The Victoria Hotel & Source Spa

I treated my husband to a night here on his birthday. We had a lovely swim in the outdoor pool. Even though we did not have a sea view listed in the booking we had a lovely side on view of Sidmouth and the sea! We had a lovely meal in the evening after a perfect cocktail in the bar. The staff were terrific too!

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Brilliant food service and location

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Breakfast was good except for the porridge which was grey and tasteless

Very small bathroom

Location and clean and tidy room with a small view of sea

Bit outdated and old fashioned decor car park needs replacing

Breakfast was not included, although I was sure it was when booked. If it wasn’t, I was definitely not clear enough on booking.com.

A room where you didn’t look out to a brick wall. A spa pool that was bigger than a bathtub. Far too formal for the hotel standard and cost. Felt out of place and were made to feel so. We stay in hotels of this price every time we travel.

Amazing location near to the seafront and town. Great bedroom with fantastic sea views. Friendly, helpful staff. Excellent breakfast with plenty of choice.

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I have previously stayed at the Victoria Hotel, the the one night I stayed (on 22nd August) finished off my tour of Devon and Cornwall, commencing with two nights at the Imperial Hotel Barnstaple, followed by two nights at the Royal Duchy Hotel in Falmouth. I would be reluctant to stay in any other than a Brend Hotel, due to the quality of the hotels, the staff, the excellent dining etc.

My parents use to live in the area and i now visit a few times a year. We normally pop into the Riveria for coffee but tried the Victoria for the first time in 7-8 years, the last time it was poor. This time was a different story, visited 5-6 times over 2 weeks for morning coffee and to be fair it was excellent. Coffee and the homemade shortbread were sublime, probably the best coffee during my stay. I’m back down in next week for another visit and will definitely pop in again. Fair play to the hotel they have really stepped it up. The only reason it’s a 4 star and not 5 is the service in the terrace is patchy is and I’m being generous. More often than not I had to into the lounge to either order or pay for items. Personally I don’t know why the hotel doesn’t put one of the large portable wooden signs they use for parking out there with a remote bell on it so people can press it and staff know they need to go outside to take orders etc. It would save a huge amount of time and frankly is cheap to do and would deliver a much better service.

It just smells of class. We live only 10 miles away but love booking in for a night. Total quality and relaxation

I don’t mind paying for quality. We often upgrade to sea view and/or luxury room BUT when you’re paying £400 a night and must pay 50-60 quid for a breakfast (2) it leaves a bit of a sour taste.

Quality hotel in picturesque location Food excellent quality Rooms very good decor and facilities Indoor and outdoor swimming pools plus several other facilities Attentive and friendly staff

It was all lovely.

Wonderful service. We loved the three course evening meal with entertainment. Extremely good value. A taste of nostalgia.

No air conditioning in the room or in communal areas during the heatwave.

We had the pleasure of booking afternoon tea for a very special family birthday. Honestly couldn’t fault it. Wonderful warm welcome , even helping a space for parking some of our cars. The food was one of the best afternoon teas, all extremely fresh and so tasty. When we finished eating, they gave us all boxes to take away any cakes etc. On leaving the staff all came and made an effort to thank everyone for visiting and also make a fuss of the elderly person who’s birthday it was ( making her day) We will certainly be returning ! Highly recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Victoria Hotel. Beautiful property with a stunning view. The staff was always very kind and gave me a feeling of being welcome. Exceptionally good breakfast service. A sincere Thank you to all the staff!

Just got back from a one night stay to Celebrate our wedding anniversary. Stayed in a wonderful room with a sea view and a balcony. The little extras provided such as the fruit bowl and chocolates are very nice ( these seemed to be standard for the room I had as we didnt mention the reason for our visit) Food was excellent as was the service and appreciated the call to our room to check everything was in order. Some reviewers seem to criticise the demographic of the guests, but I would suggest it is a demographic who value quality food over quantity, dress standards in restaurants and also polite and quiet conversations and an appreciation of other guests comfort. All of the above seems to be harder to experience in many Hotels of a higher star rating . If decent service, pleasant fellow guests, high dress standards and good food are old fashioned then count me in.

Visited before. The Victoria is in a prime spot overlooking the promenade and sea. It is very comfortable,has good food,good service ,has both an indoor and outdoor pool with very good facilities and makes for a completely relaxing holiday.

Maybe picked the wrong room as we could hear the bins being collected and deliveries being made in large vans. Pick a front facing room!

I really enjoyed my 2 night stay. It was high quality and relaxing. I fell asleep on the lounger at the spa. I did not win on the putting green. I loved walking into town and just relaxing in the sun.

(We have been to the folk festival for years in a camper van (Rugby club )and played concertinas M-F mornings Just after my lovely husband died a friend said come and stay in her van all the time( I only drive locally ) The last 2 yrs I have stayed partly 2 other hotels and camper Due to changes I wasn’t going to come At the last 2 weeks My sons managed to get me to the Victoria I didn’t have breakfast as we thought it was included Also it’s lonely expensive Mon was a rush walking for 9:15 at the church at the top of the town then we stay around the town

Just the cost

We loved The Victoria for so many reasons: its stunning location, beautiful building, excellent facilities, and the professional yet genuinely friendly staff. The hotel sits at the top of the town on a hill, overlooking the beautiful beach and iconic red cliffs. The front lawn features a fantastic pitch-and-putt course, perfect for pre-dinner drinks and a bit of friendly competition. During our stay, we also enjoyed the tennis courts, spa, and outdoor pool. The outdoor pool is absolutely stunning, with a Mediterranean feel created by its whitewashed walls, beautiful plants, and colourful flowers. We were lucky enough to have fantastic weather during our visit, which certainly added to the atmosphere. The bar and games room have everything you could want, including pool, table tennis, table football, a Wii, magazines, and newspapers. The waiter service was exceptional, bringing drinks and bar food directly to our sunbeds, which felt wonderfully indulgent. Breakfast was a refreshing change from the usual buffet style. It was a traditional full-service breakfast with excellent bacon and sausages, all enjoyed while overlooking the beachfront and town. The spa and gym are on the smaller side, but both are well equipped, with towels and flip-flops provided. I also had a Hydra Glow facial, which was sublime. Without exaggeration, it was probably the best facial I've ever had. I genuinely can't speak highly enough of The Victoria Hotel. Everything about our stay was exceptional, and it made me proud to be enjoying such a wonderful English seaside hotel. It was also lovely to find that many of the staff were English, adding to the warm and welcoming atmosphere. We would happily return and highly recommend The Victoria to anyone looking for a relaxing coastal getaway.

A group of us went for Sunday lunch. We started with a drink in the bar. Our drinks sat on the bar for so long that we had to go and get them! I chose the salmon starter which was nice though the croute was difficult to cut. The Roast Pork was clearly not cut from a joint, the vegetables were poor and the potatoes were not crispy. Service in the restaurant was good, but we struggled to get coffee in the lounge. It was not up to the usual standard.

Great location along with view

Very hot in room provided fan not up to job and noisy

It was quiet and a lovely view, the pool was lovely and warm, easy access changing rooms

Good location - good welcome

Room had no working sockets - was too warm (windows opened an inch or so) and when we told staff about the non working sockets - they did nothing

This was our ninth visit to the Victoria and, as always, they did not disappoint us in any aspect. Love this hotel and ALL the people who work so very hard there to make our stay memorable.

A feeling of being made to feel special.

Every aspect of our stay was exceptional.

The quality of the dining experience was excellent. The staff were friendly and professional. The hotel has old world grandeur and is in a lovely location with exceptional sea views.

Beautiful building and ground, all kept impeccably clean right down the the brass work on the entrance being shined daily. Rooms luxurious, fantastic sea views from ours. Fresh flower and a bottle of bubbly greeted us along with tea, coffee, biscuits, bottled water and fresh milk which were all replenished daily. Food was a real treat, all freshly cooked using quality ingredients from varied and imaginative menus. Outside pool was a godsend as we were in a heatwave. Decent size with plenty of loungers, tables and chairs served by its own bar. Best of all though are the staff, happy, friendly, good sense of humour and nothing too much trouble. We have already decided to go back later in the year.

Fantastic service from start to finish. Outdoor pool was lovely in the hot weather and evening dinner was tasty with good (not large portions but we don't want that - we want good food but don't need lots of it) Hopefully we'll be back. All staff were amazing.

Clean , facilities and location

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I love this hotel and enjoyed my stay in every way apart from the room . I would suggest a serious review of your single rooms .

The whole feel.of the hotel and staff. The room was comfy and the feed was excellent. Really enjoyed spa and lido too.

Nothing, all was excellent.

Hotel lovely. Facilities excellent. Staff very good

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We could really relax at this hotel. Lovely views, well looked after and nothing was too much trouble.

Perfect location Lovely outdoor pool and indoor spa facility

The Victoria Hotel has a great location, restaurant and staff but in hot weather the bedrooms are very hot - no aircon (fans available), fridges only on request.

Very good choice of breakfast cooked, cereal, fruit, pastries, yoghurts etc.

Its difficult to find something without appearing picky but TV reception in my room was poor on a week that the world cup and Wimbledon were full on.

A beautiful Hotel on Sidmouth Esplanade to go to for Sunday lunch.. The flowers around the site and the displays in the hotel are amazing. We had Sunday lunch there and the service was excellent and the food extremely nice. The roast beef was delicious and well cooked to my liking. Dawn, the manager, was friendly and obviously on top of her job. Each food course was well presented and tasted delicious. A great place to have Sunday lunch.

The room was perfect. Spotlessly clean and new.

Nothing-it was all great.

Have been to this hotel for 5 consecutive years but the last visit fell short of previous experience and certainly did not provide 4 star standard in terms of service particularly pre dinner. I put this down to the fact there was a coach party there at the same time. There seemed to be insufficient staff to deal with the coach part and the other paying guest between the busy period 6.0pm and 7.0pm period when guests want the canapés and pre dinner drinks. I also felt the food was certainly not as good as on previous occasions, a fact I mentioned to one of the restaurant managers. The friend who booked the hotel did phone to ask to be taken off the mailing list and explained why but there has been no follow-up which is poor and reflects a level of complacency. I should add that the building itself and the location are ideal. I have waited until now to do this report as my neighbour is a regular visitor there and I wanted to ask how her experience had been. No coach party and good service!!! Enough said. My advice...check whether there is a coach party due on the dates you choose before you book. If so, choose another time! Please note I have been on coach tours so am not averse to them but I expect a 4 star hotel to be able to provide 4* service at all times!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Victoria Hotel made my parents’ anniversary an unforgettable celebration. From the beautiful flowers waiting in the room to the flexibility and professionalism of the events team, every detail was thoughtfully taken care of. The Victoria is the perfect setting for an intimate family celebration, filled with natural light and offering a wonderful sense of space. The food was exceptional, and the service throughout the day was warm, attentive and faultless. Nothing was too much trouble, and the whole team helped create such a relaxed and special atmosphere. A huge thank you to everyone at The Victoria Hotel for making the day so memorable. We can’t wait to return for another special occasion by the sea.

Super room, great location and lovely breakfast. Loved the lido after breakfast - felt like we were in Mallorca. Shout out to the fabulous chaps behind the bar in the lido too - couldn't do enough for anyone - they worked so hard and so polite.

Felt that this was not for us as catered for the older generation and very traditional. Was not impressed with a staff member's response when asked for tea this morning at breakfast, after waiting for some time for someone to come to my table - possibly the language barrier but replied with 'in a second' and then walked off. When they did come back they just stood in front of me without saying anything. Especially not impressed as they actually looked to be in charge!

Very comfortable, friendly staff, good food, lovely room with a good view.

Booked dinner and breakfast, but the restaurant staff had no record of it. Not something that should happen in a hotel of this price and grade.

Great hotel; food and staff. Lovely setting in a pretty Devon town. I have stayed at hotels in this Group many times and they never fail to deliver a delightful e perience.

I spent a lovely afternoon with two friends celebrating a special birthday with a delicious afternoon tea. The dining room was beautiful with views of the lawn and the sea beyond. The staff were very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. As for the food, it was so plentiful and delicious! A good selection of finger sandwiches, individual cakes and of course scones with clotted cream and jam. All served with plenty of tea! Would highly recommend; it was such a treat!

Lovely hotel with great service. Bags to your room, drinks brought to you (as was the cooked breakfast)....nothing too much trouble. Lovely to see well trained staff. Spa facilities and outdoor lido were excellent. Two negatives in an otherwise great stay; expensive drinks and dinner menu and the bedroom with a sea view was small. Otherwise would be 10/10.

We visit the Victoria at least once a year and this year’s trip was again perfect. Top Hotel, perfect location and a wonderful spa. The staff are excellent and very accommodating. Ray as always unpacked our bags and parked our car after our long journey. My wife had a spa treatment on the first day which she thoroughly enjoyed – thank you to the staff at the Source spa for making this very special. We were eating each night in the Jubilee restaurant with our young son and Dawn and her team were very helpful. The food was excellent (especially the soup and freshly baked rolls). The cleanliness in the rooms is on another level. I have never visited a hotel that has such a clean bathroom and bedroom. We have already booked another return trip later this year. If you favour top quality service, food, facilities and location then the Victoria will not disappoint. Highly recommended.

Location and view from the room, hotel is elegant and a very pretty foyer and social areas.

Weather was brilliant but lack of air con in the room was a struggle.

From the moment you walk through the door into the hotel, you feel looked after. The hotel staff are friendly, attentive and professional and nothing is too much bother.

We have visited this hotel 20 times or so over the past 3 years and have always have received 5 star standers and service the Saturday evening band entertainment makes it even more special

This was our first visit to the Victoria Hotel and it is easy to see why so many guests return time and again to this wonderful establishment . It provides outstanding quality in terms of it's general ambience , food and accommodation. it also benefits from having a beautiful heated outdoor swimming pool. What gives it the 5 star feel however are the truly superb staff who are caring , professional and cheerful. Nothing is too much trouble for them and from the Hotel Manager down there is a real sense of "family" and team work that is rarely found these days in similar establishments . We look forward to returning soon.

Excellent hotel, staff, service, food etc and beautifully clean. We will return soon and already looking forward to it.

Breakfast was very good both for choice and quality. Evening dinners in the White room were excellent with the staff outstanding Condition and presentation of hotel was much appreciated

The baby sea gulls outside the bedroom window meant restful evenings and nights impossible. Our stay was at a time of extreme temperature and ice should have been more readily available

Comfortable and very well run - excellent staff

If you arrive early before check in make an effort to accommodate before 3pm

Location and service excellent..just visited for lunch which was very good.

From our arrival on Thursday afternoon through the weekend to Monday morning all our needs were catered for in an efficient and calm manner. the room and meals was second to none I would recommend this hotel to anyone wanting a few days away or their summer holiday what a base to have to explore Sidmouth and Devon

We have stayed at the Victoria hotel on several occasions and it has never disappointed. The staff are very attentive and the food is delicious with a good range of dishes. The best location in Sidmouth!

Excellent staff and great comfort.

The rule requiring a tie and jacket for dinner. This is a very oitmoded dress code. I was forced to wear a tie for years until I retired in 2007, I will not wear one now. You lost a very good customer for the main dining room.

Impressive building with a nice indoor and outdoor pool.

Rather old school pretentiousness! The bar was like going into a “quiet zone”.

Thank you to concierge Ray who was very very helpful and friendly!

Staff were outstanding, food was excellent and great location.

excellent food and service. Friendly staff

Breakfast very good

More menu changes

Fantastic location, staff very friendly and knowledgeable , great views and superb amenities.

Perfect blend of Edwardian grandeur and modern hotel, bedrooms spotlessly clean with modern bathrooms.

Everything about the hotel, location, politeness and attentiveness os every member of staff

Everything, don’t change a thing

Very good breakfast. Lovely terrace bar.

Bedrooms too hot! Surely air conditioning should be standard in a hotel of this quality. And a fridge in every room!

The whole hotel,location and staff were all excellent and we would definately return.The big plus was the location to the seafront and town,plenty of parking and large amount of car parking with valet service. The lido and facilities were great especially with the hot weather and the poolside waiter service was great. The breakfast was lovely with plenty of choice and the staff were very attentive,nothing was too much trouble. Would reccomend to everyone and would return again. The town has loys of independant shops,bars and restaurants and is great for a wander.

We arrived 10 mins past their last dinner seating on the first night so had to go into town to eat which after a long drive wasnt ideal but it was only a short walk but just not a great first impression but can understand that there does have to be some sort of cut off point for the chefs. This was the only a small niggle for an overall great experience.

The staff makes this hotel what it is, obviously well trained and nothing too much trouble. Also very comfortable rooms, old world charm and great location. The fact it has a beautiful outdoor pool also sold it to us.

Outside terrace at rear a little outdated but really there is very little not to like.

Great location wonderful ambiance great food wonderful spa and generally good service

Beautiful hotel, fabulous location. All of the staff were really attentive with nothing too much trouble. The hotel was spotlessly clean and very comfortable.

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Location, very good staff, clean

Expensive

Pure luxury, fantastic staff, and food was outstanding

The only minor criticism was the bed was rock hard, and my back was in half. It is my fault though as should have asked for a mattress topper, which reception did confirm they offer. I have stayed many times at this hotel. I won’t say anywhere else instead of the Victoria or Belmont.

The best part of the Victoria is the kindness and consideration shown to all guests, young and old. It is a perfect spot for both children and older people and guests with mobility requirements. Food was always hot and tasty and served with alacrity.

Nothing to dislike.

Excellent bar snack. Loved outdoors heated swimming pool.

Dinner was expensive

The English culture at its best. The personnel was very polite and welcoming. The other guests, English upper class members - chatty and kind. Beautiful spa, lovely restaurant! An Amazing treat to experience off season.

The hotel was more than a good place to stay. The decor and ambience (and especially the flowers) were exceptional, and the staff, although totally professional, were also very welcoming and ready to help at all times.

hard to think of anything

Lovely hotel

Spa was fantastic but when your staying in hotel of this quality you don’t want to have leave the property due to the spa staff are allowing children to run and jump in the pool when you are trying to relax but you can’t as the children are shouting and using it like the local swimming baths

The staff are all so friendly and helpful. Location is 10 mins from town but right on the beach.

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This hotel has retained its character from the Early Edwardian period. Service is friendly and excellent.It lives up to the reputation of the Brend Hotel Group generally.

Just had yet anothe Breakette at the Victoria. And as per was a delight . Aiden+ George were VERY helpful so thank you guys… all staff very attentive. My wife and I will return when physicality’s and fiscal allow. Kind Regards. Mike and Chris Curtis.

An excellent hotel with very good service, food and facilities. It is in a good location with views over Lyme Bay

The hotel as usual was very clean and welcoming, the staff were very attentive and friendly, great food. The flower arrangements were beautiful. A great birthday weekend break.

Excellent service, accommodation food and quality hotel. Within walking distance of sea front,gardens and town centre. 2 spring visits and one high season. Standards maintained

I stayed for 4 night's break the food and the service was excellent the hotel should be prowed of the staff thay made my stay very injoyabal well done all keep the high standards up best regards Alvin beaver

From the warm welcome to staff in the bar, restaurant and lounge, just perfect. Excellence delivered.

This is a fantastic and welcoming family-run hotel. The staff were all very friendly and attentive but also noticeably happy to be working there, which really makes this hotel stand out in our experience. The restaurant is superb, with good service, excellent food and very good options for vegetarians. The spa is lovely though not huge, so can feel quite busy.

The Staff were as attentive as ever & we were made to feel very welcome from the moment we pulled up at hotel & met by Ray & greeted as old friends. It is lovely to see so many familiar faces and that they progress over the years on their chosen career path. We particularly loved the New pictures on the landings & corridors, a very welcome new addition. Mr wife used the Spa for the 1st time & was very impressed.Roxy the therapist was excellent, friendly & kind. One small note, it would be nice if Pedicures could be offered. The food & service in the restaurant both at Breakfast & Dinner was excellent and again we must thank the following staff Michelle, Aiden, Dawn, Mikus who are always a delight to be served by. Also mention to Ethan in the Bar. As always we look forward to returning again for our luxury treat.

The breakfast was very good. The cooked breakfasts were outstanding. Some aspects of breakfast could be better. The muesli was basic, and there were no nuts or seeds to add. The fruit was more basic than expected, with a very limited fresh fruit selection, mainly in the form of a fruit salad which was in a sugary fruit juice. The dinner was first-class and we ate in the restaurant four times during our week. On the other nights the fresh crab sandwiches in the bar were wonderful. So hats off to the caterinig team.

Although the staff were wonderful and got more friendly as the week wore on, there is a slight feeling at the Victoria that guests are part of a well-oiled, quite traditional institution in which staff have their roles and are sometimes not as flexible in their ways as we've been used to in modern hospitality. The hotel manager and restaurant manager really tried to put us at our ease and we liked the fact that senior staff all serve tables along with more junior staff. But a slightly old-school stiff manner is apparent sometimes. Relax, team, you are doing a great job, so just stop, take an interest and talk to us in everyday language! And perhaps rush in a bit less often with the signing of bills. We won't run away.

Lovely stay for a couple of nights. We had a standard double room which was perfectly adequate for our stay. Staff were lovely and very helpful. The spa was very good and the small.gym had everyting you needed. Having a Rolls Royce to drop you off into town was a nice touch! Breakfast was very good plenty of choice. My only niggle were the eggs which on both days that I had them were overcooked and were also very small. We were going to eat in the restaurant but my husband is vegetarian and both nights we looked at the menu the only veggie choice was a risotto ..surely there could be more than one veggie choice? That's our only real criticism of the hotel. We would certainly stay here again and would highly recommend.

Wonderful relaxing break with superb service. Accommodation and location all perfect with fantastic sea views.

Simply outstanding for three nights. Staff quite superb. Ditto food, room, ambience and pool. Location perfect. And such a grand hotel!

Our expectations were well satisfied. Comfortable lounge, very pleasant and efficient staff only too willing to help

Cannot praise the Victoria Hotel enough. Comfortable lounge, bar and bedrooms with fabulous dining experience and friendly, attentive staff, nothing too much trouble.

It was all great

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We enjoyed a very relaxing 3 day stay at the traditional English hotel. The room was really comfortable with lovely details to make our stay easy and relaxing. The Spa is very warm and comfortable and never crowded so we could always find a relaxing lounger or find ourselves swimming alone in the pool. The staff are all very welcoming and we enjoyed the cocktails in the bar before dinner. Short flat walk into town where there was plenty to amuse us, including being driven to town in the hotel Roll Royce which is a nice touch. Beach is stony but literally at the end of the drive so plenty of sea air and lovely views. Would recommend this hotel.

Another lovely lunch at the Victoria Hotel. Gorgeous sea view table in the White Room and delicious food. Service impeccable as always.

Worth paying for a deluxe room with sea view and balcony. This can get a bit hot at times. Hard working staff throughout the hotel. Service in the dining room can be a bit slow at times, both at breakfast and dinner. Convenient for the town.

Really fabulous and fancy place. The spa was really nice too.

Wide choice and high standard of food. Very helpful staff. car parking facilities within hotel grounds.

Nothing comes to mind.

Beautiful property and lovely staff