Best Western Red Lion Hotel

Atmospheric, historic hotel with a beautiful courtyard. Labyrinthine (and quaint) corridors and stairs — worked well because we travel light, but if you have big suitcases, it would be a drag. Security was quite good! We were there with friends for two nights on a weekend splurge. The bar and restaurant were still a bit pricey, so we went out for breakfast and dinner. The rooms we had were clean, comfortable, and well-appointed (tea, coffee, water, extra blankets, plenty of outlets for recharging gadgets) and the bathroom was a wonder and relief (immaculately clean and functional). The front desk staff dealt with us with unwarranted good humor! One of my travel companions handled paying our bill in about the most complicated way I can imagine — the woman at the desk smiled through the whole thing. We used their parking — it was secure and easy. The Red Lion is centrally located in Salisbury, so it was easy for us to walk to restaurants, the market, the Cathedral, etc. I would certainly stay again! less

Stayed eight nights in May 2017 at The Red Lion. My newly refurbished room (#22) was huge with an oversized king bed, fireplace, desk niche and full bathroom. As always, the service was great, especially Dawn at the front desk and David in the restaurant. After the second morning, David saw us come in for breakfast and ordered poached eggs for us. The food was very good, and bar service was excellent. My room was very quiet although could hear other guests walking past the door. We were able to walk to the bus stop, to the Cathedral, to the market and dozens of restaurants are within a block or two. Thoroughly enjoyed the visit. less

The Red Lion hotel is nicely situated in the middle of Salisbury, close to Market Square and perhaps 5-6 blocks from the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral. The hotel has an attractive lounge, complete with a fireplace and comfortable seating. It also has a beautiful courtyard, with 200-year-old vines over the entrance and around the periphery. Since the hotel’s oldest section, the bar, is located right beside the courtyard, it is a very pleasant place to sip a glass of wine or ale and reflect peacefully at one of the wrought iron tables. And it serves a very nice full English buffet breakfast. Unfortunately, there are also some significant shortcomings, particularly when it gets hot. First, the place is a maze of corridors and small stairways. I had to mount seven stairways and make eleven turns with a bag to find my third floor room. I only discovered by chance that there was a lift (elevator) that could have made the climb much easier. The desk staff, while friendly, never mentioned the lift at check-in time. Second, it is not the most pleasant place to stay during hot weather. While the windows in some rooms (not all) open wide, the bedrooms retain daytime heat through much of the night. Also, the beds are topped only by a bottom sheet and a comforter, as is standard in most English hotels, unlike their American counterparts. Without air conditioning, however, guests have the apparent option of sweltering beneath the comforter or sleeping bare on top of the bottom sheet. I did ask for a top sheet on my second night there, and one was delivered to the room. I also discovered a rotating fan in the wardrobe. It would have been nice to learn about the fan from the desk staff, given the hot weather. Finally, the showers lacked adequate water pressure. While it was more than a trickle, one had to wash with just a weak flow of water that dropped directly from the shower head. I did get clean, but it took a few minutes longer than normal to do so. This hotel does occupy a perfect location in Salisbury, and that is a real advantage. It also has a beautiful courtyard and serves an excellent breakfast. However, the staff could make life much easier for guests by informing them about the lift, mentioning the rotating fan, and offering the top sheet option for cooler sleeping at their arrival outset. The water pressure is a separate, mechanical issue that should be addressed. This is an attractive hotel in a great location. Without these problems being addressed, however, I would be hesitant to stay there again, especially in warmer weather. less

The main building was fascinating and classic looking. There was nowhere to park. But it sort of shocked us when we realized that it was a genuine wattle and daub building from the long long ago. The room wasn't especially impressive, but when my husband expressed dissatisfaction with the typical European hotel room things (limited toiletries, a sham and no top sheet for the bed, no elevator, no help to get our suitcases upstairs, no washcloths) the staff went out of their way to help us be satisfied, brought us sheets, extra towels, anything they could think of to improve our experience. We had no problem with noise but other rooms seemed to have issues. And the atmosphere was great, loved the courtyard (nice weather, of course.) Watch out if you happen to be allergic to Virginia creeper, because they've got lots of it and it is very irritating to many people, like poison ivy. less

Lots of character indeed in this historic hotel in the centre of Salisbury. We stayed overnight only, on our way to a short holiday in Cornwall. Our room was near the end of several winding corridors and appeared to have been refurbished recently. It was very comfortable and perfectly quiet. Both dinner and breakfast were fine, with plenty of good choices. Staff were friendly and helpful. The secure parking may not be cheap but was well worthwhile, allowing us to wander around town (shops, market, cathedral, Magna Carta) at our leisure in the afternoon and again in the morning before departure. less