The Boat Inn Hayton

Hotels
7.1 (291 reviews)
THE BOAT INN 97 MAIN STREET, HAYTON , Retford , gb

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Heating
Terrace
Family rooms
Garden
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Good food
Cons:
Dirty rooms
Lack of amenities

Categories

Cleanliness
5.11
Several reviews mentioned rooms were dirty with dust, grime, and uncleaned bathrooms.
Service
9.08
Staff were consistently described as friendly and helpful across multiple reviews.
Location
8.62
Many reviews highlighted a good location near nature, although specifics varied.
Room Quality
5.57
Mixed sentiments were shared, with comments on old and unmaintained furniture.
Amenities
5.6
Comments indicated lack of basic amenities like Wi-Fi, and rooms lacking functionality.
Value for Money
6.56
Some reviews mentioned pricing issues, not feeling worth the cost of stay.
Food and Beverage
8.61
Food received positive feedback, although some found it overpriced.
Overall Experience
7.68
Overall experience was mixed; some positive elements tempered by significant concerns.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-09 02:57

Property Description

Charming Riverside Retreat

Nestled in the picturesque town of Retford, The Boat Inn Hayton offers a tranquil escape with modern comforts.

Scenic Surroundings and Convenient Amenities

Enjoy the lush garden, complimentary parking, and a cozy terrace. Indulge in delicious meals at the on-site restaurant and unwind at the bar.

Comfortable Rooms with Modern Touches

Relax in well-appointed guest rooms featuring a flat-screen TV, private bathroom, and a fridge for added convenience.

Experience a delightful stay at The Boat Inn Hayton and make lasting memories in this idyllic setting.

Important information:

The Pub/Restaurant is open 7days a week.

Please check the website for more details.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 10:00 AM

Location

Guest Reviews

7.1
Based on 291 reviews
Cleanliness: 5.11
Service: 9.08
Location: 8.62
Room Quality: 5.57
Amenities: 5.6
Value for Money: 6.56
Food and Beverage: 8.61
Overall Experience: 7.68
G
Garey solo_traveller gb
3
Would not stay here again
Pros:

The fish and chips was excellent

Cons:

The room was not clean. There were cobwebs on the carpeted stairs which looked like they had never been vacuumed. Cobwebs in the bedroom too. The fridge in the room had yellow water stains at the bottom. The lock on our bedroom door did not work so the owner closed the second room we were next too and told us he wouldn’t let the other room and we should lock the shared door.

2026-07-20 via Nuitee
S
Shawn solo_traveller gb
9
Pros:

Very nice Hotel
Didn't eat but looked clean and smelt good.
Great outside seating with outside bar and food outlet next to the canal.
Very compfy bed with rooms next to the hotelm

Cons:

No breakfast. 😔

2026-07-13 via Nuitee
E
Elaine solo_traveller es
4
Disapointing
Cons:

Fridge shower dirty, generaL state of disrepair, Blinds in bathroom destroyed, plaster peeling, paint tired and old, no check in check out facility, guy arrived rushing to give me a key. Nobody answers the telephone, attached to a pub which doesn't open Mon/Tues. Don't know who manages the property but they deserve the sack. The entrances to the apartments haven't been cleaned either.

2026-07-11 via Nuitee
O
Olivia solo_traveller gb
10
Very enjoyable, would recommend.
Pros:

Firstly, the pub itself is lovely, staff are kind and welcoming, including the locals who are in there. Checking in was nice, quick and easy!
I actually locked myself out of the room within minutes of going in after going to get more out of the car, they dealt with it quickly and didn’t make me feel uncomfortable in any way nor inconvenient which made me feel at ease! 😂🤦🏻‍♀️
Room was lovely, plenty of space, handy it had a fridge!! & very welcoming for my dog too. There are specific rooms for people with pets and others for those without which is great.
The location is so nice, has a little gate to the canal, lovely garden area with outdoor pub, freshly made pizzas available (lots of other food too) and I couldn’t hear a single thing from my room from the pub itself, as the rooms are within a seperate building which was convenient for sure. It was a very peaceful stay and I will definitely stay again when next visiting family.

Thankyou!

Cons:

The only thing I can think of is there’s not great signal there but that’s absolutely no fault of the pub itself it’s the area In general! (They do have WiFi which helps!)

2026-06-28 via Nuitee
M
Mark solo_traveller gb
3
Over priced, not clean needs lots of tlc
Pros:

Location

Cons:

In need of lots of tlc , cobwebs, broken tiles in bathroom, loose toilet seat, entrance door hanging off,mouldy shower area, no WiFi as advertised.

2026-06-06 via Nuitee
D
DAVID solo_traveller gb
2
Don't go there
Pros:

Staff were great, loads of parking space food was good

Cons:

The room was terrible, fridge stunk and had mould in it, black mould around the shower, stains on the bedsheets slept on top of the quilt, cobwebs in the room, the main light was full of dead insects, in the hall by the front door there was damp and the paint was peeling off of the wall emailed them with pics they didnt even have the courtesy to reply

2026-06-02 via Nuitee
S
Steve couple gb
7
Overall good with friendly helpful staff
Pros:

For the price it was very good. The pub itself was lovely with great beer and food. However the rooms are a bit tired, which is reflected in the price per night.

Cons:

As above

2026-06-01 via Nuitee
R
Rhianne solo_traveller gb
9
2026-05-23 via Nuitee
R
Rupert solo_traveller gb
5
Economic and functional but no real glamour
Pros:

Good location for my work. Pub food was good.

Cons:

Dirty room. Cobwebs. Grubby paintwork. Tired looking bathroom

2026-05-15 via Nuitee
M
Maarjorie family_with_children gb
5
Not to be repeated.
Pros:

The meal we had in the evening was good.

Cons:

Beds were too soft, no seat to sit on,shower tray overflowed. The advertised fridge in the room didn't work. Needs blackout curtains.

2026-05-13 via Nuitee
D
David solo_traveller gb
9
Excellent!
Pros:

The surroundings were great. The bar, restaurant and staff were exceptional! The food was excellent!

Cons:

The only thing I can think of that wasn’t perfect, and it’s a minor thing, was the WiFi. The room WiFi was nonexistent even though it said I was connected. It didn’t help that I couldn’t get a mobile signal. Strangely there’s a different WiFi in the restaurant which worked!

2026-05-12 via Nuitee
V
Valentin solo_traveller gb
10
2026-05-11 via Nuitee
D
David couple gb
4
Apart the the lovely atmosphere n food in pub it was very disapointing . We were told there was WiFi and wasn’t any at a
Pros:

Bed was ok shower ok .?mould around the shower .all room needs upgrading .

Cons:

NO WIFI. NOT OFFERED ANY CLEAN TOWELS OR TOILET ROLLS .

2026-05-04 via Nuitee
C
Cotton solo_traveller gb
2
never again
Pros:

nothing

Cons:

the room was in a poor state cracked walls in side door hanging off hinges did not stay at i am in the process of asking booking.com 4 a full refund

2026-03-31 via Nuitee
J
John couple gb
10
2026-03-30 via Nuitee
M
Milford couple gb
5
Pros:

Meals were good but be warned of 10% service charge.

Cons:

Room superficially clean. Thick dust under bed and high level window cills. No clothes hangers in wardrobe, no shelving in bathroom and no toilet roll holder. Also shower waste needs attentiin. Dog friendly room for £25 extra!

2026-03-17 via Nuitee
M
Mann couple gb
8
The Boat Inn
Pros:

Clean comfortable room. Food was excellent in the pub.

Cons:

Breakfast not available, however not an issue. Might be an idea to consider putting some breakfast items in the room and charging a bit extra as an option?

2026-03-05 via Nuitee
M
Mike solo_traveller gb
10
Definitely go back
Pros:

Very cozy lovely location

Cons:

Nothing

2026-02-25 via Nuitee
C
Colin solo_traveller gb
1
Very disappointing. Won’t be stopping here again and it’s a pity that the accommodation is not to the same standard as t
Pros:

Location was good along with the pub/restaurant but aside from this absolutely nothing!

Cons:

We stopped in ROOM 1 which was small, dirty and poorly maintained.

Main room - One side of the bed was up against the wall which meant you had to crawl off the bed at the bottom. That in itself was problematic as there was only about a 150mm gap as the wardrobe was at the end of the bed. This also meant you couldn’t fully open the wardrobe doors. On moving the bedside cabinet (this had the centre draw knob missing) to plug in the phone charger there was a great deal of thick dust behind it.

Bathroom - The top hinge of the door was very loose which meant that you couldn’t close it properly. Also, both the internal and external handles had screws missing or hanging out, which again meant you couldn’t close the door. The toilet flushing mechanism wasn’t functioning correctly and there was dried urine on the seat hinges! On getting in the shower I was confronted by a cobweb. The spray from the shower head did not work correctly on none of the settings and the shower head itself and it kept sliding down the riser rail.

TV/WiFi - Some of the TV channels were not available as the signal was very poor. The WiFi was virtually non existent, continually buffering so both streaming TV and using the internet proved difficult. We did raise our concerns with the staff who said that would look into it, but aside from giving us the ‘business’ internet log on did nothing. This connection was poor also and as the guest WiFi it continually buffered. We couldn’t even hotspot our phones as despite us using different networks both signals were hit and miss.

Outside - To the right of the entrance door was the pub/restaurant dustbin area and just as we were settling down in the evenings the staff came and emptied the bottle bins into the main dustbins. It think was is very inconsiderate to the staying guests.

2026-02-23 via Nuitee
E
Edward solo_traveller gb
8
2026-02-12 via Nuitee