I spent two nights here on the Times Ramada deal and to be fair, I would rate it 6/10.
The service was good and the staff very friendly...however, some things were just not right !
When we first arrived, we found that we were upgraded to the suite- very nice start.

Got into the room, one tv not working at all and one lamp without a bulb. I foolishly touched it and got an electric shock- very silly of me.

We went down for dinner which was included in our deal. NOT GOOD !
Everything is microwaved- we were alone and could hear the microwave going on and off- the food here is NOT freshly made. I had soup and canelloni for main and he had potato skin with veggie burger. I felt a bit queasy afterwards as the food really did look and taste like a basics range 99p from Lidl job. I was given two blobs of pasta and the rest of my plate was oven chips ! The waiter was really lovely though so we gave him a good tip despite the food.

Breakfast was okay but I wouldn't jump to eat there again- my boyfriend (who can eat anything) got food poisoning on the day we left from the breakfast. He also had to take one day off work- not ideal !
Our room was nice and spacious but I just would not eat at this hotel- shame that their kitchen is letting down the experience.
They did not get a chance to clean our room after the first night but they did leave us fresh towels outside the room.

If you stay - DON'T eat here !!!
plus side- nice balcony looking onto a lake and friendly staff.

We arrived at the hotel (staying for 2 nights), the staff were very nice & helpful. Was given the key to our room
at the top of the corridor there was a designated smokers room and the smell went was all down the hallway which wasnt nice. Our room was ok... very dated and does need a refurb.
There wasnt much lighting it was very dull. It needed more of a clean!
The mattress was too soft and left us with back aches as it all sunk into the middle, we went down the to restaurant and waited 45mins for our dinner even though the restaurant was practically empty, the food was very expensive so was the breakfast (£11.95 for english breakfast and must say it is VERY small!) The bar needs more seating area it seemed like everyone was sitting on top of eachother.
Big problem for me was the smell of smoke all down the corridor and the uncomfortable mattress. Couldnt fault the staff at all as most of them were very polite.
Wouldnt recommened this hotel and we wouldnt go back!

After reading through some of the reviews, we were very unsure about our stay here, but for anybody thinking of booking into this hotel, please do not take any notice of the bad reviews, We stayed in room 126 for two nights, and our stay couldnt have been any better. The staff were polite and attentive, the room was fantastic, and we couldnt have asked for a better stay. We will definately be back. Oh and the food was absolutely first class. We would especially like to thank the Duty Manager during our stay, who made us feel like valued guests.

My wife and I stayed one night at the Ramada at West Colchester following a friend’s birthday party, held in the hotel. We booked through Laterooms.com and got a reasonable price, but did note that breakfast was charged at an extra rate.

The hotel is in a good location for access into Colchester, Dedham Vale (constable Country) and onto the A12, but being so close to the A12, traffic noise may be a problem.

There is adequate parking, but we didn’t notice if there were any security cameras installed to cover the car park.

The greeting at reception was very warm and it has to be said that the staff were extremely courteous and professional at all times.

The room we were given was on the ground floor and the window faced the A12 and there was a small gap between the window and the frame that allowed the traffic noise to be clearly heard. Ear plugs??

The room was tired and quite dated. Not quite 1970s style, but certainly in need of modernisation. There was a flat screen TV on the wall, but we could only get BBC1, ITV and Channel 4. OK, if you are likely to venture out, but if you’re stuck in your room..? The kettle didn’t work, either, so no chance of the complimentary cuppa!

The bathroom was very small and really drab! The shower was in the bath and operated from the mixer tap, with the plunger style swap from taps to shower. The water supply was quite noisy and there was a loud humming sound every time the WC was flushed. Probably annoying for the neighbours, although theirs was noisy too!

The walls are quite thin and the corridors echo people talking, so late night conversations can be annoying! Ear plugs??

The bed was old, soft and a little lumpy. There were plenty of pillows, but no blackout curtain, so not the best night's sleep. The room was warm enough, but WHY do hotel chains assume that we all know how their heating systems work? There is a heater, but you can't turn it on or off. Aha! There is a separate wall-mounted thermostat that controls it! Imagine that!

The breakfast was excellent. Freshly cooked and piping hot full English, all available using the buffet system. Plenty of choice, too, with cereals, fruits, juices, pastries and toast available. The only complaint is that the table wasn’t cleared between courses, so a bit of a balancing act needed for plates and bowls!

The hotel is probably only good for a night's stay; not sure about staying there much longer than that.

Remember, the staff were excellent!