Embankment Hotel
Location: The Embankment, Bedford, gb
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Property Type: Hotels
About this Property
Riverside Charm: Nestled beside the serene River Ouse, The Embankment Hotel offers a picturesque setting with tranquil gardens and a Victorian bridge, just a stone's throw away from the town centre.
Pub and Dining Delights: Indulge in delectable dishes with a view at the friendly pub and dining area overlooking the Ouse. Savor a variety of real ales, wines, and speciality coffees, or bask in the sun while enjoying afternoon cream tea outdoors.
Cultural Exploration: Explore nearby attractions such as the Bedford Museum and the acclaimed Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, a leisurely stroll away from the hotel.
Experience riverside relaxation and cultural discoveries at The Embankment Hotel. Book your stay now for a delightful retreat by the River Ouse.
Important Information
Please note that on-site parking is limited, and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Please be aware that this a busy pub, and some noise may be expected.Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Policies
Check-in: 03:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Amenities & Facilities
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Parking
- Non-smoking rooms
- Restaurant
- Terrace
- Family rooms
- Pets allowed
- Luggage storage
- Facilities for disabled guests
- Non-smoking throughout
- Private check-in/check-out
- Wheelchair accessible
- Kid meals
- Lower bathroom sink
- Emergency cord in bathroom
- Outdoor furniture
- Coffee Shop on site
- Fruits
- Pet bowls
- Staff adhere to local safety protocols
- Guest rooms disinfected between stays
- Physical distancing rules followed
- Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
- Fire extinguishers
- Sanitized tableware & silverware
- Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
- Smoke alarms
- Physical distancing in dining areas
- Key access
- Screens / Barriers between staff and guests for safety
- Happy hour
- Free wired internet
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Internet access
- Housekeeping on request
- Art gallery on site
- Wine release events
- Reception hall
- Secured parking
- Hosted evening meal (reserve)
- Vegetarian menu options available
- Bulk dispenser for toiletries
- Paddle boating nearby
Rooms Available
-
Family Double Room, 1 Double Bed with Sofa bed
1 Double Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed
Individually decorated room
Internet - Free WiFi
Entertainment - Flat-screen TV with cable channels
Food & Drink - Coffee/tea maker, electric kettle, and free bottled water
Sleep - Premium bedding and bed sheets
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and towels
Practical - Iron/ironing board and desk
Comfort - Daily housekeeping and heating
Accessibility - Low-height counters and sink
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 4 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- TV
- Desk
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Electric kettle
- Bottle of water
- Wheelchair accessible
- Daily housekeeping
- Premium bedding
- Free WiFi
- Bedsheets provided
- Low-height counters/sink
- Bathroom emergency pull cord
-
Premium Room
1 King Bed and 1 Large Twin Sofa Bed
Individually decorated room
Internet - Free WiFi
Entertainment - Flat-screen TV with cable channels
Food & Drink - Coffee/tea maker, electric kettle, and free bottled water
Sleep - Premium bedding and bed sheets
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and towels
Practical - Iron/ironing board and desk
Comfort - Daily housekeeping and heating
Accessibility - Low-height counters and sink
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 3 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- TV
- Desk
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Electric kettle
- Bottle of water
- Wheelchair accessible
- Daily housekeeping
- Premium bedding
- Free WiFi
- Bedsheets provided
- Low-height counters/sink
- Bathroom emergency pull cord
-
Twin Room
1 Double Bed OR 2 Twin Beds
Individually decorated room
Internet - Free WiFi
Entertainment - Flat-screen TV with cable channels
Food & Drink - Coffee/tea maker, electric kettle, and free bottled water
Sleep - Premium bedding and bed sheets
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and towels
Practical - Iron/ironing board and desk
Comfort - Daily housekeeping and heating
Accessibility - Raised toilet seat
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- TV
- Desk
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Electric kettle
- Bottle of water
- Wheelchair accessible
- Daily housekeeping
- Premium bedding
- Free WiFi
- Bedsheets provided
- Low-height counters/sink
- Bathroom emergency pull cord
-
Deluxe Double or Twin Room with River View
Providing free toiletries, this twin/double room includes a private bathroom with a shower and a hairdryer. The twin/double room provides a wardrobe, an electric kettle, a sofa, a carpeted floor and a flat-screen TV.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Shower
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Radio
- Desk
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Sofa
- Alarm clock
- Electric kettle
- Wardrobe or closet
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Toilet paper
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Cots
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
-
Double Room
Features include a TV and tea and coffee making facilities.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Shower
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Radio
- Desk
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Alarm clock
- Electric kettle
- Wardrobe or closet
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Toilet paper
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Cots
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
-
Double or Twin Room
Features include a TV and tea and coffee making facilities.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Shower
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Radio
- Desk
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Alarm clock
- Electric kettle
- Wardrobe or closet
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Toilet paper
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Cots
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
-
Room with River View
With pretty views of the river, this room benefits from a TV and facilities for making tea and coffee.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Shower
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Radio
- Desk
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Sofa
- Alarm clock
- Electric kettle
- Wardrobe or closet
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Toilet paper
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Cots
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
-
Superior Family Room
Offering free toiletries, this family room includes a private bathroom with a walk-in shower and a hairdryer. The family room offers a wardrobe, an electric kettle, a sofa, a carpeted floor and a flat-screen TV. The unit has 2 beds.
Max Occupancy: 4 (2 Adults)
- Shower
- TV
- Hair dryer
- Radio
- Desk
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Sofa
- Alarm clock
- Electric kettle
- Wardrobe or closet
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Toilet paper
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Cots
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
Guest Reviews
- Aoileann (10/5): - I really enjoyed my stay here, the staff went above and beyond. The bar/restaurant is very comfortable. The food was also excellent, especially the breakfast ! Looking for an excuse to go back :)
- gillian (9/5): -
- Lucy (7/5): -
- Helen (10/5): Quaint hotel on the Riverwalk - The location by the riverwalk and the Elizabethan style of the hotel. Having to carry large suitcases upstairs.
- Lorna (7/5): Generally reasonable but slightly overpriced - All staff very pleasant and helpful Very comfortable bed Large room with a good view of the river As a senior lady (75) with somewhat reduced mobility I found the steep stairs upto the second floor rather a challenge. Breakfast was fairly mediocre and tasteless and served in the bar.
- Jeana (7/5): Picturesque stay in central location - Beautiful location A bit pricey
- Stephanie (7/5): Friendly Team, Ageing Building - **Review of The Embankment Hotel** The Embankment is a nice place overall, but it’s definitely limited by being an older building. There’s only so much that can be done with the layout, and it’s starting to show its age. The carpets could really do with a deep clean, and although the bathroom looked clean, it would benefit from a refresh. In general, the building feels well‑worn and tired. Breakfast was okay. On the first day the scrambled eggs were overcooked and dry, and on the second day we had Eggs Benedict, which was better. The menu stated that a hot drink *and* a smoothie or juice were included, but I was only allowed a juice and a hot drink as the smoothie the 'OR' wasn’t offered, which doesn’t match what’s written on the menu. The hotel is very dog‑friendly, which is great for some guests, but there were a lot of dogs and it did smell like it at times. They would benefit from a more extensive NON ALCOHOLIC range of drinks. although the non rum I had was pleasant. Staff were great—friendly and helpful—but the place itself clearly needs some investment to bring it back up to standard. One major issue: **very limited parking**. This should have been made much clearer when booking. If I had known how small the car park was, I would have chosen a different hotel. you could park after 6pm on the road for free, but that wasnt where I wanted to put our car. **What We Didn’t Like** - The building is old, worn and in need of investment. - Carpets needed a proper clean. - Bathroom looked dated and could use a refresh. - Breakfast quality was inconsistent (dry scrambled eggs on day one). - Menu wording didn’t match what was actually offered — I wanted a smoothie and a hot drink, as stated, but was only allowed juice and a hot drink. - Strong dog smell at times due to the high number of dogs. - Very limited parking, and this wasn’t clearly advertised when booking. - Need a wider selection of NON alcoholic drinks.
- Helen (10/5): Character Hotel on the Embankment - We stayed in this older hotel as it had character and charm in an excellent location. Carrying suitcases up flights of stairs.
- Glen (9/5): Brilliant Embankment hotel - Staff and location Slow restaurant service
- Sarah (9/5): A group of us were meeting up for a Bedford College reunion after 40 years and the staff were great - Wonderful location opposite the river and close to town The staff were so accommodating and thoughtful
- David (8/5): Overall, a pleasant stay and somewhere that I would consider using again. - A lovely character building with lots of natural charm. All the staff I encountered were very polite and professional. Nice big room, although it did face directly onto the building next door, about 20' away. Pretty good fried breakfast, which I took in the main bar, and was a very pleasant experience. On-site parking is very limited behind the hotel but that isn't mentioned. Neither is the fact that the only other parking available is on the road out side the hotel. Free after 6PM but you do have to pay from 7AM onwards.
- Jane and Pat (10/5): Great view over the river - Views along embankment over the river, restaurant included Taking our luggage upstairs
- antony (10/5): Nice position helpful staff nice room - It was all good for us Nothing
- Pratt (10/5): A most enjoyable stay. - We were most impressed with the Embankment Hotel in Bedford. Excellent facilities, helpful and attentive staff and high standards all round. There wasn't anything other than perhaps a larger car park but that isn't logistically possible !
- Samantha (9/5): Can’t wait to return, but unless the chef gets their act together, would eat out! - I love staying at the Embankment. It is such a characterful property, in a prime location on the River Great Ouse. The staff is so friendly and helpful. The food was a little poor and overly fussy at times. For example, the granola breakfast doesn’t need huge chocolate curls, and the parsnip soup lunch doesn’t need maple syrup. Both “extras” actually spoiled a potentially great dish. The fish and chip meal was extremely disappointing - oily batter, dry chips and rock hard peas. Not a single element on the plate was right.
- Thomas (8/5): A lovely three days of relaxation with good food and beautiful surroundings. Location ideal. - Breakfast good. Staff were helpful, friendly and efficient Rooms very comfortable if a little small. Bathroom spacious, well lit, well equipped, and shower easy to use good spray and copious hot water. Towels fluffy and always warm on the towel heater! Heaven! The food was very good and chef very capable. Portions really good. Menu could have been wider offering more choice, but understand that it is currently under review.
- Zoltan (10/5): - I got an extremely good breakfast.
- Donna (10/5): -
- Maggie (6/5): We had a large room and the location was lovely right on the embankment. - Excellent location. Good breakfast. Shower was only like warm. The room was rather dark with a small window and poor lighting.
- Smith (9/5): -
- Sally (9/5): Great stay, will return and recommend to others. - Easy check in and spacious rooms. Comfy big bed. Rooms serviced every day. Great food and a lively but relaxed feel in the pub/restaurant. Car parking can be a little tricky / limited, it’s at the back of the hotel.
- carol (8/5): great - room & breakfast
- Lee (10/5): Comfortable and welcoming - Breakfast was amazing Nothing to disĺike
- Carolyn (8/5): Convenient for visiting friends in Bedford - Only a short walk into the town centre No lift
- Kathleen (7/5): Very pleasant stay but there's room for improvement - The welcome from the young man at reception was so nice, in fact every single staff member was friendly and polite. The hotel is in a fab location for a stroll by the river or into the town centre. The food was good solid pub grub. We enjoyed a lovely well presented breakfast and lunch. We had a lovely big room with ensuite. Sadly the whole place could do with a deep clean. I noticed the paneling in the bar/ eating area was very dirty and off putting. Also the ladies toilet door needs cleaning and painting! Seeing the extremely dirty mop and bucket outside the first floor rooms was worrying to say the least!! Housekeeping needs a new mop and clean water for each room. I shudder to think our bathroom floor was " washed" with that dirty mop! I found the bed very uncomfortable. It was a double which is fine for 2 small adults but it's a tight squeeze for 2 average sized ones like us! The mattress was too firm for me and I didn't sleep great on both nights! The bath needs a grab rail for getting and out of the shower!
- Sally (9/5): -
- Joe (10/5): -
- Olivier (9/5): - Le charme. Nous étions au dernier eet donc au calme. Attention pas d'ascenseur mais le personnel monté les valises.
- Lynne (7/5): - Comfortable bed and very clean. Good location It was very expensive for a 1 night stay with no breakfast
- Mason (9/5): - Location and staff Car park was busy on arrival
- colin (10/5): - Clean comftable great staff Nothing
- Alison (9/5): A pleasant hotel with lovely river views and excellent staff - Staff were all very approachable helpful and pleasant. All was good
- Nigel (8/5): -
- Sightsee66154877588 (10/5): Excellent service and food - We had my husband's 70th birthday party in the private dinning room. Food and service was 5 star and it made my Husband's birthday very special. A big thank you to The Embankment
- Elisa (9/5): -
- Paul (10/5): -
- Michel (5/5): Le véritable nom de l'hôtel devrait être "L'hôtel des courants d'air". - Emplacement agréable. Charme d'une vieille demeure. Mal isolé, très mal chauffé. Mobilier de rangement insuffisant, équipement vétuste. Chambre exiguë. Pas de vue.
- Janet (8/5): Relaxed riverside stay at friendly hotel - Lovely location and beautiful period Victorian hotel, feels special without being too grand N/A
- DavidW338 (10/5): Superb Diamond Wedding Celebration - We decided to celebrate our Diamond Wedding Anniversary here in their Private Room as we had done so successfully for our Ruby 20 years previously. Planning by Tom and Abbie was very helpful and on the night chef Chris came up trumps with splendid food served extremely pleasantly and attentively by our dedicated waitress Molly who was ably assisted by Sophie, Lexi and others. We would not hesitate to recommend them for any function. By the way their Sunday lunches are also superb!
- steven (8/5): -
- steven (8/5): Nice hotel - It is a nice hotel and luke was very helpful I think not including breakfast in the price of the room is a little disappointing , yes I know you can pay more for one but it should be included! but over all it’s a good hotel
- steven (8/5): -
- Stéphane (8/5): - Really Nice place and a good restaurant Sofa bed for the kids was really old and inconfortable
- Kira (6/5): Good breakfast but not the cleanest room - Breakfast was delicious, bar downstairs was great. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. The room was not clean - the bathroom was so gross we didn't even want to shower in it. The toilet hadn't been cleaned (in fact was left in terrible condition) although after telling staff they cleaned it slightly. Was fine for one night but probably wouldn't stay again as the music was quite loud downstairs on a Saturday night
- Alain (8/5): - Belle situation et pas trop loin du centre ville. petit déjeuner sur commande, pas de buffet. hotel d'un autre age, isolation peu efficace ( fenêtres )
- Thierry (8/5): - Lenteur du service au petit déjeuner
- Garry (9/5): -
- HALLUENT (5/5): - hotel ancien à rénover manque de confort,pas de bar pour le déjeuner donc lenteur
- Alain (7/5): Une équipe accueillante dans un endroit original sympa à découvrir au bord de l'eau - Petits déjeuners "à la carte" très sympa ... si vous n'êtes pas pressé. Dommage que le service soit plutôt lent ! L'isolation des chambres est très mauvaise. Grandes baies vitrées très anciennes et donc très mal isolées
- Michèle (8/5): -
- Anita (8/5): Lovely friendly hotel across from beautiful park - Staff were friendly, professional and helpful. Hotel cozy and across from beautiful park and river. Food very good and breakfast served fresh and to order. No lift so had to climb two sets of stairs to room therefore if you have any problems walking or in a wheelchair you need to make sure that hotel aware.
- Ian (7/5): -
- Marie (4/5): For one night it was tolerable - Location was great. I loved the Tudor style and historical look. Place needs a little TLC carpet needs cleaning and the room we had faced a brick wall. The bed was small and pillows hard.
- Gillian (7/5): - The staff were absolutely excellent. Friendly and helpful. The food was v v good Needs a face lift. Room was tired. Broken window in bathroom. Furniture has seen better days
- Chloe (8/5): -
- Sarah (10/5): -
- Paul (8/5): I was at a friend's funeral and the location and staff looked after us very well. - Location, friendly staff the hotel was ideal for the purpose, probably not somewhere I'd plan to say for a "holiday", but perfectly ok
- Stephen (8/5): -
- Astrid (7/5): -
- CAROLINE (10/5): -
- Sean E Gray (8/5): -
- Keith (9/5): -
- Claes (10/5): Leuk authentiek hotel op een prachtige locatie! - Zachte uiterste comfortabele bedden, ruime kamers en een heerlijk restaurant voor zowel diner als ontbijt. Super vriendelijk personeel en een hele mooie locatie. Absolute aanrader! De douche was niet zo ruim en lekte een beetje water door de deur maar dat mag geen naam hebben.
- Jessica (9/5): Great location, customer service, and food - Great location and excellent staff A little dated in some areas but not too much of a negative impact
- Fratelli (9/5): Ok place a little noisy as above a pub - Location Noisy
- Jacqui (9/5): -
- Matthew (6/5): Close to town - Good location for walking into town. Car park on site. Downstairs part of hotel is nice and looks good from outside. Breakfast was ok, bed was ok,bathroom was ok but shower wasn't very powerful. Room dated and the lighting is very dim. Hate doors that have gaps all around them and you can hear televisions from other rooms.
- Laura (10/5): -
- Jack (7/5): - Good
- simon (7/5): Enjoyable - Lovely old property. Good location. Food was excellent Bed was too small. Difficult to control temperature in the room
- Brian (9/5): Good getaway in a very pleasant hotel with character. - Very friendly helpful staff. Great location within easy walk of everything including the railway station (20 mins) Nice for a drink in the cozy bar after a day out. (didn't try the food) Get a river view room if you can!
- pankaj (10/5): It was amazing stay. I would love to stay there again. - Location and ambience of the property. None
- pankaj (10/5): It was amazing stay. I would love to stay again. - Location and ambience of the property None
- Mandy (8/5): Enjoyed our stay - Staff were very helpful N/A
- Gavin (10/5): -
- Gary Lowndes (7/5): -
- S F (7/5): - Location Car park.
- Anthony (9/5): Lovely spot ! - Welcoming staff and lovely room. Very smoky in bar - everything smelled of woodsmoke after eating there .
- jamie (10/5): - 5 star service from all staff, food is great, rooms are very clean. Very well run business and doesnt cost 5 star money!! Nothing
- iain (9/5): Excellent .. would stay again - Close to river , had character A bit cold in the bathroom
- Jamie (10/5): A wonderful place to stay, eat and drink! - We really loved our stay. The hotel was amazing but the staff are what made our time great. They were all lovely professional and amazing at their jobs but Tom in particular was incredible. We would def come again and were very impressed. Thanks all! Nothing it was all great!
- Sharon (10/5): -
- Rachel (5/5): Good hotel but consideration of guests needs should be a priority. - The location was good and the room I was given was a very good size with a sofa and a decent bathroom. I couldn’t get parked in the car park as there were big white vans in there taking up multiple spaces so I had to park on the road. My main issue, however, was that I indicated to the hotel that as I had mobility problems I needed a walk in shower and a double, not single, bed. They obliged me with this but somehow disregarded the ‘mobility problems’ and put me on the second floor, up multiple stairs without a lift, and at the furthest length of the corridor! A little more thought should have gone into my room allocation. As a result of the parking issue I left early to avoid a parking ticket and didn’t get to try what looked to be a good breakfast menu.
- Tim (9/5): - Lovely location, very helpful staff
- Carson (10/5): Perfect location for a work trip - Stayed over for a work meeting really charming place in a great location. Would definitely stay again!
- Craig (9/5): Good location and comfortable rooms in a building steeped in character. - Great location with on site parking. The rooms were comfortable, although quite compact. The heating controls were difficult to operate, but we were only staying for one night, so it was less of an issue.
- Peter (8/5): - Restaurant was great Cold room and a little noisy
- Malcolm (9/5): Convenient comfortable with vibrant bar - good staff - Vibrant bar and hotel - very welcoming - lovely view from room over river Bit noisy at night from the road - had a car parked outside at 1am in morning with loud music booming out - not hotel’s fault of course
- Kirsty (8/5): Nice but a bit pricey for what it is. - Really lovely location, busy bar and restaurant attached Our window looked out onto a brick wall - awful
- catlady2023 (10/5): Superb staff - We stayed just one night in this old hotel overlooking the river. We had a lovely dinner and breakfast was excellent too. The room was well equiped and comfortable. Arguably the most impressive aspect though is the staff. Everyone we met were welcoming, helpful and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. Would definitely stay again, if ever in Bedford.
- Jane (8/5): Superb staff - The staff were superb. Everyone was welcoming and helpful. Nothing
- Hugh (10/5): -
- SallyAnn (10/5): - We were looked after very well N/A
- Sarah (10/5): The staff are amazing and the bar area is cozy.i feel soo comfortable staying here - staff are always amazing Hotel Carpark is small but parking on The Embankment is easy from 6pm to 8am
- Jean (8/5): Well appointed and good value - Much quieter than I expected given the location. Well appointed room and clean. Friendly staff. Would stay again. Missing a usb point which was a shame as orherwise good facilities.
- Peter (10/5): -
- Frances (9/5): Only one night, but excellent and would definitely return. -
- Sarah (9/5): A really enjoyable stay; we'd go there again, and recommend it to others. - Pleasant room, with a clean, bright and airy bathroom. The bed was very confortable. Breakfast was exceptionally good, with excellent service. Nothing.
- Glyn R (10/5): - We have been visiting The Embankment on and off for the last 10 years on trips to the UK, having teas, drinks and dinners at the hotel, but never having the opportunity to stay for the night. We were blown away by the size and quality of the room we were given...double or triple the size of most of our hotel rooms in the UK, and beautifully decorated, with the absolute luxury of having both a shower and a bath in the room!!! The other absolute stand out at the hotel was the incredible friendliness and helpfulness of all the staff we interacted with. This was without doubt the place we were made to feel most welcome during our 7 weeks in the UK! We were in fact so thrilled by our experience at The Embankment that we changed our travel plans to spend one more night at the hotel at the end of our trip - a perfect decision, as our 2nd night here was just as amazing as the first! Thank you to all at The Embankment....we will be back!!! Nothing!!!
- Sharon (9/5): - Staff were attentive and personable,stay was a very pleasant stay.Food was was excellent!
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