All the staff with whom we came in contact were friendly, professional and helpful. The room was upgraded which was appreciated.

The Prosecco we asked to be left in our room on arrival was not. It was delivered promptly when we reminded the reception staff. We were charged although I have a message to say that we would not be charged for this request. The ceiling lights in the bedroom did not work. The main shower head needs descaling. There was an apparent issue with the seal on the shower.door which led to water spilling on to the floor - quite a lot. I was unable to turn off the extraction fan which ran all night. I even tried removing the access card from it's slot but it made no difference.

The rooms are spacious, luxurious, and very, very comfortable. The tariff was reasonable and affordable. (Worth every penny!) The check-in procedure was quick and easy. The staff were warm, friendly, and engaging. Pre check in instructions were clear and comprehensive. Reception was quick to respond to questions, and any issue was solved immediately. The hotel smelled nice upon entering. I really loved the L'Occitane toiletries and appreciated all of the thoughtful touches like fluffy white robes, coffee machine and coffee pods, and complimentary mini- bar items. Secure parking was another bonus, as was the location. We would love to come back.

Having to leave!

Firstly the staff are fantastic, nothing is too much trouble and they go above and beyond to help. The room we stayed in was clean, comfortable, light and airy. The coffee machine is a nice touch along with the toiletries in the bathroom which are superb. Situated just along from the high street the hotel is a great base for exploring the castle and grounds as well as the shops. Breakfast was lovely too with a great choice. Would highly recommend

My only gripe was the green light on the ceiling from the smoke detector was very bright whilst trying to sleep, this is of course a necessity so if you’re light sensitive take an eye mask

Excellent service and helpful staff. Check in was efficient and everyone helpful getting us a nice table in the bar to meet family. Breakfast was comprehensive with polite table service. Room had good amenities and was well stocked. By far the best hotel we've stayed in for a long time.

Nothing that would put me off staying again. Perhaps the carpet in one of our rooms was a little tired but purely cosmetic and I'm being really picky just to find something.

The location is excellent, close to the Castle and some very good restaurants. Once you find your way into it down some narrow back-streets, parking is ample and secure. I was up-graded to an exceptionally comfortable mini-suite. The staff were uniformly helpful and polite.

Breakfast was cooked to order, which was good, but I did not think it cooked particularly well. When I went off menu and ordered soft-boiled eggs, they were happy to comply with my request, but did not possess any egg-cups. I did not try dinner since I thought the menu somewhat pretentious and over-priced.

The list of things that were great at Greyfriars reads like a hotel inspector’s definitive check list; the charming and exceptionally helpful staff, the quality of the food and the extensive choice of cuisine and drinks, the spotless cleanliness of the room, the exceptional L’Occitane toiletries, the super-secure private parking, the uncommonly quiet air-conditioning and sophisticated lighting in our room, and so on. Greyfriars location very near to the Castle, the park, the visitor information centre, Hollytrees museum and Firstsite gallery is by far the most attractive and convenient in Colchester. Greyfriars exceptional website is a treasure trove of helpful information, including ultra-detailed travel directions and all its various menus. We’ve stayed in everything from £99 B&B to £600 a night hotels, and Greyfriars punches well above its modest room-rates in every single department.

Maybe we got super-lucky, but there really was not a single thing that we felt could have been significantly improved, and considering the exceptionally reasonable price we paid, that felt like a minor miracle.

Everything. We’ve stayed before and it is still as good as our first visit. From our initial welcome to our parting goodbye everything was exceptional. After a long and arduous day we just needed to unwind and ‘lollop.’ We did not want to go out and decided on eating in our room. Service was impeccable and the food was exceptional; the best burger and thrice cooked chips ever. This is not my normal choice of food but I just fancied something ‘naughty’ and this fitted the bill; yes, I would order it again and again and again!

There is NOTHING to dislike.

We were given a complimentary upgrade, which was a nice surprise. The room was a good size, attractively decorated and comfortable. The bathroom was large and well-appointed. Everything worked. The bed was comfortable. We really enjoyed our breakfast of eggs benedict. Staff were helpful and efficient.

The location of the car park wasn't immediately obvious, and we had to do a circuit of part of the town centre, which was very busy at the time we arrived, in order to have a second attempt at finding it. The air-conditioning had been turned on in our room and the temperature set rather low. We struggled to work out how to raise the temperature so ended up by turning it off.

Received free upgrade to a suite so had LOTS of space, which instantly felt luxurious. Very comfortable bed, armchairs not so good for the short-legged but very stylish. Complimentary bar and inclusion of generous breakfast menu made for very good VFM. Very central location, walking distance from everything, including Colchester Town station.

Wifi and 4G reception a bit patchy. Reception staff were a bit cold and lacking in initiative eg no attempt to apologise, offer other relevant information or engage in conversation while waiting for the card-reader to become available (and surely it should be possible to check in 2 guests at the same time??). Restaurant staff more friendly and efficient, but didn't seem well-trained in dealing with feedback (when I noted that the spinach in my eggs florentine was gritty, suggesting it had not been washed properly, I would have expected an "I'm so sorry, I'll make sure the chef is made aware", rather than just a nervous laugh and an "Oh dear, have a nice day".

I'm always a little reluctant to give a 10/10 rating for anything but given the quality of our experience at GreyFriars and the low cost (£130/night for two, breakfast included) I think it is warranted. For the quality of the accommodation, the professionalism of the staff and the quality of the breakfast, I would have expected to have paid at least £250/night. We enjoyed it so much that we stayed an extra night. The hotel is very conveniently located close to all the attractions of Colchester. We will be recommending Greyfriars to friends and we plan to stay in their sister Hotel in Leeds this holiday.