The Golden Lion Hotel, St Ives, Cambridgeshire - The Coaching Inn Group

Hotels
8.6 (1506 reviews)
Market Hill , St Ives , gb

listing image 1
Show all photos
Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Room service
Terrace
Family rooms
Pets allowed
Luggage storage
Packed lunches
Non-smoking throughout
Kid meals
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Friendly staff
Clean rooms
Good breakfast
Cons:
Noise issues
Parking difficulties
Some cleanliness concerns

Categories

Cleanliness
8.11
Mixed sentiments, with some guests noting a dirty room with cobwebs and another mentioning exceptionally clean.
Service
9.08
Guests frequently mention friendly and helpful staff, contributing positively to their experience.
Location
9.12
Multiple reviews highlight the hotel's excellent location, both convenient and central.
Room Quality
8.07
General sentiments indicate satisfactory room quality, though some reports mention issues such as noise and cramped spaces.
Amenities
8.6
Guests appreciate amenities like comfortable beds and breakfast, but some report a lack of complimentary water.
Value for Money
8.56
Many reviews mention good value for money given the location and amenities.
Food and Beverage
8.61
Consistently positive mentions of the breakfast quality and dining experience.
Overall Experience
8.68
Overall, guests express satisfaction and willingness to return, despite some minor issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-20 15:12

Property Description

Charming 18th Century Coaching Inn
Located in the heart of St Ives, Cambridgeshire, The Golden Lion Hotel is a charming 18th Century Coaching Inn exuding history and character.

Comfortable Accommodation
The bright and airy bedrooms at The Golden Lion Hotel offer en suite bathrooms, tea/coffee facilities, and flat-screen TVs. Perfect for a cozy and relaxing stay.

Delicious Dining Options
Indulge in a full English breakfast and a varied menu of freshly prepared dishes using local seasonal produce. Pair your meal with a selection of wines, spirits, and local ales.

Experience the historic charm and modern comforts at The Golden Lion Hotel, St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Book your stay now for an unforgettable experience.

Important information:

When booking 8 rooms or more, different policies and additional supplements will apply.

Children are allowed on request. Contact property with your requirements. Additional fees apply.

Pets are allowed in the classic rooms upon request. Additional fees apply, please contact property in advance to ensure a pet-friendly room is allocated.

The hotel is a popular venue at weekends with various events and can have live music playing until late, they do their best to ensure this is kept to a minimum.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM

Property Policies

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed on request. Charges may be applicable.

  • Groups

    When booking more than 8 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Parking

    No parking available.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in public areas and is free of charge.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for £10 per person per stay when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 12 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    Adults stay for £10 per person per stay when using an available extra bed.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

8.6
Based on 1506 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.11
Service: 9.08
Location: 9.12
Room Quality: 8.07
Amenities: 8.6
Value for Money: 8.56
Food and Beverage: 8.61
Overall Experience: 8.68
T
Thomson • extended_group • gb
8
Pros:

Room was well sized and had plenty of amenities, quiet from traffic in corridors and other areas of hotel. Breakfast was great with lots of continental choices and the cooked breakfast had amazing choice. Poached eggs were Perfect!!

2026-03-20 • via Nuitee
M
Michael • solo_traveller • gb
9
2026-03-17 • via Nuitee
P
Pip Johnson • solo_traveller • gb
5
Pros:

Central location

Cons:

The bar area wasn't cleaned for several hours, leaving dirty glasses and tables.

2026-03-13 • via Nuitee
D
David • solo_traveller • gb
8
Great business stop over.
Pros:

Good location. Comfy room. Staff all friendly and helpful. Breakfast was lovely & price was competitive.

Cons:

Room was very hot. Radiator in bathroom was seemingly on full and difficult to turn down.

2026-03-11 • via Nuitee
N
Neil • solo_traveller • gb
8
2026-03-11 • via Nuitee
C
Cheryl • family_with_children • gb
9
Stay was very nice. Room a little small but fine for what we needed. Clean and all facilities needed
Pros:

Location is fab, but can’t comment on parking as parked by my family’s home. Didn’t do breakfast as went to family.

Cons:

Hotel was busy on arrival so had to wait at reception for a member of staff. They did acknowledge us, but still had a wait. No problem as we were not in a hurry.

2026-03-10 • via Nuitee
D
Donald • solo_traveller • gb
10
Superb stay
Pros:

The whole building, rooms, bar and restaurant, was spotless and the staff brilliant.

Cons:

Poor phone signal.

2026-03-10 • via Nuitee
B
Bryan • couple • gb
10
It couldn’t have been better. Staff are so friendly and facilities were absolutely brilliant and the location also I cou
Pros:

Everything?

Cons:

Nothing

2026-03-09 • via Nuitee
G
Gary • solo_traveller • gb
9
Enjoyed overnight B and B at the hotel.
Pros:

Comfortable room and good breakfast.

2026-03-05 • via Nuitee
J
Jason • solo_traveller • gb
6
Okay
Pros:

The staff and breakfast is always great. As a repeat and frequent guest, on this occasion the room was not up to expectations. The bathroom floor was damaged due to ongoing room improvements and it still had dust and dirt from the building works to make improvements. Additionally the hotel's policy on bottled water in the rooms has changed. It just seems all the small details that make a great stay are slowly disappearing.

Cons:

The staff and breakfast is always great. As a repeat and frequent guest, on this occasion the room was not up to expectations. The bathroom floor was damaged due to ongoing room improvements and it still had dust and dirt from the building works to make improvements. Additionally the hotel's policy on bottled water in the rooms has changed. It just seems all the small details that make a great stay are slowly disappearing.

2026-03-03 • via Nuitee
J
Jordi • extended_group • es
9
Good location ang fantastic team
Pros:

Wonderfull location for a weekend. Excelent team very helpfully.
Room is good, clean and comfortable

Cons:

No free public parking near. Is a cheap parking quite close

2026-03-02 • via Nuitee
P
Paul Richard • couple • gb
6
Adequate
Pros:

Good location, nice staff

Cons:

Food sent back on numerous occasions for being cold. Arranged evening meal 20.30/20.45 arrived 20.10 and told we have stopped serving!!

2026-03-02 • via Nuitee
K
Karen • couple • gb
10
Had a fabulous weekend , everything was perfect
Pros:

The staff where friendly and efficient

Cons:

Nothing ,

2026-03-01 • via Nuitee
D
David • couple • gb
8
2nd time we have stayed here and will be staying again, the location is great
Pros:

Great

Cons:

The quality of the steak meal was not very good for our evening meal

2026-03-01 • via Nuitee
S
Susannah • family_with_children • gb
9
Enjoyable
Pros:

Great location
Slept well
Nice building

Cons:

Our room had a constant buzzing noise no 17.
Would have been nice to have bottled water.
The lion pictures, please take some down 😊far far too many and not in keeping with the building

2026-02-28 • via Nuitee
J
Jess • couple • gb
6
Lovely room & staff- shame about the noise late at night!
Pros:

Lovely spacious room, friendly staff

Cons:

Unsure if my room was situated right above the bar or restaurant area, but almost constant slamming door late at night when trying to get to sleep. I could also hear people speaking really loudly until almost 1am - it was like they were in the room with me! Safe to say I struggled to sleep and didn’t have the best night.

2026-02-28 • via Nuitee
E
Elizabeth • solo_traveller • gb
5
2026-02-26 • via Nuitee
Y
Yvonne • solo_traveller • gb
8
Excellent breakfast and a comfortable bed
Pros:

Right in the town centre

Cons:

The room was a little dusty

2026-02-25 • via Nuitee
C
Cornelia • family_with_children • de
9
2026-02-25 • via Nuitee
N
Nadim • couple • gb
10
Pros:

Style and location.

2026-02-25 • via Nuitee