The Ilchester Arms Hotel

Location: Market Street, Abbotsbury, gb

Star Rating: 7.6 Stars

Property Type: Bed and breakfasts

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 03:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Check-out: 10:30 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Non-smoking rooms
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Pets allowed
• Facilities for disabled guests
• Non-smoking throughout
• Wheelchair accessible
• Food delivered to guest room
• Free wired internet
• Internet access
• Housekeeping on request
• Japanese garden

Rooms Available

• Standard Twin Room

  The twin room features a tea and coffee maker, a wardrobe, heating, as well as a flat-screen TV with cable channels.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • TV
  • Hair dryer
  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Satellite channels
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Linen
  • Toilet paper
  • Sofa bed
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Body soap

• Deluxe King Room

  The double room provides a tea and coffee maker, a wardrobe, heating and a flat-screen TV with cable channels.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • TV
  • Hair dryer
  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Satellite channels
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Linen
  • Toilet paper
  • Bottle of water
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Body soap

• Standard Double Room

  The double room features a tea and coffee maker, a wardrobe, a carpeted floor, heating and a flat-screen TV with cable channels.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • TV
  • Hair dryer
  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Satellite channels
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Linen
  • Entire unit located on ground floor
  • Toilet paper
  • Bottle of water
  • Cots
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Body soap

Guest Reviews

• Michael (6/5): This hotel is well situated, very clean and reasonably comfortable. - The location was perfect and a good size car park. So rural that we could not get a taxi to take us and collect us from the wedding venue although it was only 4/5 miles away.
• Katerina (8/5): Lovely host and a lovely location - Surprise breakfast and hidden car park behind the hotel Shower
• Linda (2/5): - L'unico aspetto positivo del soggiorno: il rimborso. Premetto che da Genius livello 3 di strutture ne ho viste parecchie in questi anni, e mai mi sono ritrovata a dare un punteggio così basso (anzi, mai sotto il 7), ma quando oltre all'alloggio scadente c'è di mezzo la maleducazione e la falsità divento molto severa. Siamo stati accolti da un pub chiuso, con sedie sui tavoli e disordine (vabbè penso, sarà il giorno di chiusura...) e dalla proprietaria che, senza sorriso e quasi con fastidio, "sciabattando" ci ha accompagnato alla camera (mi dico, starà poco bene, capita). Camera che però non corrisponde alla King prenotata, e me ne accorgo subito. Quindi scendo e alla mia rimostranza l'host prima afferma che mi sbaglio, poi che è un errore di Booking e poi che la King costa 60£ in più di quella Doppia standard data a noi. Il tutto con arroganza e senza il minimo rispetto. Per farla breve ho chiamato subito l'Assistenza Clienti di Booking che non senza difficoltà è riuscita a convincere la proprietaria a rimborsarci il già pagato, visto che la nostra camera King era già occupata da altri. Abbiamo dormito comunque lì, ovviamente senza colazione, e posso dire che la struttura avrebbe bisogno di una profonda e totale ristrutturazione. Ho letto in altri commenti che la proprietà è in vendita e che non riescono a trovare i fondi necessari per i lavori; spero di cuore che qualcuno ci investa perché l'edificio è molto antico e bello e proprio al centro della bellissima Abbotsbury.
• Guest (7/5): -
• Lloyd (8/5): -
• julie (1/5): Didn't stay - Booked a room with 'two double beds', according to Booking.com but they don't even have a room with this facility and the one twin room was already taken, so we had to stay elsewhere.
• Colette (8/5): -
• PATRICK (7/5): -
• Enea (4/5): Nel complesso sono stato bene - Posizione bellissima, host davvero ospitale purtroppo la pulizia lascia molto a desiderare soprattutto nella camera. Peccato perché il posto è molto suggestivo e la posizione è spettacolare
• Colette (9/5): Super friendly and helpful manager Tina made our stay very enjoyable. - The manager Tina went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and have a great stay.
• Margaret (10/5): Tina and all the staff were so lovely gave us a warm welcome and plenty of advice about the area - Tina went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable can’t rate her highly enough a brilliant hostess No complaints
• Christopher (8/5): Good spot. Worth visiting. Yummy food. - Super comfy bed. Home cooked food. Nothing
• Zuzana (10/5): A perfect place to return in time - Beautiful old house, nice rooms, very traditional and cleen village, nice owners, perfect food- like from a grandmother, everything was like from a movie from an old England Nothing.
• Zuzana (10/5): -
• Guest (10/5): Fantastisch verblijf in idyllisch dorp - Enorm vriendelijke en behulpzame gastvrouw. Top locatie, prachtig dorpje. Zeer charmant en authentiek hotel, aanrader! Waterdruk douche
• Miranda (8/5): -
• Guest (10/5): Brilliant lovely food - Tina was a great host x Nothing
• Simon (8/5): Trip back in time - History is amazing Ghosts pirates and nature
• Guest (9/5): -
• Matthew (10/5): Highly recommended for a weekend break, cozy and homely pub, great host! - An amazing stay in a quintessential British village, illchester arms is ideal for a weekend break, lovely clean room and fantastic breakfast, great view from the bedroom over St Catherine’s Abbey and the countryside
• Brimble (7/5): Nice over nighter with a short wl - Really liked the location, and the building itself. The room was plesant, as were the staff. The breakfast was delicious The room could do with some maintenance
• Miles (10/5): - Gente muy agradable.
• Mary (7/5): - The room was very nice, comfortable. The breakfast was excellent. A very nice pub although it had to close due to technical problems. A decision to not open was not definite even at 5pm so we were lucky to get a table locally at that late time.
• Elen (6/5): Basic but convenient - Beautiful old (very old) building and almost on the south west coastal path so incredibly convenient. They were welcoming to our children and dog. I think we were the only people there. The pub is closed (the Swan is a short walk away for dinner) as I believe they are selling. Very basic but convenient. Rooms are basic but clean - they had overlooked cleaning the toilet in one room but cleaned it immediately on request. The building is OLD so no double glazing or fancy bathrooms (apparently takes at least 10 minutes for water to run warm, we gave up).
• Millan (10/5): - Tina, the host, was execptional. She was so sweet and made us feel so welcome. When I had booked my stay at the ilchester Hotel on the page said breakfast not included and no parking on site. However when we arrived Tina showed us a large carpark at the back of hotel and breakfast was indeed included. We only stayed the one night 🌙 but would definitely stay again. The hotel has so much history and the surrounding area is absolutely stunning 😍. This is a place I would definitely come to again. Thank you for being a super host Tina. - TV was not working - No WiFi on the rooms outside near carpark, only within hotel.
• Tara Ngawang (6/5): Adequate for a short stay - Excellent location and good breakfast. Room & bathroom needs upgrading. Pub was closed since they had no staff.
• michael (8/5): - food was great, staff very nice, setting lovely, room was comfortable and clean shower could been more powerful, traffic noise if your staff in a front room and are not used to it.
• Anthony (9/5): - Abbotsbury is a very picturesque village with the Ilchester Arms at its centre. We had a very enjoyable weekend with two good evening meals. Tina and all the staff were very friendly and helpful. The price looks quite high, but the hotel description needs to say that the quoted rate includes a full breakfast, which makes it seem more reasonable.
• Greta (9/5): - Camere pulite e curate, colazione abbondante, staff cordiale e disponibile. Splendido il villaggio di Abbotsbury. Consigliatissimo.
• Diana (5/5): -
• Bruno (8/5): -
• Vivien (7/5): Good value & warm welcome if you're realistic about condition. - The owner was friendly and working really hard. We also enjoyed the home made food she had cooked herself. She provided a very good breakfast and there was plenty of room to park. Unfortunately the whole place is in dire need of financial input to bring it up to, what could be, a really fabulous historic building/hotel/restaurant. Tina does all she can but needs much more support. We really hope it survives.
• Gwyn (9/5): Nice food and people but the building is on its last legs. - Landlord and staff (family) were great. Enjoyed the food. Best steak pie we have had for a very long time. Good breakfast. The building (grade 1 listed) is very run down and to begin with we thought it was closed. The room was fine given the hot weather but would have been very cold and draughty later in the year.
• Nicole (8/5): - L'hôtel est facile à trouver, a du cachet car il est ancien. On peut y dîner sur place. L'accueil est sympathique.
• Gillian (7/5): A quirky stay in a beautiful village - Clean and comfy bedroom in a refurbished part of this ancient old pub. There was plenty of parking through the hard-to-find archway between the buildings on a bend. The narrow archway opens into a wide gravelled area at the back. The floors are wonky and the windows single glazed. The shower was up a step in an en-suite room with the toilet. The sink was in the bedroom. Our room looked over the charming Old School House across the road outside. Breakfast in the modern conservatory was pleasant and sufficient. Abbotsbury is a beautiful village with amazing walks and views. Arriving we found a dead looking pub and were shown to our room while 3 little dogs yapped around our ankles. It was very dark inside. The worn-through paint on the stairs handrail didn't bode well either, but the room was OK. The 'extra-large bed' I booked was merely a bouncy double and I kept rolling off the edge. The single glazing meant every bus (that stopped outside) was loud, like the bin truck and passing traffic. Thankfully this died down at night and there were no streetlights. The pub seems to be the only place to go in the village of an evening and is quiet. There was limited choice on the dinner menu. The pub is currently for sale.
• christine (9/5): Very enjoyable and comfortable. - Breakfast was included and very good. Location was terrific with great views nothing to dislike, but it is a very old building and I understand from the staff that for some previous guests that this is not their thing. It is advertised a an old and traditional hotel
• Sam (10/5): Better staff than 5* hotel - Staff were very friendly and super helpful, bed was very comfy.
• Giles (10/5): -
• Kristin (7/5): - In the Town Centre You can have dinner in the pub Rooms and especially bathroom worn out. So a bit expensive for what you get.
• peter (7/5): -
• Jennifer (5/5): A little disappointed. - Inside bar area looked comfortable but didn’t get to go in there as chillers had broken. Breakfast was good Didn’t like the room. Supposed to have a room ‘upgrade’ with twin beds. Room nothing like pictures. Very sparse room and small double bed. Although bed was comfortable
• Zoe (4/5): Expensive for very dated facilities and room - The breakfast was nice and was included which we weren't aware of, so this was a nice surprise. The lady who served this seemed nice! Communication was zero - we sent several messages to the pub but received absolutely nothing back, apart from multiple scam messages which my MIL unfortunately fell for as they came from the pubs booking.com account, and they didn't even apologise to her. The facilities were extremely dated - the shower took about 10 minutes to warm up, I'd nearly given up! The bathroom felt dirty as it was so dated. When we came back in in the evening, you come via the back and were met with 3 extremely loud and yappy dogs, with zero signage on how to get back to the rooms so we were left wondering around in the dark to the sound of extremely loud yaps. Overall, expensive for very dated facilities, no communication, and wouldn't stay again.
• Clare (3/5): Good idea bad choice. - Lovely location. We were greeted with the yappiest dogs I've ever come across, whose barking gave us tinnitus. The place was locked up and looked closed. Refrigeration down so no food. Uncomfortable bed. We didn't stay.
• Marina Eraker (8/5): - Midt i sentrum, frukost inkludert, god seng, reint.
• Jo (6/5): Character place to stay in heart of Abbotsbury - good for overnight stay - The room was very spacious and cool on a hot day, great character hotel and good food. Good quality despite not being a high end hotel. Great beer garden and parking and views to the hills. Owners seem a bit indifferent towards the property and service, but very sufficient.
• STEVER (9/5): THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT! - Great friendly welcome, nice breakfast, lovely room(s). Nothing really.
• Nathalie (8/5): Aangenaam - Vriendelijk personeel en lekker eten
• Jenny (10/5): - Run by 4 generations of the family. Very friendly and helpful
• Tanya (10/5): - Delicious breakfast, charming friendly host, clean comfortable room. Excellent!
• pernilla (6/5): Originellt boende i mysig by - Trevlig personal och god kvällsmat. Ingen wifi på rummet.
• David (7/5): -
• Stuart (9/5): Difficult to describe the place but brilliant atmosphere Welcoming and helpful - Quirky. Friendly Helpful Great food both evening meals and breakfast Didn’t stay long enough
• Tim (8/5): -
• steve (1/5): Dreadful - Dreadfully disorganised experience which took half an hour to be shown into an outside dated room - another £70 was requested for the deluxe king we'd booked although it wasn't available! The pub was closed for food & drink (problematic when walking the SWCP), the temperature of the mixer shower over the bath, which leaked, was dangerously difficult to control & no hand soap was provided. The TV (which wasn't operating) was mounted at an angle which made access to the bed, with a frame that caught your leg, difficult. The sofa was worn & tired looking, the kettle wasn't clean & only one tin of water was provided for two. Overall a very poor experience - go to The Swan instead!
• Charles (7/5): -
• Susan (7/5): -
• Jill (8/5): Lovely traditional pub - Very friendly landlady couldn't have done more. Breakfast was lovely. Very hospitable. The shower was low on pressure
• Stefan (7/5): gut - Irgendwie war es gut, auch wenn das Hotel die besten Tage schon gesehen hat. Es war alles da und die Betreiber waren sehr nett alles ein bisschen runtergerockt!
• Deborah (8/5): - A historic building in a beautiful village. Good meal and friendly hosts.
• Jason (5/5): -
• Tone (10/5): - Everything. Very friendly, beautiful village, traditional English pub
• Lorraine Pullen (7/5): We loved the history of the Ilchester Arms, perfect location. - We loved the history of the Ilchester Arms. It's a great property full of character. The current proprietor took it over in March 2024. They are trying hard to rebuild their trade and reputation, which takes time, especially following some of the reviews from 2023 and early 2024. It's a massive job, but given the right support and a bit more time, this could be a lovely pub and restaurant once again. The breakfast was delicious, and they accommodated my food intolerances with patience and understanding. We wish them the best of luck. Thank you for looking after us. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Some of the areas are a bit tired, especially the bedrooms, but as mentioned, the proprietor is working on making improvements. It all takes time!
• syd (8/5): Excellent homecooked food. Great location for Abbotsbury tropical garden which is well worth a visit - All the food and staff were great.
• Dina (8/5): Alles bestens :) - Sehr nette Gastgeber, großes sauberes Zimmer, leckeres Abendessen unten im Lokal möglich. Die Parkplätze liegen im Hinterhof (man muss links vom Hoteleingang durch einen Steintorbogen fahren).
• Julie (10/5): Lovely stay with great hosts, breakfast was an added bonus and beautiful - Fantastic accommodation
• Anne (2/5): Don't stay there. Go to the other pub. - Decrepit building. Like a junk yard. The hotel knew the toilet did not work but still put us in the room without saying anything.
• Ian (9/5): - Very helpful staff .
• Gertrude (8/5): Historischer Ort - Tolle Lage nahe SWCP Lüftung im Badezimmer funktioniert nicht
• Daphne (8/5): - My friend and I thought our room with a king size bed was quirky, the bed was comfortable, the decor was dated with some furniture I.e. the headboard (not right for the room) The whole shower needs updating as not easy to balance the temperature and hard water build up around the base. However We had a really good night’s sleep The breakfast was delicious and the dining area was light and airy and finally, the staff were very friendly and efficient. The rooms are definitely overpriced for this type of property Would I stay there again? yes if cheaper The shower as noted previously and the plug in, stand alone electric heater - whilst it gave out great heat, it’s not something you expect in this day and age. Overpriced
• Philip (7/5): very comfortable with good parking - family type of hotel very friendly no prob;ems
• Mark (7/5): - Characterful building, quirky layout. Staff were helpful friendly and attentive. Needs a lot of internal and external work to bring it back to former glory
• nigel (8/5): Very enjoyable. - Location and history. Couldn’t shut the window. Shower not powerful enough.
• Coles (5/5): Staff were friendly enough but room certainly did not live up to its pricing and our expectations - Breakfast was reasonsble Room was damp, facilities in hotel average
• Kathleen (8/5): -
• Graham (5/5): -
• EVA HASSELBERG (9/5): A lovely stay. - Friendly staff.Lovely room.Good breakfast.We had dinner in the pub in the evening.It was excellent.Very good atmosphere.
• David (8/5): -
• David (5/5): Comfortable bed and lovely staff, however, in need of refurbishment. - The staff were lovely - engaging, positive and helpful. The bed was comfortable and the location ideal as we were walking the SWCP. The facilities were a little tired and in need of upgrading. A lovely historic building, with character, seems to have been left to wither - such a shame.
• Robert (7/5): -
• David (8/5): - Comfortable, characterful room. Friendly, helpful staff. Good breakfast included (contrary to booking.com information!)
• Anthony (10/5): Fantastic and enjoyable stay - Lovely Hotel Beautiful location Room very spacious with everything we needed for a lovely stay. Staff friendly and welcoming. Nothing everything was perfect.
• Jos (8/5): Prima. - Gastvrijheid Douche.
• vocster77 (6/5): - The host was friendly. The breakfast was nice. The room was cold and dated. We selected this location expecting to eat in the pub, but it wasn't open.
• Mel (5/5): - Abbotsbury is a beautiful village with lovely walks interesting things to visit like artist Studios and the old Abby. The Ilchester arms is an old coaching in on the main Street. It has loads of character and the staff are very friendly and helpful. The rooms at the Ilchester Arms need to be updated.
• maitland (8/5): -
• John (6/5): -
• Keith Charters (7/5): Very enjoyable short stay in a beautiful part of the country - Lovely owners and staff creating a friendly and warm atmosphere. Breakfast and meals were excellent In need of renovation, modernisation and some more basic DIY.
• Philip (9/5): -
• Chris (6/5): - Location, historic building Shower needs attention only trickle of water bed uncomfortable, not informed that pub was closed in evening and needed to enter and exit by different door..
• cate (8/5): Telly enjoyed it and would go back - Breakfast was great. Staff remarkable. Really friendly. Felt like one of the family! Wi-Fi in the room was patchy but fine for 1 night
• Edith (10/5): -
• Paul (8/5): -
• McCarthy Gemma (9/5): -
• EMMA (7/5): -
• Clegg (8/5): -
• Geoff (1/5): Non existent - Hotel was shut Could have been open!
• Lisa (8/5): Great for an overnight stop for walkers - Nice big comfy bed. Good home cooked breakfast. Nice quiet location in the middle of the village. A little redecorating, particularly in the bathroom, could make this room perfect. WiFi code in room would be really helpful.
• David (8/5): -
• Malcolm (9/5): Great location and staff - Great location and very helpful staff and good value for money
• Jo (9/5): - A very comfortable and charming hotel in a stunning location. Attentive staff. Delicious dinner and breakfast. Safe storage for my bike.

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