The New County Hotel

Stayed 2 nights in March 2026 for Cheltenham Gold Cup. Good transport links, no parking on site at hotel but lots in the nearby streets (chargeable).

Stayed in a courtyard room. Simple, basic but could be acceptable if the TERRIBLE thin mattress, thin pillows & thin duvet are seen to. Wouldnt cost much to upgrade this and would be giving a much more positive review if it was the case. Very poor sleep overall due to this. Now walking around like the hunchback of notre dame.

It is clear money has been spent updating the bar and lobby areas. Redirecting some of this investment into the sleep quality for guests would be my recommendation.

Debated 1 or 2 out of 5. Settled on 2 as wouldnt take much to make it alot better for guests.

Please avoid this hotel. The thinnest duvet I’ve ever seen on a very uncomfortable bed. Room was freezing and radiator too small to provide adequate heat to the room. The room was in need of decorating with 2 holes in the bathroom. Unable to close the curtains as they were too small. No staff present at Reception. Thankfully only stayed 1 night and left very early in the morning. Check in was in the pub and myself and my husband had to fill out paperwork and show ID. Very strange experience!

We have stayed here a few times now, most recently in January 2026.

The rooms are comfortable and have everything you need, the staff are great, the location is bang in the City Centre and we were pleasantly surprised to find a very smart, friendly bar has opened in the hotel since our previous visit.

The prices are very reasonable too, the only downside is there is no car park, but there are two public car parks right behind the hotel.

NEVER AGAIN.

stayed here a few times. Rooms lovely and clean, located perfect for the town and the docks.

Was meeting up with friends.. but this time put me off forever.

I was in C21 Saturday night. The lighting is awful out in the courtyard, tripped over the steps as couldn't see them in the dark, We didn't check in till after 6pm. Had a table booked for 6.30 so went straight out.
Arrived back just after 10pm and the room was extremely cold. Music from the pub up the road was so loud it was like we where there. That finally stopped at midnight.
Just settling down when loud banging started. I thought someone had started DIY then thought nope couple finishing the night off. The walls where shaking. I'm surprised the bed didn't fall apart the way it was hitting the wall.

Definitely need the maintenance team to sort beds and lighting out.

Couldn't find anyone on reception to mention the lack of sleep we had. So left without anyone asking how our stay was!! Very disappointed.

As we were spending a weekend at the tattoo convention, we booked the new county hotel due to its central convenience and low cost. Both seemed advertising factors. Oh how wrong you can be sometimes.
We turned up at 5pm to see reception closed with a crumpled up piece of paper instructing us to go to the bar to check in (we also did not see anyone behind reception once through the weekend). Eventually the bar maid emerged and checked us in. Clearly she would have preferred to be out with the girls necking pornstar martinis instead of being at work. Happy holidays:).
Once we found our room, the fun began. First met with a damp pealing wall, I immediately internalise that we would be spending minimal time in this room. The room was also extremely cold which wasn’t a huge issue but it’s not difficult to run in and whack a heater on especially when I’d rang ahead to notify them of our time of arrival. But hey ho.
We didn’t sleep overly well, whoever designed that mattress I would have a lot of questions to ask. And even more to the person that chose to put them in a hotel. It was so bad that it didn’t even feel like I was lying in a mattress but instead upon a wooden board. The pillows were somehow lumpy, something I’m yet to understand how this is possible.
The walls were so thin that if someone in the next room made even a step, the walls vibrated so as I’m sure you can imagine. We certainly were aware of any “holiday activities” occurring in the nearby rooms. In fairness. The room next door. Solid performance from what I could hear. But I certainly could have lived without the experience.
All in all I appreciate this is a budget hotel. But there’s not even the slightest effort to care and look out for guests at this establishment. We will certainly not be returning.

I stayed at this hotel while attending a two-day wedding in Gloucester, and as a General Manager of a hotel myself, I feel obliged to share my experience so that others are aware of what they may encounter.

I arrived around 12 noon to find Reception completely closed and had to check in through the bar. The only positive part of my stay was George, who was genuinely helpful and professional — a true credit to the team.

From there, everything deteriorated.

Despite requesting an early check-in, the system showed a late check-out. I was checked into room C12, which was extremely small, had stained curtains, worn-out pillows, a bedside socket that didn’t work, and no iron or ironing board (which I had to request separately).

The biggest issue was the shower, which was malfunctioning so badly that it sprayed water everywhere, making normal use impossible. The main radiator didn’t work either, and the electric heater had no instructions. I arrived to a room that was freezing cold, humid, and deeply uncomfortable, including an icy bathroom floor.

Because of all these problems, I ended up leaving a full day earlier, which can easily be verified by CCTV.

What shocked me most was the hotel’s response afterward. I explained that I left early due to the room conditions and requested a refund for the unused night. Instead of acknowledging the legitimate issues with the room, they refused any compensation and claimed I should have reported the plumbing issue on Friday evening — despite the fact that I had clearly explained I was attending a wedding and was only briefly in the room to get ready. They essentially expected me to remain in the room waiting for staff, delaying a wedding schedule, just to report problems caused by poor maintenance.

As a hospitality professional, I would never treat a guest this way. If a guest left early and I later found significant issues like a faulty shower or broken heating, I would immediately offer a gesture of goodwill — not dismiss their concerns.

This stay was deeply frustrating, and the lack of accountability made it even worse. I would not return to this hotel and cannot recommend it to others.

We booked here as a cheap, last minute break away and weren’t disappointed. Initially I was worried after reading some reviews but needn’t have bothered.

On arrival we were greeted by George who checked us in quickly he recommended places to go around the area.

Our room was room 7, double room. It was warm and cozy and looked like it had been recently redecorated. It had tea/coffee facilities, fantastic shower, hairdryer, microwave and fridge. The view wasn’t the best but we were hardly in the room so not bothered. The bed was extremely firm so a bit uncomfortable but it’s personal preference.

To say the hotel is above bar there is very little noise from that or outside. Other guests were respectful and we got a good nights sleep both nights.

Breakfast isn’t included but you get 10% discount off their sister pub, The New Inn which was ok.

Location of the hotel was excellent, right in the centre with walking distance to everywhere we wanted to go.

All in all an excellent stay and we both agreed we’d stay here again.

Perfect location near the quays and the town shops. Fabulous bar downstairs with excellent cocktails and lovely bar staff. The rooms are clean but as it is such an old building they are not perfect.

Excellent location for all shopping and attractiobs. Staff were extremely helpful.

Room was OK for price paid but bed uncomfortable - old mattress, sink into it, squeaked every time I moved. Poor nights sleep, not helped by shower dripping all night despite tap being turned off.

Nice place to stay

Lovely hotel right in the centre of town
staff are super friendly

Staff were all lovely very friendly, room was clean , lounge bar very nice , and great outdoor seating for people watching,light bites only as kitchen not open but very close to the docks which has plenty of restaurants, fast food places in the same street , would happily stay here again

Nice staff safe and slept well

Only location near Boscombe Pier available. Big mistake.

Good budget hotel very friendly staff. Man that booked us in couldn't do enough for you. Nice little bar in hotel good outside sitting area. Excellent for a sunny day. Overall a very comfortable stay at a competitive price

Great central spot. 24 hr check in. Room was spacious and had everything you need

I needed to contact the hotel prior to arrival, this was impossible. No one would answer the phone despite trying several times. The room we were provided didn’t come with any of the amenities described upon booking. They did though provide us with a room with a fridge and microwave after complaining. This room was nice enough. The hotel itself is nice however all in all, it was a bad experience

Very enjoyable stay at a good price for a central location in Gloucester City.

good size room, Fan which was welcomed, bed ok and room tidy.
needs a hook for towel as knowhere to place it when in shower, few cracked tiles.