The Old Bell Hotel

Great food and lovely accommodation

Location

Poor service

Location of property. Reception staff. Decor of public rooms.

Service at breakfast, when hot food came on Saturday and Sunday not what we ordered. Breakfast room preferred other room when we previously stayed. Bathroom shower dangerous with intermittent scolding water. Curtain not fitted right. Shaving mirror in bathroom light did not work. Room generally looked shabby, flaking paint on bathroom ceiling. Perhaps it requires a senior manager to walk around the property without rose coloured glasses! To see the flaking rendering on some buildings and knocks and bumps that need to be attended to reestablish the high standard your website professes.

Room was very comfortable, well decorated and well appointed. The hotel location in the centre of Malmesbury was excellent.

The mirror in the bathroom over the washbasin was small, in a corner and not lit making shaving and putting on makeup awkward. While the food at breakfast was very good with an extensive choice the service of the non buffet items such as tea, coffee, toast was rather poor with items forgotten or long waits. Staff were pleasant but they needed to be more alert.

We booked townhouse 19B and couldn't be more pleased. It is BIG, beautifully decorated, and definitely more like home than an overnight accommodation. The staff are lovely, the location less than 150 steps from Abbey and the High Street.

The upstairs TV wouldn't turn OFF off. The bright splash screen stayed on all night.

Beautifully decorated, clean and comfortable.

Almost everything. Special mention about the staffs. Very helpful and lovely people. The rooms and views were gorgeous.

iThe toilet seats were little spotty , may be it looked like that because of it's black colour. Not sure. Everything else was perfect.

It was a fantastic stay in the cottage in the same street. It was super spacious and tasteful decorated, with very comfortable beds, included an outdoor space (which is fantastic for those with pets).

Beautiful property in a good location. Staff were very nice.

Our bed was broken and collapsed in the middle, we couldn’t close the window so had to endure the noise of a fair being dismantled late at night, there was a boiler or some sort of machinery noise all throughout the night. Very uncomfortable, no sleep all night.

Beautiful and stylish decor. It felt like staying in an old Rnglish Manor home.Friendly and helpful staff supported the feeling of relaxed comfort .

Rather limited dinner menu choice.

Appartamento impeccabile, arredato con gusto. Molto accogliente, con vista mozzafiato sulle colline.

The breakfast was great. The dinner was wonderful!

The room was a bit cramped. The stairs were not too bad but for us oldies they are tough on the knees.

Lovely room, food and hotel

A bit pricey.

Wonderful

Location and great atmosphere

Lovely old building, great from the front, very comfy bed

A bit more battered towards the back from the car park, dog rooms not so plush, small and noisy but overall ok

Couldn’t get a shower it just went roasting couldn’t even hold it went that hot the bulb was out not put another one television couldn’t use it staff at breakfast it’s mad not pleasant

I loved the decor. The food was so delicious and very generous portions. Everything was clean and well cared for. Lovely attention to detail.

Not much!

Location

Staff

We booked two Townhouses operated by The Old Bell (#52B and #68) for eight friends to celebrate a Hen Do. The properties felt brand-newly renovated and we absolutely adored the bright, warm, whimsical decor - it was PERFECT for the occasion. Each property was well stocked by way of kitchen and dining necessities (we brought a few additional pieces of glassware from one townhouse to the other to cater for our larger group), the beds and furnishings were incredibly comfortable. We dined twice at The Old Bell - for afternoon tea on the patio and in the private dining room, The Library, in the evening. Both experiences brought incredible food and service. The events team - Kate and Emily - were incredibly helpful in preparation for our stay and couldn't have been kinder or more willing to help us create a magical 24 hours for our Bride. The reception team and servers were all equally helpful and welcoming. We've all said we'd love to return to the property and enjoy the hotel itself with friends, family and partners - but for anyone looking to host a relaxed, wholesome, girly weekend for a hen do - I'd highly recommend The Old Bell. Our 24 hour stay simply wasn't long enough!

We were upgraded to character rooms, both were beautifully decorated as were the communal areas. The staff were friendly and the breakfast and evening meals good. There was plenty of choice on both menus.

Nothing really. I guess the stair runner and landing carpets could do with being replaced.

Die zentrale Lage war perfekt. Es war sehr gemütlich und das Hotel als auch die Zimmer sind wundervoll detailreich gestaltet.

Unser Zimmer lag leider im Erdgeschoss mit Blick auf den Parkplatz, Autos parkten direkt vor unserem Fenster.

Superb in every way. Great service, lovely decor, fantastic food. Location perfect

Gennemført og fantastisk hyggeligt Super sødt personale

Quirky and spacious. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the food in the restaurant was excellent,

We were told on arrival that we had been upgraded. The room we were given was right on the main thoroughfare through the town. We had virtually no sleep as there wasn’t double glazing due to the age of the property. Traffic stopped in the early hours and began again around 4am. We were so disappointed.

The location is spectacular and the hotel is very historic and nice

V hot room

Everything. Beautiful building, stunning location, amazing room. Breakfast was exceptional too. Walkable to local pubs and restaurants. Also within easy driving distance to other local places of interest (we went to Longleat safari park).

Really can't criticise anything. A touch expensive for the rooms, but you feel very special as a guest.

The Old Bell is absolutely beautiful, a little British jewel right in the heart of Malmesbury. The staff were incredibly nice, and the room was very comfortable, with a beautiful view over the north of Malmesbury. I stayed during the heatwave and was slightly worried that an old hotel like this might be unbearably warm, but thankfully that wasn’t the case at all. I absolutely loved my stay and will definitely come back!

Nothing, everything was perfect. If I really want to be difficult, I feel that the breakfast could have been even better with some fresh fresh bread.

Jammer van de vloer in de badkamer Vinyl met een een kit rand niet in de juiste kleur. Dat geld ook voor de algemeen WC beneden geen mooie kid afwerking gezien het een hotel is uit het jaar 1200 het is een klein detail verder een super hotel vriendelijk personeel mooie oudheden

verder alles Super

Beautiful setting. Very characterful rooms

Bedrooms very uncomfortable in the heat and quite noisy

The old bell is everything we were hoping for and more, food is as good as anything I have experienced and the staff are always very friendly and professional.

There was nothing I could find fault with

Afternoon tea with my grand daughter . Full afternoon tea for me and the children’s one . The Little Angels tea is amazing value I would say although just two finger sandwiches compared to the adults tea three sandwiches is a bit odd. Doesn’t give a good balance of savoury and sweet. Choice of drinks . A hot chocolate and an apple juice (other juices available) was good value . Good selection on the adult full tea, although far less savoury than our visit a couple of years ago. The downside really is the ridiculously low chairs and tables. Difficult for the staff to serve the drinks (one of ours was spilled ) and the table was also quite wobbly (the table top part ) . Would have preferred a normal sized table and chairs, particularly with a child.

Struttura storica bellissima, una vera perla delle Cotswold

Niente

A pretty period property with first rate staff who were always on hand to ensure service was to our satisfaction. Quirky decor. Secure parking. Good food. The breakfast was excellent. The stand out was the quality of the staff who display a maturity and sense of service beyond their years.

The hotel wifi is dire and if a guest wishes to use the internet they should ensure their mobile provider is good for that area.

The location is amazing and the history and surroundings create a great vibe. The hotel garden is awesome.

Room floor was not clean and the beds gets too hot so may be a better heat regulating mattress would benefit guests.

Fabulous hotel with lots of public rooms - all beautifully decorated in a unique quirky style. The bedroom was described as 'cosy double in the coach house'. It was small and cosy but beautifully decorated and well-appointed. It had everything we needed. Staff had kindly provided an excellent fan which was definitely needed as the weather was so hot. Our room was nice and quiet. It was a lovely gesture to offer guests a glass of prosecco on arrival. We had ours outside in the courtyard. The hotel has so many different public rooms - all beautifully decorated with very unusual and features - we loved it! Excellent dinner of fish and chips (although the curry sauce wasn't needed) served on a lovely hot plate. Cooked breakfast was superb - great choice and all beautifully presented - delicious and plenty of choice on the buffet as well.

The duvet was too heavy for the extremely hot weather (although we were grateful for the fan). The bed was quite small (a Queen size?) and the shower room was tiny!!! But all worked perfectly well and absolutely fine for a short stay. If you are staying more than a couple of nights you would definitely want to book a bigger room

De ligging in combinatie met het super vriendelijke en behulpzame personeel en prachtig ingericht.

Het bed was wat aan de kleine kant en ook zeer gammel, badkamer had iets minder stoffig gemogen en daarnaast was het wel heel erg heet op de kamer.

fijn hotel,goed ontbijt en leuk restaurant

Every staff was so friendly and professional

Old historic English traditional warm welcoming comfortable

Nothing

Stayed here for 2 nights. I had only booked a cosy category room as we were in Malmesbury to attend a wedding so I knew we wouldn't be spending much time in our room. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we actually had a room which other hotels would categorise as a suite. We had a nicely decorated bedroom with a separate living room. It was very hot weather during our stay but the fans were very effective & we slept well. The decor is quirky but I liked it. There is free private parking. We had dinner one night which was very good. We had breakfast both mornings which offered a good choice all freshly cooked. All of the staff were delightful, friendly & efficient. Really enjoyed our brief stay & would happily return.

Loved Malmesbury as a home base for Cotswalds touring and loved our accommodations at the Old Bell. We were in townhouse at 86 abbey row, it was great for our family. Two roomy bedrooms and then pull out couch in living room equates to plenty of space. Unexpected bonus was a small patio and yard to enjoy the beautiful weather. The decor was exquisitely done, totally nailed the English countryside vibes one dreams of when going to the Cotswalds

Everything

Nothing

Location and restaurant

No air conditioning No fresh fruit for breakfast

Room was OK, a little on the small side but was clean and tidy.

Breakfast was OK but not superb.

Room 7, 'Robins', at the top of the hotel, described as 'cosy'.......so cosy, difficult to to pass round the bottom of the bed avoiding chair for desk! It was at the top of hotel - very very hot - 18th July 2026. Fan in room not on, and window shut! Fan in situ was ineffectual, 2nd fan requested also ineffectual, 3rd desktop style better! One for me, one for my husband and one for our dog! We had travelled from Notts and were only staying at the hotel, as attending a good friend's 50th W.Anniversary lunch at the hotel. No floor length mirror, in room, and only a small 14inch? square mirror on the desk which wasn't at the right height, so couldn't see the top third of my face! No large mirror in the bathroom - only a small round shaving mirror! We were charged approx £340 for the room - understandably wanted to look as smart as possible/difficult to style hair, and apply make-up, to look my best for our friend's special lunch - very very disappointing, and felt we were totally ripped off. (had asked to change rooms but told fully booked) Expected with what we were paying for such a small room, we should have a small frig in room, as cans of water by the bed were hot! Fresh milk would be appreciated, for quality tea and coffee in room. Breakfast also very disappointing, dried apricots in juice, tinned peach slices......no fresh fruit - why? in such an expensive hotel? I ordered 'egg benedict' - only 1 x poached egg - everywhere else I've stayed has always offered 2 - and therefore cut muffin in half, so displayed one egg on each. Not much ham either. My husband ordered the full English, with 2 eggs, sausage, bacon, tomato, baked beans etc. suggest you review the 'egg benedict' offer, the thick muffin was very cold and very doughy too! (would have sent back, and requested another dish, but had to be at friend's for 11.

Beautiful ancient inn in the centre of Malmesbury. Quirky fun decor. Very helpful and welcoming staff. Lovely outside terrace. Good food.

Rather small room and quite expensive.

My wife and I recently visited the charming market town of Malmesbury. While exploring, we came across The Old Bell Hotel just before looking around the stunning Saxon Abbey. Stepping inside the hotel feels like entering a small stately home. The restaurant is located opposite the bar, which wasn't immediately obvious, but the staff politely guided us to a lovely, breezy room with views of both the front patio and the rear garden. Having visited during the intense July 2026 heatwave, we were incredibly grateful for the cool, comfortable interior. The menu features a specials page and is impressively diverse, offering something across the entire culinary spectrum. I opted for the large Ploughman’s, while my wife chose the triple-cheese toasted sandwich, and neither of us was disappointed. The portions here are exceptionally generous—long may it stay that way! My Ploughman’s was a proper feast with an amazing variety of food. It included pâté, various continental hams, Brie, Cheddar, Stilton, cornichons, sliced apple, celery, and a side salad. It also came with delicious individual pots of chutney and baby silverskin onions, plus plenty of toasted bread (though I did have to ask for butter). My wife’s cheese toastie was equally excellent, accompanied by a side salad and her own pot of chutney for dipping. To finish, she had the Eton Mess, which was spectacular and, once again, a very generous portion. The staff were friendly, helpful, and polite, though service was on the slower side. There was a wait of about 20 minutes between drinks and courses, and our entire lunch took around an hour and a half. We would definitely return multiple times to try more of their varied menu. It is highly recommended—just don't go if you are in a rush!

Lovely hotel in a great location. The food was excellent, breakfast cooked to order and something to suit everyone. Dinner was a relaxed affair, the staff are really attentive but you are not rushed. The restaurant is spacious as are all the resident areas. On site parking is a big plus too. The staff could not have been more helpful or friendly, we felt really well looked after! Thank you for a memorable few days in Malmesbury

Good location nice a peaceful

Floors and surfaces way too dusty, making residue on my clothes

The Old Bell voelt als thuiskomen, de sfeer is zeer gemoedelijk, fijn zeer gastvrij personeel, zeer smaakvol gedecoreerd, de terrassen zijn voorzien van heerlijke stoelen, kortom, een plek om steeds weer terug te komen!!

Kan eigenlijk niets benoemen, er is overal wel iets, maar als je iets niet bevalt doet iedereen z’n uiterste best om het in orde te maken!

Breakfast was amazing as was dinner.

nothing

Breakfast was lovely and the area we sat in was really nice

Maybe a little more toast

Great location in the heart of the town. Dedicated parking for residents but limited number of bays. Eclectic decor. Delicious breakfast.

Room overlooking the general car park and kitchens area.

The room was comfortable and clean, towels lovely, and a fan was provided. Food was generally very good, the plates well presented. Staff were courteous and the waiting staff smiled - unlike reception staff.

Though the food was good, and the room comfortable, throughout my visit I was irritated by small things. Parking: There doesn't seem to be enough parking for the number of rooms, so when busy, town parking is required. I was directed to the long term parking below the hotel, and though less than a 5 min walk, it's uphill - no fun in the heat (or the rain), dragging a suitcase. I had the impression there was some kind of event on when I arrived, and wondered if participants had taken up some parking spaces? I don't know, but I strongly feel that priority should be given to hotel residents. Bedroom: Aesthetics won over practicality: bedside table lamp was so large, and along with the retro phone also on the table, there was very little room for a glass of water, book or whatever, and the lamp didn't actually shed much light. Nothing to hang a wet towel on in the bathroom, shower glass 'door' needs to be wider, no grab rail, or non-slip mat available. Pillows were polyester lumpy bumpy. Dining: Breakfast seemed a bit disorganised. Breakfast overflowed into the lounge area on one day and I was given a table with very low seating. It was uncomfortable. I felt a bit of an afterthought. Why not use the larger Tyga bar area for breakfast? (all the time I was there, it seemed like a wasted space and sorry, but the African theme doesn't fit with the hotel). There seemed to be some sort of photoshoot in the lounge one day, with dogs on sofas, which I didn't like. Overall, I felt that the hotel catered more for outside events, than their residents.

Comfy bed. Fab decor. Great location

Nothing

El desayuno es el excelente, y el personal muy amable y servicial, La ubicación y el estilo del hotel estan muy bien.

Si hace calor, que lo hizo, el hotel no esta preparado para tener una buena climatización, pero es una normal general de Inglaterra

Beautiful property. Good food. Friendly staff. Great location.

Our room was very hot despite two fans being provided. Heat wave. On ground floor so difficult to have windows open.

Location staff meal wasn't bad

Possibly room location

Beautifully renovated hotel. Lovely interiors.

The location was perfect quiet but in town for everything you needed. A lovely bar and courtyard to sit and relax in. Staff were all helpful and friendly

Nothing

Lovely spacious room Warm welcoming and hardworking staff Comfortable public rooms Good breakfasts and dinners Pretty village location

Nothing

Beautiful location in heart of town next to the abbey. Private residents car park. Spacious comfortable room with excellent bathroom. Fabulous decor and spotlessly clean. Lovely staff.

The location of the hotel for visiting the area was ideal. We were warmly greeted and welcomed by the hotel staff, which was much appreciated, and set the scene for the rest of our stay. Our room was well equipped, spacious and airy and uniquely decorated. We dined in the hotel restaurant each evening, the food choices were adequate and the food was well presented and delicious. Throughout our stay the staff were very friendly helpful and accommodating, which was much appreciated. All in all a very enjoyable stay.

Such a beautiful property.

Lovely apartment with beautiful furniture and decor

No air conditioning and breakfast finished at 10am

In such a beautiful part of the world Lovely hotel Food very good

Not air conditioning in the hotel Staff unable to help book or arrange taxis

La struttura ha un fascino molto particolare. Un ambiente davvero che ti catapulta in un altra epoca. Vicino all’abbazia quindi posizione fantastica. Il personale è cordiale e la colazione molto buona.

C’è stato un piccolo disguido al mio arrivo ma la struttura ha gestito più che egregiamente, complimenti! Quindi tutto okkk

Upgraded to great room

Atmosphere and willing staff and unique room

Pleasant hotel with good food and pleasant staff

The history , the strict adherence to the grade one listing rules. The atmosphere, the interest in the building and its location and that it claimed to be the first hotel in England.

One tiny thing. The door of our bathroom in room 2 had the loudest squeak from a set of hinges that could have been there for at least half a century, and painted over several times so that if the facilities were needed in the night, the intensity of the noise woke the second person in the room!

Friendly extremely helpful staff who had time to to converse with us.

Nothing

The special warm welcome and personal attention we received. Loved everything!

That I didn't stay longer!

lovely old hotel in malmesbury. Recently refurbished but full of character . Lovely dining room, Staff were very attentive and the specials menu was very good.

nothing

Stunningly beautiful old hotel loaded with history, presented top notch

Nothing

Central location and excellent service from professional friendly staff.

Room was small and the stairs up to it were steep. It's a very old building so ai wasn't put off by this.

Breakfast was very nice coffee was very strong tho

It was perfect

dinner was very good food although the menu was a little limiting . breakfast was very good too

all good

Decor and comfort, great breakfast

The weather was exceptionally hot but there is no a/c just a stand alone fan and the person on reception was a bit abrupt about this

A beautiful historic building that was so wonderfully decorated. Staff were professional, polite and helpful.

OFI - There seemed to be a lack of structure at breakfast with extremely long waiting times and basics missing.

Staff were lovely , food was excellent

Cobwebs in the stone window surrounds . I know it’s an old building but hadn’t been dusted in a while round the window edges internally

Location is great, gorgeous building and lovely decor. The staff were absolutely amazing, they went above and beyond and looked after us extremely well.

Mattress was too soft, immediate back pain after the first night unfortunately. Room was very hot, however we did visit during a rare heatwave in the UK, so beyond everyone’s control. We appreciated the fan left in the room. Parking was also a bit of an issue, however there was a wedding and prob more busy than usual. Staff went above and beyond to support with the parking.

We enjoyed two nights at The Old Bell and were delighted with every aspect of our stay. It is a beautiful building with lovely guest lounge and bar area where we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon drink and read. Breakfast is included which was delicious and served in another gorgeous room. The evening meal was also very make. Staff were extremely helpful and friendly.

Nothing we did not like.

On est totalement plongés dans une ambiance typiquement anglaise, c’était une vraie belle expérience ! Tout est poussé dans le détail, jusque dans la salle de bain de la chambre. Chambre très spécieuse !

Tout était parfait

Beautiful

I was so hot in my room and only a one weak fan to keep me cool in this heatwave and minimal windows opening

Booking arrangements for this one night stay were very last minute but our check in was speedily completed allowing us to get to an evening engagement in good time. Our bedroom was very comfortable, well appointed and spotlessly clean. Breakfast was lovely; we particularly appreciated the à la carte options. Service is polite and informed. Though we didn’t have the chance to look around the town, it looked most agreeable. High standards all round. I would strongly recommend this hotel.

The hotel has a great history & a lot of effort has been put into maintaining & decorating it. There is a great atmosphere there which is added to by the very friendly staff.

It certainly looks attractive but we didn’t see much of the property with the exception of the car park and reception. Having booked and paid for a room a number of months ago, whilst our booking was found by the hotel, it appears that this had not been transferred onto their room allocation spreadsheet. The hotel tell me this problem occurred the previous week and the working assumption appeared to be that it was caused by dysfunction in the interface between the hotel and booking.com. Whatever the reason there was no room at this inn for us and we needed to find accommodation for the night elsewhere with all the attendant disruptions on what was a blisteringly hot afternoon. The staff did seem embarrassed by this and found some hotel rooms for us inn towns elsewhere in the wider locality but at £100 and £150 more, though in was able to reduce this.

We did not see enough to comment properly but it looked smart. The issues relating to being charged and not given a room are unresolved 48 hours later and the only communication I’ve had is an email asking us to tell them how we enjoyed are stay. This is really poor.

The breakfast and evening meals were first class. I would highly recommended both. The service was excellent by all of the staff on each sitting. Nice atmosphere.

Our room was spacious, but the lighting could have been better and a in need of a few more mirrors !

Beautiful cottage accommodation, gorgeous views across the little river valley, and lovely facilities in the hotel too.

Comfortable, spacious room with great bath. Lots of thought put into the service/ decor

Nothing

L’accueil, le confort, le style, la qualité des services. Tout été parfait !

Ras

Really nice setting with focus on details. The townhouse was very comfortable

Lovely hotel set in the heart of a beautiful village! Being the oldest hotel in England, the hotel has lots of charm and character. A few things the hotel could do to improve. The WiFi is dreadful - it takes ages to log on to and then drops out a lot! There could be more plug sockets in the room. They should also look at investing in air conditioning in the rooms, or just having better fans would be a start. The food could also do with an improved menu! Breakfast is great, but the evening menu is too fancy and overpriced! I stay here often so have had many things on the menu with varying degrees of quality!

The location was great: next to the Abbey; in easy walking distance to the shops and restaurants. The staff were were attentive and friendly. Everywhere in the hotel was comfortable. The food was fine.

The description of the room given to us in advance was misleading in two respects: (1) it referred to an additional toilet (not so); (2) it said the room was carpeted (not so). These were not a problem but we wondered why the misleading information was given. The door handle was very loose and at any moment it could have come off. At our first breakfast service was extremely slow; fortunately it greatly improved after that.

Ligging innhet dorp met terras aan de weg

Was bijna te klein

We had an amazing nights sleep in that lovely bed. The bedroom was superb. Loved the decor everywhere in the hotel. We were upgraded on arrival and greeted with a lovely glass of fizz. The staff were very nice . We really enjoyed our perfect evening meal and The lovely breakfast. Great location and lovey riverside walks too.

The only downside was we should have booked another night's stay. ☺️

Location and general ambiance and decoration

The bed was far too small for two people. Rather spoilt our stay. Did not appreciate being charged £8 for newspapers which were offered as if free of charge.

Such a remarkable hotel! Gorgeous history, decor, food and most of all staff!

Absolutely charming old hotel with very modern amenities and delightful staff. The decor is amazing. Car parking on site. Let the hotel know your car registration at online check in. Approach the barrier at the back of the hotel. It lifts automatically and parking is free. Food was delicious ( we had both dinner and breakfast service). Waiting staff were all very polite and efficient Bar service was attentive and prompt. A choice of bar areas to sit in. Lovely ambiance with lots of people enjoying afternoon tea when we arrived. Guests enjoyed the evening experience too. Very pleasant. Our room ( No.1) was very clean, well equipped and had an en-suite shower/ toilet. We had tea/ coffee making facilities and complimentary waters in a mini fridge. Dyson hairdryers in each room too! Heating was effective. It was cold on arrival as the weather was not good but we soon warmed up Despite being on the front of the building we had a peaceful nights sleep. It’s a quiet, small town. The bed was quite comfortable ( just an average UK double size). I would advise upgrading to a ( UK) kingsize bed to ensure comfort. To sum up, we thought the package we had ( dinner, bed & breakfast) was great value. A welcome drink was included in the cost too. A nice touch. I would happily recommend this hotel

Great staff beautiful building