The Royal Hotel

Excellent location in middle of town but no issues with noise at night. Close to shops and pubs, near Quay for Lundy trip. Hotel were flexible when travel plans to Lundy changed twice. Even upgraded our room. Not a modern hotel but real history and character. If booking again would not go for cheapest room again as a bit more gives a lovely spacious room.

Hotel wasn’t busy so staff little thin on the ground. Breakfast was simple and basic.

I stayed at the Royal Hotel on a work trip and as such my room was basic as it should be when paid for by the company! My review however centers around the excellent food and service I have been fortunate to receive whilst here. I am Gluten Free and was very surprised how many options on the menu could be catered for specifically for me including a Chicken Schnitzel which I would normally completely dismiss. The cod dish was excellent, the chicken schnitzel had very interesting flavours combined but I nonetheless enjoyed it and the steak was also excellent! The staff are very friendly and professional. My waitress on an evening was particularly impressive. My overall experience has been so good I’m sure I will find an opportunity to return.

The hotel and staff were lovely. We loved the period features. The food was delicious and the chef was very accommodating.

Nothing

We stayed the night before we sailed to Lundy and the night we returned, the staff were very helpful with parking, baggage and the restaurant had lovely food and a good breakfast. The room on the front was lovely but subject to road noise, the room we stayed in at the rear was simpler but quieter.

Our wedding night. Staff fabulous. Food outstanding. Compliments to chef Noah. Quality produce and ingredients, generous portions and cooked to perfection thank you. Only negatives are no hair dryer in room and as it was our wedding table cloths would have been nice. We will definitely return for the food which was outstanding.

Kurzer Weg über die Brücke in die kleine City. Gutes Frühstück, sehr authentisch.

Just took my family for cream tea and it was wonderful. Plenty of everything, attentive service, and a Briliant setting. It is a must to do in bideford

Had a lovely window few overlooking the river/sea. Gets abit noisy with road traffic as it nxt to the road.

Garden was located across the road and bar stuff was never around when u try buying a pint.Toilets was very noisy when flashing. (Vaccume toilet i guess)

Historisch hotel met geschiedenis. Uitstekend restaurant en ontbijt. Zeer vriendelijk personeel en onthaal.

De kamers ontbreken airco, wat met de hitte wel minder aangenaam was in de kamers.

Easy to Find. Right by Tarka trail. Nice room overlooking estuary.

Our room was not ready by 3. Very pricey.

The Royal is a wonderful hotel. The room was spacious and comfortable. The food, both breakfast and dinner, were outstanding. The service staff were all wonderful. We were able to park our motorcycles in their lot, just a few feet from the entrance. While our room looked out on the street and river areas, it was very quiet, even with the windows open all night. Bonus was that the Tarka bicycle trail ran past the Royal hotel and the bicycle rentals were a few hundred feet away AND we were give a 10% discount for staying at the hotel. I was pleasantly surprised that the cost of renting a bicycle for an 8 hour day was only 15 pounds!

The room could get a bit hot with the current heat wave. Fortunately, the hotel provided us with an electric fan, which helped very much.

The hotel was nice, but there was not much to do in the evening

Location. The sink didnt empty water

Staff polite and helpful

We visited with friends who were staying. I thought the service was fantastic and staff were very attentive. The food on offer was exceptional, well presented and very tasty. I was driving so I had an earlier pint of beer in the bar and that was well served. My wife had Malbec with her meal and said it was excellent. If we are in Bideford again I will definitely eat there. The price was very good.

Room very good but noisy with traffic

Traffic noise

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely loved our bottomless brunch! 🥂🍾 The food was delicious, the drinks kept flowing and the atmosphere was brilliant from start to finish. The staff were so friendly, attentive and made sure we were never left waiting for drinks. Nothing was too much trouble, and they really helped make the whole experience so enjoyable. It was such a fun, relaxed afternoon with great food, plenty of drinks and lots of laughs. We had a fantastic time and would definitely recommend it — we’ll absolutely be coming back! 🥂❤️

Location

Service at breakfast Size of room

Lovely building, excellent room.

Lift broke down halfway through the week.

Enjoyed my visit. Felt as if I had my own apartment in a mansion block. Could come and go, as I pleased. Staff were totally unobtrusive but helpful if needed. Breakfasts were excellent.

Well placed and scenic

Having to pay

Great location

Price

Excellent location for Bideford. Cracking bar, lovely inside areas to sit, nice and easy parking. Easy to get around the hotel even if one of the further rooms. Breakfast was worth adding

Small single room was a little dated. But get what you pay for

The location of the hotel is perfect for closeness to the town centre and local tourist attractions. The single room size was adequate and the bathroom surprisingly larger than expected. The facilities were ok apart from the out of date coffee sachet and the bed was firm.

The cleanliness was not great. There were cobwebs on the bedroom light fitting, bathroom blinds covered in dust, cobwebs behind the bathroom sink pedestal. I had a disturbed sleep on my last night with the occupant in the next room being ill throughout the night. Wouldn't have been a problem if I had not been able to hear EVERYTHING through thin walls and gaps in the doors.

Looks like I wood nerd to do olevels to do this review as its more words van I know Breakfast overpriced Okay hotel if you need a, stopover

Went to the Royal for Sunday carvery with 6 friends as we have all turned the big40 this year. I must start by saying the carvery was lovely, unfortunately that’s where the good ends. Drinks order taken first, all soft drinks, order wrong when it got to the table. Staff slouching looking disinterested. Cleared out main plates, no offer of pudding. 5 minutes later the bill was put on the table - none of us had as led for it so we ignored it. Had to ask for a second drink as we fancied tea and coffee. Still no offer of pudding. One of the party had made a cake for the occasion and they had this in the kitchen, no effort made to bring this out, we eventually asked as believed they had forgotten. Now we get to paying…. I am happy to tip good service but this was the worst I have had for a while, they added a service charge without notifying us. To top it off we were charged £1.50 each for bringing our own cake!! Needless to say it ruined the occasion and none of our party will be going back in a hurry. We were clearly upset and no one from the restaurant or the receptionist who clearly heard us offered a resolution or a manager. I cannot believe how much the service has deteriorated. What a shame.

Location near the town with parking Lovely drawing room with views over the water

Window in the room would not stay open had to prop it up with a coat hanger !

The staff, the cleanliness, the food and drink. The decor. Lovely room.

The shower power needed a little more umph!

Convenient area

No coffee in bedroom, breakfast was only fair milk was warm wiv cereal. Cooked breakfast only the egg sossige and toost was warm. Bacon was a bit under cooked and teppud. Breakfast was overpriced for what it is

convenient location

building work ongoing across the road creating dust

Great location, lovely staff, fabulous food

A bit noisy from traffic

Great restaurant and breakfast. Room a bit dated, but very comfortable.

The room was clean, but try and change the shades in the bathroom, full of dust, not pleasent.

location , parking

Room was very hot , up selling, breakfast very expensive

Excellent location and facilities. Dog friendly. Parking too

Didn’t realise until leaving that could have taken dogs to the bar restaurant

Whilst visiting Devon, I spotted The Royal Hotel on Booking.com. It had everything I was looking for, including free parking and a good location. I wasn't disappointed at all. The breakfast was wonderful too. A local had recommended the food but I had no spare time to stay. I will have to return to sample the menu!

Good location, nice size room.

Das beste Hotel am Ort, tolle Lage mit kostenlosem Parkplatz. Perfekt für Ausflüge ins Umland. Viktorianischer Charme, aber nicht altmodisch. Das Personal war unglaublich freundlich und hilfsbereit.

The lady that I assume was front of house gave us a tour of the hotel, explained its history in a very detailed, interesting and informative way. Had we not admired the decor and bumped into her perhaps we might have just assumed it was just a normal hotel. The history this hotel has is mind blowing and the lady explained in such enthusiastic detail we were in awe. The rooms were clean, the rest of the staff were nice too and it was a very, very nice place to stay. We will definitely be back. 10/10 👏👏👏

A lovely grand hotel with comfortable rooms and very helpful staff

It was dangerous crossing the road from the hotel to their parking space .

The staff are very welcoming and helpful as a solo traveller they were very accommodating and helpful. The location is great the decor and cleanliness is very good and although a single room it was not a cupboard as some single rooms are.

It could really do with an outside terrace And few more options for vegetarians on the menu. Really nothing to dislike

The most beautiful colonial hotel so much history and Michelle who served us breakfast knew everything about the hotel. I have a passion for architecture and WOW The Royal Hotel blew my mind

Nothing fabulous stay lovely staff

The hotel was great, rooms good, very clean throughout. The location was good, looking over the river at Bideford. Out of the door of the hotel you can just walk across the bridge, walk along side the river to the park. Very relaxing.

We missed the fact that there are no outside spaces, no where to sit outside with a coffee or drink. We were lucky enough to have lovely weather, if the weather wasn't so good the outside spaces wouldn't be an issue.

The hotel is on a busy crossroads. Because it has listed status it has not been possible to instal double glazing or air con. Fortunately we weren't staying during one of the heatwaves. The welcome on reception was ok but our room wasn't ready at 3.30pm when we arrived. The room was large and the bathroom also had plenty of space. Shower etc ok.. All quite clean but decor a bit tired. We were on the table d'hote menu as part of a group and this offered the same menu two days running. Choice of 3 starters, 3 mains. The fish was very poor - wouldn't recommend. Service extremely slow on one evening and most of the party left before dessert as it was taking so long. Food served cold. Things improved the next day with one waitress working very hard to improve our experience. It was all "ok" on the whole but we only stayed there as it was part of the Ramblers holiday. The Ramblers trips, walks etc were excellent!

Location

Food was good. Room was good but disappointed in style of toiletries available.

Service at Breakfast was somewhat slow.

Staff were good along with breakfast. Tea tray was reasonable but low down to reach. Bed was comfortable and a good size , a fan in the room which was handy for the night we were there. Car park ok.

Room very small and not what I expected of a river view room , we were on the corner of hotel overlooking the mini roundabout!! The picture of the hotel is misleading showing a garden area in front. Bathroom also smaller than expected . It was a last minute trip so probably should have done more research.

Die Lage war für uns eigentlich entscheidend, wobei wir mit einer leiseren Straße unter den Fenstern gerechnet haben. Ohne Frage hat das Haus Charme und der garantierte Parkplatz ist super. Die Executive Lounge war praktisch, da das Zimmer zu klein war, um es sich gemütlich zu machen.

Wir haben extra ein Deluxe-Doppelzimmer gebucht, um den Blick auf den Fluss zu genießen. Das Zimmer hatte 3 Fenster, nur von einem hatte man einen seitlichen Blick auf den Fluß. Direkt vor diesem Fenster standen 2 Sessel, wenn man drauf saß, Blick auf das Bett, unten eine laute Straße mit Kreisel. 16m² sind für diese charmanten, aber wuchtigen Möbel einfach zu wenig. Das Zimmer war bereits bezahlt. Beim Check-In hatten Pass-Nummer und Kreditkartendaten für eine Kaution Priorität. Schade.

Leider nichts.

Schlechte Lage direkt am Kreisverkehr der Brücke. Extrem laut. Altes Bad mit wirklich schlechter Einrichtung.

Good location

The room was too hot, it had two fans in the room but did not give enough cool air they were on all the time. Floor to ceiling windows over looked by the Tarka trail so you think people are looking in. Curtains were closed when you had a nap.

Large room, comfortabe and large bed, plenty of storage space. Lift. Hotel decor. Friendly and helpful staff. Breakfast. Garden.

Bathroom quite small and no bath. No fridge. No A/C or fan. Bedroom door quite tricky to open. No safe.

Lovely hotel although a little dated but the cooked breakfast is one of the best I have ever tasted. 10/10. Building works going on nearby so avoid the front rooms even though they have the best views as noisy

Beautiful comfortable room with superb views of the river and bridge. Exceptionally friendly and helpful staff. Great bar.

Nothing.

We went into the hotel for something to eat and drink, and we were greeted by two pairs of trainers by the door?!?!?!! Other than the lovely barman, everyone appeared distinctly disinterested in providing any customer service. We were not asked if we wanted something more to drink or to eat. I had to ask the receptionist to find the barman in order to pay. Very nearly just walked out! May need to consider greeting customers and provide if a more customer-centric service!

Breakfast, and the 2 evening meals we had at the hotel were really delicious! The staff were friendly. We particularly liked the history of the hotel, and there were several plaques on the walls describing what went on at the hotel in the past, e.g. the D- Day landings being discussed during WWar 2, and so on.

We were there during the tail end of the heatwave. A fan was supplied, but our room remained uncomfortably hot at night. This was undoubtedly the same in most hones and hotels at the time! However, we didn’t always sleep well. The shower in our room couldn’t be turned down to “very cool”, and this was rather a concern at the time.

Wifi failed on the room

Character, location

Sehr freundliches Personal, gutes Essen.

Das Zimmer war nach hinten zum alten Bahnhof, vor den Fenstern eine Mauer.

The Royal Sunday carvery is a 'go to' venue to meet friends or for a special occasion. I booked weeks ago for Fathers Day knowing that it gets really booked up. A few days before Fathers Day I had two calls asking to confirm the reservation and also advising me of the premium charge for Fathers Day ( I assume the staff get paid more on Fathers Day and the cost of ingredients Increase by 10%!). We arrived at 12 noon and the carpark was empty - which I thought was great as its normally hard to park. We were seated in the Palm Court - the main carvery area and looked forward to seeing the normal great dessert display. This time - nothing to see - the counter was completely empty. The carvery opened and the few table that were in the restaurant went up - and it was its normal good quality however it soon become very clear that the restaurant was not even half full - which is super odd. We eat our carvery and then was asked about deserts which we ordered. After 30 minutes I asked where the dessert were and why nothing at the counter and was told due to the heat they did not put anything out because they thought the cream would go off!. After 40 minutes I asked again and was told that there were a lot of tickets in and they be here soon which they were - but not sure where the lots of tickets came from as the place was half empty. Between 1pm and 1.45 there were 11 empty tables in the Palm Court and many in the Bar and Brasserie - it was very noticeable how quite the carvery was - even the tables next to us were talking about it. I went to pay the bill - £211 for 4 adult and 3 child 2 course carvery and soft drinks!. I know its not a Brends anymore but I really don't know what has happened - cant be just everyone going to the beach as its hot - even the staff said it was very quiet, however something is not right - maybe its the poor service and the pricy Fathers Day price tag that put people off. I am very sad as this really was a great place to go for Sunday lunch. I am not giving up and will try again but I hope that the service improves and the prices stop being over inflated - oh and £19 service Charge.

Friendly staff and good service.

Brasserie looks better on web site than in real life. Paper napkins and sachet sauces not what you would expect given the pricing. River view is unfortunately, fast becoming a view of a building site.

Had free parking

Rooms are outdated and need a complete re-fit, the bathrooms are terrible and not clean. Cups at breakfast are not clean, please check before use. Smell of bleach on the 1st floor all week. Road works the other side of the road that you can hear from 8am. Staff are rude when asking for payment even though you have already paid for breakfast, charged twice, will be checking my C/C statement again when I get it. Complete con and not worth over £150 a night.

We had a great stay at The Royal Hotel, the whole building is full of character, very comfortable and clean. All the staff are so friendly and the service they provide is excellent. We had the afternoon tea on the first day and this was by far the best spread we have ever had, the cakes were spectacular and beautifully made. The food for our evening meal and breakfast was also very good.

Location was good. Staff worked very hard but there were so few of them we waited ages for breakfast and the buffet (at 9am) was not refreshed. Bed was very hard and bring your own pillow if you can.

I had a fantastic stay at The Royal. The hotel is full of character, the rooms were charming, clean and comfortable, and the staff went above and beyond to make me feel welcome. Excellent food, great location, and outstanding service throughout, thanks!

Some of the staff is really helpful.

We were disappointed with the hotel compared to the overall pictures showed on Booking. The pictures of our room are pretty correct but the pictures of the hotel (outside and inside) gave us the feeling of an older charming hotel. That is not the situation. The hotel is old (which is fine) but needs renovation. The vibe on the pictures is not reality. The price/ quality is no correct.

Well maintained elegance, very comfortable On-site parking

Nothing

Die Lage und der Parkplatz direkt beim Hotel. Die Dame vom Frühstücksbuffet war freundlich. Grosse Portionen beim Frühstück, was für uns aber leider zuviel war.... Das Bett war sehr bequem.

Die Sauberkeit im Bad. Haare und einiges an Staub und Schmutz in allen Ecken sowie im Spiegelschrank. Nach unserer Reklamation bei der Reception, wurde zwar nachgereinigt, leider aber nicht sauber. Auch das schmutzige Handtuch wurde nicht ersetzt.

The hotel was an old building that has been kept nice, the staff were very friendly and the room was nice even though we were in the loft, with everything we needed. Although on a small road we heard nothing of any traffic. We would certainly stay again. We were booked on a trip to Lundy Island and to catch the boat it was a short walk over the bridge so ideal location.

The parking spot was very good

We arrived in our room which smelled like cold smoke. Upon complaining, housekeeping said they were aware of the problem but had hoped the smoke would dissipate. We were relocated to another room which, on paper, was bigger and nicer but the carpet was stained and rubbish from the previous occupants was still in the bins and drawers. The food was okay, but money for value was not met. The breakfast was sub par. To quote my partner “the cheese and meat on the continental breakfast looked like a Petri dish experiment”. The ambient of the old house is all in all nice but it is in dire need of renovation and needs to put in more attention to the details if they want to charge such a price. The pictures do not represent the actual state of the hotel.

Very impressed with the hotel.

A very poor Sunday lunch experience food average - very salty No ambience Staff scruffy and uninterested Soft drinks a ridiculous price

Location and appearance.

Slightly dated bathroom.

Really enjoyed my stay

Staff helpful and welcoming.

Not that the hotel can change it but the outlook from our room was not very pleasant. To be expected as it's a town centre location.

Classy with friendly reception and restsurant staff staff, beautifully presented rooms and calm, sophisticated ambience.

Traffic and industrial noise outside.

Big, comfortable, well furnished rooms plus a bonus guest lounge on the second floor and a bar with relaxed music. Excellent location by the bridge across to Bideford Quay. The evening meal was not cheap but very enjoyable. I had a prawn cocktail then cod with pancetta and saffron sauce and a sticky toffee pudding. Interesting wine list. I particularly liked the New Zealand sauvignon.

Only one sausage (not the best) and a small ramekin of beans in the cooked-to order hot breakfast, though the on-the vine cherry tomatoes were a nice touch alongside the bacon, egg, fried bread, black pudding, mushroom and hash brown and there was a cold buffet of granola, yoghurt, pan au chocolate, etc and a decent fruit salad to fill up on.

The survice was amazing very kind and helpfull staff and the room was very clean and tidy apon arrivel and the bar staff was also very helpfull with getting our payment sorted. Overall excelent hotel well worth the money spent.

Beautifully appointed with lovely decorated rooms. The restaurant was well worth dining in, with food quality excellent.

Lovely room with a good view over the river. A very comfortable huge bed & excellent bathroom en suite. Enjoyed the breakfasts and all the staff were charming.

Actually a fridge in the room to keep water cool would have made it perfect

Ambience, location, the Kinsgley Room was fabulous.

dog friendly , very welcoming, lovely staff.

Lovely, characterful, small but attractive, historical hotel in good position (the building works outside won’t go on forever!) Food consistently good quality and varied over 5 days. Staff consistently helpful and friendly.

We enjoyed our stay at the Royal Hotel immensely. It was a great location for visiting Rosemoor gardens. Free parking was appreciated. Friendly staff check in process. Our room was spacious and comfortable, the bathroom was amazing, the best in our 9 week journey. Easy walk into town for great fish meal at Mr Chips.

Nil

the room was so spacious

The bedroom was far too hot the fan provided made it into a fan assisted oven . Badly lacking air conditioner.

The bathroom was actually nice and clean.

We were given Room 1 on the ground floor, effectively right on the street and facing a construction site. The traffic noise from passing cars and motorcycles was relentless and made sleeping nearly impossible. It was a hot day, but opening the windows was not an option making it a hot, airless room. For the amount charged, this room is simply not acceptable. Guests have to be informed before booking that they will be staying in a ground-floor room facing a busy street. Unacceptable!

Location Allegra was very pleasant.

Room has not been touched since the 1970’s. Nothing like the pictures shown. Room was incredibly tired and damaged. Ripped curtains and general wear and tear present everywhere. Shower was almost impossible to use as there is almost no water pressure. Staff this is due to high demand but the pressure was the same at 7pm, 1am and 9am. Bathroom requires you to be a contortionist to use the toilet given the proximity to the sink.

Amazing hotel full of character staff lovely

Had lots of quirky character

The room wasn't very clean also the bathroom

Excellent hotel and staff couldn’t do enough for you

It's a wacky old hotel. I booked it last minute and was delightfully surprised. I love a proper hotel and this is it. Excellent room. Ground coffee bags, hot chocolate & good tea on the tray. A fan, which was most welcome. Really comfy bed. Staff were professional interested and welcoming. Room lovely and spotless. Spike my Yorkshire terrier was made super welcome and the food was smashing 👍

Leaving

Looking forward to a return visit, discovering more and enjoying some more of the comfort feeling. Visit the Burton and the old Railway Station Staff at both very helpful