy room, very clean and well laid out. We thoroughly enjoyed the ‘British Hash’ and there a good range of other breakfast goodies from the buffet.
This stay was very good value for money and would still have been even without the upgrade and we can thoroughly recommend
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed just one night, the receptionist was so friendly and welcoming. Stayed in a lovely room with a roll top bath. Dinner was absolutely delicious and reasonably priced, service was just about right, staff were attentive and polite. Breakfast was cooked fresh and again was delicious. We will definitely return!
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Five of us stayed at this hotel for 2 nights. From the warmth and helpfulness of the staff to the rooms and food, we couldn't fault a thing! The rooms were large and beautifully decorated, had large en suites and enormous fluffy towels. The included toiletries were lovely too.The tea and coffee making facilities were ample and included hot chocolate - ideal after being out in the cold all day!! Each wardrobe contained an iron with full sized ironing board and a hair drier.
Breakfast, well, what can I say? enormous and wonderfully cooked and presented. The sour-bread toast topped with 2 poached eggs with avocado and chipotle mayonnaise was delicious. Cereals and DIY toast with juices were also available with waitress-served coffee and teas. Dinner was amazing, particularly the sea bass. Check out was easy, cheerful and a space for our cases was provided until we left later in the day. Would we stay again? definitely.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent 4 nights at Royal Wells Hotel in early June. We had superior double room which looked exactly the same as website photo. The decoration is contemporary and the bathroom is very spacious with bathtub and separate shower. Due to Covid, we needed to pre-book breakfast time which was great as they could manage the number of people in the restaurant and all the tables are spaced out.
Prior to travelling, we emailed the hotel to enquire carpark and breakfast etc and had received prompt reply. The hotel also has free parking which is first come first served.
We had full English breakfast every morning which was cooked to order and it was delicious. Unfortunately, the restaurant does not open for drinks and dinner in the evening due to Covid. But we will try next time.
It was our first staycation since the pandemic and we missed the hotel room, services, food etc and Royal Wells Hotel didn't fail us. The location is great, easy to drive to different parts in Kent for sightseeing and only around 15 minute walk to Pantiles. We will definitely stay here again whenever we visit Kent.
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Date of stay: June 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So the hotel has seen better days, but it's still comfortable and clean. Room was spacious, bed comfortable, lots of room and it had been tastefully decorated in the recent past but was looking a little tired (eg painted patches on the ceiling that didn't match the rest of the paint, shower fittings coming away from the wall), as were the main areas in the hotel, especially the eating area, which clearly needed a refurb.. It was, throughout the hotel, very clean and clearly the staff had made an effort around COVID, including handing tea, coffee, toiletries to you on arrival in pre-prepared paper bags rather than leaving them in the rooms. Breakfast was also ok but nothing amazing.... standard B&B cooked fayre, nothing special. Staff were very friendly though.
Overall it was fine, nothing to complain about and there had clearly been a good effort to ensure guest safety. But it wasn't anything particularly 'special' that would stand out as a trip highlight our a recommendation above average
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The double room (Number 23 - nights of 6/7 Feb) was spacious, large en-suite with large bath & free standing large shower. Clean with very comfy double bed & everything we needed. good value & couldn't ask for more at the price. We dined both nights in the restaurant & the food was excellent & very professionally presented. Vic in the restaurant & bar has outstanding customer service skills & nothing seemed to be too much trouble, he is a credit and asset to the restaurant. He was assisted by Sky who was also very pleasant & welcoming. We were also impressed by Paula who was also very pleasant & chatty but her talent & knowledge in pairing food with the right wine is very underutilised. Deb & Gamma on reception were both very friendly, welcoming & chatty. We were impressed with all the staff in whom we came in contact with. All in all a smashing break in a smashing hotel with great staff & a good restaurant.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â All higher rooms front & back seem to have good views
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Room 10 was the nicest room we stayed in during our holiday this year. The bed was really large and comfortable, there was a nice lounge area with a comfortable settee and a really large bathroom. Just a few things would make it even better, a shelf is needed in the bathroom, there is room for a much larger shower, I can’t understand why one wasn’t put in when it was refurbished but it would benefit from a larger shower cubicle.
We were greeted by two very friendly chaps on reception and instantly made to feel very welcome. The outside looks tired and my stomach did drop when I saw the outside thinking it was going to be dreadful, but don’t judge a book by its cover, the inside is very modern, clean and welcoming, I assume the outside is on a different programme of works for winter maybe.
We dined here and one minor point that niggled, after the high finish in the bedrooms, really cheap paper napkins were used for dinner, this might be a temporary thing because of Covid but a quality restaurant should have proper linen napkins. Also, because there were no carpets/curtains/soft furnishings in the dining room, it did feel a little like a canteen, not a very relaxing ambiance. The same for the bar area that wasn't very comfortable - assuming things will be improved once Covid is over.
Free parking was a bonus and I could see there was outside space for relaxing in warmer weather, again, this looks like it would benefit from a good sorting out.
I would definitely recommend and would stay here again, despite the minor niggles.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Royal Tunbridge Wells area.
PRICE RANGE
C$187 - C$271 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandKentRoyal Tunbridge Wells
NUMBER OF ROOMS
23
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Are there any historical sites close to Royal Wells Hotel?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Penshurst Place & Gardens (6.8 km), Groombridge Place - Enchanted Forest & Gardens (5.2 km), and Dunorlan's Chalybeate Spring (1.9 km).
