The Aviator, formerly Smugglers Cove, Clacton On Sea by Marston's Inns

The room was comfortable but the cleanliness was very poor. We were kept awake by people running back and forth outside the room. Next morning there were drug/gas bottles in the car park.

Lovely staff, the bed was really comfortable and the breakfast was freshly cooked - so much better than the usual heat tray types.

Simply cannot complain at this pricepoint for 2 adults and 2 children (double and 2 single beds). Large, well lit carpark immediately outside and check in is in the pub/restaurant. Room was quiet, bathroom was fine, beds were ok. Cant complain and would stay again. (Note:Aviator pub/restaurant has bad reviews which put us off and so we ate elsewhere but... it was absolutely heaving all evening so the locals cant be wrong. Would try eating there next time)

Clean Room, Helpful Receptionist, Aircon worked, Shops nearby

A regular stay for us Lovely as always Room could do the some TLC

Easy to find, separate from pub so nice and quiet, very safe

We had a lovely stay, rooms airy and large, fabulous shower, tea/coffee making facilities. Parked the car outside our window. Breakfast was a bit disappointing, my husband ordered a full English, but when it arrived half the breakfast advertised was missing, living in France this is something he misses. We enquired the next day but it was still the same. Delivery the day we left 😔 . Buffet was good. The staff were great and very friendly Definitely book with them again.

Nice quiet area in retail park, supermarkets and food places near by, only 7 minute drive to sea front

The staff are extremely helpful and friendly. The cooked vegetarian breakfast isnt amazing so stick to the continental breakfast. The other food in the pub is good. The rooms are clean, beds are good, quiet rooms. I would stay here again. It is only really a 2 days stay place.

Breakfast was great, staff were lovely, but housekeeping wasnt up to standard, Pubic hairs left in bath, grime under toilet seat around rim, beds were very comfortable but rooms were very basic, no drawers, to put clothes in,

Good just very busy when checking in needed more staff

We checked in on the 6th at about 6.30pm and the place was very busy. The reception was welcoming had our booking and we checked in quite quickly given how busy they were. When we got to the accessible room we’d booked it was clear and tidy. Unfortunately there were no towels and only half a roll of toilet paper. Went back to reception and it was even busier and no one on the reception desk but one of the staff who was passing by acknowledged I was waiting and said she’d be back. She asked how could she help and I told her about the towels and she immediately went to get them for me unfortunately she didn’t hear me call out I’d forgotten to mention toilet paper. When she got back I told her and apologised and she could not have been nicer and rush to get me one and said though I misheard she take it directly to the room. I left my partner to wait and when I got to the room she was already there with the toilet paper. I was very impressed she did it all with a smile and was extremely welcoming even though she was rushed off her feet. My partner did have a problem when showering as he could not get the seat down to shower. The toilet seat was a bit wobbly . We were very tired and not very hungry so opted to get a Salad from the M&S food place next door but the menu for the restaurant looked as if it could meet the needs of families and judging by how busy it was it was very popular. We’d booked continental breakfast in the morning and it was very nice.

Clean. Very friendly and helpful staff.

Love ❤️

Our room was clean & comfortable :)

Everything worked

Great all round. Special thanks to Karen too. Hope to visit again

Check in was easy, staff were friendly, breakfast was offered at a reduced rate before stay so added that on and it was good value/tasty! Room was comfortable enough, location was good, we attended the airshow.

The only thing we didn’t like was having to check in at the Pub, but what we did like was the aviator Pub and the staff that worked there. The waitresses, and bar staff were excellent, free and easy parking was excellent. located nicely near shops and eateries.

Made to feel welcome on arrival. Very comfortable bed Walk in shower was very welcome

Very nice hotel & restaurant

Lovely friendly staff, great informative check in. We had a really lovely meal in the pub, food was hot and didn’t have to wait long at all. Situated near a small retail park, very quiet/peaceful. Hotel rooms spacious and very clean however the hotel as a whole including the room we were in could do with a little money spent on it. Mattress’ are very soft!!

Very good stay. Convenient and easy.

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Our bathroom particularly the toilet bowl was not clean, there was a hole in the wall connected to bathroom. The restaurant accessories eg. Coffee machine menus holders were not clean

A lovely room, wetroom needed some shelves for storing bathroom bits and could have done with an extra chair in the room

I was very happy with my stay, lovely room,, comfortable beds, good variety for breakfast and close to beach etc

Usually stay in premier inn but was double the price!! First time here and i fid think it would be out of the way but ot wasn't. Nice pub & restaurant and shops nearby. Will definitely return

We only stayed for two nights but would stay again. The room was small but adequate for our 2 night stay, modern layout, nicely furnished & a with a bath as well as shower in the en-suite (which is particularly appreciated by someone who struggles with back pain & struggles to stand up for long to shower). Overall the room was very clean & tidy apart from one thing which I feel does need a mention shower curtain which smelt very unpleasant having been left to dry with no airflow. This could be easily remedied if the when the housekeeper brings clean towels, bathmat etc a fresh shower curtain was put up too. It would only take a couple of minutes to do this & would I’m sure be appreciated by the incoming guest.

The smell of urine in bedroom and Expedia ripping me off my room 64.00 through hotel expedia charged me 74 !!!!! Not very happy

No protector on mattress or pillows big disappointment , breakfast was good bathroom smelled

Great visit been many time use this hotel regularly

Pretty much a contractors stop over. Communal areas dirty bedroom carpets felt grubby and toilet hadnt been cleaned. The room had all the basic needs, tea and coffee facilities and more if you needed it at entrance. Night staff were friendly and helpful on our arrival. Good a/c in the room, firm bed and parking directly outside, just cleanliness is an issue here. Breakfast was ok, depending on your preferences.

All good

Lovely little hotel at the side of the Aviator pub, check in at the pub was easy and staff are very friendly. The rooms are clean and beds are comfortable and a lovely big screen TV. The food at the pub is good value especially the breakfast.

But noisy from passing traffic

Nice clean accommodation with ample car parking. The inn is in the middle of a retail park with few roadside pavements, so local guidance is needed to find the footpaths and subway to get to stores and bus stops. Unusually for a Marstons the beer in the pub was undrinkable and the wine over chilled to the point of creating crystals.

Lovely staff and room was lovely.

Very pleasant place to stay overnight

Friendly check inn, our room was already cool with the aircon running

We had a lovely stay at the Aviator , we will be going there again ,well worth what was charged 🙂

Nice and easy…plenty of parking…tea making facility was good and if you need more just ask whatever you wanted wasn’t a problem

That the room was clean, tidy and as we were there during very hot weather, it had air-conditioning. Brilliant. Breakfast was also superb. Will definitely be staying there again when we visit our family.

Nice room, very disappointing breakfast

Well all l can say is it’s lovely comforting room as it’s is our 5th time we stay at smugglers cove but I’ve notice it’s changed to The Activor again it’s no problem at still very happy staying there as we always come back when we visiting my family in Walton which is not far Thank you hope to see you again

I will come again very clean room and good food very pleased overall.

Nice place but not told were checking in was and was told get 20 percent off meals but this wasn’t the case

We always stay there for short breaks and its good value for money

Can’t complain for the price, clean and tidy rooms. The food over the road at the bar was good, good value for money.

Clean, comfy beds and pillows. Easy to check in and out

Stayed here when my daughter got married near by, Lovely little hotel and lovely bar/restaurant, only had the chance to have the breakfast which was lovely. Defiantly recommend/

I liked the look of the pub, it was lovely and clean and very inviting

Staff brilliant

Lovely place to stay

Room servicing only on request. No in room security such as safe or lockable drawers (no drawers or wrdrobes at all). All unpacked clothes on full view. Underneath bed were fiid wrappers, yoghurt lids and much dust. Probably OK for overnight stay; we booked for four nights and were not overly impressed.

Everything ok

The rooms are modern and clean. There are USB points next to the bed, plenty of tea & Coffee and large bath towels. The beds are huge and comfy and it's just a lovely stay.

Lovely clean property. Staff are very friendly and helpful.

Very comfortable beds.

Control on the AC is locked to cold last night

Free parking on site.

Great little hotel , away from the chaos of being on the sea front.Friendly staff, clean and

Safe and easy parking

Great stay here! Staff attentive at the pub (Aviator) next to hotel. Irish bloke was brilliant and made us all laugh several times whilst having breakfast and put us at ease. Friendliest person ever. Easy to park, good value for money. Big Tesco/ M&S/Lidl/ McDonald’s etc retail park nearby could walk to and great location.

What a lovely place tonstay. We were here for 5 nights from Australia ti spend time with our friends . The room was very comfortable and spacious. Plenty if tea and coffee amenities. The pub is also very nice we had lunches and dinners there could not fault it at all. The staff are all really lovley

My room was small and cold . Very disappointed. Will not stay there again.

amazing facility at an amazing price

This is the third time my husband and myself have stayed at this hotel. Although it’s now changed name, but still a great place to stay. Would recommend to others to stay there.

shower room drainage poor. room floor flooded when using shower all around around toilet and wash hand basin in room 101

Staff very helpful and friendly. Good filling classic breakfast with help yourself tea/coffee/toast/jam. There are food outlets/shops (in surrounding retail area, McDonald’s (5 min walk), m & s, Costa, KFC, and Tesco) if you decide to get takeaway and bring back to your room. Note: room only serviced every 3rd day of your stay, unless you request otherwise.. Slept well in comfortable bed, slight noise from people in corridor or from car park (where our room faced), but acceptable. Area well lit up between accommodation building and restaurant/bar building. No phones in room, use your own if needing to get through to reception or online to book meal/bfast in restaurant. It wasn’t very busy breakfast time during our stay and got quick friendly service. We stayed two nights and would stay again.

Good clean room, ample Tea/Coffee, very quiet, no complaints from me.

I would highly recommend

Excellent value and comfort, thoroughly enjoyed my stay. The room was comfortable and clean and breakfast was lovely. Thank you very much.

One lady at reception was very kind and helpful. She helped .me a lot. had a problem with the car the young chat come and help me and put it right.

This hotel suited our purpose with the location and price. The availability of dining in the nearby restaurant was great, dinner and breakfast was good quality and ample to set you up for the day ahead. All staff were great.

Good sized car park. Comfy bed. Air con was noisy, couldn’t have slept with it on but accommodation was fairly quiet overall. Had an evening meal, food was good value and very tasty. Quite a noisy and lively vibe in the bar/restaurant with the tvs showing sport but it felt friendly. Staff were very friendly and polite. Would stay again.

Room and build pretty clean and fresh very comfortable and equipped. Mirrors and tv filthy. Key cards took 3 attempts to get in room every time. On arrival sucure doors where not secure to rooms Old reception sign on display where there is no reception Dont get stuff out off car as reception now located in restaurant and not well sign posted. Cleaner come in our room before we checked out Only 1 bath towl provided The heating control needs instructions we could hardly feel the fun even at full power and was really hot as couldnt get temp lower than 19c on controller. Could do with trash can outside and some seating Carparking, bed, overall cleanliness, full size mugs. Quite sound proof rooms.

Friendly staff, well organised check in, except that needed to be done across car park in the the pub, a prior flag would help. Rooms clean, functional and keenly priced. Food and bar clean well appointed family venue serving good food. Will check availability of chain when next planning a trip in UK

From check in to check out the service was first class. Attentive staff couldn’t do enough. Lovely clean rooms with good facilities and the most comfortable bed. Wish I could have stayed longer. Only down side I paid for breakfast on this site but had to pay hotel as they had no record of it

My reservation was for a twin room but they give us a double , room but to be fair the young lady went and made the reservation in to a twin , and on booking form was ment to get breakfast but on arrival got told restaurant was closed, but we did have a comfortable sleep ,

I always stay here

We had a comfortable stay. Carpet was dirty from what looked like dried lumps of food. Walls were dirty in bedroom. Bathroom very clean.

The property is undergoing an upgrade and will be great when all is done.

Comfortable stay, room clean and tidy. One problem was TV went off at 22:00 but it was back on following morning so not to bad really. Pub shut for revamp so can’t comment on that

Well located lodge on the outskirts of Clacton with several eateries around. Ideal for visiting family. We found the room quiet, clean and comfortable, well maintained with ample tea and coffee available. Good bathroom facilities. The king size bed and duvet was very comfortable but unfortunately the requested extra single beds were of very poor quality. One of which it was possible to feel the mattress springs through the sheet, leading to a very uncomfortable nights sleep. Have stayed in Marstons inns before and encountered the same problem with the additional single bed. Over all not a bad place to stay.

Only problem is you need a car and the bar is closed for a refurb.

Easy access, plenty of parking spaces , very quiet, convenient to town and seafront

Enjoyable 4 day stay would come again

I arrived 1.45pm, check in was 2pm but I was told the room was ready and it was quite quiet. I went to get luggage from the car and then went to the room but it wasn't ready, the cleaner had literally just gone into the room. I asked at reception if another room was ready instead but they said this time that they were really busy and couldn't change room. Whilst it wasn't a huge problem that the room wasn't ready I do wonder if if would have been by 2pm check in. I went away and didn't come back until the evening so don't know. Also Room 201 is at the top of the stairs and every time someone came through the door at the top of the stairs it made a noise so I wouldn't recommend that room. Room overall was quite clean, and hotel overall was clean. Complimentary breakfast while the pub opposite is closed for refurbishment was a nice touch.

I liked everything was excellent

Business stay and just right

Just love coming back to this hotel and it’s quiet and lots of places to do as we have been this hotel a lot of times and it’s worth it as the staff were great helpful and clean too

We love coming back to this hotel as we have been there so many times as it’s very quiet and lots to do and places most definitely recommend every one to visit

Great room, extremely helpful and friendly staff, easy check and a a lovely great value for money breakfast experience. Second time we’ve stayed here this year!

I stay here weekly and have done for 18 months, its always immaculate and very comfortable and is of exceptional value. I have stayed in most of the hotels in the Clacton and the region, and for me, this is the best value hotel.

Once again, Room 101 was beautifully clean (Thank you, Charlotte in Housekeeping). Lots of Tea & Coffee, bed was crisp, white and clean, very big and very comfy. USB ports at both bedside tables - perfect! Towels folded neatly, big, white & fluffy. I love coming to Smugglers. Their Carvery is delicious and well worth the money.

Clean rooms. Quiet. Easy for meals if wanted. Stayed 3 nights while bathroom renovated.

Good value for money, plenty of shopping and dining options

The staff was amazing, the cartpets need clean and the bed mattress need beet invested. As its like sleeping on concrete floor, but other than that every think eles is good

Very good