10 of us went on a friday till monday short break with national holidays wot a great weekend we had the staff are brill nothings too much and the food was great rooms are big we had a sea view the hotel is warm and cosy shop are just a 5min walk buses and trains across the road theres a good atmosphere soon as you walk in. the rooms are abit dated but are very clean and are cleaned every day we were there.10 out 10 the staff try really hard to acommadate your needs thanks to every member of staff there good luck for the future see you soon

My wife and myself travelled with National Holidays, and stayed at the Royal Esplanade between Fri 20th Jan - Mon 23rd Jan 2012.

We regularly travel to and stay in hotels on the Isle of Wight to visit members of our family who live in West Cowes.

Bearing in mind this is a 3 star hotel we found it far exceeded our expectations.

There was evidence on the way to our room of improvements being carried out including redecoration and replacement of worn carpets etc.

We had a twin bedded room, without a sea view (No 8) . The room was a good size and very clean. The twin beds were comfortable and the provision of extra heaters ensured that we never felt cold. There was plenty of storage for our clothes, two easy chairs, a small television set and ample supplies tea and coffee that was topped up daily.

The bathroom was large and clean, and whilst there were some minor signs of mould on the ceiling, this was purely cosmetic, probably due to poor ventillation. We did not have a shower, but over the bath was a very useful flexible shower attachment that made hair washing very easy.

Our room was serviced daily to a good standard and there were always plenty of clean towels.

The choice and quality of food was excellent at both dinner and breakfast.

Every employee that we had dealings with was an excellent ambassador for the hotel, and nothing was too much trouble for them.

The manager met our coach and handed our individual room details out so ensuring a smooth and orderly checking in. The restaurant staff were super efficient and we never had to wait more than a few minutes for service, likewise the service in the bar.

But above all as I have mentioned above every member of staff was pleasant and they all made us feel most welcome.

The hotel is in an excellent position on the promenade. On the opposite side of the road is the bus station where regular services go to every part of the island (it only took us 30 minutes to get to Cowes).

There is also a regular hovercraft service to Portsmouth/Gunwharf Quays which takes about 15 minutes and a train service to Shanklin which takes about 20 minutes.

Ryde itself has plenty to offer in way of shops, restaurants and entertainment.

To summarise I would say that to us this was a 3 star hotel which gave us a 5 star service.

We will definately be returning in the near future.

We went on the 5 day National Holiday`s tour.The hotel is clean and functional though a little dated.The food was excellent,the staff were excellent also nothing was to much trouble for them.There was a five hour free bar each evening and entertainment which was not the beast but was passable Bingo,followed by quiz and cabaret each night.There didn`t appear to be enough tables and chairs to accommodate everyone in the entertainment room (there were three National holiday coaches at the time of our stay)and the bar was a fair walk away at the other side of the hotel passing through the dinning room to reach it.There was more seating in the bar area but no entertainment.The price of a pint on the island and food was expensive on the excursions £5.50 for a bitter and half a lemonade in Newport.On the free day there is a Weatherspoons in Ryde left out of the hotel,left opposite pier up the hill on the right drinks start at £1.80 a pint,far cheaper than anywhere else.All in all this break was excellent value for money.

just got back from 5 day national holiday at isle of wight .liked everything about the hotel .people mention its age but that means you get spacious rooms with high ceilings and a good atmosphere .you can keep modern sqare boxes .pleased with all the meals nice window table overlooking the sea.efficient pleasant waiter, bar staff very nice and fast.reception staff really helpful and pleasant .2 nice lounge bars 1 with entertainment and bingo.had a really enjoyable holiday and our charming driver gentleman paul completed the package with his educational talks about the area. the hotel is well placed with buses trains hvercraft opposite and shops pubs and restaurants round the corner.