Best Western Priory Hotel

Just visited for Sunday lunch. Carvery was fantastic. 3 meats available, generous portions of, with all the sauces and trimmings. As many roasties and yorkshires as wanted, and they do children's options too. Thank you, Best Western Priory Hotel.

There was no air conditioning on a record hot few days. The hot water heater also went out. The internet was very spotty. The Manager, Frank, said he would reimburse us for the room. It has been 8 months of follow up with no response. I will never be back. Beware!

This hotel has a lovely garden and sweet courtyard rooms on first glance it looks great but .. my room was spacious with a large bed, unfortunately it was 2 single bed pushed together which then had an uncomfortable ridge down the middle. The light switch was only accessible from one side of the bed and then at a stretch, over bed reading lights had pull cords that served no apparent purpose. The room had a pretty little bay window which would have been a good place to sit but it was blocked by a chest of drawers with a tv on top. No sockets accessible from the bed, goodness knows where you were expected to plug the hairdryer in, no USB ports.. The bathroom was spacious but the bath was cheap plastic and moved alarmingly when standing in it to shower. Pillow case was torn. Curtains faded and hanging down furniture seen better days. Parking good. This could be a lovely hotel if these issues were addressed but at the moment it feels like no one really cares .

I found this hotel very disappointing especially the automated check in and out facility which did not work properly. Reception staff unfriendly no help with any language . Food was average and bar facilities the same. It appeared to have very young and inexperienced staff which in general were not helpful . The breakfast I gave a miss and the room facilities were poor. Not worth the price I paid . It's is a hotel I never visit again .

Great room , fabulous shower and free parking however I wasn't impressed with the checking in process and would rather have dealt with a human being rather than a machine obviously they are cutting down on staff which I think isn't a good idea

Leaking Toilet flush, faulty shower, no sound proofing. One of the worst BW hotel ever stayed. Loose floor boards and the room was not cleaned even when the note was left on the door. Had to stay for four nights through this hell.

We've just returned home from our latest overnight stay at our regular ( and favourite) hotel. As usual we had a lovely time. Thanks Hannah for taking our booking bless you. Also special mention to John, who was so kind and as usual so helpful during our stay. x Also thank you to Megan and Callum ( plus the young man, sorry we don't have your name, working alongside Callum during dinner service) for looking after us and making our delicious afternoon tea, and excellent dinner ( and brekkie, chef cooks the best mushroom cheese omelettes) so great. We often return to The Priory as it's a lovely clean, welcoming place, serving delicious food, relaxing clean comfortable airy rooms, and most importantly of all the whole team are so lovely and welcoming. Nothings ever too much trouble. Mr Queen ( sorry we missed you this visit) you are manager of such a great place. That's why we always return. Huge thanks to all once again. ( and sorry we missed you Sophie, Jo and Katie) Karen and Steve x

The room was clean with tea making facilities and nice biscuits! The bed very comfortable . The staff were very polite and helpful. We ate breakfast and dinner in the restaurant. The food was well presented and enjoyable.There was plenty of parking spaces.

What a wonderful carvery. I had a generous helping of tender beef, a lovely selection of six vegetables that were cooked perfectly with crispy roasties and fluffy Yorkshire puds. Managed to squeeze in a fab apple crumble and custard too. The staff were friendly, courteous and polite even with a busy restaurant. We will definitely be going back - sooner rather than later!

Only popped in to have a catch up with family and decided to have food. We Had a delicious lunch. The best chicken fillet burger I've ever had with the coleslaw and fries. All staff were welcoming and friendly. Will definitely be coming back for lunch again very soon. Would highly recommend.

We came as a small party of 4 for a party night in December. With the price seeming way too reasonable & previous experiences of these type of events we didn't have majorly high expectations. However our experience was fantastic, the team made us feel very welcome & allowed everyone to have fun & they got involved & enjoyed the banter. The disco & games were great fun, got everyone involved & raised a bit of money for charity. Our food was delicious, no photos as we ate it too quickly! The turkey was delicious & the tastiest I've ever had, I'd have appreciated a sprout but I'm probably fairly alone in that request! Some very tasty wines on offer at very reasonable prices! The staff out did themselves & we will certainly be back for another one!

Spent 2 nights at the hotel for our new year break, excellent service good food and good value. Nice room with bed split into singles as our request, very helpful house keeping manageress and all staff very bright and helpfull.

The hotel itself is not located very close to the city centre - despite the website stating it is a 30minute 'stroll' there's not even a pedestrian entrance to the hotel grounds - you have to walk round a blind corner up the driveway which is very unsafe. There's also no crossing to get to the side of the road needed to walk to the town centre - although this is obviously not the hotel's fault I would have said advertising it as a stroll is misleading. The room itself was very basic, certainly not 'superior' although we paid extra for a superior double. Paying over £100/night you'd expect at least the basic amenities to work but the hair dryer stopped working while I was midway through drying my hair and the leaky kettle didn't even fit into the sink to be filled. Ever soft furnishing in the room had some kind of stain (both chairs and the runner on the bed). And there was an awful smell in the room when we arrived. This didn't go away while we stayed there so we had to keep the window open the whole time we were in the room. After paying extra for breakfast (on top of the more than £100/night) I expected it would at least be cooked. Unfortunately this was not the case, on of the hash browns I ate still frozen in the center. The eggs were inedible they were so rubbery. The only redeeming feature of breakfast was the coffee, which was surprisingly good considering came from a vat. I've never stayed at another Best Western hotel before so cannot say whether this is standard for them or a particularly poor experience. However, following this experience I won't be risking it and staying with Best Western again.

We enjoyed the VIP package and wow it was value for money. The wine tasting and dinner was so good ! The best part of the stay was the customer service experience. The staff were wonderful, especially Callum.

I had booked the Best Western Priory Hotel for 16th September for a friends wedding back at the beginning of August. I had received confirmation of my booking from Best Western. When booking I was advised that check in is from 3pm. The wedding I was attending started at 2pm but they informed me that I could check in when I got back from the wedding as their desk is always manned. When I got to the hotel after the wedding I was advised I had been moved to a different hotel and there was no available rooms. I had an email from 13/09/23 confirming my booking at Priory and asking if I wanted to upgrade my room so not sure how they managed to give my room away. I had received three calls from the hotel during the day (all of which were received while I was at the wedding) and as I did not recognise the number I didn't call them back. No other prior contact was made in relation to my room situation. I had to get a cab back to the wedding venue and top and tail with with two friends in their bed after having walked to the hotel from the wedding venue due to difficulty getting Uber's. I have been reimbursed for the cost of my room and they have paid the cost of the taxi and breakfast the next morning which was a very modest £25 (as breakfast was included in my booking). I am very unhappy that there has been no further effort made by Best Western and feel I should be receiving compensation for the inconvenience caused by them. The only efforts to contact me were on the day I was due to stay. They moved me to a different hotel and this hotels check-in ends at 11PM which is before the wedding finished so in essence it wasn't fit for purpose. Yes they have reimbursed me for my stay, the breakfast and the taxi but they are really obligated to do so following what has happened. But there have been no further efforts made by them. To make matters worse when I arrived at the hotel at 12:30 I went inside to speak to someone at the desk and ask for assistance as I had previously been told I would be able to keep my luggage with them instead of leaving it in my car. But there wasn't anyone there, a note on the desk advised to check the bar if unmanned but no one was there either. I was hoping to get the hotel to order me a taxi as Uber wasn't available for me (probably too many people going to the same wedding). I ended up walking to the venue and basically undressing on the way there it was so hot. Had I been contacted about the the room situation I could have arranged to stay at the other hotel, saved myself the stress of the situation plus the long walks to and from the wedding venue and got my own bed instead of having my mates stinky feet in my face all night. What I have been offered is what I would consider the bare minimum they could do to try and resolve the matter. The complaints team are aware that I am unsatisfied with their offer but do not care. I would like to know how they would feel about the situation of getting turned away at the door, late in the evening and then having to sleep with your mates stinky feet in your face. I will not be using the Best Western Hotels again, there clearly is a communication issue regarding how they notify clients of changes to their accommodation and they don't really care about inconvenience caused by these action. The whole process caused a lot of stress and tainted an otherwise amazing day.

We had a fantastic time at the Priory Hotel for our wedding reception, the staff and manager were so helpful, making sure our special day went without a hitch. Recommend highly this venue. Mr and Mrs Hatt

We booked this hotel based upon the good reviews that it seemed to have here but I wish we had got the same standard of care. Firstly we arrived about an hour before due check in time so we thought that we would enquire if our room was ready as we wanted to leave our case and then explore the area. There was no one at the reception desk and despite ringing the bell it took quite a while to be served. My wife asked the receptionist if she could check if our romm was available. Whe was totally dismissive and just said i am not going to look as you have not paid for early check in. Ok so we left and came back at 3PM. She must have told several people the same as there was a big queue for check in at 3PM. Anyway we checked in and she said that we do not have breakfast booked. I showed her our booking which clearly said bed and breakfast and she did accept this and said it was an error on our booking. When sh gave me the key card we noticed that it had someone else's name on it. I checked back and she said "oh yes we swapped the rooms around". We booked a superior double room but when we got into our room it was very small and with the slope of the eaves we could not walk around one side of the bed witrhout hitting our head. We went back down to reception to enquire to see if we was given a standard double instead of a superior double but the receptionist just said all their rooms were standard doubles. We asked why we had been charged for a superior double but she just dismissed it saying they do not classify the rooms even though this was booked directly with Best Western. We went out for the rest of the afternoon and got back early evening. we enquired about booking a table at the restaurant only to be told that the restaurant was closed due to a wedding function. So we enquired about getting a drink from the bar only to be told again that the bar was not open due to said wedding function. They just said there is a pub across the road. We were never informed from our booking or when we checked in that the restaurant or bar was not available for guest to use. Due to the wedding function it was very difficult to park in either of the car parks and we had to leave our car in a precarious place. In the morning we went for breakfast only to be told that due to the wedding function breakfast was buffet style. The breakfast was not brilliant (sausages were very anaemic) and bacon had run out and we had to wait for some more to be cooked. when we went to check out once again there was no one on reception so we just left our key card in the box on the desk. The next day I noticed that BW had charged my credit card £72. I had prepaid the room and we could not have anything from the restaurant or bar as we were not allowed to use it. I rang BW. First time someone said they would get someone to call me back (which they didn't). i rang again later in the afternoon only to be told yes it was a mistake and they would refund me. we have used Best Western hotels a couple of times before with no issues but after this experience it will be a long time before we use them again. You get a better level of service from Premier Inn at a fraction of the cost.

We had a couple of nights here recently and it was a nice stay overall. We had a room in one of the annexe buildings which was clean and comfortable with a good shower and daily housekeeping. We were on a DBB rate but despite asking about the dinner at reception, we were in fact, given incorrect information which lead to us querying our final bill. The lady who checked us out was very efficient and the issue was promptly solved. The food was very nice, although the menu wasn't extensive and the wine selection was excellent and reasonably priced. The breakfast was better when cooked to order than as a buffet but still there was both a hot and continental selection. Overall a nice stay and we would return if we were in the area again.

Unfortunately there was black mould in multiple parts of my room. I was asked to contact the manager and share photos but no one has gotten back to me. If the room was hygienic it would have been a lovely stay.

We have just had a great 2 night stay on a special VIP offer, we had special reserved parking allocated for us, executive room which was large with a walk-in shower ensuite, thank goodness for the fan! We had a glass of prosecco, and blinis on arrival, nice touch. We had a very tasty and filling 5 course taster dinner with 5 different wines to try! In the lovely garden restaurant overlooking the lovely grounds. The staff are all so friendly and accommodating making you feel very welcome. We had tea and coffee and biscuits in our room. Breakfast was very good too. Thank you to all. We would love to come back again.

Really nothing to complain about - nice hotel with nice, friendly staff. Would also strongly recommend the VIP experience/dinner. What is wrong with you, Tip adviser? I don't have time or ideas for 200 characters! Blah blah blah blah blah blah

My husband and I had our wedding reception here. It was just perfect. It was the third time due to covid! But nothing was too much trouble. All our needs were attended to and advise was given it was amazing. Everything came to plan and went off without a hitch. We had the resident DJ, Gary who too was great. We also used Claire from CMA events who co ordinated the table decs and all that went with it. Then there was Jean who made our beaut wedding cake. Theses people are a dream team. On the day the Priory staff were attentive and well co ordinated. We also had a room for the night which like the hotel as a whole was very clean and well presented. Breakfast was a great selection of continental and full English. All my guests said how lovely the whole package was. Keep up the good work.

The hotel is close to town for travelers looking to eat out, however, the hotel restaurant also offers nice food and reasonable prices, the upgraded rooms are very nice, the outside rooms need a bit more modernisation but are comfortable and everything works there just a little tired!

Had a lovely day to celebrate my Mum's 80th birthday.The hotel staff went the extra mile & decorated the table in addition to gifting us a second bottle of prosecco to enjoy.Took some lovely photos in the picturesque garden to remember the occasion.

Attended a family wedding. Everything was fabulous, from the food to the room. Very clean and comfortable in all areas of the hotel, lovely friendly staff. Beautiful gardens.Would highly recommend. We will definitely be returning

On arrival at my room, located in the garden, I had to step over a half-drunk glass of beer and pile of cigarette stubs. The carpet was filthy and there was no hot water in the morning for a shower. The toilet had not been cleaned for a very long time - looked worse than my son's student flat! On arrival at the hotel there was no one in reception, and again on departure reception was not manned - this meant on both occasions searching the hotel to find someone. The staff that were manning the restaurant and bar were very pleasant but over-stretched doing dinners/breakfasts and covering reception.

Went on a special offer VIP deal.First impression was that the outside space was in need of some TLC.Room was adequate but had stains on bedding.First morning buffet cooked breakfast wasn't very hot but second day it was plated and better.5 course taster menu with wine was really nice,tasty hot food.Dining room also needs a bit more dusting and cleaning.

It was a pity I used the hotel as somewhere to stay due to a funeral. The staff were courteous and helpful and the area around the hotel was lovely to visit but I had no time. Will be back at a later date to explore

I recently held a wake for my husband at the hotel. The staff, service, food and location was excellent and I had lots of comments from family and friends on how good it was. Frank the Manager was so helpful and happy to help me with everything I needed. John made everything work like clockwork, such a valued member of staff. Every other staff member on the day was so helpful and polite, I couldn't have asked for more. Thank you Best Western Priory Hotel I will definitely have no hesitation in recommending you.

We've just enjoyed another stay at this lovely place. As always we were warmly greeted on arrival ( and that stayed the same right through our stay) Such a smashing team. Mr Queen at the helm ( hope you're showing Nathan the ropes ok) Jo, bless her a true gem. Needs to split herself in a hundred pieces as she's always running about making sure everyone's having the best time. Huge thanks Jo x Also Sophie was in. Another great asset to The Priory x. We enjoyed a tasty afternoon tea. Jo, Katie and her younger sis were all keeping everyone happy ( Oh but did we ever miss the bottomless afternoon tea we ALWAYS usually have. Brian and Sean take note !!) Then after relaxing in our spotless clean and cosy room ( even has an eat me sweetie jar filled with lots of goodies which is a fun touch Mr Queen ) we enjoyed a lovely three course dinner. Delicious, good choices, well presented, plentiful, delightful. Jo attentive and friendly as always, still on duty and keeping us happy. After a very relaxed, peaceful nights sleep we enjoyed yet another delicious food offering. Breakfast. Jo to the rescue again x Plentiful hot buffet, a separate menu too should you want omelettes ( my personal favourite) eggs Benedict, porridge etc. And good cereal, pastry options too. Tea, coffee, juices, milks. After filling up heartily we were ready for home ( didn't want to leave really)and after another cheery welcome from Sophie on reception, we left feeling very chilled and batteries recharged. Big thanks once again to Mr Queen, Jo, Sophie, Katie (and sis) plus all the rest of the team we didn't see this visit. You know of course, we will be back. Karen and Steve x

Gorgeous old building set in relaxing grounds. Easy 15 minuteish walk from town centre and station. All the staff friendly and helpful but especially manager. Comfy room, excellent breakfasts. Loved the special customer host which made my stay even more purrfect.

We visited on Monday the 24th of July and was taking my friend for afternoon tea - it was absolutely amazing for the price as well couldn't have wished for anything better!! They were so generous and kind and the man who was working on that day in the restaurant deserves recognition, he made our time so much better was so attentive and polite so please let him know ! Would 100% recommend and will be returning - perfect place to take a loved one for a special occasion !

We held our wedding at the priory hotel . The staff where very helpful and kind. The weather was raining all day so they re organised the food and kept us all happy. i didnt have any stress on the day because of the lovely staff. No complaints !! fab wedding day

Near perfect wedding reception - a million thanks to Frank, Katurah and the team for giving us the best day. Canapés welcome drinks and buffet great clean room and a cracking breakfast next day - couldn't fault it.

With some investment in decorating and upgrading this hotel it would be a "go to" place to stay in Bury St. Edmunds. The interior is in serious need of new carpets and improvement in general decor. Ventilation is poor. The grounds and setting were very attractive and peaceful and close to town center.

I brought this afternoon tea for two on Groupon for me and my son.it had additional deal on ,I got the sparkling afternoon tea for two for just 14.96. After reading some reviews I thought "oh well get what you pay for"...but actually I feel like it was worth more and we got an absolute bargain. They let me have my sons glass of prosecco as he is only 11...so for 14.96 I had 2 glasses of prosecco, he had a massive pot of tea, and all the food pictured.we couldn't eat all the sandwiches or cakes and took the cakes home in a box. The bread was lovely and fresh, the warm sausage rolls was tasty, the scones were a little crunchy but I actually love them like that, loads of jam and cream, the macrons soft and fresh, the brownies sticky and lush and the St clements cake was VERY moist and tasty! The girl serving us was polite and fast service. I'd DEFINATELY do it again with Groupon!

Excellent afternoon tea was had at this establishment. Staff were very attentive and helpful especially Sophie. Table was reserved and a great outlook to the gardens from where we were seated. The tea was good with a variety of sandwiches cakes and scones. The sausage roll was a bonus and very meaty. All in all a very pleasant afternoon , would I go again certainly yes.

Our ground floor room faced directly onto the carpark. There was no double glazing and the room was extremely noisy with noise from the carpark and from the room above (stomping; slamming doors) in the middle of the night (3 a.m.) and early in the morning (delivery vans). As a result, we slept very badly for the entire three nights. On the plus side, the room was spacious and the food in the restaurant was very nice. As other guests have noted, the single beds are very small, and the water from the shower is scalding hot. These issues are clearly ongoing and have not been addressed by hotel management.

Came for a sparkling afternoon tea! Got shoved in the corner of the Garden room. The sandwiches were just OK. The scones were OK but dry. The cakes were (Iceland yuck) Then, when it came to the prosecco, we got forgotten about. My wife had to go and search for staff to remind them. All told, we wouldn't come here again. Oh, and spot the cobweb and spider in the prsecco glass!

Just passing and saw all the signs for Carvery and having just had a walk around the lovely town we thought just the thing. Drove into a dead car park with about 5 staff all out smoking. My wife said doesn't look open, I saw 1 couple eating in a massive restaurant and carvery on so we went to reception and lady said fully booked and can't take anymore walk inns, there is only one couple eating?!?! Any more walk inns, the place was empty. We would've eaten and gone by 1pm 30/07/23

Great stay. We enjoyed a delicious taster menu on the first evening and vegetarians were well catered for. Sophie at breakfast was incredible , she went over & above . On the 2nd morning she remembered us and asked if she could get us any additional vegetarian food . She was very attentive & polite, we felt valued. The location is ideal for walking into the beautiful town.

Shockingly awful room they should not be selling. Room 8 it was just dreadful. Receptionist agreed couldn't move me hotel was full. Couldn't find a room anywhere else the town was full. I have been refunded and she was super kind but … she should not have been in that position it's down to the owners/lack of investment etc

A long wait at reception to get checked in. The room needs updating, old furniture. Toilet noisey & doesn't flush properly. You can hear other guests having a shower in the room next door. Bed ok. Buffet breakfast wasn't good. Lovely little black who wonders into the hotel! Possibly a stray so I hope he gets feed!

We had a lovely weekend away at this lovely hotel , the staff were amazing and very professional.. the food is outstanding and breakfast lots of Choice… definitely recommend . The grounds around the hotel are well kept and nice that pets are allowed too

Awful place, unmotivated staff. Stayed in the 'new wing' which has large pleasant rooms but are built of cardboard so you hear every neighbour toilet flush or conversation. Called ahead to check that we could get early breakfast: the corporate central call office failed to say that cooked breakfast would start 30 minutes after 'continental' breakfast. In fact croissants appears after 30 minutes too. Bar is very poorly stocked with no cask ales, no stout bottle or tap, some tap beers run out, narrow spirit selection. Also as soulless as a modern care home. Room cleaning consists of lavatory flush and restock of tea/coffee.

This is a great venue, perfect for a summer evening with both inside and outside seating. The food was delicious and of a good standard. It would have been improved if there were more staff serving at the bar. I thought £3.50 was very expensive for a diet coke!

VIP experience, we had a two night stay at the Priory, our sat nav took us to the rear car park, so we initially missed the vip parking, but soon moved the car to the front of the hotel. Initial impressions were slightly disappointing, as the main hotel and our room, which was above reception, could do with a bit of a spruce up. Then the barman said we could only get a sandwich at the bar as they had run out of everything else. What had I done! From then on, and my expectations recalibrated, the whole stay was fabulous, the staff were excellent, the tasting menu food and wine really was superb. I was expecting to find somewhere else to eat for our second day, but as the food and service was so good we ate in the restaurant again and it was just as good. Our room, being part of the main hotel had “character” and was pretty noisy, squeaky floor above, banging doors etc. but it must be impossible to sound proof an old building. To sum up, my initial, probably unrealistic expectations were quickly put to one side with the great staff, breakfasts and evening meals. We will definitely stay at the Priory again, there is plenty to do a short walk in Bury.

We were amazed at the vast improvement the hotel has undergone since our last visit post pandemic. The recently refurbished room was excellent with a great walk in shower. The staff couldn't do enough and made the whole experience brilliant. The breakfast had plenty of choice and the five course taster dinner was just perfect. You can see that the Hotel was still a work in progress but any current shortfall was easily made up by the enthusiasm and willingness of ALL the staff without exception to make our stay as good as it could possibly be. Well done to all at The Priory Hotel Bury St Edmunds.

A lovely Hotel. Rooms very clean and well stock with tea/coffee. Excellent service from all Staff (JoJo in particular and the dark haired lady on Reception, who's name escapes me as it was unusual). Restaurant very nice, food very good. A very pleasant weekend. Would stay there again.

We stayed here the the VIP voucher the hotel offered us. When we arrived the car park signage was a little unclear so unfortunately I didn't find the VIP parking space saved for us straight away. This worked in our favour though since we were coming in separate cars and it meant my husband could park straight into the space. It turns out there are two entrances/car parks to the hotel. Check in was smooth, the ladies were polite and friendly. I didn't receive any meet and great as promised on the voucher but as I arrived alone I wasn't too bothered about this. I also didn't get the welcome prosecco and canapés, but the receptionist advised me to collect these once settled. The reception isn't always manned. It turns out the same staff man the bar too. Can't be helped but a little bit inconvenient to have to walk round to the bar when you get there. My room was on the first floor, there are no lifts so I had to manage the stairs with two small suitcases myself. The room was OK. I find Best Western standards have dropped over the years and that was reflected in this stay. There was a big stain on the carpet and bird poo on the inside of the window, as well as a load of scuffed paint. However the bed was comfortable, the shower facilities were excellent, I was just gutted there wasn't a bath! And a really nice note from the manager, as well as some sweets. You don't seem to receive that kind of gesture these days so that was a really kind thought. The hotel gardens were pretty. We had the five course taster meal later that evening. All our preferences were catered for and the food was delicious. The waitor could have cracked a smile though! The following day (and night) there was a wedding. The hotel rang to inform me this a few days before and advised us that the restaurant would be closed. Whilst I appreciate weddings happen, it did mean we couldn't fully relax. Although we could still use the bar, we couldn't get served in the afternoon during the speeches. That night we were disturbed lots of times by doors banging and people yelling up and down the corridors, not to mention the music playing. It felt that our VIP treatment was for the first night only! Breakfast each morning was also a little hit and miss. We came down for 8.30am and there wasn't a lot there. Thankfully you could order hot food but we were under the impression that you could only order one thing. Above all we wouldn't choose to come here again, the hotel is a bit far out of the city centre so there wasn't a lot to do.

I stayed here in January with my partner and was particularly blown away by the service. Whilst it may not be the most attractive hotel in bury the staff make it better than most hotels and really make you feel welcome. The food was excellent and would definitely stay here again.

We were a party of 8 friends who found the service and food excellent. The hotel is well placed for a visit to Bury St Edmunds and the staff made it a visit we thoroughly enjoyed. Short walk into the town centre and easy road access to other attractions in the area.

My friend and I stayed at this hotel for 2 nights, we had a huge room, which was clean and comfortable. All staff were friendly and helpful. We had a lovely breakfast on both days, and a 5 course taster evening meal, which was superb.

Lovely staff seyi, Nicole, raff, Jo, chef Dan very welcoming amazing service 10/10 would come again, definitely for the sours, amazing company, food was delicious, seyi was good even though he is learning xx

Clearly have guests who are government funded rooms are awful bad odour bar staff rude but the lady on reception was professional and good that's all i can really say i was so relieved to get back in my car in the morning was going to have breakfast but no way

I recently stayed at the priory hotel for the first time with my husband for a peaceful get away, and the priory will be seeing us again! from the moment we entered the door we were greeted by the wonderful reception team, our room was spacious and pristine, I had a very good nights sleep! The food was exquisite, and the breakfast was the perfect end to our stay. The team at the priory are so welcoming and polite. A great team with a fantastic environment. Cant wait to return.

Ive been visiting The Priory on and off for the past 10 years with work and it is always my hotel to stop at if in the area. I always have a warm welcome off the staff who I have got to know ovwr the years and nothong is ever too much trouble. The food has always been lovely, the atmosphere always relaxing, with my favourite rooms to stop in being the ones in the outbuildings!! So, to all at the Priory, I will see you next time whilst on my work travels!!

I stay at the Best Western Priory Hotel on a regular basis and the staff here make it a home from home. Their friendly and efficient demeanour make this a pleasurable experience every time. Sophie and Hannah have been stars over the many visits ensuring that my many stays are as pleasant as possible. The hotel has great facilities and the rooms are warm and comfortable. The food here is great and I have no hesitation in recommending this hotel as a base to visit Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area. Frank the hotel manager is always on hand and will sort out any little issues as they arise.

I booked an afternoon tea for myself and my daughter direct with the hotel. From the moment we walked into the door to the moment we left all of the staff where very welcoming and could not do enough to make sure we where comfortable throughout are time there. The food was all freshly made right down to the scones and sausage rolls. We have also decided to book a stay with the hotel in the next few months for a little break. Thank you to the whole team and The Priory see you all again soon !!

Went for a Groupon afternoon tea on Thursday 19th January. I could not fault a thing, the waiter was very polite nothing too much trouble, sandwich's, sausage rolls scones with clotted cream and jam and cakes were all delicious and of good quality. Reading some negative reviews really surprised me. Would certainly recommend.

Thank you so much for giving us a wonderful break. We were fortunate enough to be offered the 5 course taster menu and wine flight taster during our weekend and it was amazing. Breakfast was lovely. Everything was perfect. Enjoyed the whole experience x

I came for the first time with my partner before christmas and I had a brilliant experience, food was heavenly and the staff were so pleasant and welcoming. I love that the hotel has a modern and classic theme to suit everyones taste. I have already started planning my next trip!

Stayed here in family room. Excellent room, really clean and breakfast was fab. Thanks John for taking care us. Great access into town for January sales shopping trip. Didn't have dinner but all staff we meet were very friendly and professional. Defiantly will come back.

The worst hotel I have ever stayed in, in terms of getting a good night s sleep. Christmas parties just below my room going on till midnight and then partygoers carrying on with the chat . Receptionists charming and understanding but powerless to do anything. Manager unapologetic saying this was normal for December and that this was on their website which I did not see and still dont... No maintenance men on the weekend so the loo handle that became disconnected was not fixed on my return to my room that evening, warranting a room change. Then another party below that night...This place is a health hazard if you are then driving a distance the next day!

Just returned from a 2 night stay. Absolutely fantastic. Every member of staff we met were very friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble. We had dinner and wine flight which were amazing. The food was top class both dinner and breakfast. We could not fault anything. We will be booking to come again.

A group of 10 friends booked a Christmas party night and between us booked 5 rooms. Communication regarding the party booking could have been better - in that I rang twice to check timings for the evening and felt like they didn't know what I was asking about. That said we turned up and checked into our room with ease (our room was in the main part of the hotel). Our room did what it said on the tin. It was clean enough and the bed was comfortable. Having made ourselves party ready we headed down to the bar prior to taking our seats. The bar staff were pleasant although the cost of drinks did vary during the evening for the same two drinks! The food was fabulous. Tasty and hot - which is impressive given there were about 70 of us in total. The DJ part of the Christmas party was brilliant and we all had a great time. There is no reason we won't be back for 2023.

Bought as a present from my parents for my brother & Me last year when they contacted my parents after they stayed. Purchased nov 21 my brother went 2 weeks ago & found ok. I booked some months back & booked this weekend 25th. After checking in past few days what @facilities they had I was concern when I stumbled on the appalling reviews of the hotel Made hubby ring to make sure we had a quiet room. They had no record of our reservation even though we were both in room when we rang, no reservation number provided when booking, but we both didn't dream up the date etc. Turns out they do not recognise our reservation at all. My mum furious as paid for 2 Christmas presents and they are refusing one, the receptionist actually hung up on her when my mum lost her temper saying he was stupid … Most companies say they will investigate and come back but no this guy kept blaming my mum and we are without a weekend away which was months in the planing. Terrible service Just waiting for the response the standard rubbish from frank the manger at the hotel !

Paid for a 2 night VIP stay, left after 1! Hotel on arrival seems nice enough, hard to find from road in dark as poorly lit entrance. Had a ground floor room for accessibility in main building. Room seemed nice enough (one of their refurbished rooms). Seemed quite noisy, doors banging, people in & out of other rooms, outside door opposite left open causing draft under door. Had the taster menu (mostly nice food but main option was either fish or vegetarian, no meat - alternative off bar menu offered). Dining room is tired, damp & prev leak visible, hot trays for breakfast left in middle of room. After getting woken with noise early in morning from rooms around ours, we found out we were sharing the hotel with government placed asylum seekers. The kids in the morning were using the corridor, outside our door as a play area, scooters included! The hotel should have informed us of this. Fair enough they have to be housed, but when you have paid good money for a relaxing few days and they do not respect the paying guests in the hotel, it is not on. Breakfast was poor, went in at 8.30, no pastries, yogurts, hot food was luke warm. Asked for croissant and was told chef was doing no more. You serve breakfast till 9.30, you should supply what is on the menu. Took a complaint for some to be done (waited over half hour for them though). The supervisor Joanne, is fantastic, she tried her hardest to find a resolve for us, the alternative room though was in an outside area and was very tired, poor state and smelt of smoke and poorly lit paths to hotel in the dark. No manager available until 3pm to speak to. A disappointing end to what should have been a relaxing couple of days in Bury St.Edmunds. Best Western used to be a good hotel brand but would you want to be a full paying guest when the government are housing guests at a fraction of the cost with them!

We arrived on a Friday for a two night stay, we did not eat at the hotel in the evening but had breakfast which I must say was a little disorganised and they kept running out of various things. The rooms in the main building are lovely but the rooms in the grounds are a bit tired and not so plush. What I did not expect having paid for a relaxing hotel break was to be sharing the hotel with people who are not in the country legally, this gives the atmosphere a whole new demographic. Guests should be informed of this arrangement before their arrival.

A VIP offer landed in my inbox at the right time for my planned birthday mini-break, having stayed in another hotel in the group previously. The offer was competitive so I took it up and came up to Bury St Edmunds for an explore and managed to fit in a gig at the Apex one evening. Included in the offer was a taster menu on one of the two nights, with wine, with breakfast on both days. The staff and service were fine and the food competent and what you would expect for a hotel of this type. The room, Superior, we had was large and spacious and the En-suite had been refurbished in the last couple of years. If in the area again I would certainly consider returning as it was set in lovely, secluded grounds and just a short distance from the town centre.

I visited this hotel to have “sparkling afternoon tea” Was very Underwhelmed by the whole experience. Firstly we was not guided to the room where we would be having tea, and there was no signage to point us in the right direction. Secondly we noticed that ourselves and a table next to us had dirty plates, bowls and cutlery. Which I will attach a photo of for proof, Thirdly the place looked a bit Drab, there was mould and cracks in the ceiling in the corner and the room still looked like it was open for breakfast. Lastly the food was ok, other than the scone which was dry and rock hard. I suppose you get what you pay for but cleanliness should be a standard.

The hotel looks tired and need new carpets and some re-decoration in the main building. The bedroom chalets are fine for a short stay. The restaurant provides good food if a little limited on selection.

We paid £135 for room and breakfast for one night. Not expensive but also not cheap. We checked in and were directed to a “courtyard room “. What we found was a soulless small room that was instantly depressing but we though hey it's just one night. As we looked around it got worse. Not even one picture on the walls just a bare hook. Very dirty carpet and a bathroom you wouldn't want to walk barefoot in. Checking the mattress we found it to be filthy. A member of staff came who apologised but agreed it was not good and also agreed a part refund but this is a management problem not one that a member of staff should even have to address. In the end we gave the key back and decided not to stay as we didn't know what else might be lurking.

From the minute we arrived all staff were great. Rooms and little run down but everything else excellent. Breakfast staff we under pressure as very busy but kept smiling with great service. Have family locally and will be returning.

Myself and wife spent 4 nights here on a coach holiday. All the staff were helpful and friendly. As we are both disabled the help we were given was well appreciated. we were in one of the garden bedrooms which was very nice and quiet. The only downside was lack of lighting from the restaurant to our room. Food was generally very good apart from the fact that the vegetables were the same each meal. apart from that the main courses of either fish or meat were well cooked and tasty. I would not recommend visiting on a coach trip as access was very bad. It seemed that the entrance was designed for coaches pulled by horses

We had the VIP taster meal with a wine flight, the meal was delicious.I don't know the name of the young girl who looked after us but she was really friendly and really did make us feel like VIPs . Would definitely recommend it. We stayed for two nights the breakfast was ok, but unfortunately we did have to wait for about 10 minutes for fresh bacon and eggs, but it was worth the wait. All the staff were friendly and very helpful. My husband was really happy as we had a dedicated parking slot.

Spent five nights in one of the hotel's self contained garden bedrooms on an Vintage car break with my father. Enjoyed good honest hospitality with friendly, helpful staff. Three star accommodation that offered good value for money. Particular mention to Jo who ran the restaurant and worked tirelessly throughout our stay showing a particular care for her customers. Also, Hannah ever helpful and cheerful on reception. Thank you for a lovely, much needed break in Bury St Edmunds.

Amazing staff. Shame about the management or lack of it. The general attitude of staff was wonderful but when there's likely to be an issue (private party not leaving the residents dining room when they were supposed to) the management had finished for the day. When we checked out, our bill was overcharged by £170 because our dbb plan had not been taken into account and the receptionist and I had to go through it item by item to sort it out.

We took up the offer of a VIP stay with wine tasting etc and found it good value. We especially enjoyed our waiter, Cameron, who had us in stitches the whole time with his excellent sense of humour. He moaned constantly about his job, got the wine mixed up and told off the guests, but all with such a naughty twinkle that we couldn't help laughing - he was like a real-life Basil Fawlty! We would happily accept another VIP offer for this hotel chain.

I got offered a chance to take up one of their ‘VIP' 2 night voucher offers and although I was sceptical at first because the price and what was included sounded too good to be true. Having now stayed on the VIP offer, I have to say that my wife and I had a wonderful stay and of course we didn't have my own butler, we were treated like VIP's and the 5 course meal with a wine flight was superb and the breakfast amazing. The Manager I think his name was Franco really went out of his way to make us feel welcome and I will definitely be returning.

Really enjoyed it, the staff were lovely and very friendly. Couldn't have asked for anything more. Kept checking up on us and refilling coffee. Will definitely book again and definitely recommend!!!!!

Went for afternoon tea at the Best Western priory hotel. The hotel smelled very damp and fusty. The food was awful. Plain sandwiches and very little selection of cakes. No-one came to check on us or the other couple in the restaurant during the whole afternoon tea. Don't even get me started on the toilets. Absolutely disgusting!!!!!! One chain wouldn't flush at all so was backed up with everyone else's waste and another had been left full of excrement and not flushed at all. Would never recommend this to anyone. Similar feedback from the other couple in the restaurant. Massive disappointment

I agree with the 2 previous posts.."disappointing". We paid for a Suprior Room, wrongly assuming the standard would be higher than a regular double room. Sadly not. Damp and mould around the shower, hole in ceiling, terrible finish on bathroom door, and this room was in the new block they say. Breakfast was definitely not worth the cost. Very minimal items left in the hot trays, 2 sausages, no bacon, rubbery scrambled eggs. The waitress was in and out of the kitchen trying to organise more food. There was at least 14 of us at breakfast just waiting around for food. Terrible organisation.

We just missed Basil Fawlty himself apologising for the problems. Could do better: Rooms: 1) hot and stuffy with a 4ft6 bed - I didn't realise hotels used those any more except perhaps for single rooms. 2) moved immediately into a much larger room with a king size bed. Very old fashioned bathroom - shower was scalding hot and impossible to change. The staff did try whilst we were out and again the next morning. 3) a slightly smaller room, with a 5ft bed which was reasonably comfortable. Another old fashioned bathroom. Shower sprayed all over the bathroom!! Breakfast: cold the first day but better on day 2. Sliced bread, tinned fruit, chipped mugs. There were huge bowls of fresh fruit set outside the kitchen for someone, but not, it seemed, the hotel guests. Cleanliness: Room generally clean but windows, window sills and frames - dust, dirt and spider webs. Would I stay again? No. Would I recommend it? No. Did a great job: The staff could not have done more to try to make our stay comfortable and to cope with the poor conditions of the hotel and a general shortage of staff. I would recommend them any day!

The charming description on the hotel's website probably describes what it was, not what it is. It certainly has potential, and it felt like a good candidate for Alex Polizzi's 'Hotel Inspector'. To be absolutely fair they seemed short-staffed as so many places are, so it's not surprising that things kept running out at breakfast in the rather soul-less dining room, and that it and parts of the grounds were sometimes untidy. Food wasn't great. All of our party of several rooms commented on how hard and uncomfortable the beds were, and many of the fittings and fixtures, cutlery and crockery, are in need of renewal, although again to be fair the pandemic has perhaps left many hotels short of funds to invest in upgrades.

The staff were fabulous. Teamwork is evident. We were made to feel welcome and valued from the minute we checked in. Sophie and Jack especially looked after our needs and went over and beyond to make sure we had the best experience possible. Would certainly recommend The Priory and will look forward to returning soon.

We booked two VIP breaks consecutively. These went very well and the food was good. The main plus was the staff who could not have tried harder to make our stay enjoyable. Very friendly and very helpful. Yes, they were short staffed and this did show in some of the efficiency. The room in the main building was hot but we were there on the hottest days of the year and a fan was provided. The shower however was outdated and not efficient. The stay was enjoyable and good value.

We were sold a VIP stay last year (2021) which included 2 nights B&B and a 5 course tasting dinner. 3 days before our booked dates which we had arranged sometime ago so we could go with friends who had bought the same package, that they couldn't supply the dinner cos of staff shortages. We were offered alternative dates but as we had plans for the weekend we did not want to do that. So we were given a refund of just £25. You try buying dinner for two for £25!! Not happy and complaints go unanswered three weeks later. Very poor management.

Food and Wine on the taster experience was fantastic. Staff extremely attentive to all needs during stay. Location of hotel was within walking distance of the town with plenty of places to visit and eateries.

Mixed experience, the room needed some minor maintenance, shower pressure was poor. Restaurant service was good but reception and bar service lacking - twice we had to find staff to serve us. Food quality was good but not great. Overall, a little disappointing.

A phone call to my friends on Tuesday - 3 days before we are booked to go, to say there is no staff to make our meal. Not even a call to me how made the bookings! One of the draws to make this reservation was the VIP deal that was offered at only £175 with a ‘5 course taster menu for one evening with wine plus a £25 per person allowance for the other evening. No meal and no wine. We were not offered an alternative meal in the restaurant despite some people eating and a BBQ taking place. We did not receive any of the VIP treats and compensation that was offered of just was just £25. I cannot buy a meal out for £12.50 per person. Not even the £25 pp on each evening as stated in the offer. Our room was made up as a double when I'd stated a request for a twin in my booking form, therefore we had to move rooms. I cannot say this room was VIP just a basic standard room, I feel. Although it was clean and tidy. The hotel is tired and shabby and I feel misled by the offer and very disappointed. I have emailed the general manager on two occasions now to ask for an explaination and/or further compensation and have recieved no reply. This was a weekend away with friends and not as advertised.

This is the second group on I've done. The first was so good I booked another for friends. I was a bit worried it was too good to be true but the second was equally if not better than the first. The afternoon tea itself was pretty good, sandwiches a bit boring but fresh, and no different probably to a much more expensive offering. The Prosecco better quality than most of the local pubs to be honest, and attentively refilled. surroundings really quite lovely in the garden. The staff on both occasions were exceptionally friendly and helpful, which lead be to conclude a couple of things, who over leads them makes them feel part of a team and valued or the team itself takes pride it what they do. Either way a credit to the brand. While getting hospitality venues fully staff is proving a challenge right now The Priory seems to be bucking the trend And has an engaged, polite team they should be proud of. I have recommended the hotel to several people based on my experience.

Check in time has been changed from 2 pm at time of booking (28/12/21) to 3pm. We had many e-mails asking us if we wanted to upgrade but not one advising on a major change of policy. We had to leave by 3 to be on time for an event we were attending. Other guests were complaining of the same thing. I have been staying in this hotel for the best part of 18 years, on both business and leisure, although as I was not recognised by one particular member of staff was told that it hasn't been in the last 5 years! It was exactly 1 year ago to meet the same people to go to the same annual event!!! I will concede that we didn't stay in the 18 months prior to that. They have spent many hundreds of thousands of pounds on an extension with new rooms and new restaurant, however the garden room we stayed in last year and the “30's” block room we stayed in this year do need some attention. i.e. our room was dated, the light pull cords are frayed, the sink plug chain is broken, the sink needs a mixer tap as the hot water is so hot we had to fill the sink to wash our hands wasting litres of water. When bringing my concerns to the front desk staff on Sunday morning they kept ignoring me to talk to other guests, they didn't want to hear what I had to say. No Worcestershire sauce no tomarto juice, hot breakfast was at best warm.

Best Western Priory Hotel Brilliant hotel - great surroundings - just going under a refurbishment. Had afternoon tea in the Garden room the service was outstanding Very good selection on offer to match any in the country Staff could not do enough very friendly and helpful Would highly recommend.

Clean, functional room although very dark and hot. Had to have light on all the time and windows open with fan on even during the night. Tea/coffee facilities. Hairdryer, iron and ironing board provided, Wi-Fi hit and miss. Large walk-in shower with constant hot water and lovely large bath sheets. Only used the restaurant for breakfast which was very disorganised. Really needed more staff but those working worked very hard. Help yourself continental and full English. Unfortunately nothing seemed to be replenished unless you asked and nothing ready at the same time. No yoghurts or Danish pastries one morning either. The toaster only toasted one side so really needs replacing. Not the best breakfast, just about edible. Cannot fault any of the staff, all very friendly and willing to help even when we returned after midnight and the keycard wouldn't work. With improvements made to the staffing arrangements in the restaurant I would definitely give my review an extra star.

I stayed in room 57 which was one of the outside chalet room. The carpet was dirty and stained and there was a stale odour when I walked in but put that down to the heat. Luckily there was a fan in the cupboard so turned that on immediately which helped a little. There were cracks in the ceiling and it really did make me wonder if I'd been put in the staff quarters! There were spiders in the corners on the floor so that led me to believe the cleaners needed to be more thorough until I drew back the curtains and saw a whole hose of cobwebs and spiders up there and knew it hadn't been cleaned properly for months! Get the hoover up in the pelmets! Looked like a room from the 70's and really needs a makeover. The bathroom was disgusting, had an orange lino floor, broken tiles and no blind up at the large bathroom window.. It was the most uncomfortable shower I've ever had as I felt very vulnerable. Breakfast was ok, no veggie sausages and for meat eaters you had to request bacon and sausages from the kitchen? All in all, I should have asked for a refund but I was with a friend who had a room in the building and the trip was for her and didn't want to ruin it for her. I've stayed in hotels much cheaper and have been more impressed and definitely wouldn't have paid more than 50.00 if I'd have seen it first. Very disappointed and you can definitely find better for your money. Don't be fooled by the look of the gardens and building and request a room in the main building which seemed to be marginally better.

Having had many pleasant stays at another Best Western hotel I thought that by booking an overnight stay at The Priory in Bury St Edmunds I could count on the same high standards that I had come to expect from Best Western in the past. On check in, my wife and I were allocated one of the self contained rooms away from the main hotel. As soon as we entered the room we noticed a dank/ musty smell in the room. We then both tried to log on to the free Wi-fi to check our emails but the signal was virtually non existent and we had to go back to the hotel reception area to use the wi-fi and while there we reported the issue to the receptionist. The room itself was spacious, but the overall cleanliness left a lot to be desired. There were cobwebs above the curtains and my wife actually had to clean the bath of scum marks and hair in the waste outlet before she could use it. Later that night we tried to watch tv before going to bed, but this wasn't possible as, just like the wi-fi, there wasn't a signal, whichever channel we tried to select. The bed itself, we both agreed ,was among the most uncomfortable we have ever stayed in leading to a restless night for us both. We were at least expecting a decent breakfast the following morning, but alas, this too was disappointing. The cooked breakfast items were dried out and hard. My wife asked for replacement sausage and bacon as the first brought to us were virtually inedible, but when the replacements came they were no better. Not only this, but the coffee and the "hot" water for the tea were barely luke warm. On checking out the next morning we asked to see the manager who wasn't available. The receptionist said that she had noted our complaints and would pass them on to the manager when he came in, and that we would call or email us, also suggesting that I send an email to him, which I have done, but I am still awaiting a response 6 days after checking out which is very disappointing to say the least. Overall not a pleasant experience, we will not be returning!!

This review is based on the Afternoon Tea not on the Hotel Accommodation. We booked via Groupon which we had used for several teas at different locations over the years and always been delighted with the food and drink. On this occasion we were disappointed. Although there were plenty of sandwiches the fillings were unimaginative being what we might have at home any day of the week. The cakes were nothing compared to offerings elsewhere and the scones, only one each, were small. It was nothing like the picture on the Groupon offer.

We visited for afternoon tea, me, my Daughter and mum and dad. I had brought the afternoon tea from Groupon at a bargain price for just 2 of us. My daughter wanted to join us so called then to see if they could add her on and they did just that. She paid full price for her afternoon tea. The morning of before we left my dad decided he would like to join us but didn't want afternoon tea so I call to see if this was something they could do and sure enough they did, they made him a selection of sandwiches and a pot of tea while us 3 had afternoon tea. So for that alone o would of giving a 5 star but the afternoon tea wasn't as good as I would of hoped. Don't get me wrong it was nice, the sausage roll was amazing. I was however a little disappointed with only getting 3 very small tiny sandwiches, ham, egg and cheese. The cakes where amazing but very sickly, so for me there was way to much sweet and not enough savoury. But other then that it was an enjoyable day and very nice dinning room.

We arrived early for a wedding. Around 9.30am. There was no one at reception, a cleaner lady told me the receptionist was busy. she informed us that check in time was 3pm which we knew. We had driven through the night to avoid traffic and asked if there was any chance of an early check in and was told to come back later. We wandered the town for a few hours and came back just before 2pm, having met some other guests who were already in their rooms. Again told by a rather surly receptionis that check in was 3pm. After the bride came and made her point that we were here for a wedding and nedded to freshen up and change we made it to out room at 2.20pm. I am aware of check in times but in the hospitality sector sometimes one has to be hospitable and acutually help ones guests. Having said that the rest of the stay was fine. The Scottish gentleman manager was very freindly and professional as were the bar staff. The breakfast was poor with the worst sausages I have ever been presented with.

Nice sized room, comfortable bed, large bathroom but shower a bit tight for someone of my size. Very friendly and helpful staff. No air con and windows didn't open on a very hot day but fan provided. But you have to look in wardrobe for it. Its a very old building and listed set in lovely grounds and hidden away. Good value for money

This hotel cancelled my long standing reservation for what they considered to be a higher priority booking, causing me an extra cost and substantial inconvenience. Unreliable, I will avoid this chain in the future.

Unreliable bookings. Do not book here if you want your booking to be cancelled 2 months before because they take on a large corporate booking instead. They have left me with no where to stay on the night of my friends wedding. I will never book with best western again.

My friend and I booked a twin room for a overnight stay. While the staff were lovely and the afternoon tea perfect we were shocked when we got to our room and saw the size of the beds. These are smaller than a child's bed. We asked reception if we could change rooms and were told all single beds were this size and they had no other single rooms free. We were shown some other rooms with double beds and told we would have to pay a upgrade fee of £25 so decided to stick with the room we had. While the room was spacious it was also outside of the main hotel and in the rear car park. We were kept awake all night by the noise of the traffic outside and also the room upstairs. You could hear all conversations and even when they opened a draw you could hear it. Combined with the tiny beds we barely got any sleep. We went to breakfast the next day and at 8.45 they had run out of croissants and pastries which again was disappointing. Also the shower was boiling hot so not a comfortable experience. We actually complained when we checked out about the various issues which is most unlike us but we were so disappointed at the lack of sleep and bed situation. The girls on reception were very pleasant and did arrange a partial refund. However despite this I have to say I don't think I would stay at a Best Western again.

Room booked six weeks ago, confirmation received and even had an email asking if we wanted to book a table for an evening meal. With only two weeks to go before our stay, we have today received an email to say they can no longer fulfill our booking! Our plans now in ruins. Appalling service!

Reservation cancelled 5 moths after it had been booked and confirmed (and upgrade subsequently offered). No reason given in initial e-mail. Unacceptable. Be prepared to fins another accommodation at short notice if you book at this hotel.

We were booked into the hotel for April 22. On 4th Feb we were told we are cancelled due to a corporate booking of the whole hotel as from 15 February 22 for 3 months. We got no compensation and only a verbal apology. Check if you have booked with GWH as this affects more than one hotel at this time to accommodate visitors to our shores.

Just over two weeks to our booking and we received an email to say our 2 night stay had been cancelled. No explanation given in email. Telephone call made an was advised a large group booking had been made and therefore our booking was cancelled. To us this is totally unacceptable for a booking that had been made weeks ago. Shame on you Best Western…we will never book with you again

We had an afternoon tea back in 2021, where we were served moldy sandwiches! The hotel apologized although there is no excuse, refunded the cost and gave a voucher for another which we have not yet been able to use, because... e also purchased a tasting meal voucher for two. The hotel has cancelled bookings (including rooms) twice - first time claiming a COVID related staff shortage. Our booking for February has been cancelled due to a "Corporate Booking" of the whole hotel for a number of weeks, although our booking had already been confirmed! We have had t cancel other arrangements for the weekend and will not get a refund for at least one of those. Our experience is that this hotel does not understand even basic customer service our, lets face it, how to even serve food! If you want to take a chance and try and book something there feel free...

we had to deliver a vehicle in Bury St Edmunds and were looking for a comfortable hotel to stay overnight with our Border Collie. We stayed in a classic room where there was a lovely garden for Monty to explore (a very reasonable £10 extra charge) The room was clean, comfortable and well equipped and we obtained an excellent room rate. We enjoyed our breakfast and there was plenty of parking.

We've just returned from an excellent VIP two night stay at The Priory. We had a great time, starting with Hannah who so kindly arranged our booking. Thanks Hannah. We decided to add an afternoon tea to our experience so on arrival, we were warmly greeted as always by Sophie at reception, who even accompanied us to our smart lovely room in the new part of the hotel which was bright , spacious and shiny as a new pin interior, with good sized comfy bed and pillow selection, plenty of towels, complimentary toiletries in the bathroom, and decent amount of tea/coffee, milks on the complimentary refreshment tray. Everything spotlessly clean. Plus helpful info sheets and welcome sheet from Frank Queen the hotel manager giving hotel info which is always a bonus. Nothing worse than not knowing breakfast or dinner times and any other useful info. The room outlooked the gardens ( where there's a lovely archway feature on the lawns so perfect in summertime for weddings, and outside terrace with seating and tables which we've had the pleasure to use on previous occasions whilst enjoying other afternoon teas). Delightful. Car parking is very handily positioned near the rooms so no lugging cases long distance. After unpacking, we made our way to the light airy restaurant in the conservatory, which also outlooks the terrace and gardens, and settled down for a scrumptious afternoon tea ( good generous selection of sandwiches) and fizz, warmly welcomed by Keturah who made sure we were happily looked after throughout our tea. A little later a blond haired young lady ( apologies we didn't get your name) came to see everything was fine too. The hotel was hosting a wedding fayre over the weekend, and whilst passing the restaurant during that evening, we had the pleasure of seeing the results that Keturah and the team, had made of transforming the whole restaurant into a wedding restaurant venue to showcase what could be offered to potential brides and grooms. It looked amazing. Next morning we were greeted by Jo for breakfast ( who've we've had the pleasure to meet on many occasions when visiting for afternoon tea) who as always made sure we enjoyed our stay and a hearty breakfast. Hats off to chef too for making the best ( and had to be the biggest) mushroom cheese omelette I've ever had. Steve very much enjoyed his full English too. Also plenty of mixed toast, which is great as we've visited other hotels who seem to think a tiny half triangle of bread is sufficient alongside your breakfast. After a little mooch around our beautiful town of Bury St Edmunds, we returned to a freshly smartened room. Housekeeping had done a sterling job whilst we were out, replenishing our hospitality tray, changing towels and freshly making our bed. Late afternoon, we were treated to canapés and fizz bought to our room by Sophie, before settling down in a cosy candlelit lounge for a five course dinner with wine flight. My goodness what a real treat that was. Oliver took very good care of us, and the entire experience was excellent and well worth the visit. We retired very full, and very content. Awaking next morning to yet another tasty breakfast, and warm greetings from Jo ( hope you're still enjoying your new settee and carpet!) and young Cameron. ( Please find yourself a decent pen lol) It was so so sad when we had to depart for home. We live very very locally, but this great two night stay felt like it was a world away. Batteries were well and truly recharged. We would like to say a huge huge thank you to all of the smashing team. They were all honestly like family. Warm, friendly, welcoming nothing at all was too much trouble for them. They all work so hard. We didn't hear one moan or negative comment, and they most certainly made sure we had the promised VIP experience. We will certainly be back. All best warm regards and Happy New Year 2022 from Karen and Steve x

We booked the Priory Hotel for our works Christmas Party and were not disappointed. The atmosphere was welcoming, food was lovely and the staff were extremely accommodating. Would happily recommend this venue!

Just spent 2 nights at the priory after being offered a vip voucher deal for £175 which consisted of Prosecco and canapés on arrival 5 course evening meal with wine flight and breakfast both mornings, hotel staff were all exceptionally friendly and helpful as was the manager, hotel itself was clean to a high standard, we stayed in a superior double overlooking the garden which was lovely, food was absolutely delicious , thank you very much to everyone that made our stay a wonderful experience we will definitely be returning

Came here with my wife for our anniversary, we enjoyed a delicious taster menu and 5 wines to go with. The young man dark haired man who served us made us feel as if we were at the ritz! Couldn't recommend the taster menu and over experience anymore. Shall be returning soon!

The company I work for had our staff party here. Great staff. Great food. Great disco. Great night had by all! Will get the boss to book us in again for next year definitely! Thankyou priory staff for a great night!

Booked in to visit family locally. Very friendly staff. Enjoyed my hot chocolate at reception while waiting for room to be ready. Very comfy bed. Enjoyed my eggs Benedict the next morning. Would definitely return!

We held our Company Christmas party at the hotel Dec 3rd. The hotel was well located for our requirements in Bury Saint Edmunds. The food was great and a DJ kept everyone dancing until the end. A great time was had by all with special thanks to Gary and the team, we look forward to returning to the same venue next year :-)

Attended a Christmas Party night at the hotel on the evening of the 3rd Dec 21. Had a fabulous night. Good food, great disco, lovely friendly staff. Would definitely recommend to all. Didn't stay the night but they did have good offers on for B&B.

A overnight stay as visiting family. Room was nice. However, this was the second time in two months that there was a function on and as such no bar or restaurant facilities. Why they can't let guests know in advance is beyond me. However, worse was to come, around midnight the guests were leaving and the noise was atrocious, people shouting with no care to paying residents, I didn't hear any of the staff trying to quieten things, indeed some were shouting goodbyes to those leaving. The noise went on for about 45 minutes. All in all a very unsatisfactory stay.

A Afternoon tea with nice sandwiches that were fresh and plentiful, with a lovely fresh scone with cream & jam plus extra cakes which was very enjoyable for us after a cold walk .staff friendly nice environment,

Friendly and helpful staff - good ! A rather tired establishment. Minor repairs need to be undertaken - e.g. the door into my room needed a very hard push or pull to open and close it. My granny would have difficulty getting in and out. The light above the bathroom sink did not work. As indicated in the title, beware very noisy functions up to midnight - this matter ruined my stay. Why doesn't the management think about problems like this?!

It's a lovely location for something like a wedding but as a normal guest awful. Every time there is a function the restaurant is closed so nothing available for guests. Functions are supposed to be over by midnight. That's why I'm writing this at 1am due to the noise! No consideration to others. We are paying guests too. This place has gone so downhill. Seems like money is the only thing they care about - functions are worth so much more than guests . It used to be such a lovely break

I got a call out of the blue from the Priory Hotel, who were calling their previous guests to offer them a 2 night VIP gift voucher. I got 2 nights in a superior room, with breakfast on both mornings and to top it off had a 5 course meal and a wine flight thrown in as well! we had 5 glasses of wine each and got to keep the rest of the bottle of our favourite choice. The VIP voucher was only £175 and you could stay at anytime in 2 years, Great value and a Frank and his team really went the extra mile to make our stay a great one.... I have since called them and purchased a 2nd voucher for 2022.

Our room was clean and the bedding and towels were spotless. The general demeanour in our room was old, tired and unpleasant, along with numerous carpet stains. The heater would not turn off in the room and sadly the bed was very old, lumpy and hard. Very disappointed. We stayed as a group and for the same money our other party had a very nice room with better general surroundings. But hit and miss if you book. Staff however are all wonderful and helpful. You may not wish to visit if you are disabled as the entrance is stepped, narrow and impossible to get through on foot with a bag, let alone in a wheelchair/other.

A pet friendly hotel with a large, clean room. The bathroom was somewhat tired & outdated. Exceptionally hard and uncomfortable bed. The TV signal was intermittent. Restaurant was totally lacking in atmosphere with poor, overcooked food. Breakfast was just about OK.

Ridiculously narrow single beds in the twin room, excessive noise from other rooms, over heated and scalding hot water in the shower. By some way the worst night's sleep I've had in a hotel. The receptionist the following morning was perfectly lovely - very apologetic but the hotel clearly doesn't have a proper complaints procedure as I had to ask for details of who to contact to raise the issues with properly.

Five of us visited for afternoon tea. It's a lovely setting and a really nice dining room. However, ambience wasn't so good as we were the only people in there. Despite ordering 3 vegetarian options, we were presented with a lacklustre assortment of sandwiches, which, I think more by luck than judgement, were split into vegetarian/non-vegetarian plates, but also sausage rolls which upon enquiring were informed weren't vegetarian (and no alternative offered). Nonetheless, it was good value with lots of tea and coffee on offer.

We stayed here for a wedding we were attending the evening of nearby. We arrived and had to wait while the staff dealt with a coach load of people who had not long arrived. We waited a while and eventually got served and checked in. We had already checked in online, but they still have to do it at the desk anyway. So my parents went to one room above the reception and we had room 46 which was around the other side. We had our little French bulldog with us which is why we were way out the way I think. When we walked the dog we couldn't find any bins to put her poo in, the best we found was a little waste bin in the hallway by our door which we assumed they put there for the dog poo reason. The hotel kindly phoned a taxi for us to get to the wedding which was nice. All the staff were lovely. My father got bashed by a door being flung open on the way to breakfast, think it was the kitchen door, the lady was very apologetic. Breakfast was nice, although a few of us found the sausages quite hard and chewy. The hotel was perfect for a good sleep! The room was large enough and very comfy, the bed was big and comfy also! In the last month we've stayed in three or four best Westerns and this one is definitely up there with the better ones. The shower was very small and the pressure wasn't good. My parents room had a lovely big bathroom and the shower/bath was much nicer.

Booking.com Confirmation Number: 3908548539 Date 23rd October 2021 Dear hotel management My wife and I decided to stay at the Best Western Priory Hotel (see reservation reference above) to celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary. A truly special occasion. It therefore gives me absolutely no pleasure in writing this letter of formal complaint, only sadness. We booked a Superior Double Room and we checked-in before arrival to avoid contact but we had to repeat the process at reception on arrival, and were allocated Room 10. Sadly, Room 10 was far from superior, both internally and externally - the view was of the service / rear entrance and car park. We found that there was insufficient space in the room due to the sloping roof – presumably the eaves. The use of the desk and chair was hindered by the sloping roof and the luggage rack which could not be used as it was squeezed into the small space next to the desk. There wasn't even enough space anywhere else tin the room o put it. There was only one of the non-USB mains socket working next to the bed, and the bedside light didn't work, this was the side nearest to the door. There was also an issue with the WiFi that made it unusable throughout our stay. The bathroom can only be described as tiny, with a manoeuvre required to gain access via the bathroom door that didn't close properly, and a toilet seat that didn't fit properly. Room 10 could not and should not be sold as a “Superior Double Room”. We were so upset that we did not complain prior to or on our departure as we did not want to further ruin the memories of our Silver Wedding Anniversary. We've already tried to contact you directly to express our disappointment via email without success. I now look forward to receiving your comments.

Everywhere was clean and in good repair but with rather uninspiring decor. The gardens looked lovely. There is parking but in several areas. Breakfasts and dinners were good. Staff were friendly and very helpful. Downside: very poor WiFi in most areas, and small twin beds.

During lockdown we were offered a VIP deal (a marketing activity to raise funding I guess) usable up to 2 years in ahead. We had stayed in this hotel a few years ago. This was our VIP stay which was great value. Staff were aware of the VIP nature of the stay wherever we were in the hotel. We were happy with our stay overall. We were aware that the hotel was a 20 minute walk from the centre of town which may be an issue for some. The only other observation was that in a few places the hotel could do with a little decorative TLC.

For the B&B cost, this hotel compares very favourably with other local establishments. It's not a "posh" Best Western, but the accommodation was perfectly acceptable and the food/service at dinner better than you'd expect for the price.

We had our wedding here on the 16th of October. I want to say a huge thank you to frank and the whole team for such a well organised and fantastic day. Food was lovely and frank and his team made the room look lovely, just how I wanted. The garden was great for photos.

We have stayed at this hotel numerous times over the last 8 years including when the hotel was having its garden room built. The hotel is now an unfortunate mix of very nice rooms and very substandard rooms. It appears that any monies spent were used to improve the bar and restaurant areas and new bedrooms but at the expense of existing rooms This will probably be our last stay at the hotel as when booking I specifically asked for a room with a bath. Upon arriving late Monday evening I was given the key to room 3, a beautiful large room at the front with dodgy stains on the carpet. There was no bath but I was so exhausted decided to leave it and just have a shower in the morning. The shower was more of a luke warm drizzle and when the floor got wet it was so slippy my husband almost fell over. We had to leave early for business on Tuesday morning and got back late that evening when I asked if we could change rooms. Frank the manager did his best but the only room available was no 57 - this was an unloved room in dia need of a new bed and renovation We stuck it out for our final days but are grateful to now go home for a proper nights sleep. Breakfast was ok but not worth the £12.50 charged. There were various items missing at each sitting and the garden room was desperately understaffed - they tried their best but there was too much for them to do

As always the team make this one of the best in the Bury St Edmunds area. Always helpful and friendly taking time to ensure expections are met and exceeded. Rooms are clean and comfortable. All in all a great stay thankyou.

We stayed at priory hotel for my daughter's wedding. The staff right through our stay and throughout the wedding were really efficient and helpful. My daughter's wedding was overseen by Frank the general Manager and everything went like clockwork. We had a wonderful day and wouldn't hesitate to recommend. The food and service were excellent . We stayed in premier rooms. Our room was large but we did notice that the rooms do vary considerably in size. Everywhere was spotless. My only slight complaint was that at breakfast they were short staffed and two extremely dedicated ladies coped as best they could but this did mean that the service was slow and breakfast not very hot. But that said we all really enjoyed our stay and are very grateful to Frank and his team for making my daughter's wedding so memorable.

Stayed for the weekend to attend a wedding being held at the hotel. All the arrangements surrounding the 'wedding' part of the weekend, went off incredibly well. Staff, organisation, catering, etc. (As did the reception staff.) However, the accommodation facilities in which we stayed were very tired, a little grubby, the beds were very hard and basically needed a complete refurb. Sadly, the accommodation/ catering part was a bitter experience. Breakfast was pretty awful. Food not great - and on the second day they had run out of beans, sausages, eggs and mushrooms (and with guests having to queue to be seated) - as well as bread rolls, most of the fruit and serving bowls. The staff were put in an impossible position... being incredibly hard working and polite, but two young people to take orders; make tea & toast; serve tea and toast; clear tables; serve hot food from table to queuing folk and check folk in to a 'sitting' of around 40+ was an impossible task. The only reason being given, that they were short staffed, and as there had been a wedding the day before, were overwhelmed. (But the hotel books weddings on a very regular basis - so no surprises!) Guessing financial cutbacks meant insufficient staff / support and poorly maintained bedrooms units. Sadly won't be staying again. (Although the wedding itself was well managed - and the garden was very well-maintained)

We were concerned after reading the reviews on line and pictures we had seen, however we had the superior rooms that had been renovated in June, the rooms had nice comfortable beds and bedding a large shower, kettle with mugs and mix of tea and coffee with plenty of milk, flat screen TV with Netflix and Amazon prime that didn't work, however the TV was fine. The room was lovely and warm with a seating area and luggage rack. The one complaint was breakfast there was 8 of us and we waited over hour for toast, I ask them several times but toast kept going to other tables…. There were tables full of dirty plates and only 3 members of staff, 1 young girl was close to tears poor thing the young boy had his hair flopping everywhere round the food and looked like he had just got up after a good night out, I would give breakfast a miss to be honest it's not worth the money, my other issue was I never saw any members of staff use and hand gel even when they were handling so much in the restaurant and constantly adjusting their face masks.

We had a large family gathering in the garden room, this was well organised and ran smoothly. Staff were very helpful. Food supplied was the hot and cold buffet, and children's menu. there was plenty available for everyone. Due to the dry weather the children could play outside on the grass in front of the garden room.

I was unimpressed with the reception staff and how their customer service was. On arrival I thought I'd booked the room with breakfast included and was told it was an extra £6 each person, per day. We were given the key to the room and on entry it was extremely cold. We checked the radiators and couldn't find how to turn them on. I went back to reception and asked about the heating and was told they would look into it. I also asked for a bottle of prosecco to be in our room on arrival as it was a special trip away. This was not done and was very disappointed by this. On asking, the girl on reception apologised and said she would bring one over straight away. 45 minutes passed before she turned up with just a bottle and a couple of glasses, no ice bucket do it was left to get warm. She said she was sorry for the delay, but she was by herself, the phones kept ringing and she was in training. She also said she didn't know how to work the heating. We found an a small electric heater in the wardrobe which we had to have on constantly whilst in the room to keep warm. After looking around the room we felt it was very dated. The shower and tiles had black mould on them, tiles were cracked and it was very cold. In the bedroom it's self there was damp marks on the ceiling and on the walls. Outside, the steps down to the path had a loose slab on the step. We nearly fell a few times. We mentioned this to reception and once again, nothing was done. When we went for breakfast on the second day we had to wait to be seated, and noticed a woman running around clearing tables. It turned out that she was a guest. We were finally asked for whether we wanted tea, coffee and toast and took a little while to get these. When we went up for the breakfast, the girl who was lovely and run off her feet was struggling with a bowl of food which she was trying to put on the hot plate. I assisted her with this before being served our hot food. I asked her if she was by herself, to which she replied yes. It wasn't until we were about to leave that 2 other members of staff appeared. Apart from the girl at breakfast, I found that the hotel room, service and grounds were totally disgusting. I will be leaving a review on trip advisor to this effect. I chose Best Western because I thought they had a good reputation, but I was wrong.

I wanted to say how happy we are with our wedding at the Priory Hotel. The whole day was amazing, especially the hotel manager Frank, who helped us enormously with the arrangements, and ran the whole day to perfection. The food was fantastic, the ceremony well organised, and all the staff were polite and helpful. The hotel gardens were perfect for wedding photos. The music and entertainment was provided by Gary from JLW light and sound, who provided personalised music through the ceremony and played a fantastic DJ disco set later on, including the newlyweds game, music for the children and many requests. The co-ordination between the hotel staff, registrar, and DJ was all faultless We first saw the venue at a wedding fair in September 2020 and from that visit we knew we wanted to get married here.

We were only staying one night and the booking was last minute. The check-in was speedy and friendly, as was the checking-out process the next day. The hotel appeared to be under-staffed for the number of people staying but all those we met were pleasant and helpful. The room was fine for our needs and had everything we needed, including a very good wi-fi connection, though we had to sign in with our own email address if we wanted to use it for more than 15 minutes. The hotel was easy to access, with plenty of space for parking. There was a good variety of choices for breakfast, including fresh fruit.

Lovely staff hotel in excellent easy access to Bury st Edmunds …food very good ,and although near traffic very quiet …would well recommend ….One of the best afternoon teas we have had served by a smiling young. lady and no waiting around would thoroughly recommend

After many delays over these last eighteen months, we finally got the chance to celebrate our wedding/anniversary all thanks to the manager Frank who planned, co-ordinated and organised the venue even down to the guests staying overnight. We can't thank Frank and his wonderful staff for the hard work in bringing this weekend together. Our family and friends were most impressed with the level of service. Would highly recommend this hotel to hold venues, with its beautiful gardens. If it was possible to give a 10 star rating, we would.

Good value hotel and we were very thankful to be offered breakfast as an upgrade, which we accepted and were very glad we did. The breakfast was excellent. The grounds are very attractive and meals can be eaten outside in warm weather. The parking is easy and it's a just a short drive into Bury St Edmonds, although we needed sat nav to navigate the complicated one way system.

We selected this hotel as we are keen members of the National Trust and this hotel was ideally situated to enable us to visit several NT properties within our stay. From the moment we arrived we were impressed with the staff all of whom were very welcoming and helpful. The building is a good mixture of old and new which works very well. We stayed 3 nights in the new wing and found the room very spacious, clean and well appointed and even had an iron and ironing board. When booking it was pointed out that due to covid and the well publicised shortage of staff (throughout the leisure industry|) that there may be a limited menu and room service. However, based on our experience over 3 nights we found the "limited menu|" was more than adequate for our tastes, indeed we did try an evening meal at an adjacent pub / restaurant and found that the hotel meals were of a better quality (and price) and so ate in the hotel restaurant for the rest of our stay. The reduced room service was no problem as if you needed anything you only had to mention it to the receptionist and it was immediately dealt with. The breakfasts were great and offered everything you could wish for, from a croissant to a freshly cooked "full english". The food was served hot and promptly and the staff always had time to exchange pleasantries and nothing was to much trouble. Like many people we were due to be in warm and sunny climates at this time of year, staying in (without sounding snobbish) in a 5 star hotel, and overall we have to say that we doubt that we would have received any better service from the staff or accommodation than that which we received at the Priory Hotel

Having stayed at the hotel before | was looking forward to a further visit, I will admit as it was so hot we did not have breakfast previously. Now for my current visit, booking in was Ok and we had the room I requested. The only point was there was a dirty used razor on the shelf in the bathroom, and only a small rubbish bin, I feel it would have been a good idea if there had been a large bin outside somewhere, so that we could have emptied ours. Now for the high light or should I say the low light – Breakfast I wanted an omelet no omelets so I thought would have an egg Benedict none available both these items were on the internet menu in fact one morning the kitchen was in darkness. I have never seen brown scrambled eggs before but they had been out for long the bacon was dry and again over cooked and cold I sent the eggs back as they were hard the young man brought out a try of fresh eggs and put them on the buffet and then decided to bring us ours by this time they were cold. Now for the cleaning the tables, the crockery and cutlery was taken off one at a time never on a tray and the table was wiped but the condiments were never moved just wiped round. I have never seen such poor waiting staff and I have stayed at hotels all over the country. During our three night stay we only ever saw two people in the dining room for an evening meal, I am sure you must wonder why – let me tell you people want more choice not seven types of burgers. Like us they were going across the road to the Tollgate which had a first class menu. All I can say it is such a pity things are so run down as the grounds are lovely and is an easy run into Bury St Edmunds.

An enjoyable stay in a lovely room. Excellent value for money. Close to the town centre and train station. Lovely gardens. Excellent internet service. Good breakfast. My husband and I stayed there to see West Stow.

I was disgusted by the treatment of the young staff in relation to customer satisfaction. The website stated a 2pm checking, only for me to be told it's now changed to 3pm with no explanation (as the website still stated 2pm). This left me late to the pre-arranged function I had planned. The room given was dirty and we was only changed when we had to complain `again`, I wouldn't be stopping again - considering this wasn't my first time…

Great location and excellent staff in reception, bar/lounge and dining room. But, the evening meal and breakfast were lukewarm and dried out - horrible. The room was comfortable but the bathroom hadn't been cleaned, let alone sanitized considering the current Covid situation - poo stains in the loo and also dusty surfaces everywhere. There was even duck tape on the bed frame - IDK if it was holding the bed together or just covering something up.

The overall presentation of the hotel is lovely. However our stay wasn't pleasant and did not meet our expectations. Traveled 3hrs for my fathers funeral, Checked in online at home to save time, but when going to reception to get our room key there wasn't one, then they gave us what they thought was the key, after traipsing across the hotel it didn't work so had to back to reception then wait for someone to finally let us in at 10pm. Breakfast awful service, so say short staffed restaurant full of guests but they are all stood outside the hotel in large groups in full view of guest puffing on cigarettes. Not an impressive look and was very off putting, will not be returning.

We recently enjoyed a private dinner for a large family gathering at this hotel. On arrival we were delighted to find that everything had been prepared exactly as we had asked, and the dinner table was nicely laid. We noticed, too, some unexpected little extra touches had been put in place (flowers, lamps, door notice to afford us privacy etc.). It was well organised. Every member of staff we had any dealings with were friendly, attentive, and helpful particularly, of course, Dan and Raffs our two servers. The food served was both nicely presented and delicious. We did not hear even the smallest adverse comment about any aspect of the evening from any of our guests. This is probably a rarity these days and underlines everyone's enjoyment and appreciation. Our evening was a very enjoyable experience with the efforts of the hotel management and staff exceeding our expectations. We would not hesitate to use this facility again.

Stayed on business, breakfast was ok and staff friendly and helpful BUT room 48 is horrible. Poorly finished and in need of a good clean. If I hadn't arrived at midnight wouldn't have stayed in the room. There are allegedly newer rooms which may be better but avoid room 48.

I was only staying one night for a wedding in the area. After reading the recent reviews I was worried, however I was pleasantly surprised. Ample safe off road parking. Check in was easy (after a horrible long drive), room was basic but had everything in needed, tea, coffee, tv, iron etc & was clean. As other reviewers have said, the rooms are warm & I couldn't open the window, but a fan had been provided & I slept well. Breakfast was very good with plenty of choice & the 2 ladies on duty that morning were attentive, very friendly & helpful. I haven't given 5 stars as the hotel is a little dated & relatively expensive for what you get, but if in the area I would stay again.

Last year my husband died during the pandemic and sadly we were not able to have our large family at his funeral. We decided to wait until restrictions were lifted and then have a big celebration of his life with an afternoon tea for 150 guests. Having enjoyed sparkling afternoon tea at The Priory many times over the years it was the first place we thought of. From the moment we first spoke to Frank, the General Manager, we knew we were in the best of hands. He couldn't have done more to help us plan the day, even suggesting ways we could make it work whatever the weather. He made sure he was on duty on the day (which turned out to be warm and dry) and was so helpful, in a very unobtrusive way. Everyone commented on the quality and quantity of the food, which was superb. Frank even produced boxes and bags for guests to take away any leftovers so that nothing went to waste. He and all his staff were friendly and helpful to all our guests and never made us feel that we had outstayed our welcome. Many people stayed on well into the evening and didn't want the day to end. I simply cannot adequately express my gratitude to Frank and all his staff for helping us to say the goodbye to my husband that we were unable to do last year. I would not hesitate to use The Priory again for any event, large or small.

Me and my partner spent two evenings here as we booked several hotels in Suffolk / Norfolk for a short break. The reviews were mixed so I expected to get average based on a reasonably low rate for the stay. However, we were placed in one of the newly built rooms and we were so impressed. The room was decorated simply but modern and was most certainly of a very clean standard, smelt fresh and was a pleasure to stay in. Breakfast was a cold and a hot buffet, staff were wearing masks and it was clear they were very precautious with covid, handgel everywhere! The food was tasty. We had dinner in Bury one evening and dinner at the hotel the other. We had a vegan burger and a chicken burger. Great portion size and lots of chips ( always a bonus!). The staff offered us drinks regularly and were really attentive. We would certainly return here.

Really disappointing room and Hotel. I made a last minute booking with this property as my plans on the way to Bury St Edmunds changed. The rate was mid-tier coming in at around 138 for the evening, and what we received for that was really disappointing. The room was tired and old and smelt heavily of stale cigarettes. The bedding was of a poor quality and also over-aged and tired, Bathroom was full of flaking paint and poor quality fittings, tired overhead shower, stained bathtub just pretty rubbish in general. I very rarely write a negative review but to be honest I really couldn't wait to get out of the room, didn't feel hygienic and for that rate the standard really should be much higher. On check out i was then double charged and had a bit of a kerfuffle trying to rectify the payment details. All round not a pleasant experience, i would definitely say it's worth avoiding, there are some beautiful hotels in Bury for reasonable prices. This just isn't one of them.

We bookeda VIP stay that included reserved parking, our room was really nice well equiped very clean, bubbles & canapés served in our room at the time we requested. Evening meal was a 5 course taster menu it was delicious included was a wine tasting, this was brilliant we really enjoyed the experience, our main waitress was Raff she was great as was Jo. Breafast was really nice plenty to choose from. The only downside for us was the housekeeping in the room. Our glasses & plate fron the bubbles & canapés was not collected, we put the sign on the door the next morning for our room to be cleaned, when we returned later in the day no one had been in, had to ask reception was told due to covid rooms were only being cleaned every 72 hours, (this was not mentioned when we checked in). This ment that we ran out of tea coffee. Ran out of loo roll as no spares let in the bathroom. Asked for some at reception and for dirty glasses etc to be removed. When we returned had couple sachets of coffee left & 1 loo roll. Glasses had been taken but dirty mugs had not been replaced. I run a cleaning company to use covid i feel was an excuse. Real shame as this was an anniversary treat & this did put a bit of a downer on our trip.

no help in finding room, room dirty bed too hard, bathroom dirty, very noisy was awake all night pillow protectors ripped and frayed, curtains too small all furniture was pushed into the window lights never worked properly

A lovely welcome to which was the start of an professional experience. Food was yummy.rooms were clean and smelt so amazing. The bathrooms were spectacular. My bed was so comfortable ( didn't want to get up) Thank you for a lovely stay

Visited sometime back & it was lovely - this is no longer the case. The room was meant to be a superior. What a laugh! So small it was meant for a single bed & not a double. The bathroom door couldn't even open fully without hitting the bed. Just a basic room. Then when we went to eat the waitress was asked about GF vegetarian food - I was offered tomato soup or beef burger! Vegetarians do not eat meat! So no food for me. My husband had scampi. So thank you for ruining our wedding anniversary/my birthday meal. For 2 key workers working throughout the pandemic this is a serious lack of customer service. You should be ashamed of your terrible menu & terrible rooms. Will NEVER come again.

Stayed here booking a total of 6 rooms, they (or booking.com) lost one of the reservations, they had no spare rooms as the party who checked in before us, also had a booking mysteriously disappear and took the last spare room. My daughter had to bunk in with my son and girlfriend or my brother and his wife would have not had anywhere to stay. All turned out ok, although no apology. Returned from a family BBQ at 09.59pm in the evening to be told (for residents) the bar closed at 10.00pm, not even soft drinks available, absolutely disgraceful. Went up to our rooms, the single window wouldn't open properly on the hottest night of the year, the room was sweltering, in addition to not being able to sleep as the room was so hot, two guys sat out till 4.15am talking v loudly, I eventually shouted at them to shut up and they left. If you go to the loo in the night, the bathroom light comes on automatically when opening the door, bathing your partner in light, I suppose it was put in as an electricity saving device but all it does is flood light into the room at night and stays on for 10 minutes. One more thing, the farcical breakfasts, no vegetarian sausages (had to be cooked to order, which took 20 minutes), ran out of baked beans, constantly told they were on there way but didn't appear until after the vegetarian sausages so we never got any ((25 minutes to rustle up a bowl of baked beans…….really?) the toast never arrived at all (you have to order that from the person dishing out the fatty dry bacon and sausages. I paid £6.00 per person on a deal from £12.95, had I had to pay £12.95 I'd have walked away. Staying here is like staying at Fawlty Towers but far less fun. We will never ever stay here again, if you want a recommendation stay at the Premier Inn in town, possibly a bit more expensive but worth every penny.

Myself and my husband stayed here 15/7/21 . I bought a VIP offer and they delivered everything they promised . The meal in the restaurant was excellent and the staff were very welcoming and friendly. Breakfast was also very good although we were still quite full from the evening before , we have stayed here before and would stay again within hesitation.

I cannot begin to describe how awful this hotel was. The room we had was so very dirty. This wasn't just a bit of missed dust but an accumulation of dirt over a period of time. The hotel was displaying a Quality in Tourism Award stating the pleas was "Safe, Clean,Legal 2020-2021"It was none of these things. It certainly wasn't legal in terms of Covid safe. The widows had black mould around them and were so dirty. The net curtain was grey. The room smelt awful. The bathroom was so bad you couldn't/wouldn't use the bath or shower. There was soap scum on the tiles and shower screen. We did inform the hotel and cut our stay short (we only stayed one night as we had driven a long way and were very tired. There was also racing at Newmarket so we figured hotels would be busy in the area, plus we didn't know the area at all). There was also a lot of traffic noise as the hotel is basically a roundabout! This experience ruined a very pleasant few days holiday.

We have stayed at the Priory before and wasn't looking for 5 star accommodation as we have 2 dogs. We did expect it to be clean and I can confirm that it was. We stayed in a dog friendly courtyard room that was right beside a little patch of grass where we could relieve the dogs before bedtime. However, some previous guests had been inconsiderate in not cleaning up behind their dogs and there were at least 3 deposits left behind! For hotels to be dog friendly is a privilege, not a right and this behaviour spoils it for everyone. They even provide a bin for us to put our doggy bags in. We ate in the restaurant on the first evening and both chose the chicken burger. Sounds boring right? Trust me it wasn't and the chicken was delicious although didn't really require a bun. Would definitely recommend the food. Breakfast full English, cereal or pastries. Frank and his team really care about their customers and it was certainly 5* service. Will definitely re-visit next year for a mini break. Thank you for our first break in 18 months!

Myself and husband enjoyed another lovely afternoon tea with fizz here recently, (after sampling another previously this year, at the beginning of restaurants/hotels opening to serve guests outside) and previously before that around Christmas last year which was even more special. We had a lovely time on all visits so decided to come for another. This time weather wasn't so kind so we enjoyed our tea in the very pleasant restaurant. Zac welcomed us this time, and looked after us. The afternoon tea itself was fresh, lovely sandwich platter, accompanied by a tier stand of delicious cakes and scones. Good to see the clotted fresh cream served back in a dish rather than previously when in individual little jars. Plenty of tea/coffee offered and a cooling glass of fizz to wash it all down. Surroundings were light and airy, and covid safe. Thanks Mr Queen ( and of course Zac. No Sophie or Jo on this occasion) for another delicious and relaxing afternoon tea experience. We shall be back of course in future. Karen and Steve x

Stayed for 1 night 26th June. We booked at the last minute and were pleasantly surprised. Our room (9) was clean and comfortable and the food was tasty. Stayed on DBB basis. All menu choices available, without supplements. My partner's steak was succulent, tender and well seasoned. One of the best steaks we have tasted. Our waitress Jo and check in receptionist Hannah couldn't have been more helpful and certainly deserve special mentions. Would definitely recommend for a mid range price hotel stay in Bury.

Stayed here for 2 nights in a garden room. COVID precautions were good especially at reception and check in very easy. We were in a garden room which in truth was somewhat dated. The bathroom in particular was in need of a complete refurb although the shower was not too bad to be fair. The rest of the room was ok and we slept quite well. Nice gardens and staff were fine. Breakfast was pretty good although first day there was a shortage of bacon and sausages IN PIG CENTRAL! The bar was ok but we ate at the Tollgate at the end of the road which had a much bigger menu and was also a lot cheaper. All in all it was an enjoyable break and we would return but if normality ever returns they do need to upgrade some rooms when funds allow.

I have fond memories of my childhood staying at Butlins, but knew that the rooms were damp, mouldy and unloved. This hotel reminds me of those days. The room is dated, with tired furniture and stained walls. At some point some decoration has been done, but looks like it was done by the local school children. I didn't risk the shower (neither did my colleague) as it looked like an electrical hazard. Mould and flaking paint is everywhere in the bathroom. This review is based on my stay in a garden room, I'm not sure if the main hotel rooms are any better. Service on the terrace was non-existent even though signs said 'table service due to covid'. After half an hour of waiting we left and went to town. Breakfast was OK, but the food was just warm, not hot. For the price I paid, it's a complete ripoff. The staff need training and the garden rooms given a major overhaul. We only chose this hotel as the others were full - says it all really.

The hotel is located in a quiet area, a mile or two from the city centre. It does not offer luxury, but a clean place to rest. We couldn't adjust the temperature on our shower but were ale to avoid scalding by keeping our ablutions short.

Just returned from a three night stay, lovely hotel the grounds were beautiful, spent one evening sitting in the having a drink in the grounds listening to the bird songs, The room was spotless very easy for parking, all the staff were very friendly and helpful. Would recommend this hotel whilst staying in the area.

Paid for a classic double room and prior to our arrival received several emails offering an upgrade but to name our own price which we found odd We felt after seeing the pictures of the classic double room on the Best Western website an upgrade wasn't necessary as the room appeared suitable At check in we were directed to one of the prefabs at the rear of the hotel I cant say this was a spectacular stay The room was a little outdated which was fine but there were several issues The bathroom on closer inspection wasn't as clean as it should be Mould around the grab rail and the shower casing, the radiator hadn't seen a damp cloth in a while and soap scum seemed to be a theme also the shower sounded like Concorde taking off and ran in a thin stream I presume this was the same for the other guests using the prefabs as we could hear those running in the rooms adjacent to us We did mention the horrendous sound the shower made at reception to be told they would bring it to the attention of the manager We could also hear the business dealings of the gentleman in the next room as the walls are very thin They provided tea and coffee facilities but not a proper cup just a card one so it meant rinsing it out for next morning or going to the reception for a new one as the room was only serviced every four days We appreciate the need for as little contact as possible but when you're staying 6 nights then leave the requisite amount of cups Not the fault of the hotel itself but there was a table outside for the guests to use and we had to sleep with the window open due to the heat We were woken at 5 am thanks to a couple of guests feeling the need to smoke and have a deep and meaningful conversation, the topic we didn't appreciate We also didn't appreciate one of them continually coughing up mucus and spitting it out It felt like we had very little privacy due to this tables position It was a go to for smokers especially early morning so we never really got a lay in We checked out a day early and stayed over in Cambridge and booked £25 room at the Travelodge Great shower, proper cups and peace and quiet They also asked us if everything was ok at check out unlike the Best Western Best Westerns description of a Classic room for this particular hotel should be interpreted as Budget

Birthday treat for my sister. VIP weekend. Amazing stay. Definitely treated like VIPs with parking space, breakfasts, 5 course meal and superior room. Staff go above and beyond to ensure you are happy. Big thank you to Michelle Todd who went the extra mile. Close to shops and restaurants. Lovely gardens. Very relaxing weekend Thank you!

Food was exceptionally poor and luke warm, floor in dining area was dirty. All internal hotel doors in the reception were disgustingly dirty. Toilet flush was poor, WiFi poor, bed and pillows clean but hard. Grounds unkempt.

Excellent stop over. Great customer service both in advance and during our 1 night stay. Dog friendly garden room as requested which was ideal. Large and clean room. We have booked again. Definitely recommend. No faults.

Stayed 2 nights with our dogs in one of the dog friendly courtyard rooms. These rooms are great: we can walk around the garden without going through the main hotel building. Room perfect, very clean & tidy, bright, spacious. 'Pet in room' notice on door. Reception staff friendly, helpful & professional. We love this hotel, great location, on outskirts but still close to town. Hotel & room felt very Covid safe. Looking forward to our next stay soon.

Having stayed here several times recently I can't praise Frank and his team enough. There is always a friendly welcome and the room is clean with a really comfortable bed. I always have a great nighrs sleep. Being away from home for work isn't ideal but my stay at the Priory has made it so much easier. I would highly recommend to anyone. Thank you

Myself and my partner had an amazing afternoon tea at the priory hotel. The hospitality that was shown to us by the staff was very welcoming throughout our time that we where there. The freshly made afternoon tea was to die for just the texture very light and fluffy on the lemon drizzle cake and the cream was very sweet for the scones also. we would defiantly recommended this to our friends and family and we will be returning to the priory.

Inedible Afternoon tea Husbands 50th Birthday ruined Only us in the restaurant Table of 2 Not really sure how such bad food can be sent out of the kitchen by the Chef If that was me I would be embarrassed to send such food out

I have stayed here several times and to be honest its not getting better. The rooms are not the most cleanest i have seen and i always upgrade to an Executive room but these are as bad. The showers don't work correctly and the water pressure is pretty much none existent as on my last visit i had to hold the shower head over me to actually get water on myself as the pressure wasn't enough to allow the water to stream out. The rooms are tired and in desperate need of refurbishment. It seems that maintenance only do the least possible to fix anything and the workmanship leaves a lot to be desired. I did order room service as this is only way at present to get food because of Covid 19. However once i had finished I left the tray outside the door of my room and was still there when i arrived back the next day from a full days work which meant it had been there a full 20 hours and was only collected when i placed it near the corridor. The building iis an old building but this doesn't excuse the way that the interior should look especially when the rooms are being classed as Executive.

When booking a 'dog friendly' room, we have often had some fairly scruffy rooms offered to us. However, The Best Western Priory room we hd was anything but that. It was in a very well kept courtyard on the edge of their gardens, so was practical too. While the room was a fairly standard hotel room, it was large, comfortable and clean. Only room service was available, due to the closure of the restaurant during the pandemic, but the food for dinner and breakfast was delivered promptly. For the price of the room, a very pleasant surprise and an enjoyable short stay.

Myself and husband have just returned from The priory after enjoying an excellent afternoon tea. From the moment we stepped through the doors, until we left later, we were treated with such kindness and hospitality. Lovely Sophie looked after us throughout our delicious experience. Attentive, and making sure if we needed anything she was on hand. Huge thanks Sophie, you are an absolute asset to the hotel x The afternoon tea itself was delicious and plentiful, and we were seated in the delightful Christmassy restaurant, with twinkling fairylights and decorated Christmas trees. Even some quietly playing Christmas songs in the background to set the Christmassy scene whilst enjoying our tea, overlooking the hotels gardens. What a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon just before Christmas, and we must admit, it was just the right tonic we needed after the past horrible year we've all been through. Thank you Sophie and all the team so much for making the start of the season so lovely. We greatly appreciated our smashing visit. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a much brighter New Year 2021. Karen and Steve x

I booked a room via hotels.com for £81. On arrival they said they'd not had the money from the company so took my card details as guarantee. This was a big mistake. Today (a month after my stay) the hotel took £50 from my account WITHOUT my permission. This is verging on being fraudulent. There was no notice or explanation. I called the hotel who explained that they were struggling to get the money from hotels.com so have taken it from me instead. Best Western choose to be in partnership with the likes of hotels.com. I have paid for the room. If BW are struggling to get the money from hotels.com then that is something for the two companies to discuss, not an opportunity to double charge a customer having not gained permission nevermind having the decency to speak to me first. It's a disgrace. I will be contacting my bank to investigate. Michael

The staff are nice enough but even superior room was tired and shabby. Paint flaking off the walls and in need of a complete redecoration. The website pictures are utterly misleading. There are better options elsewhere for similar price.

We went for afternoon tea today it was lovely Covid 19 friendly and well organised Pleasant surroundings Great ambiance food was fresh and delightful and the staff very accommodating and looked after us extremely well will definitely be going back once this dam lockdown is over

We spent a night here and it was OK. The rooms were nice but could do with a update. The staff were friendly enough. The only thing we can't get our head round is the automatic light in the bathroom that takes about 15 minutes to turn off - what happens if you need to get up in the night, the light then takes forever to turn off and disrupts your sleep which is exactly what happened to us!!

Large clean room with lovely fluffy towels. Excellent staff - very helpful and polite. Slight problem with the room was remedied straight away, no fuss, by changing rooms. Covid regulations in place and adhered to by all staff. Good breakfast. Great value for money for a three night stay. The hotel is a bit dated. . I would recommend and would go back.

Very nice hotel. Lovely room. Restaurant and food were great. However the table we sat at was not socially distanced with the next table. Also the menus were taken back but not sanitised and just given out to the next customer. I've had warmer breakfasts but it was nice. One problem - as a vegetarian I don't appreciate the bacon tongs being used for the hash browns! However gluten free toast was available & a gluten free option was given last night for dinner.

I have been working in hospitality for over 30 years and on our way to Mildenhall for a mgt hotel position. I have also worked as a hotel secret shopper inspector for 8 years.The staff at the Best Western had no idea. Is the hotel perfect…. Maybe not as it's a very hold property/building and many things they can't control. With that said over the years I think it's fair to say that some things can be overlooked when the customer service is SUPER. The ship sails as the Captain skippers it. 1. MG moved our room so our car was directly in front of our room to make it easier to unload it. (FULL CAR due to the country to country move). 2. We were at breakfast and Frank (GM) walked in and asked the host if she needed any help? She said the tables would be great. In a blink of an eye he was clearing off tables! 3. Second night at the hotel in the evening the toilet broke. Went up to the front desk and a young clerk (two weeks at the job) helped us. He was empowered to move us (to a suite) for the night and then back into our room after maintenance fixed the toilet. 4. We found out that we would need a few more nights due to waiting for our place. Hana extended our nights at the lower rate that we received on hotel.com. 5. Housekeepers tracked us down to inform us of the status of the toilet twice….. Michelle is just an overall hospitality super star. She was working as a host, at the bar, and then would come back and help at the front desk! Chris - just wow, going out of his way to tell us the PLACES to go in Bury St Edmunds, then the next day asked us if we had a chance to visit the places. At dinner our hands full of stuff, he came over and said he would open the side door so we could take a short cut Vs going through the hotel. Not sure you can teach all of this. That is on the GM knowing people, reading them and then hiring them…. The ones that “HAVE IT” they enjoy helping and serving people. They truly try to make your stay a lasting memory. They have accomplished this with us. So that little stuff that you may read in the comments… we have decided to look past it and focus on the service.

Our first stay away since the virus was very reassuring. The measures in place made the hotel feel safe and comfortable. The staff were excellent. We had a room away from the main hotel building in a block of around ten grouped around a small courtyard and with its own parking. The room was well equipped and the bed comfortable, though the walls were thin any any conversation outside was clearly audible. We ate in the restaurant and had a decent meal. There was no wine list, so we ordered a bottle of red from behind the bar and was rather surprised at the price when the bill came, though the food was good value, pub price for hotel food. Breakfast was excellent with a full English one of the options. It is perhaps 25 minutes walk to the town centre, but that allows it space for a lovely garden. Well worth a look.

Great hotel . Little hard to find with sat navs. Staff very friendly and helpful. Nicely laid out hotel . Clean and bright . Restaurant spaced for covid. Food and attention by staff excellent . Overall a pleasant experience

Although room could use a bit of a refurb (carpet, bathroom), our garden room was still clean, tidy, spacious yet cosy, bed very comfortable. We stayed with our 2 small dogs & the garden room was perfect for us, away from main hotel so no corridor & no noise. Staff very friendly & helpful, we will stay again here.

Just come back from a night away at the priory. After reading other reviews we were all dubious but it was really nice. Lovely food - especially the tasty breakfast, the chef even made some fried bread for us which wasn't on the menu. Room 17 was clean, comfortable and had a good working bathroom. The hotel and grounds could do with a little tlc but the place was clean and comfortable and the staff friendly and helpful. There did seem to only be a skeleton staff working and they worked hard to make our stay pleasant. A good value overnight stay - we would definitely go back another time.

Stayed a couple of nights in one of the chalet rooms. Good value, nothing too special, absolutely fine for the money. Have noticed previous comments re breakfast quality - we found ingredients tasty and of good quality. Nothing to complain about at all with the quality of the food. Would say there is no signage to the breakfast room at all and it did take us quite a few minutes to find our way to it.

I have just stayed at this hotel for 10 nights, I read the TA reviews after I booked and wondered what to expect. My room was clean and there were no problems with hot water it was instant. Now the dining room where so many people had moaned about, the staff were lovely so helpful, they are working under difficult circumstances they have to wear masks there is not as many staff as maybe normal, we are in the middle of a pandemic! So things may be a little slower, relax. I saw people helping themselves to fruit juices! you have contaminated the jug for heavens sake just because you couldn't wait, don't expect to snap your fingers and expect instant service, wait don't get up march across the dining room to get something you ask for, you are putting other people at risk. Unfortunately part of the hotel was shut off, the best bit, the hall way had been flooded and the carpets need attention. But all in all I enjoyed my 10 day stay. Be nice to people and they will be nice to you.

The venue was perfect for our family to meet after my father's funeral. Service from the staff was excellent including serving sandwiches, cakes and hot drinks. Staff were friendly, polite and helpful.

Our visit was for 2 nights so I could attend a funeral. First of all even though we are in difficult times that makes no excuse for standards to be dropped . As you can see by the pictures this was the room we stayed in very tired and needs a complete refurb....bar was open in the evening but no one was manning it so we could not get a drink.... reported to reception but nothing was done about serving us. We made our way over the road to get food as menu was so limited. Lucky we did not have breakfast as I think reading the reviews we would of been disappointed. Very unsatisfied visit with hardly any staff to make you feel welcome.

I was sorry to see some complainers on TripAdvisor. I think they should reflect that the staff at the hotel were doing their best under very difficult circumstances. I wouldn't hesitate to stay at this hotel again if I was visiting Bury

Sadly, I didn't read the reviews of this hotel before booking. When we arrived the receptionist was telling the gentleman in front of us that if he wasn't happy with his room, to call her to get a better one, not a good start. Whilst the room itself was ok, the entry into the room was very difficult, we each had several attempts to get into the room, the key didn't want to turn. Just outside our door was an area that had numerous abandon cigarette butts. Breakfast, where to start, I think the photographs say it all! The ingredients were cheap, the cereal, the bread, the sausages etc The food was at best ‘warm', we had to ask for fruit juice, jam and sauce. It wasn't as though the chef was even busy, other than one other table of two, nobody else was having breakfast. It certainly was not worth the extra I had paid to include breakfast. You would get better value, all round, staying in a travelodge or premier inn. On check out, I addressed the issues I had had and the older lady from Zimbabwe said she would pass my comments on to the General Manager, no apology, although she did ask what was wrong with the breakfast. I informed her and also suggested that she read tripadvisor reviews.

We stayed here for one night. Although we understand that these are difficult times. This has got to be the worst hotel we have ever stayed in. It was a very hot spell, but the bar was not open to get a soft drink, or anything else. We rejected our original room. Despite it supposedly being an upgraded room. The room we ended up with, was by far not the cleanest. Stained carpets and very stained towels (yellow stains on the hand towels) The evening menu selection was appalling, unless you wanted a burger or a curry. On the plus side, there is an excellent pub serving good food across the road. The staff at the Priory, seem to accept that it's far below standard. There is absolutely zero chance that we would stay here again. If you just want somewhere to crash and aren't fussy about hygiene standards, this might be suitable if however, you want somewhere that is clean, you might want to look elsewhere.

Myself and my husband stayed here for a birthday treat for myself. I want to start on a good note that my husband took in some birthday banners and a balloon which they put up in our room for us so that was nice. We stayed in a superior room it's a very tired room with marks on the carpet and knocked furniture. The water pressure is rubbish and it takes ages to get the hot water at an ok temperature. We slept ok and the bed was also ok (not great but enough) Tea and Coffee supply wasn't great with only two sweeteners in the pot. Now down to the breakfast which we got included in our stay.... What a disappointment that was! We walked into the breakfast area and was asked if we wanted tea or coffee. We got seated in a nice area and was asked if we wanted toast too and what breakfast. I was really looking forward to my fried breakfast! The toast came first I must admit I was a bit gutted they were thin slices of bread that just seemed a little cheap. But thought never mind we have the breakfast coming. Well when it came my heart sank! The egg was so overcooked I got it sent back for a fresh one. When it come out again the egg was much better. But then I realised everything on my plate was overcooked and had dried out because of it. I didn't send it back again as it was just about edible. We didn't get asked if we wanted any juices or sauce so didn't think there was any available but then heard her ask another customer if they wanted some But at this point we had already finished so just left feeling disappointed and still hungry as the breakfast is only one sausage, one bacon, one egg, one hash brown, one half of a tomato and some mushrooms. Nothing had any flavour just the oil from the pan. I won't be coming back here unfortunately I'm also unable to speak to anyone as the front desk is closed.

We stayed at the priory. The room we stayed in was like being in the attic. It was too warm no air conditioning. We had an evening meal which was nice apart from having to swot the flies away. There were 5 flies on the window behind us. Breakfast was collect to go. It consisted of a sandwich which was meant to be sausage and egg, drink, muesli, yogurt, croissant, jam and bananas. When we were leaving on Saturday morning we had to wait for the chef to come in at 8.00am. He gave the security guard two breakfast bags to give to me. I found that he had put two disgusting bananas in the bag. Previously there were two decent bananasin the bag as I had seen them. So he had changed them. The sandwiches we had, had very little filling. This breakfast was disgusting. I phoned the manager on Sunday 19 July to complain and he was not interested. After being in lock down it was disgusting to be treated like this. We will not be going back to a best western hotel again. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

First time hotel opened after lockdown, run on limited staff who all were very accommodating. Grab bag for breakfast was ok but couldn't replace a full English. Shirley was very helpful and if we wanted anything she would see to it.

I booked this hotel as a birthday treat for a friend and we stayed for 2 nights in Oct 19. To say the stay was a bit of a disaster was an understatement. We booked a standard twin room. The room was basic, uninspiring but warm; but the main issue with the room was the beds. 2ft 6 beds where the mattresses have not been turned, means you end up trying to sleep on 1 ft of bed or else you fall out. We decided to try and make the best of it as we were only there for 2 nights. The restaurant was another disappointment. The first item we ordered was sold out. Fine. Went for a healthy option instead (a large separate section on the menu).. When it came, there were 2 small overcooked haddock fishcakes and a huge pile of lettuce covered in french dressing. Nothing healthy about it at all. Breakfast was buffet style and the hot food was cold. The next morning we were woken at 7 am by the fire alarm. As instructed we went to the allocated point but no one else arrived. Eventually we went back to our room. That evening we went to the restaurant again. The first three things we ordered were unavailable and the white wine came warm. At this point we asked to see a manager and met Ewan, the restaurant and beverages manager who did his best to put things right, even going out to get us some food for our meal. He spoke to us the next day and asked us to give them another chance with a repeat complimentary stay. All we had to do was phone and book at dates to suit us and we would be offered a free upgrade to our room as well. What a lovely gesture we thought and accepted. We rang up to book the stay and the receptionist said, sorry we don't know anything about it, We will phone you back. No-one phoned. Rang again. Different receptionist - same response. Eventually we got through on the third phone call to the manager, who booked us in. Last week we went back. We arrived and were given an identical room to the previous one - no upgrade. We were even given wrong directions as to how to get to the room. (Renovation work meant the entrance was not obvious). We rejected the room and were told the hotel was full so no other room was available. We explained about this being a repeat visit because of the issues we had had before, and the young receptionist said there was no record of any issues. (Why were we getting a complimentary stay then?) I asked for the manager and was told he was not on site, but the head housekeeper came and immediately sorted the problem. She offered us another room - presumably a superior room although the only difference in the two rooms was that the second one had 3 ft beds, not 2 ft 6 in beds, - the rest of the room was identical. A real disappointment but we accepted it as we needed somewhere to stay. We went to the restaurant. The first thing we ordered arrived with part of the dish missing and another part stone cold. We rejected it. The rest of the meal was fine. Breakfast was much improved as there was no longer a buffet, but we could order individual dishes which were very nice, The second dinner we had was fine. All the food we wanted was available until we came to the wine - they had run out of Pinot Grigio white wine. Most of the staff were lovely and very helpful but on the second night, there was not one manager working and for an hour the bar and restaurant was run by a 17 year old whilst his superior went on her break. The hotel has a lovely main building, nice location, nice helpful staff, but at the moment it has too many issues to warrant a return. I was grateful that my friend whose birthday treat it was, was able to laugh throughout the whole 2 stay experience. We were very pleased to have been offered the second stay, and we were so hopeful that our previous experience would prove to be a one-off, but it wasn't. So disappointed.

Only decided to go away day before booking, got to Hotel and they couldn't find booking but then realised I had booked wrong dates!! No drama though as they fitted us in - thanks to Shirley and lovely girl on reception. Originally booked executive room but our standard/classic room was absolutely fine. Clean and comfy. We ate both nights in the restaurant, food was really nice. Shame was not very busy considering hotel was full, atmosphere could have been better especially Sunday night when no background music. Breakfast Monday was ordered off menu so nicely prepared, Monday was a buffet, and could have been better. Few grumbles from a couple of guests but overall ok. For a 3 star hotel was pleasantly surprised. All the staff were pleasant and friendly, especially Shirley and Hannah and receptionist (sorry didn't get her name) who sorted out room for us. Would go back and recommend for a reasonable priced comfortable stay.

Having stayed at the Priory hotel previously and knowing it had been refurbished, when I saw an offer on Groupon for afternoon tea I bought the option for four thinking it would be a good way to see what changes had been made. One of our party is gluten free so I emailed the hotel to ask them to make one of the afternoon teas gluten free. I received an email back from the general manager saying that was no problem and they had made a note of this for our visit. On arrival we went in and they have relocated reception to the front entrance rather than down the corridor (there were two entrances but I suspect they may now have made the rear entrance/parking staff only). The ‘new' reception was previously the bar which was very odd so definitely much better. We were greeted by a nice man (not sure of his name) who directed us into the garden room where our table was and said he would bring our Prosecco through shortly. We went into the garden room (previously the dining room) and our table was obvious as the only table set up. What surprised us was that this room immediately reminded us of an old people's home as there were probably about 15 armchairs at the other end of the room (see photo). We were going to look at the changes/extension but decided to wait until after we had had our afternoon tea (in hindsight I wish we had looked first as we would have asked to sit in the new bar area). After a few minutes waitress came over and asked if we would like tea or coffee. When she came back with these I double checked that they had made one of the afternoon teas gluten free so she said she would find out. The guy from reception then came through and said they didn't know one of us was gluten free and they had nothing in for afternoon tea that was suitable. He was very apologetic and said the chef wasn't being very helpful. He suggested the GF person chose something else off the menu instead and also said we could have the whole bottle of Prosecco due to the error (not received at this point). We poured our tea/coffee and found the tiny milk jug had just about enough milk for three. The waitress then came back to take the order so we asked her for some more milk and could she fill it to the top (she said she had changed the milk which is why it wasn't full last time but went away and filled it up). She asked if we would all like our food together to which we said yes. We asked if we could have the Prosecco that was part of the deal and were told the guy from reception would bring shortly but was just showing some people round. It appeared there were only these two and the chef as staff. It probably took about 1/2hr before we got the Prosecco. Once the food was ordered it did come out quickly (although as we were the only people in there apart from those being shown around you wouldn't expect much else). Afternoon tea and sea bass were very nice. Only thing missing was other guests and/or some background music. We then went to have a look at the extension and the new restaurant is lovely, very light and airy overlooking the garden with a bar on one side which also services the bar area on the other side. We then looked at the bar area and again, this is lovely, overlooking the garden. Background music playing in both. At this point we agreed it would have been much nicer to have had our food in there - not sure why we were put in a room with no atmosphere. Overall we did have a laugh at the events that ensued and enjoyed the food. I would go back again to stay and use the restaurant (have always eaten out on previous stays as old restaurant was stuffy and dated). The changes are a definite improvement with the exception of the garden room which needs something else - sofas & a TV maybe? Or somehow knock through from reception to make a much larger reception area (although old fireplace area between the two rooms that's no longer use could make this difficult. With a few changes this would be a lovely place to stay and dine.

Just had a very pleasant afternoon tea at the priory hotel. All the staff that we met were very welcoming and helpful and we had sufficient sandwiches with nice fillings, lovely scones and small cakes and ample coffee.

8 of us got together for an afternoon tea at this hotel. All staff we came into contact with were smart and friendly. We were shown to our table which was already laid and prepared for us. First of all the waitress took our tea/coffee orders and we had a pot each. They supplied 3 cake stands between the 8 of us with a selection of finger sandwiches which were fresh and tasty. There were sausage rolls, fruit scones with jam & cream, fresh cream eclairs, chocolate brownies & shortcake biscuit, and everything was very nice. We stayed chatting for a while and were offered more drinks. All in all I would recommend an afternooon tea at this comfortable venue.

Stayed a couple of nights, had one of the "cottage" rooms away from the main hotel, comfortable for a budget price ... only downside was that someone tried our door one night while we were in bed ... can't really blame the hotel for that. Food was good and reasonably priced ... staff were excellent and couldn't do enough to help. Plenty of tea and coffee and milk in the room which was a nice surprise ... I'd already bought milk because I get fed up of being left with only a couple of pots and running out ... didn't need it.

Superior Room - superior to what? Small room, standard 5ft double, bedside lamp did not work, USB charger only on one side of the bed, no lighting near mirror, small walk in shower, no bath (some std rooms had a bath), and the bathroom stank of cigarette smoke. Breakfast - no vegetarian options for the meats available, stuck with beans and eggs, mushrooms too salty and peppery (hand slipped?), worst blackpudding I have ever tasted. Hotel - just little things - disabled ramp not pleasant for abled bodied people to walk up, especially in heals (not mine), but the ramp takes up whole entrance, banister up the stairs does not fill with confidence as it moves and alot of little trip hazards and visually poor things. Will go to a travelodge next time!

It was a pleasure to stay. All the staff were warm and welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble. The hotel is well maintained, my room was very nice with a lovely view over the gardens, a nice quite spot in a bustling town. I would thoroughly recommend.

It is absolutey rare for a facility to have the staff of this establishment. The folks at the front desk were astounding, and the staff at the bar were very helpful. But not many places have a place like Mike the Night Porter. Mike keeps a close watch on the place and has legitimate care for the residents. Down to earth like the rest of the staff, I was glad the he was around after I got back late at night for work. The fact that that administration of this facility took care in even their selection of the porter spoke words to a few of us who talked about it after. Rooms were well maintained, heat effective, beds well done. Pick this place for the staff.

Attended a family wedding in Jan 2020, considering the short notice the Management and staff could not have done more - The garden was immaculate (for Photo's), reception and bar area clean, Bar/Reception staff very helpful and the food was SUPERB !! Organising such an event can be extremely stressful, using the Priory took away a lot of these stresses - Many, Many Thanks - Highly recommended

I recently booked a cream tea (Via Groupon) for my daughters birthday along with my husband and grandson. When we arrived we were shown to a very large dining room, with only our table set for tea, the other tables were set for the evening dinner, nobody else arrived so it was very quiet! We were given our tea and were offered tea or coffee, Rae sandwiches were so dry you could have made breadcrumbs them, the fillings were egg mayo and tuna! There were also a couple of pre frozen sausage rolls, we did complain about the sandwiches and we were made 2 plates of freshly made (with same fillings). There was 1 scone each, pre bought! With jam and aerosol cream! Then some cake, tiny little lemon curd tarts, chocolate brownie and some other cake that nobody could actually recognise! The picture on Groupon showed savoury croissants, prawns on crusty bread, strawberry's with the scones etc etc. I will add that the staff at all times were friendly and apologetic and understood why we were disappointed, they took my name and number, told me the manager would phone me, that was nearly 2 weeks ago! So if anyone is considering the cream tea - don't. The picture on Groupon is not what you get! Would again just like to say that the staff are the saving grace along with the location, both would get 5 stars.

I have been staying at this hotel on a regular basis and have to say the the friendly helpful staff are a pleasure to meet from the reception staff through to the house keepers who are all friendly and helpful and will go the extra mile to ensure you have a good stay. Although works have been going on to upgrade the buildings and facilities at this hotel the disruption has been minimal and the new and refurbished rooms are great.

We chose to have our wedding at the priory hotel which was the best decision. It was all prepared quickly and they exceeded all my expectations. They went above and beyond to make my day perfect and frank couldn't do enough for us. Small touches such as placing a sofa in the dining room to allow me to nurse my babies made the day stress free . The venue was beautiful and the garden made for perfect wedding photos to capture memories of the day that I shall cherish for years to come. The food was fantastic with everyone commenting on how amazing the beef dinner was in particular. The bar staff ensured no one had to wait too long for drinks either. Our room was great too and accommodated 2 travel Cots for my twin babies with plenty of space still. Breakfast was great too. I don't have a bad word to say. My day was perfect and if I could do It all again I would definitely come back here. I will be bringing back my family for a meal for sure. Management should be proud of their team.

Attended a family wedding reception here. Staff were friendly and very helpful and accommodating. Facilities were clean and tidy. Garden was beautifully kept and perfect for pictures. Food was absolutely delicious. Exceeded my expectations and would absolutely reccomend.

I attended a wedding reception for a family members wedding here and i thoroughly recommend anyone considering choosing this venue, the staff were so polite and very helpful considering how many people were there! Also great service at the bar!!

The Best Western were excellent in helping us put together a wedding function at less than 4 weeks notice. The venue is fantastic, the food was great and we were really well looked after. Highly recommended!

We had a clean and comfortable room, and the staff were friendly and helpful, especially at breakfast were the ladies were very cheerful and welcoming. The buffet was plentiful , but only one moan..the toast was dire!!! Sliced bread only half toasted! But they are still worth 5 stars, no one is perfect!!

Hotel & room setting was nice. I was in the courtyard area. Stepping inside was a bit dated, fine though. Poor Internet & poor TV quality though. Frustrating whilst trying to work in the evening. The room could have been cleaner, cobwebs and dirt in places. On a few of the nights it seemed like the walls were made of paper. Being able to hear conversations then snoring wasn't great. Ear plugs solved this though. Reception were helpful & breakfast was good. Nice hotel, but room for improvement.

Upon arrival reception staff efficient, and friendly . Room 15 rather small but clean with all amenities. Two night stay with travelzoo deal was excellent value for money. Staff could not do enough to assist in all areas, evening meal good quality and plentiful. Breakfast buffet style great choice , a quaint and well run hotel will be back.

A great experience eating and staying at The Priory Hotel. The Christmas meal was excellent, top quality and generous complemented by friendly service. The atmosphere was welcoming and the room was generous and comfortable. Great value and highly recommended.

We had our Christmas party here and to be honest I can't fault the hotel at all. The receptionists were fast and friendly and the same can be said for the bar and restaurant staff. It was great value for money and will definitely do it again next year. Well done to everyone at the Priory! Thank you.

We had a very enjoyable stay in this hotel. Our room was clean, warm and a very comfortable bed. The bathroom was clean, lovely toiletries, plenty of towels and well functioning shower. We ate dinner in the restaurant and despite another function in progress in the hotel we were given excellent attention and service. Staff went out of their way to accommodate specialist dietary needs for us and the food was delicious. There was a problem at breakfast due to unexpected staff sickness but these things happen and the staff did their best in these difficult circumstances.

A beautiful hotel with lots of character and great customer service from staff set is a secluded part of a busy Bury St edmunds. Rooms were exceptionally clean and very nice cooked breakfast and car parking facilities. Will definitely be staying again and I would nto have hesitation in reccomending this hotel to friends and family.

We held a local children's home meal at the Priory hotel and they went above and beyond to make the meal so special. Thank you so much to all of the staff involved, you made it a Christmas meal that they will not forget. Special mention goes to Frank who was wonderful!

The hotel buildings and location are great but poor service, poor quality food and bad plumbing meant we had a bad experience. The room was comfortable and warm but the plumbing meant we had no hot water one evening and had to run the tap for 15 minutes before the shower got warm. The toilet flush was useless! Service in the restaurant was slow and inadequate. One of our meals (fishcake) was very poor quality and when we complained there was no apolgy and we doubt whether the waitress even mentioned it to the chef! Breakfast was slightly better but cheap, false economy orange juice and coffee, spoilt the experience. The bar experience was poor, we ordered coffees after our meal, sat down expecting it to be brought to the table but no, just left on the bar and we had to collect! Staff training badly needed.

Couldn't get into the All saints Hotel so tried a BW called the Priory which I am a diamond member of. It is a very cute hotel which offers an array of different type of rooms. It's one of those old type buildings that have the creeky floor boards. The reception are really friendly and so are the bar staff. However, The senior waiter keeps wanting me to either face a window or face away from the rest of the restaurant. I find that a little odd. I keep thinking he wants to do me over with the Candlestick like some board game. The food is quite terrible and I paid eleven something quid for a chef special which was dry fried chicken and chips. The other times I've been here I had a dry chicken burger ( I don't think the chef likes cooking chicken). But the worst by far was the chefs version of a curry. I didn't think you could have a curry that is less hotter than a korma. But the chef seems to want to prove me wrong. It was awful. It says black pudding on the breakfast menu but not once have I come across any. The restaurant does have a lot of potential but is let down by the Culinary department. Other than this, the showers are good, the beds are comfortable and all staff are very friendly.

really nice clean, well set up room, (disabled) heating brilliant, beds brilliant All staff great, breakfast brilliant, lovely choice. this is the first time we have used a Best Western and would use them again, especially here in Bury.

The hotel was not very central but opposite a lovely friendly pub with large food selection. Hotel was clean, comfortable and staff were very helpful and friendly making check in and out very easy. Clean basic room with comfortable beds - all in all an enjoyable stay, perfect for wedding guests

The reception and all staff were so helpful and friendly. They really couldn't do enough for us. Breakfast was good. Our room was very big, but the rooms really need a good refurbishment, although extremely clean.

Booked a Travelzoo promotion to stay overnight, the hotel rang the night before our stay to say they were having a Pudding Club event and would we like to participate. We accepted and had great fun. We stayed in the main hotel and our room was well equipped, spotlessly clean and comfortable.

Stayed here for one night as meetings nearby. Decent sized car park round the back but it is a bit secluded so I was a bit worried about my car overnight but it was fine Decent welcome on arrival. Room was okay but not sure how it could be classed as an executive room. Food was pretty good and decent price. The only issue is it seems staff are having to be in two places at once throughout the hotel so having to wait to be served at the bar and reception was a bit annoying. Felt sorry for staff as they clearly need more

The hotel is i need of renovation, i stayed it one of the outbuildings not in the main hotel, the room was tired and tatty, the room had an a-joining room that was only bolted by a poxy small bolt lock, the main room was just old and needed refurbishing, the bathroom was sub standard, there was a musty smell about it and it was very mouldy in every aspect. The restaurant had absolutely no atmosphere and the staff were not very helpful. The food was average. I feel that there was a lack of management and would not stay here again.

Although the price was good booking direct with the company, the hotel is tired and needs a good clean such as black and mildew around the bathroom fittings and armchairs in the lounge emitting a strange aroma. Additionally, when we checked in despite paying for bed and breakfast the receptionist had us down for room only. Luckily I had the confirmation email. Breakfast was average. The menu for those paying says black pudding, but this not available to those on the b&b rate! my wife doesn't drink tea or coffee and we were told we would have to pay £2 extra for a hot chocolate. In summary I suppose you get what you pay for. But could do better.

Stayed here as part of a business trip stopover. Wifi could be better other than that decent hotel full of excellent staff, Ewan Kenny in particular was attentive, charismatic and above all professional.

Having previously stayed at this hotel with a good overall experience, we returned for a long weekend on 18th October. Breakfast on the Saturday morning was absolutely shambolic. Around 10 guests arrived at 08:00 and just sat at their tables with a menu for 20 minutes waiting for a member of staff to take their orders. The cold buffet was incomplete, no toast or toaster or offer of toast. The waitress was heard to be blaming 'a reorganisation' and arguing with the chef. Four guests got up and walked out in disgust. Then we saw a heated servery being carried throuigh into an adjacent corridor. Shortly after we heard the waitress tell another table that there was a hot buffet in the corridor. Sure enough, we ventured into the corridor to find food - but hot, it certainly wasn't. I took away a plate full of food and ate it, but all of food was stone cold. Then my wife managed to catch the eye of the waitress and order some toast some 30 minutes after arriving, but there wasn't any marmalade on the cold buffet table. Subsequently the receptionist was drawn in to help clear the tables. No words of explanation or apologies were offerred. Breakfast on day 2 was fine, coffee and toast brought to the table and a hot buffet, which was actually hot. Rather bizarrely there were no beans - the staple of any English breakfast. The room was good value for money, apart from the fact that the shower screen over the bath was fixed / constrained and you had to climb into the bath to turn the taps on. A somewhat bizarre arrangement.

This is a charming hotel with a different to usual layout. I must point out that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the layout, it's just different. The staff at this hotel are, without exception, excellent. They were friendly to both us and our dog. The room was excellent. It was well lit and spotlessly clean. It had tea and coffee making equipment and biscuits as well as a TV and desk and chair. The food at this hotel is excellent. The grounds are beautiful and there is plenty of space to walk a dog. Speaking of dogs this hotel is very dog friendly. The staff all love dogs and went out of their way to make a fuss of our dog. To those of us who take our dogs on holiday this means a lot. We were even given a small packet of dog treats when we d in. There was a bin for the dogs poop outside our room. This hotel really did think of everything. The hotel has a very pleasant bar area serving good quality food. Dogs are permitted in the bar. This hotel is outstanding in all aspects and is definitely worthy of a five star rating.

We stayed here for one night , on arrival the receptionist was welcoming and informative, our room was in the main part of the house very spacious clean and well equipped. Breakfast was served in the bright and airy garden room , it was good quality and hot breakfast was tasty, staff in the restaurant were friendly and efficient, we would definitely use this hotel when we are in this area again

One of the filthiest hotels I've visited. Black line around water level in the toilet, corners of the bathroom floor never been wiped in months. Grime in bathroom crevices, which must house bacteria. Receptionist was rude to the couple in front of me when I checked in.

Reception and front area very nice with Friendly Reception. Rooms very nice but the Bathyrooms are very tied and need updating as was the only thing to let the hotel down. Bar and Restaurant was Excellent and again the Bar Manager was faultless would stay there again if in area.

A very pleasant 3 night stay.The staff were all friendly, polite and very helpful.The rooms were clean and comfortable and complimentary refreshments and biscuits topped up daily. I had my greyhound with me and all the staff were very kind to her and made a fuss of her which she loved. We ate in The bar lounge because of the dog but it was very comfortable. The breakfast was beautifully cooked and very tasty. Just one minor irritation was the toilet flush handle in my sister's room had to be 'pumped' to get it to flush.

Food is amazing, especially the crispy chicken. All full of flavour and deserving of a try even if not staying in the hotel. Staff are very kind and go the extra mile to make the stay memorable, we where celebrating our anniversary and the waiter Ewan brought us a desert sharer plate on the house which was a nice added touch. Hotel not that busy apart from breakfast on Sunday which was a buffet style. Really deserving of more than 3 star, restaurant area has been recently refurbished which gives the hotel a more upmarket feel. Only negatives to point out where the rooms need a deeper clean as the blinds where covered in dust and dead insects, but otherwise the rooms where clean to a very satisfactory standard. The room decor also needs modernising a little to go with the upmarket feel. I would recommend and even go again myself.

We booked into this hotel for a long weekend. At first glance, it seemed to be perfect but, on closer inspection, we realised how tired and dated it was. We stayed in one of the lodges in the courtyard and whilst it was a nice size, there were a few things that needed updating such as the decor, both in the bedroom and the bathroom, which were also in need of a good deep clean. We only went into the bar area once for an evening drink but the poor girl behind the bar was run ragged although extremely friendly and helpful. Not sure if she was the only member of staff on duty but nothing was too much trouble for her. The majority of the other evenings were spent over the road at The Tollgate, just a two minute walk away.

Visited this hotel for three nights. Room was ok but needed a bit of a update. Breakfast was a bit chaotic, food was plentiful but not enough staff on to look after all the customers waiting for service.

We stayed for one night whilst visiting family in the area. Pro's Really lovely staff Excellent Breakfast Nice clean hotel Bed very comfortable Garden view with windows that open Very quiet Con's Long walk up and down stairs to room. No idea if there was a lift. All stairs need handrails for safety Small room more suitable for single person Bed small probably only 4ft 6in Small shower but okay if you are very slim Despite all the cons, reason for only 3 rating we would stay again but would request a room more suitable for us

My husband and I went to Bury St Edmunds for a wedding, we stayed for one night and were very impressed with the accomodation, a separate bungalow type room, very large with large bathroom, tea making and flat screen tv. Everything very clean and the breakfast the next morning was as good as anything we have had in the past. Great value for money.

Loved staying at this hotel, staff were all very willing to try and make our stay better, offering assistance with heaters/taxi bookings etc. Even for our young daughter the staff were very pleasant with her and tried to communicate with her about her stories and visit. Would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone.

The staff were very helpful in making the evening very special for my girlfriends birthday dinner. Our son works here and he arranged for us to go there for an evening meal as he has been saying the food was very nice. Demi and kitty were serving in the restaurant and were very professional and polite. Demi went and got some candles for my girlfriend's cake and come out with them on the cake I'm very happy with all the service and the staff there Louise on the front desk was happy and friendly we also gave them all some of the cake .

I recently helped organise a group visit to Suffolk and we stayed at the Priory Hotel. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. There was a good choice of menus for dinner and everything anyone could wish for at breakfast. The food was freshly cooked and well presented. The newly built restaurant has lovely views over the well-maintained garden as do some of the ground floor rooms. If there was a slight problem it was sorted quickly by the excellent staff. We were given a lovely welcome on arrival and Kim, the General Manager was really helpful with arrangements prior and during our stay. There is a large car park which is an advantage and I would certainly stay here again.

We looked for a dog friendly hotel, and this place ticked all the boxes. The staff where all friendly and good to the dog. The grounds also gave us somewhere to take the dog out in the evening and morning. Would recommend, and will be returning on our next stay in Bury St Edmonds.

Just like to say a big thankyou to Frank,Kim and the rest of the staff who provided an excellent service for my daughter Becca and son in law Seans wedding yesterday The room looked amazing just how we had requested it The food was very good and some of us stayed the rooms were excellent too Thankyou for an amazing day Jackie Elsden

I have stayed at many Best Western hotels and can honestly say this one is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. Jade our receptionist was fab as she was also running the bar and the kitchen, there was no other staff in sight anywhere. Apparently they had finished there jobs and gone home. This was at 1.45pm and we could not get a drink at the bar and the kitchen was closed even though the menu said they served food until 2pm. Getting drinks or food was a huge issue and we had to go to the reception to ask for anything, staffing issues in abundance here. My room was dirty, in disrepair and dated, as was the whole hotel. We went for breakfast and the toast machine, coffee machine and ice machine were all broken. Faulty Towers!

Just has a great nights stay in this hotel, food was lovely, rooms nice and clean, location central, staff were lovely and helpful especially receptionist Louise who went out of her way to help us!!!!

Visited with my daughter today for afternoon tea and was extremely impressed. We've been taking afternoon tea at a few different venues locally and were very happy with the Priory. The staff gave excellent service, the scones were delicious, good selection of both sandwiches and cakes. Plenty of tea and offered more too. Lovely environment and excellent value for money. Plan to visit again for an evening meal.

We have stayed several time as this hotel but feel that the standards have declined in the last year or so. This applied particularly at dinner on Sunday night. Our drinks order arrived ½ hour after we had entered the dining room. Not until then did the waitress take the food order. So it was well over an hour after sitting down that the food appeared. One of our friends requested salad without any dressing yet it arrived with oil on the lettuce and was sent back. The waitress called everyone Darling or Love which the whole group (6 of us) found objectionable. We shall look for another hotel for our next get together in East Anglia.

This hotel is amazing. A small location with lots of character, the priory is located in the heart of bury close to many delicious local pubs. The interior is classically decorated with loads of history. Above all the staff is what sets this hotel apart. The staff is super attentive and friendly. Notably the night porter mike is the nicest most professional person I have ever crossed paths with. If I ever return to the UK it will be because of mikes excellent customer service.

We were a W.I. Group who had afternoon tea in the garden room on 08/08/2019.The food was delicious fresh sandwiches cream scones and delicious cakes.The staff were lovely so friendly and helpful.There is a lovely garden there too. The garden room would be very good for a function or family event.

The staff here, from reception to cleaning staff, are exceptionally good, and helpful. The room was well appointed & perfect for staying with a dog, as you come straight out into the very nicely kept grounds. We didn't eat dinner as we were visiting friends so I can't comment on it. For us the breakfast was rather expensive at £12 each, because we don't eat very much, though if you like a big breakfast it would be good as it had a hot and cold buffet & plenty of choice. The coffee was nice. Would definitely stay again when visiting the beautiful town of Bury St Edmunds.

Great beer selection and the food was great too. Sarah suggested the fish and chip, and boy was it tasty. The rooms was ok, but the scenery was pretty awesome. I would definitely recommend this place, and stay again.

The staff were lovely & friendly but other things could improve. Our bedroom was very hot even with a fan & windows open. I don't class a fan as air conditioning. The shower was poor. A big bathroom but heat coming up from the floor & full lighting coming on in the night as soon as you Opened the en suite door . Cooked Breakfast was ‘okay' but needed to be replenished quicker. However served with coffee/ tea & toast immediately & staff very pleasant & helpful. Lovely garden rooms which possibly might be cooler.

Have been many times before, very friendly staff. Big new dining room and bar. Sunny and airy. Garden room, reasonable size, tv reception seemed better tan on previous visits. Good position. Visited lots of surrounding areas. Only criticism, don't like the high stool/chairs in the bar, not enough comfy seats.

Stayed for one night to attend a wedding. Room was adequate if a bit dated but clean. Quiet and peaceful so on the whole had a good night's sleep. Breakfast however was a different experience, most items on the menu had run out or not available, had to ask for some toast twice but never actually got any, tried to get coffee but ran out and had to wait for refill, altogether worst breakfast service we have ever experienced. Wouldn't reccomend staying if you enjoy a nice leisurely breakfast.

We stayed a night following a cricket match nearby. We arrived on a very hot evening managed to find the receprion from the car park and were shown to our room by a friendly receptionist. The room was in a block that resembelled a single story motel. On opening the door we found a basic room that was very hot. To cool it down we had to prop the door open and open the window and the window in the bathroom to get a through draft. Following a shower to cool down we again opened the bathroom window and the handle fell off and droped into the carpark. The bathroom was dated and was in need of refurbishment a bath panel was loose an had a screw sticking out of it. We had a meal in the restaurant which was fine and the breakfast was very good with good quality products the only problem being that the hot buffet ran out of scrambled eggs. Sleep was difficult as the room was very hot despite a fan being provided. Our nights sleep was interrupted by what I think was the noise from the plumbing running through the roof space which started at 6:30 in the morning and stopped any chance of sleep. It was our first stay at a Best Western hotel and I had expected a better standard of accomodation from this chain. Before we arrived we were e-mailed asking if we wished to upgrade our accommodation I think I now understand why.

The hotel room was ok. It was very warm but as it faced the main road we couldn't leave a window open overnight but a fan had been provided. There was only only one bedside lamp but reception sent another. It is a very old hotel with very uneven floors so be aware if you have mobility problems. The meal though was horrendous. The menu advertised 'chef specials' but there weren't any. We ordered a bottle of chardonnay but was told by a very embarrassed waitress that they had to chill one, so we had water with our starters. My chicken pate was disgusting with horrible chutney and dry toast which I think had been left over from the night before. My husbands white bait with cumin (a new one on me) was so so. The wine appeared with our main course but as it was still warm in the glass, ice cubes were added. No I didn't drink it. My main course of scampi and chips were fine if overcooked although my husbands steak and ale pie was rock hard and he couldn't eat the pastry. We were told that we wouldn't be charged for the wine. There was no way we would have paid and if we hadn't prepaid for the meal we wouldn't have paid for that. The food at breakfast was good quality and well cooked if sparse. Insufficient staff covered a full restaurant. I ate a cooked breakfast in 2 lots. The ordered poached egg with sausage, bacon and mushrooms then beans and hash browns which I had to ask for but the black pudding had gone. I had a warm plate because my egg came freshly cooked from the kitchen but my husband's was cold. We went to breakfast at 9.30am so weren't late nor were we the last to arrive. My advice is if you stay there eat in the pub over the road and go to breakfast as soon as service starts. We won't be going again

I stayed here for 12 nights while attending a course. When I booked I looked online a seen the pictures online and the place looked nice but on arrival you soon realise the quality and standard are very poor. Rooms are musty smelling with badly dated and worn furniture. Mostly the other guests had work in the morning so it was mainly quite quiet but on the Friday and Saturday night it turned into a Disco and the noise was unbearable due to the very poor soundproofing in the rooms. I could hear everything. Entertainment: standard TV with a few Freeview channels... Internet 2 Mbps Bathroom : extremely poor standard with grime and scum build up around the bath and shower. Staff were nice on arrival and cleaners did a good job, unfortunately this would need a deep clean and money spent on it to make it acceptable so I can't blame them. Restaurant was empty every night and when I attempted to get a meal there I couldn't find anyone to serve me. Very poor standard of accomodation and service I would question the Star rating of this hotel as it resembles more a Motel or hostel I would avoid this hotel if you are looking for a romantic or luxury stay as its very much no frills. Don't like giving bad reviews but I felt I needed to on this occasion

My wife and I spent three days in the hotel this week. We have two labradoodles and came to enjoy nearby Thetford Forest for a short break for all of us. The hotel is especially welcoming to dog owners. Every member of staff (special mention to our room cleaners... lovely people.... also Jade - receptionist - who is perfect! Exactly what a receptionist should be... Friendly, welcoming and helpful) The room was lovely (we had a room in the garden - so perfect access for the dogs and the garden view is beautiful) dogs are welcome in the bar and literally, across the road is a dog friendly pub/restaurant (The Tollgate - a Greene King pub) car parking is great and the hotel was peaceful and relaxing. We wouldn't hesitate to stay here whenever we revisit Bury St Edmunds. I would also mention that we have worked in the hospitality business for 30 yrs (hotels and cruise ships around the world) So we really do appreciate great hospitality. Thanks to all at Best Western Priory Hotel.

The hotel is quite well situated, within easy reach of the centre. It is clean and the room was comfortable, although the walls are paper thin and it is possible to hear everything in the next room. Our television had a problem, so we were given another room which was quieter. The staff couldn't be more helpful and pleasant. The breakfast was lovely, but the service varied. Some days it was quick, others not so much. This was not the fault of the waitresses, who worked very hard indeed, but it seemed to cause a problem if the restaurant was busy. We enjoyed our stay here and would recommend it, but don't expect 5 star amenities.

Booked 3 rooms here for 2 nights in June. I booked a superior room for my mother and father in law who got upgraded to a suite which was really nice. I also booked a classic double and a twin room. These rooms were in the courtyard as we had a small dog with us. Our first morning the staff arranged tables together to enable the 6 of us to sit together in the lounge area - they also allowed my wife and I to decorate the area with some banners for the father in laws 80th. The breakfast was buffet style which was the normal assortment of fruit, yoghurt, cereals, pastries and cooked. All was really good and plentiful. We did not dine in the restaurant due to the fact we had the dog and the lounge area was not ideal to spend an evening around a dinner table as the seats were quite low to the table. Another negative was the price of a cup of tea £3.25! I'm sure we would have spent more in the bar area if the beverages were more reasonable. On our last morning I had to leave early to get a train to London so the previous evening I asked if the kitchen could make me something first thing. It was a lovely surprise to find a nice bacon sandwich plus fresh fruit and a cup of tea in my goody bag to help me on my way. When my family went for breakfast later that morning, the staff had arranged a table in the lounge area set up for 5 people. Nothing was too much trouble for them and I understand they even cooked some more boiled eggs for my daughter as her first batch were too hard. We all had a thoroughly nice time. The rooms were clean and comfortable and the grounds of the hotel well kept. The staff seem to take pride in their jobs and seem well trained - the customer service was amongst the best we have received in the UK. Thank you all for a great time and for helping to make the weekend for my father in law - we will be back.

The Hotel was efficiently run, had clean and comfortable bedrooms and was positioned in pleasant grounds. The food was of good quality with generous portions and served in a new, light and airy restaurant overlooking the garden. Staff were attentive and, in particular, Jade (Head of Reception and Events ) was very helpful. All in all a very pleasant place to stay. P

Very comfortable accommodation. Friendly staff. Jade Callis on reception very helpful (full of energy and provided useful information, with a smile) - Giuseppe in restaurant made a great Hot Chocolate. All staff generally happy and helpful. Powerful and lovely shower. Would definitely stay here again.

Much improved over this time last year, the new 'superior' rooms are nicer than Premier inn - very comfortable and a home from home. They're all different and the staff know which ones I prefer and whenever possibly they ensure I am booked into a preferred room (thanks to Jade and Carl). Whilst the new rooms, bar and restaurant are all very nice, it's the staff that make this place for a regular visitor. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. After a few months we've tired of the menu but the chef is happy to make to order so long as they have the ingredients. As with anywhere there's the odd minor issue from time to time, but I'm a pretty difficult customer and this has become my first choice in Bury. Congratulations to Jade, Carl, Karen, matt and all the team at The Priory for making this my home from home.

i have been staying here past few weeks . i would say the customer service has been excellent. All the staff are very friendly and accommodating.The rooms, especially the new one ones are very good.Special Mention to Carl and Jade , they have been very help full. The Chef, Matt, has even cooked us one of his delicious Chinese specials dishes for us .

We are just home from a lovely afternoon at the Priory. The staff were so efficient and accommodating, and the food was excellent. Giuseppe was helpful with all the planning of our event, and everything went like clockwork. The new dining room and the beautiful gardens were perfect for our celebration. Thank you so much. We will definitely be back.

Work away in Bury a lot and have stayed in a number of the hotels in the town but this has to be my favorite. Staff there are lovely and can't do enough to make you feel welcome, special mention to Jade and Tina. The rooms are all recently decorated, well equipped and clean. Excellent WiFi which for me is a must

Very good hotel . Its close to town centre and golf courses . The rooms are very clean and the staff are very friendly and accommodating. The bar and restaurant are also good . We've stayed a couple of times and will certainly stay again .

Excellent stay from start to finish. Jade made me a very welcome guest (and all others). Throughout the stay the team and especially Jade did everything possible to make my stay the best it could be, including checking shortly after settling into the room that all was ok. Having asking for a dinner recommendation from the menu, I was not disappointed, both in the speed of room service (again delivered by Jade) and the taste and presentation. Even having worked until late at night, I was amazed that again, greeted with a smiling face on checkout was again Jade, ensuring my stay had been perfect. I'd highly recommend this hotel and the team.

I have been up here for 7 weeks and for what we get up here it's good. The WiFi, cleanliness and the staff are generally amazing and good, I haven't had a massive problem with anything, but since I'm working away from home. The breakfast is better when they don't have the buffet but hey beggars can't be choosers still decent and you can ask how you want your eggs etc. Each room is different to one or the other but the ones I have been in so far hasn't been a problem they're always cleaned daily and for people who take a console or something with them there is a desk or a table near the tv and can be moved for ease. For the working customers this hotel is massively recommended as it's got everything that is needed. For others customers it's good as the town isn't too far and is walkable.

Stayed for a week had an excellent stay special thanks to Jade and Sharma a credit to there company keep up the good work .Rooms comfy and spacious beds were excellent shower was excellent bar staff are friendly and always got time for a chat.

As we are having a new kitchen fitted we are trying different places for lunch. I've lived in or around Bury all my life and have never been in The Priory so decided to give it a try. We sat in The Terrace bar we had our dog with us, dogs are allowed in this bar and they have rooms available for people that wish to bring their dogs. It was a lovely relaxed atmosphere with nice views of the beautiful garden. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Kevin the chef popped out to say hello and we watched him help a disabled lady use the lift. Our lunch was very tasty and we will certainly return. Good work Priory Hotel.

Had a lovely stay in this hidden gem not far from the centre of the beautiful BSE.I found the staff endearing and very helpful throughput our stay here today.I would not hesitate to return in the near future.

Weekend break to Bury St Edmund's with my partner and nine year old daughter. General manager and the girl was so helpful on our arrival. Had to change rooms due to no children's bed being put in. Sofa bed for her was ready made before entering the room. Saturday buffet breakfast was lovely. Selection of delicious pastries, toast, cereal, fruit and fries breakfast. Meal had in the restaurant Saturday evening. Basic but absolutely lovely. I asked for softer pillows and so the cleaner attended to this without any issues and cleaned our room. The staff here are here for the customers. The service is above and beyond. It takes special people to really go that extra mile which they certainly do here. We will most definitely be staying again. Thank you to the staff at the Priory for making our getaway break a memorable one!

Great Hotel and location, Great front of house staff, and cleaners, lovely breakfast by far the best Best Western Hotel I have experienced. Cleaners, bar staff and reception staff all go out of the way to make your stay comfortable. They even call your room after check in to see if you are comfortable in your room.

We were a group of 28 in a varied mix of singles,twins and double rooms and staying on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis with packed lunches supplied as part of the package they had created for us. From my first communication by email, the willingness to help and to accommodate our needs was very clear and this remained right through our visit. They could not do enough to make sure we had enough chairs wherever we chose to sit; we had 2 large tables especially for us and they had our lunches individually packed in paper bags at the time we had requested. Rooms were very varied but all were very comfortable. One of the outstanding elements of our stay was the incredibly good food. Chef had created menus for us to choose from and all dishes were delicious as proven by the cleared plates! Particularly memorable and commented on by many of us were the mushroom stroganoff, pannacotta dessert and the delicious scrambled egg at breakfast. But the greatest asset of this hotel has to be the staff. From the pleasant and very helpful Receptionists; Giuseppe, the General Manager who was there to meet us and oversee checking in and then took the time to come to say goodbye when he went off shift; the efficient and very helpful Barman whose name I failed to get; and the efficient waiting staff who fetched and carried for 28 people with permanent smiles on their faces - Mirjam in particular was delightful and always friendly and smiling. Will we stay again? Most definitely. It suited our needs perfectly and I cannot thank them enough for all they did for us.

I was in room 50 which had a thin interconnecting door to the next room. You could here t.v. snoring, bathroom fan & shower, toilet movements, phone calls and talking from the adjoining room. It was truly awful, I mentioned it to the receptionist who was very dismissive about the issue & just said well we have to have it (the connecting door) the one thing you expect from a hotel i.e. a good nights sleep, they failed at. I wouldnt use the hotel again. They also ran out of flavoured yoghurt and granola at breakfast and as I sat having a coffee in the lounge mid morning whilst working you had to listen to staff shouting to each other down the corridors which was very unprofessional.

Located just on the edge of town. A 20 minute walk away. The hotel consists of an older restored main building with restaurant and breakfast room attached. Other rooms are situated in the grounds chalet style in some cases. We stayed in an attractive modern room situated in a mews like courtyard near the entrance. The room was spacious clean and comfortable. A sizeable ensuite with bath and powerful shower and lovely large bath towels. A good nights sleep. WiFi worked well. Plenty of on site parking. Breakfast was cooked to order and a good standard. Without exception the staff were all friendly and helpful. For what we paid very good value.

Overall the hotel rooms are in need of refurbishment as the bathrooms and decor seem to be pretty tired looking. We were also woken early on the Sunday morning by a loud noise that kept coming and going...possibly the water/heating system - not sure on this, but was very annoying! Biscuits in the room were a nice touch.

the room was lovely it was a good size with a lovely big bathroom it was nice and cosy in the evening and nice and peaceful despite being next to the main road .the staff were very helpful bringing us extra pillows when requested and replenishing tea and coffee in the morning.shame about no pets in the dining room .checkout was quick and easy

Came with my elderly parents for a long weekend for my dad's birthday and Mothering Sunday. We stayed in the garden rooms which were lovely. Very clean, very comfortable. Well appointed. The staff (at reception, and waiting staff) were so friendly and we really appreciated the call from reception to check everything was ok after we arrived. There is a bit of traffic noise which you would expect being close to a main road but it wasn't too bad. Breakfast on Saturday morning was great. I had the full English. Everything cooked fresh and to a high standard. The only thing I would suggest is maybe the waiting staff came round and offered refills of coffee. Also, the breakfast room maybe could use some blinds for when sunny as it was rather warm and bright in there. The Sunday breakfast was a buffet style and I'm sorry to say was a little disappointing. The sausages weren't cooked as well as I like, the hash browns were soggy (the ones on Saturday were a highlight), the scrambled egg wasn't as good as Saturdays. I understand a buffet breakfast is harder to keep a good quality and feel the freshly cooked style we had on Saturday should be the only option. Overall a great value hotel, clean, comfortable and lovely staff. Would 100% recommend. If Sunday breakfast was better it would have been 5 stars. Thank you

Thought we would try here for lunch having not been here for a number of years and the price seemed good for Mothers Day £19 for 3 courses for adults The lunch was in the conservatory which was nice but warm, we were a family of four with 2 boys aged 9 and 11 It wasnt really busy considering it was Mothers Day, more like a normal Sunday lunch sitting so the staff did seem rushed although it wasnt busy Unfortunately the service lets this down as felt we were just left and no checking if everything ok or if we wanted further drinks. The main meals were very minimal with very few vegetables served in a small bowl for 4 and soggy, when served we were not asked if we wanted any drinks or anything further, we had to wait for 10 minutes to ask for more gravy and some wine, of course by then seemed a bit pointless. We put our dessert order in and waited 1 hour and 15 minutes for this to arrive after others had received theirs who had arrived after us. I had asked 3 times how much for the childrens meals to be told conflicting information and a muck up of price on the final bill No one collected our glasses so a build up of these on a small table also frustrating Considering other eating establishments are nearby which are good, they really need to look at ensuring people want to return which sadly we will not

This is not a review but a big thank you to The Priory. After pre booking a room for the 30th-3-2019 my family came down with the horrible bug from hell. Made a call on the 29th..(not allot of notice) and the hotel went above and beyond helping me in my HR of need. Not many would and this is a rare service.. hats of to you all and a big thank you for all your help.

This was a decent hotel with some strong features but during my visit was rather let down in others. I had a single room in the main building which on first look had seemed clear and comfortable. Sadly the loo, seemed superficially clean had signs deeper in which indicated a deeper clean was necessary. The bed was fairly comfortable and for most of the night was reasonably quiet but it is near to a road and the traffic could be heard after 6.30am. I had breakfast there which fortunately I had pre-booked but relatives who were also staying at the hotel had not done this and frankly at almost £13.00 for a self service with a limited range of options was excessive. The Garden Room, although quite difficult to find - the hotel is a bit of a rabbit warren - was new and pleasant. As it happens I also found the hotel difficult to find - but perhaps this was a problem with my Satnav. I should also acknowledge that when I commented on this to the pleasant and helpful receptionist she took some time to show me how to use my smart phone for this purpose. Such other staff as I saw were also pleasant and helpful - one of the strongest features of the hotel. Its limitations notwithstanding, I would certainly consider staying at the Great Western again - for its staff, for its very pleasant setting, and for its proximity to the centre of Bury St Edmunds.

Wonderful staff! Met by head of housekeeping who walked us to reception and even carried my elderly mum's bag! Reception staff very welcoming. They even called the room to make sure we were happy. They also had a birthday card for mum as her birthday today and she grew up in Bury St Edmunds and this trip down memory lane (I had mentioned that when I booked Online). Lovely ground floor room in annexe of hotel, in a group of 8-10 rooms. Room comfortable and a good size and very clean with tea, coffee, toiletries etc. Newly built restaurant which looks very nice though not eaten here yet. Hotel grounds beautiful and well kept. It's an easy 15 minute walk to old town and Abbey Gardens. Excellent value for money & am very impressed. Highly recommended!

I wanted to review this hotel for its excellent service and understanding. We were due to spend a night B&B on 25th March but my elderly Labrador dog has been unwell the week before and had to spend a night in the vets with severe gastrointestinal problems. I rang the reception on the morning and was told that we should give 24 hours notice in line with the cancellation policy. I explained the problem and said if we couldn't cancel with no penalty then we would have to come but was concerned that my dog wasn't 100%. The reception person, Carl, was very understanding and as a compromise agreed to cancel without penalty on the understanding that we will rebook at a later date when the dog is better. I know it didn't really cost them to do this but it shows a real empathy with its customers. We will definitely visit again.

I stay in a lot of different hotels some rather better that others . The Priory is a lovely clean comfortable hotel , I had one of the garden rooms (36) it was comfortable, quiet and clean . I slept very well . Without a doubt the crowing glory of this hotel is the staff , I don't know if it's the Suffolk air or what but they are outstanding. Polite , welcoming and friendly. Breakfast was delicious. It's a bit of a walk into town that's the only negative. Thankyou for reading my review.

Normally stay in pubs in the area but all the usual where full so booked the priory for one night Didn't have dinner so no comment The IPA served in the bar was off so went over the road to the tavern pub for a drink better £ Breakfast was included and ok but basic tbh Rooms clean and comfy but walls a bit thin if you know what I mean Would stay again but not 5/5

Enjoyed a stay over and found the lodge a short walk from the station, just on the edge of town yet the town centre is walkable in 15-20 minutes for most. I expected something a bit more characterless as a franchise but it is an old building with modernised interior and also chalets in the grounds. Room was clean and functional and I had very good Eggs Royale for breakfast, there being several hot dishes as well continental option. I would gladly stay there again.

Good location and nice hotel. Food was excellent and the staff were very polite, friendly and approachable. The showers here seem to lack pressure but didn't ruin the overall experience. Was maybe a little too warm, the heat hits you as you enter the building.

The Hotel was easy to locate, welcoming and being recently refurbished, of top quality throughout. Our room was excellent. Modern, clean and included tea/coffee making facilities, TV, Iron and Hairdryer. The bed was very comfortable and extra blanket was provided if you needed it. The Restaurant was large and modern and had a good choice of snacks and main courses all of which were competitively priced. All the staff that we met were friendly, helpful and able answer any questions. I have no hesitation in recommending the Best Western Priory Hotel as a great place to stay.

We stayed here about 5 years ago and enjoyed our stay then but our stay this time was far superior especially given the recent refurbishment throughout the hotel. Our room was clean spacious and modern. All hotel areas were clean and well presented and very welcoming and relaxing. The staff were friendly and helpful. We didn't have an evening meal but we very much enjoyed our breakfast. We will definitely stay again and recommend this hotel to friends and family. An excellent hotel within The Cameron Ventures group

The room was very spacious and although it hadn't been refurbished for a while, it didn't look too tired or dated. It was perfectly clean and had a decent mounted TV, hair dryer, kettle and big double bed. The bathroom did look a bit tired, the grout was discoloured in places, the taps were those old English ones where you have two separate small taps and you can choose between cold and boiling (or cold and cold if you don't want to wait a long time) and the shower holder and soap tray came off the wall quite easily, so you had to be careful when using them. However, the important criteria were met: The shower, although electric, got hot enough, stayed at the set temperature (the warming up time varied, so don't give up on it) and had a good water pressure. The bathroom was clean and free of any mould. I also liked that the option was given to keep the towels rather than having them replaced every day. Of course it benefits the hotel too, but most importantly it saves the environment. Welcome little bonuses were the tasty biscuits provided with the tea and coffee making facilities and the magazines with useful information about the area. The hotel setting and garden looked very nice and the location was convenient for car-travelling guests. Breakfast was ok, the cooked breakfast was a bit stingy for the price: A very small portion of beans, one egg, one sausage, one slice of bacon, just one of everything. However, you can of course then fill up on the breakfast buffet which was tasty and varied with different cereals, croissants, very good Danish pastries, fruit and even smoothies.

1st night we were in room 10 which is in a recently built addition to the hotel. The room was quite small with the added inconvenience of being in the eaves with 4 sloping ceilings which made it difficult to move around without banging your head. I had a word with the receptionist, Hannah, in the morning and she immediately found another suitable superior room without the sloping ceilings which had much more room to move around. We had dinner in the hotel on both evenings and the food was excellent. The only complaint was, for some reason, they do not keep Pinot Grigio chilled so we had to have another choice from the wine menu. Breakfasts too, were very nice and plentiful. All the staff were very pleasant and couldnt be more helpful. Would definitely visit again.

The Priory Hotel was perfect for our short stay. I stayed in one of the refurbished rooms (Superior Double). The bed was extremely comfortable, the room was warm (but not too hot) and the bathroom spotless! The shower was a joy, and the complementary toiletries were luxurious. The staff was very pleasant and made us feel welcome. It was obvious they tried hard to please (from the look of other reviews & my own observations) difficult guests with chips on their shoulders. I suppose that's what they [the staff] have come to expect from a small hotel in a Suffolk village! I bemoan the job of receptionist Jade to have to deal with such people, but she does so in a professional and warm manner. She deserves a reward! The breakfast was excellent - with a diverse selection of items and good quality produce. The breakfast room itself is spacious and bright, looking out on the hotel grounds, that are well kept! All in all, I would highly recommend the Priory for anyone passing through. If I am ever back in the area, I will book again!

Very nice modern rooms with excellent service. Breakfast included was a godsent after nerarly 8 hours on the road. Thank you to Jade for her help in sorting our problems. Would highly recommend for either a short stay for some r&r on a long road trip (like us) or for a longer, more relaxed getaway.

Visited the hotel due to an event which was hosted at the hotel, which ran smoothly and the staff were superb. Stayed in one of the courtyard rooms for the night, room was very spacious and well finished. Would highly recommend and would certainly stay there again.

I love this little hotel! I stayed here on business but the staff are so friendly and the rooms so cosy, it feel like a real treat! It was a chilly night but the garden room I stayed in was lovely and warm. I was greeted with a chocolate chip cookie, chocolate and a free drink as a BW rewards member. The room was spotless with a lovely view. Last summer when I stayed, I sat working late on my laptop in the garden - very relaxing for a business stay! All you can eat breakfast with attentive, helpful waiting staff. The little things matter and the great customer service and charming setting will keep me returning to the Priory Hotel.

Read the recent article in the paper about the newly built restaurant and bar. Thought I'd pop in with the wife for dinner as we were in the area. We had lovely evening, friendly staff and chef was happy to adjust my meal to make it gluten free. Top marks!

The Best Western is a wonderful hotel in Bury St Edmunds. The rooms are fantastic and all very comfortable, the new restaurant provides delicious food with a variety of options on the menu, but most of all the staff are exceptional and make your stay with them one to remember. would highly recommend.

Great location just off A14 Close to Thetford Forest, Ipswich and other tourist spots. Rooms very clean and the new hotel rooms that have been completed are second to none. Stopped in other hotels in surrounding area this is far my favourite one. Restaurant is modern and the staff are very warm and friendly also close to amenities. East Coast beer on tap in bar. If you want a hotel with a nice restaurant and good food with secure parking which is important I would definitely recommend this hotel.

Stayed here last summer and never want to return. My room was located outside like an old style motel. Although the room was spacious it was absolutely filthy. The carpet was so dirty I decided to keep my shoes on when walking around. The bathroom was mouldy. The surfaces were disgusting - I wiped the room with anti bac wipes and yellow sticky gunk came off of everything. The decor was also really out of date, tired and dusty. Had an awful nights sleep in a hideously uncomfortable bed. My friend was staying in a nearby room and had a similar experience. We rung each other at 7am the next day and both agreed our best bet was to just leave. Never again!

The hotel fabric is in pretty poor order. There are builders skips and tarpaulins lying around suggesting that some work is going on, but I cant see any evidence of improvement. My shower had been bodged using the wrong spares. It just about worked but needed coaxing into action and persuading to work. If I had been weak of hand or arthritic I would not have been able to use it.The heating in my room was on full and the controls had been removed. It was 0 degrees outside but my room was unbearably hot. The windows had been painted shut, so there was no way of controlling the temperature. All in all it looks like a hotel that someone is reluctant to spend any money on. It is about a mile out of town and has no special redeeming features. I would stay in the town centre instead. Hotels are the same price and can't really be worse than this place.

Excellent accommodation, great food in the evening and at breakfast. The receptionist, Jade, was fantastic and could not be more helpful, she helped me out very well! The evening meal was of good quality as was the breakfast.

The whole event lacked character, minimal Decorations, no relevant music, The Garden Room was not the best choice for this type of function. The Service was average and the food left a lot to be desired for £75.00 per head. Would I consider booking next year - No

Nice stay comfortable stay nice staff food a bit expensive near to the city centre tv reception was not good in the new wing nice decor in the new rooms competitive prices and Food was very expensive in the restaurant and it took too long to get served

Recently visited the hotel for Sunday lunch , we were greeted by a very friendly receptionist who showed us to the new, very modern bar and restaurant area. Great range of drinks , the food was superb and the staff were very helpful. Highly recommend and will certainly be going back soon!!!

We decided to go to the Priory Hotel for their 3 day Christmas break. Throughout our stay the staff were brilliant in that they were very helpful, friendly and could not do enough for their guests. I spoke on a number of occasions to Kim, their General Manager, as she was always available and, like her staff very good. Their food was of a very good standard, not too much, but always well presented and hot. Our room was spacey, well kitted out and comfortable. The only fault we could find was that there was no lift and the stairs are rather steep. However, it is an older building so installing one would not be practical. All in all good value for money and I will recommend the Priory as a Hotel for a comfortable break.

A family Boxing Day lunch at a hotel should be a treat! This hotel needs to go and have a look at the competition that's on offer in Bury St. Edmunds. A very limited choice on offer with only Pork being the preferred choice- but, no apple sauce, crackling and a mean amount of vegetables will not be attracting new customers. The new extension surely needs to be promoted but, please try and exceed customers expectations and you may have a chance! # noatmoshere # nocrackers #nofrills Steve Bailey

Had a business meeting and meal on Monday evening. On arrival we were greeted by friendly bar staff who served us courteously. Fantastic new dining and bar area. Service was great and food was marvellous. Excellent value for money.

Visited here for our works Christmas party. Hannah on reception was great and dealt with our booking very efficiently. The new part of the building is great for an event. We really enjoyed our food and friendly service. Maybe some mince pies wouldn't go amiss next time!

as a regular guest at this hotel Ihave noticed a decline in quality originally complementary water and toiletries were standard the breakfasts were high quality and advertised as locally sourced and individually cooked now a g=central help yourself awful bitter coffee and cold bacon sausages and hash browns the room [36] was dominated by a steel four poster [no curtains no need] which resembled building site scaffolding .Imentioned these shortcomings to the concerned manageress who assured me that the changes due to change of ownership are being addressed -we will see

We stayed at the Priory Hotel en route from our home in the Kent, to The Thursford Spectacular. It was ideally situated for our needs. Our room was not in the main hotel but it was comfortable. The breakfast was cooked to order and was excellent. I made some suggestions to the Manager to which she kindly responded. If Michelle G had asked to change rooms it might have prevented her negative review.

Great staff, really good breakfast,rooms just been refurbished and a good deal on a winter offer free parking close to city center with very easy access from A14 couldn't have asked for a better choice. Would recommend and visit again.

Well, having watched The Jungle recently, I think Harry Rednapp would have been grateful...but only just! What can I say ... we were taken through a carpark to an outside chalet to something that was rather like the Bates motel. Although it seemed clean ... a bit of mould on the bathroom blinds ,I'll excuse that as I'm short sighted! The beds were comfortable and pillows good ... and it warmed up eventually , but they are the only good bits here. Sadly the rest was dreadful , curtains hanging off poles , tired furniture , scruffy exterior and interior and wafer thin walls. At £89 per night without breakfast, which in the grand scheme of things seems now maybe to be a blessing!!! Who knows ,maybe the main building has the benefit of some maintenance over the last few years I cannot comment on this , though the the chalets seem to be really neglected. It would have been cheaper to get a taxi back to London and be in my 3* home than here in 0* .

The hotel is still undergoing refurbishment but we had a very pleasant overnight stay. The management and staff are most helpful and eager to please and we would happily return. The restyled restaurant where we had an excellent breakfast is attractive but just a tad soulless - a few pictures on the walls and some rugs on the wood floor would soften it nicely. The hotel is some way from the town centre but local cabs are efficient and not expensive. Do book direct with the hotel itself - the Best Western central booking facility is a total shambles!

Well, since I was here this time last year there has been much going on. Relocation of reception, a brand new extension for the breakfast/dining/bar area no doubt with the functions market in mind. New carpets in the common areas and work is still ongoing in various parts of the hotel. Breakfast was largely a self service buffet, with plenty of choice, hot and cold. The staff were very helpful and immediately sought to top up when asked or to deal with requests (like for poached eggs). Those were the plus points. The not so good concerned the room. This time a garden room. Poorly heated (the fitted electric radiator did not work and we had been given a small standalone rad as a make do but that was hopelessly underpowered for the size of room - we noted the next door room also seemed to have the same problem). That said the helpful receptionist, following up after our arrival with a courtesy call, then sourced a new fan heater, which just about warmed things up to a satisfactory level. One of the issues with these garden rooms is they have single glazed windows throughout which is not particularly energy efficient. A relatively new carpet indicated that a bit of a room refurb had occured in the not too distant past. The room was dominated by an absurdly over the top metal bed frame. Not at all what would have been expected! Sadly any hope that the refurb would have extended to the bathroom was quickly dashed. Although tidy, the bathroom was showing it's age and the electric Mira shower made an enormous racket suggesting it was on its last legs. The towel rail too had a bit of insulation tape covering some issue. Hot water took ages to flow through the basin tap. This hotel has potential; its staff are courteous and helpful but the buildings and rooms are a bit of a work in progress and in some areas a bit of a let down. I hope their budget will eventually allow complete refurbishment to those areas that are negatively impacting this rating.

First time i have stayed at this Hotel in Bury St Edmunds for business, very nice Hotel staff were all very friendly and welcoming Hotel is perfectly placed for Town centre and surrounding businesses excellent food and bar service particular mention for Sharna who was working on the bar on the evening i stayed, very friendly and welcoming and took the time to have a chat to me even though she was busy working i would stay at this hotel again as all the staff are excellent and a credit to the Hotel and Best Western. Thank you all

I've had a great stay in one of the courtyard/garden rooms. Staff fabulous. Rooms are under refurbishment but certainly fit for purpose. The main building looks and feels very cosy. The new restaurant and bar is a fabulous addition with great food at reasonable prices. A very cosy lounge area to just relax in is also a great space. Yes there were problems with heating but the manager called maintenance ask. I'm sure some will make a big deal about it but who can get something like that fixed in the middle of the night! The staff were fab even under the stress guest were causing.

We stayed at the Best Western in Bury St Edmunds while the christmas fayre was on. They are in the process of renovating a new wing. As we were shown to our room I noticed the carpets were very dirty and there was an overwhelming smell of paint which was positively eye watering. When we got to our room it was tidy clean and had a corporate look, but the rush to get customers in had made little touches that should of been done left undone, ie: no door stop, a frozen bathroom, wrinkled curtains etc. All of which I could have ignored if it hadn't been for the asthma inducing fumes of paint. The breakfast was a continental breakfast and a 'hot' buffet which unfortunately was tepid at best. The one saving grace at the hotel at the moment was the amazing staff in particular the Scottish gentleman on reception who was under the kosh apoligizing for the fumes, cold doors left open etc. He was diplomatic and very helpful. Also a 'spanish' girl in the dining room who was old fashion charm personified and perfect service. It's a shame they rushed putting guests in the new part of the hotel as you can see the potential in a lovely looking hotel

Having used the priory regularly, over the last five years, I feel compelled to say that the staff they have at this hotel are the best they have ever had. Every member of staff is helpful and courteous, and looking to meet the needs of the guest. It has been difficult through the restoration but the service hasn't suffered,and the new restaurant and menu are just right for me. Whilst all of Kim's team have been superb, Hannah on reception has been great in getting me the rooms I have needed. Good friendly hotel with great people.

Slightly worn but having a refurb currently. (Nov 18) Clean with competent staff. Hardly romantic but a handy location. Probably a good location in the summer when the patios and lawns would be a nice place to sit.

Having stayed at The Priory many times over the years, for family visits, and also Christmas packages, (which have been excellent). We had not stayed during this year whilst the extensive building work has been going on, and we were a bit apprehensive as to how things would be for this visit. But we need not have been concerned, as the room, (a garden room), and the hotel & restaurant was operating very well. It must have been quite a task for the staff to keep things running, whilst at the same time having a 'big build' going on. The breakfast is as good as ever, and the rooms very comfortable.

Over night biz stay. Hotel good standard & comfortable but currently completing a refurb so even better when complete. Girls on reception / bar very friendly & good ‘welcome.' Hotel offers guest 1st drink free on arrival (nice touch) WiFi OK: Good welcome at breakfast by friendly staff & good standard. Kim, lucky to have very good staff - look forward to my next stay. SR

Have been using the Priory for many years to visit family in Bury st Edmunds and never a bad visit yes the hotel is going through a major refurbishment but at no hassle to guests due to a late flight into Luton we were running late for evening meal and as we were travelling with are daughter and partner and 8 month grandson we phoned ahead and asked for a tray of sandwiches in are room . Check in no problem sandwiches lovely and fresh delivered within minutes rooms with cot as requested breakfast on all 4 mornings freshly cooked and lovely ,staff are amazing as dealing with minor moans and groans about the renovation work but always helpful and smiling also a big thank you for all the help with are grandsons food and bottles at breakfast and sorry about the mess he left on the floor . When we return will always use the Priory as Kim and her staff are a great asset to Great Western chain highly recommended and ignore the negative reviews the renovation work is almost done but doesn't bother your stay. Thanks to all Adrian Mandy Sabrina Paul and baby Kai

This is a very nice hotel. There was building work going on (a new restaurant) so dining room was quite small but breakfast was excellent. Evening menu was basic pub grub but maybe this will improve once restaurant is completed. We had one of the outside rooms which was spotlessly clean and very comfortable. Having just read another review, I realise we obviously had the same problem that we booked a Superior room but were not in the main building. That said, we were happy with the room they gave us.

Stayed 1 night for business. Check in was mediocre, the room looked reasonable until I entered the bathroom. The bathroom had an overriding intoxicating smell of damp/mould, its the worst I have ever had the misfortune to have to inhale. I had to open the window to be able to breath whilst having a shower. It was also in a very poor state with stained sealant everywhere, it looked like it had been applied with a spatula. I spent most of the night in the pub over the road because their toilet didn't stink....... I went for breakfast at 7am but it took so long for my order to be taken and cook it that I had to leave at 7.35 or I'd be late for my appointment, so my breakfast was a pastry eaten whilst I checked out. You can tell if a hotel is totally crap when the person on reception doesn't ask how your stay was because they know what the answer is going to be. The worst Best Western I've ever had the misfortune to stay in and they should be ashamed of themselves for actually letting people stay in rooms in that state...

Room is ok and staff are nice but the food is extremely poor value for money, breakfast supplement of £12.95 for one sausage, one piece of bacon, one fried egg, one hash brown but two yes two pieces of toast! Won't be coming back.

I booked the Priory as a BW loyalty card holder. Checked their website and liked the look of their Superior rooms. Made my booking and had confirmation of a Superior room. Arrived and parked in the car park, on the walk to reception the signs guided me around an assortment of what appeared to be rooms either added on at a later date or old stables converted into accommodation and through a passage past more of the same. After registering I was shown, or rather pointed in the direction of our room. Yes it's one of the stables. On entering it was immediately obvious that this was not the grade of room I had booked. I returned to reception and asked if they were sure I had the right room. I was asked what the problem was, but was told that they only had one other room and that was holding for someone. So basically it's that one or nothing. On my return to the room I checked the Priory website, which clearly states “Our four Superior rooms, located in the main house are in our opinion very special rooms “. So I haven't got what I booked and paid for! The room it's self is small and dark with just one small window, so natural light is minimal. The shower is only able to produce lukewarm water, the drain is restricted so that the shower tray fills and leaks onto the floor. I put the kettle on while I showered, but it didn't turn off probably due to the limescale oozing out of the handle. The shower has ill fitted tiles and there are marks on the wall probably from another water leak. Off to dinner. The restaurant is quite small and as we found at breakfast is insufficient for the amount of guests wanting to use it. Whitebait was very good, barbecue pork ribs however were removed from an old and starving animal judging from the amount of dry meat on them. I should perhaps mention the stain on the seat of one of the chairs in the room. All in all I'm very unhappy, not only did I pay for a Superior room and get something from a 1960's motel, not even the restaurant could redeem the Priory. I would suggest that Best Western takes a look at the Priory because they are giving Best Western a bad name. Does the a in room 20a stand for awful? If you didn't have the correct room available at the very least you should have a) not taken the booking or b) contacted me to inform me of the situation and say you only had a poor substitute available, rather than put us in a low grade room and hope that I wouldn't either notice or complain. Profit on the room is obviously more important than customer satisfaction for the Priory, future guests be warned

This is a nice hotel and once the building works are completed next year I'm sure it will be a quality place to stay. The location is relatively easy to find and it has good off road parking for guests. We stayed in the main building with lots of quirky steps etc. but this adds to the charm. The room was a good size with a comfortable king bed and very large bathroom. Unfortunately it looks straight out to the new works being done and so the view wasn't the best. That said, we were out all day so the works didn't affect us at all. We ate in the restaurant the first night and the food was a good standard and reasonably priced. We found staff to be friendly and helpful and enjoyed our stay. Across the road is a good pub for meals and drinks (usual pub food to a good standard).

Glad to see them upgrading,but anyone booking for a special event atm there is no garden (build site) & no lighting down to courtyard rooms (ours badly needed deep cleaning).Food still good.Lovely staff.

We stayed overnight on the 25th August 2018 being regular best western guests we had no hesitation ion booking the priory hotel ,, but unfortunately this hotel was a disappointment to us and is major one to best western.. Garden room acc was holiday camp style & dated. Bed was awfully hard & uncomfortable . The ongoing building work is major and very disruptive. Some areas are quite unsafe for guest with raised patio stones loose gravel etc . Lumps of stone being used to hold open the doors . Breakfast was unorganised, chaortic,unable to provide full breakfast after running out of supplies. Breakfast took 1,30 mins due to under staffing.

Stayed here as visiting friends nearby and whilst a little tired, they are renovating, it was great value and all you could ask for with good staff. Good sized room with all you need and with breakfast included.

Stayed at this hotel for two nights. The building work did make our movement around the site more difficult, however did not affect the experience too drastically. I am sure when completed the upgrade/extension will enhance the hotel generally. The staff we encountered were very good and responded positively to all our requests. Kelsey, the receptionist on duty when we arrived at the hotel, was especially helpful and made us feel very welcome during our stay.

Excellent staff and food good. Unfortunately, my room was on top of the building site they have and the level of noise from builders and machinery was ridiculous. Coupled with that was the noise from the kitchen situated below my room at 0600hrs just added to the problem. BWPH you need to alert people to the fact that you are refurbishing, therefore managing their expectations.

Stayed here on the last day of a 300 mile bike ride from South Wales to Norfolk, hoping for a restful experience. On the hottest day of the year dinner was served in a stifling dining room with no ventilation. Portions were disappointing. But the real coup de grace came on returning to the room to find ants coming up the overflow of the sink. Phoned reception where the person answering (apparently the manager) was most unhelpful, said we couldn't have any ant powder or spray as they were locked in the housekeeping cupboard and she didn't have the keys! So I googled how to get rid of ants without ant powder and apparently they don't like talcum powder or instant coffee so had to spread this all over the sink and where the ants were coming in, creating a mess and rendering it unusable. Next morning no apology or concern from the same person, and only £20 taken off the bill, when really should have had the room for free as it wasn't fit for purpose. One to avoid, definitely!

This is a little gem of a hotel with rooms facing its pretty garden. I booked for a one night business stay but it felt like a real treat. Lovely breakfast including rhubarb juice and lovely fruit salad. After staying in an expensive, faceless, chain hotel just off the M4 last week, the Priory was such a refreshing change. Great value for money, gorgeous town too. Recommended!

Stayed here Saturday and Sunday night due to wedding on the Sunday. Check in was easy and friendly. There are building works being carried out but did not affect our stay. We stayed in the annex and was pleasantly surprised with size of room. It was clean and what you would expect from a 3 star. Breakfast was not the best sausages and scrambled eggs had obviously been kept warm as were dry and over cooked. It was also very hot in there. Overall happy with our stay and would stay again if in the area.

Booked in for a business meeting the next day. Good location and I was impressed with the customer service from reception through to the bar and breakfast in the morning. Yes there is building work and renovations underway. Didn't affect me though. Would definitely return just based on the customer service. Thank you

We booked a room over 4 months in advance of a wedding being held nearby, only to be left a message our booking was cancelled because of works being undertaken! No apologies, no alternative suggestions, nothing. Less than 3 weeks to find another local hotel that wasn't a ridiculous cost because of the relatively short notice. Absolutely unacceptable. I will not use another bw chain hotel again. The management should be ashamed that they think this is appropriate.

Overnight stay , rooms and public areas a little tired. Reception and assistance with booking a taxi was good, large room and bathroom had all expected facilities but shower pressure was not great. Evening service at the bar was good, breakfast service was slow, two couples arrived after we had sat down and the staff attended to them before us. It was a busy breakfast room, one waitress plus manager who was also doing reception, so attention to guests, table clearing etc was poor. However, the cooked breakfast was excellent with every item cooked exactly as it should be. Perhaps a little overpriced, a bit more attention to detail for the rooms and attention to guests and the stay would be enjoyable, rather than average. Have rated 4 not 3 star as some elements (breakfast fare, some staff) were really good.

On arrival (to what can only be described as a building site,) a little early, we were greeted by a surly unwelcoming young lady, who just said " check in is 2pm! No other words spoken. As we had just had a long journey, and were meeting friends there, we decided to wait in the bar, and order a sandwich. No chips available, as fryer being cleaned! The reception area was very tired and jaded looking, nothing like the photos! We eventually found our room in the annexe, after 2pm, and it was pleasant, clean, and adequate. The TV never worked the whole of our stay, despite mentioning to staff. We had no information given about anything, and the WIFI voucher was not explained to us on arrival either, which caused problems. The restaurant looked tired and rather like an average boarding house. Where was the conservatory view for breakfast? We decided to eat elsewhere in the evening. Breakfast...... day 1 not too bad, very poor buffet selection, one communal cereal bowl of sugar for your cereal! Warm juice, warm yogurt, tinned fruit, but cooked breakfast and toast were good. Coffee was disgusting. Day 2... on arrival at breakfast, jammed full of people ( a party booking) we stood at the door, no staff to direct us ,or even say " Good Morning" , reception -same surly girl, mumbled, "there's another room" which we eventually found. There was only one juice left, and cereal, that was it! We ordered a cooked breakfast, which was about 30mins arriving. The people next to us, had been waiting an hour, and had to decline eating it, as they had an appointment to keep, so had no breakfast at all. The waitress on this occasion, was trying her very best to placate everyone, and did her best to cope with the situation. It was a little like "Fawlty Towers" which at least made us laugh! Would we return? NEVER! It was shambolic. Awful service, and nothing at all like the website or photos. It wasn't a cheap hotel either. Do not recommend, there are other good hotels in the area.

The hotel is squeezed in between 2 main roads and a petrol station - not the tranquil setting it seems to be from the pictures but nice enough. There is building work going on but it didn't bother me at all - didn't seem to be building when I was there. I had a garden room which was a lovely room but the bathroom needed a good scrub - the gap between the tub and the sink had a whole world of cobwebs, fluff and stuff lurking there. The positives - pet friendly (I think this is a positive), nice rooms, easy parking, excellent breakfast, nice pub just opposite (£3.80 for a pint of Stella - I think it's the cheapest I've seen for 10 years.....) Sort the cobwebs, fluff and stuff out and an easy 3+ star rating

We spent one night here in June. We found the tv not working and a letter in the welcome pack explaining it was not working but reading back through tripadvisors reviews this has seemed to be an issue for quite a while so why has the problem not been resolved! We stayed in a courtyard room , the walls are paper thin so you can hear others conversations through the walls. The room was in need of a lick of paint as the walls were dirty. On arriving at the hotel there are two entrances which is confusing , and not clearly marked to say which one you should be using. The only saving grace was the staff , all very friendly and helpful especially receptionist and the waiting staff in the dining room where we ate breakfast, breakfast okay but nothing out of this world! and the view out of the window was of the building site of where they are having work done. We will not be staying here again as it seems there are better hotels in the area which have working TVs and not so paper thin walls!

We arrived at the best western to find the place was a building site. They are re-doing the whole outside area so there is not much to see unless you like the sight of building works. As we finally made our way through to the reception, we were presented with a very unhelpful and blunt receptionist. We went out elsewhere to eat as the restaurant was quite dull to say the least. We got back to the room at 8pm to find not a single channel on the tv worked. We were informed by reception they were aware of this but they hadn't let us know, apparently the building work has caused all the tv's in all rooms to not work. We waited for a call back with an update on the Tv's but that call never came... As compensation we were offered £10 off the £20 breakfast for two that we had already paid for. The room itself is ok but based on everything else I wouldn't return. I personally would not recommend attending this hotel, as overall it was a very disappointing visit with no helpful staff or any appealing sites.

We stayed for 2 nights in a kingsize courtyard room. The room was clean but decor, carpet and bathroom suite was very tired and needs updating. The bed was very firm, we didnt sleep well on our 1st night. Breakfast was well cooked and nice quality but there could have been more of it ! Not the best Best Western we have stayed at.

We took a large group of customers and staff to the hotel and quite simply the hotel staff were fantastic and made use feel very welcome. We used the restaurant for dinner and all 20 meals come out cooked to a good standard and at the same time. The rooms were all clean and comfortable but a couple could have done with updating however the hotel is going through a big refurbishment so imagine these will be done soon. The hotel hotel is a good 20 minutes walk to bury st edmunds or a 5 minute taxi ride.

The service from staff was excellent. Breakfast was the least favourite because some of the food was overcooked and dry. The room was adequate but average. Expect improvements in the facility alteration will also improve the overall ambience More work needs to be done on food.

My wife and I stayed at the hotel last weekend. Whilst the hotel itself is a little tired they are taking steps to refurbish it. We stayed is one of the courtyard rooms and although there were exterior lights for some reason they were not put on at night. The rooms could also do with mini fridges. That's the negatives out of the way. The jewel in the crown was the waitress who served us in the restaurant. She was a delight. She always had a smile on her face and nothing was too much trouble for her. Her name is Miriam. What a gem! I also found it refreshing that the food was reasonably priced and very good. When we went back the 2nd night the chef went out of his way to bake fresh rolls and also took the trouble to make my wife's ice cream look more appealing and added a little fruit. Best Western should be very proud of these two.

I am very happy with my stay - the hotel represents good value in an ideal location for the town. A small mix-up up was resolved by the Manager, Mr David, and I am happy to provided a warm recommendation to other guests.

Stayed here recently whilst on business and was very disappointed with the hotel. The room wasn't in the main hotel it was overlooking the car park and was very grubby!! £120 a night for a single bed in a very tired room. Shower was cold and leaked and the grout was black. The service wasn't much better as the staff didn't seem to know what to do! Breakfast was just okay and the service was better. I wouldn't book this again unless the ongoing work much improves the hotel

I stayed here for two nights because I was attending a training course. Situated on the edge of the town, I found that the hotel was at least a 20 minute walk from most amenities that I visited. My room was located in the main hotel and above the restaurant. The room had a lavishly sized bathroom and included several essentials kits (toothbrush, sewing kit, soap, flannel). Some words of caution...the bathroom taps are VERY hot and the shower could have done with being more powerful as it dribbled me clean in the mornings. There was no A/C in the room, which considering the heatwave that we were going through meant that I had to sleep with an open window. The bed was a good-sized double but the mattress was very hard and the pillows & duvet felt very stiff and heavy for this weather. Despite this the room had a lovely feel and I enjoyed 2 good nights' rest during my stay. I only ate breakfast at the hotel and it was very enjoyable, especially as I am vegetarian but and have found some hotels lacking in their offerings before. They offer the usual Kellog's selection and do porridge on request. The cooked breakfast was very nice and for non-veggies, they offered a good selection. On a minor note I would have liked a cafetiere of coffee rather than waiting for the staff to bring me more. On the whole the hotel is very charming and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here. Despite my some niggles, the hotel is worth considering and I feel glad that I was put up here rather than some bland, cookie-cut hotel with no charm or character. The staff were friendly and when I asked them for a request, were happy to oblige.

Another visit to this hotel. Again food good. Rooms clean and comfortable. Staff very helpful. They are currently undertaking building work to extend the hotel but this does not impact on your stay. Handy for town. £5.00 in taxi. Free wifi. No lift but there are ramps on the ground floor. Used this hotel a fair few times now. Happy to go back

We enjoyed our one night stay, the room was comfortable and clean, a little tired and could do with re-decorating. We were a little disappointed by the building works which we were not aware of. Fantastic breakfast.

Stayed overnight as was in Bury St Edmund's for work, brought my elderly mum with me for some company. Room size was good and it was clean. I have seen people moaning about the breakfast; for an extra £10 for two people I don't really know what more people expect! There was an excellent choice of freshly made smoothies and fruit juices as well as cereals, pastries and fresh fruit, tea and coffee and toast as well as a wide choice of hot breakfast options too. In my view, for £5 a head this is great! I cannot fault the politeness of the staff here. I had to leave my mum in the hotel while I went to work and everyone was so kind to her and really looked after her. I was particularly impressed with Miriam who is an absolute credit to this hotel. Nothing was too much trouble for her, she was extremely professional and attentive and so polite and caring of my mum. There was also a very pleasant blonde lady (unfortunately didn't catch her name) she was a manager I believe, she was also very kind to my mum and very helpful to me the night we checked in by arranging a taxi for me for the following morning, which, if you have ever been to Bury St Edmund's before, you will know is no easy feat! It really honestly made all the difference. The only small issue I could possibly raise and it is only to help the hotel and not in any way to moan! Is that my mum had to book a taxi to come and meet me later on when I left the hotel. She attended at reception where there was another blonde lady (but not the manager I had seen the previous night) and asked if a taxi could please be booked. My mum is elderly, had clearly come from out of town so didn't have area codes etc, all of which was very obvious. When asking for a taxi to be booked however, she was told by this lady on reception that she couldn't book a taxi for her but could provide her with some taxi numbers. Whilst my little old mum was too polite to say anything, (and instead proceeded to struggle muddling through the numbers she had unhelpfully been provided with) in my view this is not something a hotel should be doing. If a guest asks you to book a taxi for them, particularly knowing how difficult it is to get taxis in this area, you do it. You don't give them numbers to do it themselves. I see this same issue has been raised by other guests leaving reviews. I hope that going forward the member of staff concerned can perhaps be advised about this; to her credit my mum said she was polite about it but perhaps unhelpful in the circumstances. Other than that, a lovely hotel, reasonably priced for the area and I would stay again. Thank you for looking after my mum so well.

No milk sugar tea bags in room had to walk through mud to reach reception to get some, Noise of radiator all night long hardley any sleep. did not get what i ordered for breakfast also it was cold, sent it back out it came again not what i ordered also cold so got up and left it. Told reception and they gave me £10 refund for myself and my wife,so if 2 breakfasts are worth only £10 this says what its like this hotel is not worth £95 per night more like £65 per night and that is being more than fare. Iwould not recomend this hotel to any body.

We stayed for a weekend in April . When we booked the receptionist was very helpful and gave a good impression of the hotel mentioning ' some ' refurbishment and that it was a 20 minute walk to town and the restaurant was very nice ! Well we arrived and the outside looked like a bomb site and half the Restaurant had been demolished ! The receptionist was one of the most unhelpful persons I have met . We arrived at 1.30 but she insisted we couldn't check in till the obligatory 2.pm ! The next night the same person , when asked if she could book us a taxi said ' I can give you some cab numbers '! The person at the bar didn't know if Malbec was red or white wine . At the Sunday morning breakfast there was not enough tables or staff and tables were left uncleared for the whole 45 mins we were at breakfast . This hotel really need some customer care and staff training ! On the plus side our room in the main hotel was really nice with a big bathroom and the breakfast was really good . This could be a really nice and comfortable hotel but needs some serious improvement in attitude ! By the way the walk to the tot the town centre is about 35 mins!

Stayed for 4 nights . courtyard room was good size , and great bathroom , with excellent hot water / pressure . most rooms are outside the main building - as it rained every day we needed to take raincoat to every meal . found the mattress uncomfortable . bedroom walls were poorly soundproofed . staff were amazing - although we did experience long delays at some meal times - kitchen staff appeared not to cope too well with large orders . will stay again - AFTER the planned refurbishment

Looks cab definitely be deceiving. Checked in to room 6 at first glanced all is nice, Until the restaurant kitchen opens up under the room. So loud with bangs and crashes all the heating didn't work. I asked reception for a move and the lady was very nice and sorted me a new room outside number 14. Room was large and quiet. The heating worked but it was a tad smelly from the damp and it does need a update instead. But bed was comfy. I think for the price I paid this was well below the standard I would of expected.

We stayed here for 2 nights Easter weekend, the staff were very polite and helpful. The room was very nice warm and comfortable. Lovely grounds in the hotel which was great as we were able to take our dog with us as they are a dog friendly hotel. The location is great with easy access to the town itself. People have said that the hotel is shabby but to us it was a bit worn in places but a major refurbishment is about to start. We woke up Easter morning to let the dog out and found a bag with an Easter egg in it hanging on the door so a lovely little surprise treat. All in all an excellent hotel for a weekend away.

I have visited Bury St Edmunds on numerous occasions and had often thought of staying here. ( I have another favorite place to stay in this area ) but was with quite a few work colleagues and we could all stay here. I didn't book a single room so have no idea why they thought this would be suitable. I don't get single rooms. Why would hotels have them. A single can only be let to one person yet a double can be let to one or two. I hate single rooms. The room was dated as was most of the hotel. A positive is the staff were friendly and pleasant.

Staying here with my partner, we liked the room, was comfy enough but it's a little shabby round the edges! Could do with some modernisation like the windows and comfort beds- that said very reasonably priced and room well stocked with tea, coffee and biscuits when we arrived- friendly staff and cosy bar area- it's ok for one night stay and shalet style accommodation is cute and grounds pretty

I was misguided by the 4/5 given on trip advisor and chose this hotel due to this rating and the location. The only thing that worked for me was the location. Unfortunately it all went downhill as soon as I stepped over the premises. 1. Car park is not clearly sign posted. I parked up and had to lug a heavy suitcase all the way over to reception. A good 5 minute walk with stairs involved 2. A reception team member was training new staff member and I have no qualms about this. the team member who was giving the training asked me if I wanted extra drinks charged to the room. I replied no, my company has paid for my dinner and breakfast and I won't require extras. All clear was given. 3. I was on the first floor and with no lift the team member who was giving the training helped drop my luggage to the room. With back problems there is no way I would have been able to do this without the assistance. Thank you for moving my luggage. 4. Moved car over to the other generic car park nearer to my room. 5. Got to the room and was greeted by hideously old decor, a sauna like warmth and suspect hairs all over the pillow/bedding. The bathroom was so hot and dated, the bedroom window did not open and I felt physically sick seeing all the dust/hairs. (Please see pictures) the whole hotel overall is old and cracked around the edges. 5. Went down to dinner and ordered food. After a wait I was told I cannot order any food as I need to leave a card. (Please review point 2. Where I was told everything is fine as my company has already paid for everything.) This is as unacceptable. I had to leave the dining room and go over to talk to reception. The new team member was extremely polite but I asked to speak to the person training her to express my views as we had discussed in depth how I was planning to have dinner/breakfast 6. Went back to the dining area and received my food order. The receptionist rushed in and offered me a complimentary glass of wine but I didn't particularly want to drink wine. No other offer was made. 7. Back in the room I had to blast the fan and make protective layers over the duvet so I wasn't laying in suspect hair. It was an ordeal in itself (review images again for impact) 8. Being the room on top of the bar (Room 02) I was able to hear all the music and the loud raucous guests making all sorts of noise. As a business guest they should take into account how paper-thin their walls and floors are. The music was lowered when I called reception however it increased after a short while and other hotel guests got louder. This stopped around 1.30am 9. The guests in the bedroom above and next to me might as well have stayed in my room. The floorboards creaked so loudly, stairs and doors were constantly being used noisily. I could hear them going about their life as if they were inside my room. This went on until the early hours also. 10. WOW ten points here! The bed was extremely uncomfortable. I had little to no sleep due to noise as well as 11. The things that I can commend: breakfast was actually nice and the mature waitress who was helping serve was very pleasant. Check out was easy and a new receptionist asked me how my stay was. I didn't want to share all the issues as I was on my way out and it's not her direct responsibility but from my in depth review and pictures you may understand the reasoning for 1/5 rating.

Had a couple of days here. The room was in an out building as I think quite a few are. It was clean and a good size, Tea and coffee making, iron and hair dryer are always good to have but the toiletries were not the best. Staff were helpful apart from one who had lived in Bury for two years but did not know the area 'as always working' in fact she gave as the wrong details of the local town market. Breakfast was fine and cooked to order. We did not have an evening meal so can not comment. The hotel is slightly out of bury it takes approx. 20-25 mins to walk into bury

I stayed here for a single night on Monday 19th March and had a very pleasant stay. I stayed in Room 25 (one of the garden rooms) and the grounds are lovely, very picturesque. The room was clean and comfortable with everything I required (the room had ample toiletries, a hair dryer and tea/coffee facilities - could have done with some more teabags though). I chose not to have dinner at this hotel and instead opted to dine at the Station House pub, which is a 5 minute walk from the hotel (turn left out of the hotel and just keep walking). The breakfast was nice and the serving staff were very friendly and helpful. Overall a good stay.

We only stayed one night but were impressed with this hotel. We had a garden room which looked as if it recently been re-furbished. It was in beautiful condition and very well equipped. The location is quiet and we had a good, undisturbed sleep. Breakfast was delicious. Both reception and restaurant staff were friendly and helpful. We are thinking of returning for a longer stay to explore more of Bury and the surrounding area.

Stayed here 16th to 18th March, room was spacious and clean but could maybe do with a bit of an update. However we could not fault the staff from arrival and departure,dealt with by Kelsey who was extremely friendly and helpful and every other member was the same be it in the dining room or just meeting along the way. They were all professional and welcoming. We considered our stay good value for the money, breakfast was excellent and well served. For the price well recommended

On arrival: room smelt damp. No pillow protectors (nice big black pubic hairs on pillow and stains). Window with a cracked frame. The blind was broken. Mound on the soap. Hot water trickled. Shabby decor. Cobwebs everywhere. In the bar: no prosecco other than a couple of little bottles. Best bit....I believe it was the manager who (at approx 10pm ish) shouted at us from the doorway for us to quieten down! RUDE! Unprofessional, her bellowing at us actually made me jump. She made more of a noise than all of us. I was very embarrassed for my company who decided to leave shortly after. On departure(as we unfortunately had to stay the night as everywhere else was full) the young lady on reception was very pleasant and didn't seem shocked that I was upset with (who I believed to be the manager Kim). And the best bit...they took 1/2 the cost of the room off but had already taken full payment off the card!!!!! We stay in hotels very often and never ever have I experienced such poor cleanliness or such shocking staff attitude.

Comfortable hotel, with good size, and well appointed rooms. Hotel has good parking, which is rare in Bury St Edmunds. Convenient location to be able to visit Bury St Edmunds and this part of East Anglia. An all round relaxing stay.

This is a nice hotel, my room was very nice and clean good shower and comfortable bed. I was only staying for one night but I would have no problem staying here again, the staff are friendly and helpfull but they did them a bit under staffed.

Booked into this place last nice, didn't look too bad, when I got there reception was great. Went to my room in the attic, upon opening door it seemed a little dated, flowery headboard and all that and also red hot. Went t9 open the window and the double glazed panel was full of water....window cull was rotten, never mind it's an old build8ng right.....went to see the bathroom....the toilet took 5 attempts to flush........then tried the shower..... it dribbled and I mean dribbled.....the skirtings were rotten........sat on the bed and had a think....room. 5 was not for me. Went to reception Nd the staff were amazing, very quickly gave me an upgrade to room 7. Awesome, went in there and went to turn the shower on...the dial thing came off in my hand,,,,,, went back down to reception...again the staf were amazing and then put me in one of the “newest” rooms, 20a. Got to this room and it smelt and looked amazing, albeit bloody red hot again, obviously the room had been recently refurbished but bathroom was of the. Healers quality. The shower made one hell of a. Noise but but as this was room 3 I had lost the will to fight. Cup of tea to sort everything out is what Inthought.......the kettle did not switch itself off so it over boiled over the table. Really disappointed with you guys. The place is severely dated, I mean massivkey, from the rooms to the furniture to everything. If it wasn5 for yi6r positive, superb staff, I don't know where yi7 would be or how yo7 could survive! May I suggest you give all your staff a pay rise, take a pay cut yourself nd invest in simple things like, decoration, services, showers and less profit! Your staff make yo7r business , not the owners! I'll say it again, shame on you , the owners, fancy X5 BMW's are nice but not helping you. Please take note....

Always have an outside room in the horseshoe shape. Love to sit in court yard outside our room. Car park close by. Would highly reccomend this place. Book early though for christmas market never been able to get in.

Stayed there one night as we were visiting Bury Christmas Market. Good size garden room. Bathroom did need some TLC . Breakfast was very good and could cater for me as a am gluten intolerant . Good base for the Christmas market .

The hotel is reasonably well situated and although the bathroom in the room (courtyard) was a little dated, it had everything one needed, and the room itself was quite comfortable. The quality of food in the restaurant was excellent but there were insufficient staff with only one waitress and the excellent manager (Kim). This was particularly noticeable at breakfast and is something which the ownership/management of the staff need to address.

The biggest and most comfortable bed I have ever slept in! Well appointed bedroom and bathroom. Staff helpful and friendly, especially in the restaurant Our only downside was finding the entrance to the hotel . It has a concealed drive which you can (and we did) drive past

We had a number of unfortunate issues here - the shower was weak, the room was shabby and the beds uncomfortable. However, this would have been ok but there were 2 issues. We were above the bar, where there was noise until 2am which kept us awake. The biggest issue was the second morning's breakfast. We came down at 9am and it was clear the staff were not on top of it. There were uncleared tables, people waiting to be seated and lots waiting for orders to be taken. I waited an hour for gluten free toast - which was burnt. My partner had eggs benedict which was lukewarm at best. There was no communication with everywhere was the atmosphere of discontent. What a shame - it ruined our morning and we wouldn't return.

My company use this hotel regularly and it is always a joy to stay here. My room for my two night trip was actually in the main building. It was quite small but being here on my own was not a problem. Clean and tidy in all areas, with very pleasant helpful staff. My only issue is that at 0430 I was woken by a bin lorry emptying the local garages bins. This is because my room is next to the main road that runs next to the hotel. Maybe as a suggestion you could better sound proof these rooms.

8 ladies stayed there for a New Years Eve celebration (two nights) and didn't get the package as outlined on the offer. Rooms were comfortable, if dated (I believe there are plans to refurbish this year). The seating arrangements for the celebrations weren't acceptable; the live music promised was a disco, and we danced in the bar on carpet. The staff were not properly trained and inattentive. However a letter of complaint has resulted in an apology and compensation.

This place....... certainly the best in Suffolk! The food was mouthwatering fresh and flavourful, the service was prompt and the staff couldn't do enough to ensure we enjoyed our evening. They were absolutely delightful! The experience at this amazing place continued in to day 2. The Breakfast was hot and a good start to our day. We came back from touring the town to find our bedroom was freshly made and looking as if we just went in it for the first time. We met some of the ladies who were cleaning the rooms. They were very friendly and asked if we were enjoying ourselves, very attentive and asked if we were comfortable and if we needed anything else for our room. They were even helpful when we asked about the town. We had a quaint and very English tea before we ventured out again. It was tasty and filling. In the two days we were at the Priory it was very hard to be critical on any aspect of our stay. Everyone we met from the management, front desk ,chefs, restaurant staff and the amazing room service ladies made our English trip unforgettable! I will most definitely stay here should I be visiting England again! Seriously, Why can't some of our hotels in the USA be like yours?

The staff were friendly, especially the lady on reception. The so called garden room was small and basic with a tired bathroom that needed attention. The staff couldn't cope with the 9 am breakfast rush which caused problems as guests became impatient. Wouldn't visit again.

I have been to visit Bury on numerous occasions and I have always wanted to stay in the Priory, boy was that a mistake! I arrived in the dark and a very friendly receptionist told me we had the last room and motioned the room was outside, I then wandered around a poorly lit garden following signs that pointed in a vague direction. 10 minutes later I got to our room. I paid for a room with a king size bed and got two singles pushed together (that refused to stay together throughout the night. The room was dirty, the tea/coffee had already been opened but put back into the display, the cups and teaspoon were filthy as was the bathroom, mold and hair and the toilet did not even have a lid. BASIC HYGIENE MISSING! Last room... I wouldn't stay there again if it was the last room on earth. Please see my pictures!!

Arrived on the Tuesday and was quickly checked in. We were a little early for check in but this was no problem as a room was available in the shallet blocks around the grounds of the main building. We had room 25. The room was a reasonable size with a seperate bathroom with all ammenaties. There was a flat screen tv on the wall and a wide selection of furnishings and utilities (hair dryer, ironing items, kettle (no fridge)). I found the bed itself was very comfy, however the pillows were a little soft for my liking. I`m sure if you ask they will provide move than the standard 2 per person or even have a selection of different pillows but i wasn`t really suffering too much and should have brought my own anyway as i`m picky. The duvet is quiet heavy and a reasonably heavy tog so easily keeps you warm during the night. The room has a radiator in it which you will need to turn on as the cleaner turns this off when cleaning the room. Doesn`t take to long to warm up though. My only complaint is that the door is slightly ill fitting to its frame so if its windy outside it does rattle. We used a piece of carboard to wedge in the door when closing and this solved the issue. Didn`t really give great grounds for a complaint. We stayed for 2 nights and this included breakfast. The breakfast on offer was a wide selection. (English & Continental) I personally had the eggs benedict both mornings which was perfectly made. The young girl taking the orders and serving the cooked food was quick and efficient - a credit to the staff. There`s plenty of car parking facilities at this hotel and the hotel is only a short taxi ride to the centre of Bury St. Edmunds. The reception happily booked us one on the first night. We will hopefully return to this establishment on our next visit. Many thanks to all the staff we had the pleasure to interact with - all did a great job.

We were very obviously staying in one of the older rooms (in the garden section), but it was still spotless despite the knackered carpet and bed and we found it very cozy with an excellent shower and bath. I liked the ‘motel' style layout of the hotel and found its old fashioned-ness quite charming. Both of the ladies we spoke to on reception were extremely bright and cheerful. 20-25 minute walk to get into town or it's a 5 minute drive. We paid less than £60 for this room and would definitely stay here again if ever in Bury.

For the most part, the Priory is what you would expect from a three-star hotel. The room was not spectacular, but it was comfortable and of reasonable size, with sufficient bedding and towels, plus all the little fripperies: hairdryer, iron & board, sewing kit, shoeshine pad etc. Plentiful supply of tea, coffee etc and that rarest of occurrences, a decent amount of sugar. I liked the large backlit bathroom mirror with built-in digital clock. Two very large TVs (this was a multi-bed room for three adults), but the remote affected them both at the same time. When we came into the room, one of the TVs was already on (why?) and switching it off then activated the other, and so on. Irritating. A couple of other little niggles: the three tea/coffee cups were all of different design. The kettle lid fell off when I went to fill it. A larger niggle: the shower. The design of the knobs was such that you couldn't actually tell whether you were changing the power level or temperature. After a lot of uncomfortable trial & error I worked out that the tiny raised line on the knob indicated the correct position, not the large section of knob that overhung the dial and looked like a pointer. Very poor design. One of the towels was stained. Most of the rooms are outside the main building - almost like a motel - meaning you go inside, then come outside again before getting into your room. We were misdirected so instead of a 30-yard straight line walk, we went round most of the perimeter. This led to my wife suffering a fall on some narrow, irregular, poorly lit steps. These steps need attention and the signage could also be improved.