Crown Villa

We celebrated our son’s birthday with Sunday lunch here on 8 Feb 2026. The welcome began with drinks in the bar before lunch, and the warm hospitality carried on throughout the meal. The food was delicious and the occasion felt rather special. He’ll always remember trying his first oyster here, and liking it. Thank you all for taking such good care of us. We look forward to visiting again.

The cream tea was beautifully presented, with fresh, high-quality treats, and we enjoyed it in a relaxed, cosy setting. The team fitted us in despite being busy, and a friendly staff member had already greeted us in the car park when we arrived at The Crown Hotel, Wells-next-the-Sea. We also had a lovely overnight stay. The room was spotless, comfortable, and thoughtfully equipped, making a good base for exploring Wells and the surrounding coast. Service from check-in through breakfast was attentive and genuinely friendly. The Crown Hotel has plenty of charm and offers a comfortable stay with excellent hospitality. Thank you!

I’d always thought The Crown was THE place to stay in Wells, but this trip had appalling service from start to finish. We had to phone to book because we were bringing our dog. It took three calls and two voicemails before anyone called back. There was no confirmation email, and I only realised that when we arrived and tried to find the check-in time. It already felt like things might go wrong. At check-in, they couldn’t find our booking. Luckily, they had a room, and the woman checking us in said we’d been booked for Monday, the day we were meant to leave. Later, we called reception to reserve a dinner table and got no answer. I let the phone ring for two full minutes until it timed out, so we had to walk over and book in person. Not a huge deal, but who ever answers those phones? At breakfast there was no one around to seat us, so we chose our own seats. After we left, we’d been on the road for an hour or so when they called to say, “You’ve left without paying your room balance,” as if we’d done a midnight flit. I told Harley we’d paid in full by card when booking. A better response would have been to apologise, ask us to check the amount charged, and call back when convenient because their records showed a balance. Instead, she said, “I’m just doing my job and you’ve left without paying a balance.” We’d been told the full amount would be charged when we booked. Since I never got a confirmation, I couldn’t check that or the check-in date. I probably should have checked my credit card statement, but I didn’t. That still doesn’t excuse the attitude, which I see Harley has been called out for in several other reviews. It’s a shame the place seems not to care about service anymore. Wells is so busy they don’t need to bother, because people will keep coming. We won’t stay at The Crown again.

The food was excellent and tasty, and Jamie, the young man who sat us down for dinner, was the only polite member of staff. We left the next morning because the bed caused pain and we hadn’t slept well. The mattress was rock hard, and my husband and I both woke early in a lot of pain. When I raised it with Harley, she said no one else had complained about the room, made it sound like our fault, and didn’t apologise. Terrible customer service, and not worth the price. We’d just got married and came to The Crown Hotel for a break. On arrival, we had to squeeze our suitcase through a half-open door, and no one was there to welcome us, so we had to find someone to check us in. The woman who did it wasn’t friendly and didn’t even congratulate us. The room was a shock and nothing like the picture. The wardrobe area was small and tucked beside the coffee-making facilities, which were hard to use because space was so tight. They were right in front of you as you opened the room door. The TV was really small. The bed looked nice, but the mattress was rock hard. Strangers on the street treated us more kindly than the hotel did.