Business Details
Your Historic Hotel in Colchester for Weddings and Events
The Rose & Crown Hotel is a historic 14th-century establishment in Colchester, offering a unique blend of period charm and modern amenities. With 39 bedrooms split between the original building and a modern wing, we provide guests with an immersive experience of Britain's oldest recorded city. Our award-winning wedding venue accommodates up to 160 guests, combining centuries-old architecture with contemporary event planning expertise. The hotel's dining options showcase locally sourced ingredients in a setting enriched by Roman, Saxon, and medieval history. Our team ensures every guest benefits from attentive service, whether staying for leisure, business, or special events. The property features restored 14th-century prison cells available for private functions, adding to its distinctive character.With free on-site parking and proximity to Colchester Castle and Zoo, we offer convenient access to local attractions. Our commitment to preserving historical integrity while delivering modern comforts has made us a trusted choice for visitors since our renovation. The hotel's reputation for excellence is reflected in consistent positive feedback regarding staff professionalism, room quality, and culinary offerings. We maintain rigorous standards across all operations, from hospitality services to event management, ensuring a memorable experience rooted in centuries of tradition.
Services
Wedding Venues
Accommodation
Dining
Meeting Rooms
Event Hosting
Historic Tours
Private Dining
Christmas Events
Funeral Receptions
Parking Facilities
Highlights and features
- Award-winning wedding venue with over 500 weddings hosted in 10 years
- Historic 14th-century building with modern amenities and 39 unique bedrooms
- On-site parking and proximity to Colchester's cultural attractions
- Expert team ensuring seamless event planning and execution
- Complimentary wedding night stay in a four-poster room
What people say
Friendly staff
Excellent food
Beautifully maintained rooms
Exceptional service
Memorable events
Services
Wedding Venues
Host weddings in our historic 14th-century venue with capacity for 160 guests. Our expert team offers tailored packages including ceremony decoration, four-course meals, and evening receptions. The secret garden provides an idyllic outdoor option with indoor backup facilities.
Accommodation
Stay in 39 uniquely designed bedrooms blending period features with modern comforts. Options include standard, executive, and four-poster suites across the original building and modern wing. All guests receive complimentary breakfast and parking.
Dining
Enjoy locally sourced cuisine in our historic dining spaces. The menu features traditional British dishes with vegetarian and vegan options. The Tudor Bar offers real ale and seasonal specials in an authentic 14th-century setting.
Meeting Rooms
Host business events in our characterful meeting rooms accommodating up to 100 delegates. The Rose Room offers modern facilities while the historic Prison Room provides a unique underground venue with original features and audio-visual equipment.
Event Hosting
Celebrate special occasions in our versatile venues for up to 160 guests. We cater for birthdays, corporate events, and funeral receptions with customisable menus, decoration options, and overnight accommodation packages for attendees.
People
Ricardo
General Manager
Overseeing daily operations with 15 years hospitality experience, ensuring exceptional guest experiences while maintaining the hotel's historic character through strategic management and staff development.
Sue
Reception Manager
Managing front-of-house operations with 12 years in the hospitality sector, renowned for her warm welcome and organisational skills in coordinating guest requirements and event logistics.
Stefan
Events Coordinator
Specialising in weddings and corporate events with 8 years experience, ensuring seamless execution of functions through meticulous planning and coordination of venue, catering, and service teams.
Lisa Grantham
Wedding Specialist
Dedicated wedding planner with 10 years in the industry, providing expert guidance on venue selection, package customisation, and day-of coordination to create memorable ceremonies and receptions.
Misa
Guest Services
Front desk professional with 5 years experience delivering personalised service, managing reservations, and ensuring guest satisfaction through attentive care and local knowledge sharing.
Questions
Do you offer wedding packages with accommodation?
Yes, we include complimentary wedding night stays in four-poster rooms and offer discounted rates for guest accommodation bookings.
Is there parking available for guests?
We have 35 on-site parking spaces including two disabled bays, with additional free street parking available after 6pm.
Can I host a corporate event at the hotel?
Our meeting rooms accommodate up to 100 delegates with day and overnight packages including catering, AV equipment, and accommodation.
Are pets allowed in the hotel?
We only accept guide dogs due to the historic building's character and food service operations.
Do you have historical tours of the property?
Guests can explore our 14th-century prison cells and learn about the building's 600-year history through self-guided exploration.
What dining options are available?
We serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner featuring locally sourced ingredients with vegetarian, vegan, and special dietary options available.
Videos
Reviews (7)
Daniel Lee
May 30, 2022
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Beautiful 700 year old previous coach inn now hotel. The hotel has a gorgeous bar with lot of exposed beams, I have never seen anything quite like it before (see photo). The standard double room we stayed in needed of some work, but it was completely funtional and clean and given cheap price we were not complaining. Staff were friendly and location was 10min walk from centre of town whichmeant it was close to the action but quiet. Overall, I cant complain given the price; would recommend staying. If staying longer than a couple of day maybe choose one of the more expensive rooms as I reckon they are in better condition than the standars double.
Lorraine Broomfield
May 23, 2022
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We attended a wedding yesterday on the 14th, when we arrived finally to the the hotel to find there was no where in the hotel to park, i had a chat with the receptionist and she advised that parking is not allocated for residents who were staying at the hotel, we was not rude to her, and she said i can't deal with those people, the wedding party was waiting for us to sit down for the meal, we had to drive around again to park in the pay and display, .
When we decided to check in for our room, we went to check out our room and was appalled by what we has seen, it smelt musky and damp, was dirty and not cleaned, as you will see from the photos below. We went back to reception and spoke to the receptionist and asked we could change the room and was informed that the only other room available was the one next door with no bedside lamps as they were broken.
We wanted to cancel the room and asked for a refund and were advised this could not be done and would need to send email to the manager, we cancelled the room and had to come home no way we were going to stay in the hotel room. I would like to request a full refund.
When we decided to check in for our room, we went to check out our room and was appalled by what we has seen, it smelt musky and damp, was dirty and not cleaned, as you will see from the photos below. We went back to reception and spoke to the receptionist and asked we could change the room and was informed that the only other room available was the one next door with no bedside lamps as they were broken.
We wanted to cancel the room and asked for a refund and were advised this could not be done and would need to send email to the manager, we cancelled the room and had to come home no way we were going to stay in the hotel room. I would like to request a full refund.
Lindley Readett
May 22, 2022
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Interesting building in a good location. Unfortunately they are popular for wedding receptions and on the Saturday night that we stayed the disco went until midnight so a very late night as no way to sleep with the noise
Silvia Lillie
May 11, 2022
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Despite the very rustic appearance of the exterior and ground floor, the rooms are actually reasonable. The furniture and decor are pretty, and my room was very light and airy. The shower is possibly the worst I have come across, it sprays rather horizontally and wide, with little scope for adjustment. The bathroom otherwise fine - I wouldn't be happy with that tiling job in my house, but it's not unusual to see this level of finish in hotels.
One of the reasons why I chose this hotel is the free parking, although the carpark was actually full (due to a wedding I think) There is a tv (30-32 inch?) but the picture is very bad, it looks like it has a "paint" filter turned on. Very noisy under all aspects. Noise of people laughing and shouting comes through the window (which is shut), banging of music comes from the party downstairs comes through the door.
I can feel the vibrations through the floor. And squeaking of floorboards can be heard from upstairs or from the corridor. That's when you think a travelodge would have given me a better sleep for half the price.
One of the reasons why I chose this hotel is the free parking, although the carpark was actually full (due to a wedding I think) There is a tv (30-32 inch?) but the picture is very bad, it looks like it has a "paint" filter turned on. Very noisy under all aspects. Noise of people laughing and shouting comes through the window (which is shut), banging of music comes from the party downstairs comes through the door.
I can feel the vibrations through the floor. And squeaking of floorboards can be heard from upstairs or from the corridor. That's when you think a travelodge would have given me a better sleep for half the price.
Lee Amos
May 09, 2022
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It's a lovely old building that unfortunately has been left to get tired and tatty. It's lovely for food and drink at the bar side but wouldn't recommend staying here. Breakfast pretty dire. Bar staff lovely. The room right at the side of train track and busiest road ever! Didn't sleep well at all. The area is really actually rough and worn down.
Sandra Leggetter
May 04, 2022
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We attended a family event in Colchester & stopped over here for one night. The room was adequate for our needs & staff were polite & helpful. The blinds in our room were very dusty & there was mould on the windows. I would suggest that the room needs a deep clean (& a toilet brush). There was a wedding reception in the hotel, which we were warned about. However, despite having a long bar area there was a constant very long queue for drinks as there were only 2 members of bar staff serving.
This was not enough. We had hoped to eat in the hotel but due to the lack of staff we went to a local Chinese takeaway instead. Breakfast is cheaper if pre- ordered, which we did, & the choice is very good & it was good value for money.
This was not enough. We had hoped to eat in the hotel but due to the lack of staff we went to a local Chinese takeaway instead. Breakfast is cheaper if pre- ordered, which we did, & the choice is very good & it was good value for money.
Kelvin Clayton
Apr 24, 2022
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Room was shockingly small! The bathroom was actually the same square footage! Reception chatted rather than checking us in! The store cupboard next to the tiny room had towels flowing out into corridor creating a trip hazard for my disabled mother who needed a ground floor room. The appalling lack of empathy from the reception was quite disappointing and overshadowed what should have been an exciting graduation stay! Shameful room shameful attitude!
