After deciding to settle on this area for the start of a two-day romantic trip up the East Anglia coast and being disappointed by some of the crazy prices of some b&b's, as well as the inevitable Bank Holiday rush that meant most rooms everywhere last-minute were scooped up, my girlfriend and I decided to check in to The Tower.

The staff were friendly from the off and the actual hotel really charming, with our big room priced very reasonably for the night. Old Harwich is a short walk, so it's a nice location for a bit of exploring, and everywhere else (Frinton and the naze etc.) is only a short trip away.

Everything was clean, the Beatles-themed bar downstairs being an off-kilter (helter skelter?) highlight and the breakfast was hearty. Plus, big bonus points for being lovely and peaceful - a thankful respite from noisy ol' London!

We stayed in the Nelaon room for a night. The room was warm and clean, although my slight niggle was you could hear quite a lot of noise from the bar below.
There was loads of free parking and we took a walk along the sea front which was nice.
Had a drink on the patio from the bar, which was reasonably priced. All in all, it was a good option for staying in Harwich.

When faced with a early morning ferry from Harwich to either Holland or Scandinvia, with either Stena Line or DFDS, you either have the option of driving from anywhere else in the UK through the night, or starting up far too early in the morning. Or how about the better option?
Get a good nights sleep at Harwich in a really nice, no nonsense "luxury budget " hotel.
The Tower Hotel is good value, spacious, and actually quite charming. Comfortable beds, safe parking, and of course the bonus that there is a good bar and garden to have a beer and a snack the night before, and you can take it easy before you know you have to get on the ferry and begin the journey onwards in Holland or Denmark, across the North Sea.
The Tower isn´t in the "best" part of Harwich, but then again... if you just need a good stopover, and a great room for a night, so what!
Out of curiousity I checked out the more expensive hotel on the pier, which in some ways is more picturesque. But, the prices there are far more steep than The Tower, and it´s a far more stressful place - with a busy bar and restaurant not quite coping with the rush of Dutch tourists and locals!
The garden at the Tower Hotel is really nicely maintained, and a great place for kids to run off some energy. Any Beatles fans will also find it quite amusing, as the bar has masses of memorobilia up on the walls. Strange, but true!
Only quibble was as we had to get up quite early for the ferry we could only have a "continental breakfast"... (Note this is an *extra*).
It would have been nice touch if the hotel could also provide a "full english" for the earlybirds too - especially as many of the hotel guests are also catching the early ferries! It was also noticeably understaffed this early. The same chap who served the breakfast and coffee was also swapping hats and struggling a little with the invoices and settling up of the bill!
Anyway. The Tower Hotel works, and it´s a charming place. I´ll gladly stay again next time I have to catch an early ferry! Let´s hope they keep the prices competitive and good standards.

A very individuell hotel with spacy rooms, impressing staircase, clean and comfortable;
nice, friendly, helpful but inexperienced staff; perfectly located to ferry / cruise-terminals.
Restaurant nice, food British, above average. Considering usual hotel-prices in UK, Tower Hotel has a really excellent price / value relation.