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The Swan Hotel – reviews, photos

Market Place, Southwold IP18 6EG, England
Hotel amenities
The Swan Hotel
Ranked #4 of 5 hotels in Southwold
4.0 of 5 stars 151 Reviews
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151 reviews from our community

What travellers say about this hotel
  • Lighthouse room(8)
  • Car park(6)
  • Nights B B(4)
  • Market Square(4)
  • Good size(3)
Traveller rating
    47
    47
    33
    17
    7
Only show reviews for Family (19) | Couples (97) | Business (3)
Date Rating
London, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
29 helpful votes 29 helpful votes
“A bit of an oddity really”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We have now stayed at the Swan 3 times. Once in an outside courtyard room (or bungalow) and twice in a suite. The first oddity is that the Swan (nor yet its sister hotel The Crown) seems to have what you might expect as a proper reception area or service. Any advance calls seem to go to an Adnams Call centre and when you arrive the role of the perfectly pleasant duty "receptionist" seems to be restricted to handing out keys, newspapers and bills. They can't even make a booking for the "official" visiting massage therapist for you. The second oddity is that the outside room we stayed in was fantastically adapted for a disabled person. Fantastic but if you are not disabled it might not be for you. No-one told us about its special features but when we asked to changed we were bluntly told that the hotel was full - so there ! The next oddity is the lack of parking with spaces often blocked out for people attending a meeting or conference on a "day" basis and not staying overnight. The final oddity was the quality of the suites- in need of huge amounts of TLC at that price. Restaurant service was attentive but the food ranged from disappointing to good but not exceptional. Adnams beers, spirits and shops are fantastic and have successfully blended the historic and contemporary - in my opinion The swan needs to do the same.

  • Stayed November 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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AdnamsSouthwold, General Manager at The Swan Hotel, responded to this review
10 April 2012
Thank you for providing us with your feedback following your stay at the Swan. I am sorry that we let you and ourselves down. Please be assured that your feedback has been passed onto the team at the Swan to ensure that this does not happen again.
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Norwich, United Kingdom
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“No Complaints from us!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 February 2012

My partner and I stayed recently at The Swan and had a 'lighthouse room' which was lovely, clean modern and very comfortable. We had a fantastic meal in the restaurant, the service was fabulous.. all in all a lovely experience.. we will be back. Many thanks to all the lovely staff for making it special.

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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AdnamsSouthwold, General Manager at The Swan Hotel, responded to this review
10 April 2012
Thank you for your lovely review. We are delighted that you had such an enjoyable stay and look forward to seeing you again.
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Hertfordshire
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Mixed feelings”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 December 2011
2
people found this review helpful

The Swan Hotel, Southwold, has an excellent reputation and the quality of its restaurant certianly met our expectations. The service, range and quality of food and wine could not be faulted. However, the same could not be said for the accommodation. There are no leisure facilities (gym, pool etc) and our small double room overlooked a dingey fire escape. The soft furnishings were rather faded and the once-lovely silk curtains were badly torn in places. On the positive side, the room was very clean and the bed was comfortable. The L'Occitane toiletries were a nice touch, but on balance, it did not feel like 4 star accommodation.

Room Tip: Avoid room 3 if you value a view.
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  • Stayed November 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Reasonable hotel with a high price tag”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 December 2011
5
people found this review helpful

My wife and I stayed 2 nights in Southwold 1 in each of Adnam's sister hotels The Swan and The Crown. This review applies to both hotels. Both were priced at £160 B&B for a "standard room" for 2. Neither offers good value for money at this level providing accommodation that is small, modestly equipped and at (The Swan) or below (The Crown) average charging a huge premium for location and for being owned by the town's dominant commercial enterprise. Service levels matched the accommodation, as did breakfast. The Town has some excellent B&B and Guest House Accommodation that offers vastly improved value for money. We will not return to either hotel.

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom
Top Contributor
52 reviews 52 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
“Great!!!!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 November 2011
2
people found this review helpful

Our experience has been very psotive on all occasions that we have stayed.

The staff are friendly, attentive, smart and professional. The service was very good, the food was wonderful - especially the desserts!

We love it and will be back again soon!!!

  • Stayed October 2011, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about The Swan Hotel

  • Swan Southwold
  • Swan Hotel Southwold
  • Hotel Southwold Swan
Address: Market Place, Southwold IP18 6EG, England
Price range (per night):* INR8,891 - 14,371

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