Royal Britannia Hotel

Great location but otherwise just passable. Ilfracombe was a great place to explore before walking the Coast Path toward Dunster. The cleanliness left something to be desired. We didn't get their breakfast since there were plenty of shops and cafes for that.

This is a review of the bar and lounge of this hotel - full of locals in the bar constantly shouting and swearing at each other. Staff appear to have bad attitudes towards holiday makers. Underage kids in the bar, vaping & mouthing off at each other, really intimidating Saw 7-8 year old girl sat on high stool at bar coughing all over the bar & customers Kids running up & down corridor between front & rear of hotel, shouting at each other Place is dirty, tables are sticky & unclean. Saw a customer ask for a damp cloth to wipe the table, instead of a member of staff doing it the customer was handed a cloth to do it themselves Would not consider staying in this hotel after seeing what goes on downstairs !!

This hotel is in a great location overlooking the harbour and close to everything. We were bought a night away as a gift from a family member and our stay included a 2 course meal with wine, we upgraded from the Grand Harbour Hotel to this sister hotel at an extra price of £25 for the hotel change and £10 extra for the date as we wanted a Saturday which we did due to the better views of the harbour. We found it strange that you need to check in through a door outside next to your hotel in a small office to recieve your keys but after a certain time you need to collect these from the bar when the office is closed. This hotel is very dated, the floor boards are squeeky so much so that we couldn't get a lot of sleep as all we could hear was people walking around and doors banging until around 3.30am. The bar staff which seemed to be 1 or 2 at a time were running everything especially of an evening when it was 1 person doing everything. We weren't impressed by the 'restaurant area' as it was in darkness, no tables laid out as if it was somewhere to eat, we tried to ask the bar lady how we order our 2 course meal but she was either so busy that we couldnt get her attention or no where to be seen! We looked around and looked in the kitchen and everything was turned off and there wasn't a chef in there, so after guessing that they either weren't serving food or it would be the busy bar lady cooking it, we decided to eat elsewhere. I have contacted Jordan the manager directly to be told it is an old building so it will be noisy, and that the bar lady was not too busy etc but dismissed the meal we missed out on, I have sent another email asking for a partial refund for this but this has been ignored, so not only are we unhappy with our stay and the service, we have also had to pay extra to eat elsewhere! The toilets in the pub downstairs has exposed wires showing, they were filthy and again hugely dated, there are two bar areas one that clearly state no children under 12 and no dogs, but they had both dogs and young children were in there at the same time! Very poor staff, service and in a state of disrepair so we will not be returning. A tip for everyone is that this company owns the following hotels: The Grand Harbour Hotel, The Royal Britannia Hotel & Harbourlights so I'm guessing these will all have the same service and attitude!

louise, shouted at all of us for playing pool in the pub saying it was “her pub” it is in fact not her pub, purely because we’ve been here for a few hours playing pool, we had drinks bought for us from a mate of ours, but that’s not good enough for her, we have put over £20 in the pool table but that’s not good enough for louise, she then continued to say we couldn’t charge our phones because we are using “her” electric. my mate went up to buy a drink and she threw the money back in her face and told her to f off. surprised she still has her job…

Hotel is a bit tired but Ilfracombe is a bit tired too so well done to owners for surviving at all. Staff very friendly and helpful and hotel oozes atmosphere and was obviously once very swish. Admiral Nelson's favourite room overlooks the harbour and the view from the bed of room 26 is stunning. Food was good value and breakfast very good (but they need different orange juice as it's cheap rubbish). Parking was £2.50 for 24 hours in nearby carpark so no problem with that. Ilfracombe is not Monte Carlo and in November even less so, but there's still stuff to do. The Museum is small but VERY interesting, and there are various walks along cliffs and beside the harbour etc. Frankly, one night is probably enough but still enjoyable and Royal Brittania is perfect for that. Only complaint (apart from the crap orange juice) is we couldn't get the TV to work and no staff around to help. Otherwise it was great. But try to book Room 26 where view from the bed is stunning.

We booked this hotel because it was cheap and we now know why. The room was small but the bathroom was very tight with nowhere to put anything. Very narrow stairs to get to room. On the harbour, so good position. No parking but public car park not too far away and not too expensive. Nearby Weatherspoons for cheap pint. Clean and tidy and in the main well maintained. Staff friendly and helpful. Overall, it's fine for a one nighter but not for longer. Ilfracombe is a run-down dump, by the way, so not for staying longer anyway. So, in a way, well done to the hotel owners for surviving in that town.