The Saracens Head Hotel - The Coaching Inn Group

Hotels
8.6 (2185 reviews)
High Street , Great Dunmow , gb

Free
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
24-hour front desk
Restaurant
Heating
Family rooms
Garden
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Great location
Comfortable rooms
Good food
Cons:
Shabby hotel appearance
Noise from outside
Issues with room maintenance

Categories

Cleanliness
7.94
Some reviews noted shabby conditions and stained upholstery.
Service
9.11
Staff were frequently described as friendly, attentive, and professional.
Location
8.95
The hotel is ideally located, especially for Stansted airport.
Room Quality
8.1
Rooms were described as comfortable but a bit tired in appearance.
Amenities
8.63
General amenities were deemed satisfactory, with good facilities mentioned.
Value for Money
8.78
Guests felt they got good value for what they paid.
Food and Beverage
8.54
Food received high praise, though some breakfast items were disappointing.
Overall Experience
8.72
Many guests expressed a desire to return, highlighting a largely positive experience.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-11 02:29

Property Description

Historic Coaching Inn with Modern Amenities

Charming Heritage: The Saracens Head, a 16th-century coaching inn, has been a welcoming retreat for nearly 400 years. Its historic charm and convenient location offer a unique stay near London Stansted Airport.

Modern Comforts: Fully modernised, the hotel provides well-appointed rooms with free Wi-Fi, TV, telephone, trouser press, hairdryer, and coffee/tea facilities. Guests can enjoy a comfortable blend of history and modern convenience.

Versatile Venue: Located in Dunmow town centre, the hotel features 2 conference rooms, a licensed restaurant, and bar. Whether for business or leisure, Saracens Head offers a versatile venue for any occasion.

Experience the perfect blend of history and modern comfort at Saracens Head. Book your stay now for a memorable retreat near London Stansted Airport.

Important information:

All rooms are non-smoking. Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: STN

Location

Guest Reviews

8.6
Based on 2185 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.94
Service: 9.11
Location: 8.95
Room Quality: 8.1
Amenities: 8.63
Value for Money: 8.78
Food and Beverage: 8.54
Overall Experience: 8.72
C
Corrado couple it
8
Un comodo hotel con ristorante e pub
Pros:

Colazione inglese a richiesta oppure continentale a buffet

2026-08-14 via Nuitee
S
Sharon solo_traveller gb
10
Great location, staff and food
Pros:

Great location for my work and staff friendly and accommodating. Lovely room and breakfast is always fabulous!

2026-08-14 via Nuitee
B
Bethany family_with_children ie
8
It was exaxtly what we needed and met our expectations. Would use again. Staff friendly and helpful.
Pros:

Staff were friendly and helpful

2026-08-13 via Nuitee
R
Rosemary family_with_children gb
8
As first time users of the Coaching Inn Group, we will look to stay in your hotels again.
Pros:

rooms were well equipped
dinner and breakfasts were good
Staff were friendly and helpful.

Cons:

Car parking was tight and spaces difficult to get into. There were also spaces unable to be used as cars would be blocked in.
DIrections to the car park were very poor, especially as there roadworks just in front of the hotel. Although there was a sign next to the hotel, it was not clear how to enter the car park via the road.

2026-08-13 via Nuitee
J
Jeremy couple gb
5
Disappointing and comparatively expensive.
Pros:

Staff and service were good. Breakfast was good. Room was comfortable, clean and a good size.

Cons:

Room was not as we had requested, and certainly not like photos on website. A wedding was taking place on the day we arrived - noisy and disruptive. Room was above courtyard and kitchen - noisy and disruptive. Window panes missing, although secondary glazing present. Shower controls temperamental.

2026-08-13 via Nuitee
R
Reuben solo_traveller gb
8
Clean good location, just the sleep problem
Pros:

Location

Cons:

Room facing courtyard and people chatting till 10.30 at night, tired tired

2026-08-11 via Nuitee
P
Paul solo_traveller gb
10
2026-08-11 via Nuitee
S
Samantha solo_traveller gb
10
Exceptional stay!
Pros:

The Saracen's Head — exceptional stay!

I got the warmest welcome from the moment U checked in— genuinely friendly and helpful.

The rooms are comfortable and spotlessly clean, with really nice amenities. It’s the little personal touches that make it special though: a handwritten welcome note, a rubber duck in the bathroom that made me smile, and plenty of tea and coffee, so you never run out, with the option of fresh milk from the bar if required.
Great location and free parking.
Lovely bar and the food looked delicious.

Felt cared for from start to finish. Would happily stay again.

Cons:

The addition of air conditioning would be a bonus, but there was a fan provided and the curtains were closed to help keep the room cool.

2026-08-10 via Nuitee
B
barry couple gb
8
2026-08-08 via Nuitee
K
Kevin extended_group gb
10
2026-08-08 via Nuitee
R
Robert solo_traveller gb
10
Very comfy, great staff and perfectly located in the town centre.
Pros:

It has character, is well looked after and located centrally

Cons:

The car park was full and in some places tight to get in and out.

2026-08-07 via Nuitee
G
Gabriel solo_traveller ie
10
Great one day stay.
Pros:

We really like the village of Great Dunmow and the Hotel. We stayed there as we had to get a flight from Stansted the next day. Very easy access with a bus stop very close to the Hotel. The room was very clean and comfortable. A lot of amenities close by the Hotel. We'll definitely stay there again in case we need it.

Cons:

Nothing.

2026-08-07 via Nuitee
D
DIANA solo_traveller gb
10
Ideal place for overnight stop for Stansted airport! Can’t fault it!
Pros:

Fantastic location wuth easy access to Stansted airport!
Great accommodation and very pleasant staff!

2026-08-06 via Nuitee
J
Jane solo_traveller gb
7
Pros:

La dame à la réception était très sympa. Le lit lui-même était confortable, la chambre était propre et confortable, et l'hôtel était assez sympa.

Cons:

La chambre était tellement chaude que j'ai eu du mal à dormir. La plupart des fenêtres ne s'ouvrent pas, et la seule fenêtre qui s'ouvrait ne le faisait que par quelques centimètres. Il fallait même laisser couler l'eau dans la douche pendant plusieurs minutes avant que l'eau coule un peu plus fraîche. La chambre n'est pas faite pour la chaleur que nous avons cet été.

2026-08-04 via Nuitee
R
Rita couple fr
10
Pros:

Always stay here. Great place!

2026-08-04 via Nuitee
F
FIRAS solo_traveller gb
2
Awrful
Cons:

Room temperature, unclean room, overall extremely unpleasant room.

2026-08-04 via Nuitee
F
Federica couple it
10
Pros:

Bellissima struttura comoda per l’aeroporto di Stansted, servizi e pulizia ben sopra alla media. Peccato averci fatto una sola notte

2026-08-03 via Nuitee
S
Stephanie couple gb
10
Very enjoyable. We found the bar area very cosy & felt very relaxed.
Pros:

Very central to the town.

Cons:

Nothing

2026-08-02 via Nuitee
G
garethcole4444 solo_traveller gb
1
Pros:

Generally the staff were lovely and the bed was comfy. Clean and tidy.

Cons:

I stayed on a Saturday night, and there was a wedding on. The rooms are situated around the courtyard/car park out back, and there was no escaping the noise. DJ till midnight, then people sat outside chatting till gone 1 - until I asked them to go somewhere else. Noise from people getting picked up in taxis, general sounds of people having a good time, which is great except when it is outside your window on a hot night. Last straw was the DJ loudly dumping his gear in the van at 1.15 right outside my window. Night manager couldn't have cared less. Avoid if you want a decent night's sleep.

2026-08-02 via Nuitee
D
Deborah couple gb
9
Pros:

Excellent location

Cons:

Great facility

2026-07-25 via Nuitee