The Old Bell Hotel

Hotels
9 (1289 reviews)
Abbey Row, Malmesbury , Malmesbury , gb
+44 1666 822344

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Free
Children allowed

Facilities

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

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Friendly staff
Excellent breakfast
Beautiful hotel
Quirky design
Cons:
Overpriced for facilities
Old furnishings
Dirty carpets
High drink prices

Categories

Cleanliness
8.46
Some comments indicated issues with maintenance, such as battered paintwork and dirty carpets.
Service
9.43
Consistently praised for being friendly and attentive.
Location
9.47
Highlighted as very good and within a charming area.
Room Quality
8.42
Some rooms were noted as slightly uncomfortable with old furnishings.
Amenities
8.95
Good amenities, though drinks were remarked as expensive.
Value for Money
8.41
Several reviews indicated that it felt overpriced for certain facilities.
Food and Beverage
9.46
Excellent food quality noted; breakfast and meals received high praise.
Overall Experience
9.43
General sentiment reflected enjoyment and comfort during stay.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-20 02:08

Property Description

Historic Charm and Character
Step back in time and immerse yourself in the rich history of England's oldest purpose-built hotel. From log fires to period furniture, every corner exudes historic charm.

Prime Location
Nestled next to the famous Abbey in Malmesbury, and conveniently located near the Cotswolds and M4 motorway, The Old Bell offers the perfect base for exploring the picturesque surroundings.

Unique Room Experience
Individually furnished rooms provide a blend of traditional elegance and modern comfort. Whether you prefer a cozy, period-style room in the main house or a light-filled retreat in the Coach House, each accommodation is a unique experience in itself.

Experience quintessential English hospitality at The Old Bell. Book your stay now for an unforgettable getaway.

Important information:

Please note that the following rooms are located on upper-level floors:
- Double Room - Character
- A unit of 'Deluxe Double Room'
A deposit may be required at the property.

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

Location

Guest Reviews

9
Based on 1289 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.46
Service: 9.43
Location: 9.47
Room Quality: 8.42
Amenities: 8.95
Value for Money: 8.41
Food and Beverage: 9.46
Overall Experience: 9.43
L
Lindsay • extended_group • gb
7
Beautiful location for a visit to Malmesbury
Pros:

Beautiful setting. Very characterful rooms

Cons:

Bedrooms very uncomfortable in the heat and quite noisy

2026-08-14 • via Nuitee
P
Peter • solo_traveller • gb
10
Alderley Peter
Pros:

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.

Cons:

There was nothing I could find fault with

2026-08-13 • via Nuitee
S
Sara • solo_traveller • it
9
Autentico soggiorno nelle Cotswold
Pros:

Struttura storica bellissima, una vera perla delle Cotswold

Cons:

Niente

2026-08-11 • via Nuitee
C
Colin • solo_traveller • gb
10
2026-08-10 • via Nuitee
G
Gillian • couple • gb
9
2026-08-10 • via Nuitee
J
Joseph • solo_traveller • gb
10
2026-08-09 • via Nuitee
P
Polly • couple • gb
7
2026-08-09 • via Nuitee
A
Asier • solo_traveller • es
10
2026-08-07 • via Nuitee
M
Michael • couple • cy
9
First class period property in prime location with superb staff.
Pros:

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.

Cons:

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.

2026-08-06 • via Nuitee
S
Sikandar • solo_traveller • gb
8
Pros:

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

Cons:

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

2026-08-04 • via Nuitee
S
Samantha Kite • couple • gb
8
We loved our Stay at The Bell. It was the perfect choice - super hotel - highly recommend
Pros:

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.

Cons:

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

2026-08-03 • via Nuitee
S
Shae-Lynn • couple • nl
8
Erg goed op paar puntjes na
Pros:

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

Cons:

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.

2026-08-03 • via Nuitee
M
Michel • couple • be
9
Pros:

fijn hotel,goed ontbijt en leuk restaurant

2026-08-03 • via Nuitee
M
Maya • couple • ch
7
2026-08-02 • via Nuitee
G
GOPIKRISHNAN • family_with_children • ae
10
We were family gathering and would like to recommend this property
Pros:

Every staff was so friendly and professional

2026-08-02 • via Nuitee
F
Ferguson • couple • gb
8
A lovely weekend break in a really comfortable historically English establishment with nice staff, good value
Pros:

Old historic English traditional warm welcoming comfortable

Cons:

Nothing

2026-08-02 • via Nuitee
D
dee090 • Couples
10
Couldn't fault anything
Pros:

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.

2026-07-30 • via Tripadvisor
J
jrs576 • Family • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10
Nailed it
Pros:

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

2026-07-27 • via Tripadvisor
P
Peter • couple • gb
10
Beautiful location, and amazing hotel throughout and staff were spot on .
Pros:

Everything

Cons:

Nothing

2026-07-24 • via Nuitee
N
Nigel • couple • gb
8
Enjoyed our stay
Pros:

Location and restaurant

Cons:

No air conditioning
No fresh fruit for breakfast

2026-07-23 • via Nuitee