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Summary of reviewsThe Lion Hotel in Buckden is highly regarded for its ideal location, blending historic charm with convenience. Nestled near key attractions like Buckden Towers and Grafham Water, it serves as a serene retreat with easy access to Cambridge and other local destinations. Guests appreciate the cozy rooms with great views and ample parking, making exploration effortless. The warm welcome from attentive staff further elevates the inviting atmosphere.
Breakfast at The Lion Hotel is generally well-received, especially the freshly cooked full English breakfast, praised for its quality and value. The chef's expertise shines, though there are some comments on inconsistency and the exclusion of breakfast in room rates. Dinner receives accolades for its excellent pub-style offerings, flavorful dishes, and reasonable prices, despite occasional availability issues.
Rooms at The Lion Hotel offer a unique blend of tradition and comfort, with many highlighting the spacious areas and four-poster beds. While some rooms may need modernization, the cleanliness and charming aesthetic are appreciated. The staff contributes significantly to the hotel's positive image, noted for their friendliness and attentiveness, creating a welcoming environment. However, Wi-Fi connectivity issues need attention for a more seamless guest experience.
Overall, The Lion Hotel delivers a charming and restful stay in a historic setting, with guests fondly recommending it for its location, dining, and exceptional service. Show more
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Categories
Dog Friendly Inn
Inn with Free Wi-Fi
Cheap Inn
Small Inn
Inn with Tennis Courts
3-Star Inn
Room Types
Double RoomEach room benefits from a TV and tea and coffee making facilities.
Twin RoomEach room benefits from a TV and tea and coffee making facilities.
The bathroom has a shower.
Deluxe Double RoomProviding free toiletries, this double room includes a private bathroom with a bath, a shower and a hairdryer. This double room features a tea and coffee maker, flat-screen TV with cable channels, a quiet street view, as well as chocolate for guests. The unit offers 1 bed.
Junior SuiteThis suite consists of 1 bedroom, a seating area and 1 bathroom with a bath and a shower. This suite features a tea and coffee maker, flat-screen TV with cable channels, garden views, as well as chocolate for guests. The unit offers 1 bed.
Guest Reviews
7.0
Good
Location
Nestled in the heart of the charming village of Buckden, The Lion Hotel offers an excellent location brimming with historic allure. This venerable coaching inn is perfectly situated for a quiet retreat while providing easy access to the hustle and bustle of nearby attractions. It is only a minute away from the A1, making it a convenient stopover for those embarking on longer journeys. Guests praised its proximity to Buckden Towers and Grafham Water, highlighting its suitability for both leisure visits and events. The hotel’s tranquil setting, despite its closeness to the motorway, ensures a restful night's sleep. Patrons appreciated how strategically positioned the hotel is for visiting Cambridge and local family destinations. The combination of great views from cozy rooms and efficient staff service adds to the overall welcoming atmosphere. With ample parking and nearby bus access, the hotel provides ease of exploration to the village's charming high street shops and its serene surroundings.
Breakfast
The breakfast experience at The Lion Hotel is generally praised by guests, highlighting a range of positive experiences. Many reviews commend the excellent quality of a freshly cooked full English breakfast, with guests describing it as superb, delicious, and a great value. The hotel also offers a delightful vegetarian option that is positively received. Guests appreciatively note the friendly staff service, and some highlight the willingness to accommodate early breakfast times for special circumstances.
However, some guests express surprise that breakfast is not included in the room rate, and others lament the lack of breakfast facilities. While experiences vary, there are occasional mentions of subpar continental offerings, including complaints about instant coffee, cold toast, and minimal options. Some guests encountered issues with breakfast timing, either missing out due to early commitments or the need for advance booking. Despite these inconsistencies, the breakfast often receives high marks for quality and variety, with the chef’s expertise being a standout feature. Overall, the breakfast at The Lion Hotel leaves many guests pleased, though there is room for improvement in consistency and inclusivity of offerings.
Dinner
The Lion Hotel offers a dining experience that generally leaves guests satisfied with its quality, warm service, and value. Patrons frequently praise the restaurant's evening meals, describing the offerings as really good pub grub that is well-prepared and flavorful. Many find the meals to be not only of excellent quality but also reasonably priced, adding to their value. Guests highlight the wonderful selection on the menu, enjoying the variety and the substantial portion sizes, which cater well to diverse palates.
However, there are occasional mentions of limited availability, with some popular menu items sometimes missing, which can lead to a slightly less satisfying experience for a few diners. A minor subset of reviews did mention less favorable dining experiences, including concerns over portion sizes and isolated instances of dissatisfaction. Despite these occasional hiccups, the general consensus leans towards a positive dining experience, with most guests content with both the quality of food and the level of service provided at The Lion Hotel.
Rooms
The Lion Hotel offers a distinctly charming experience with its rooms that have character, despite their varying conditions. Guests frequently highlight the spaciousness and the distinctive four-poster beds that grace several of the rooms, providing a sense of tradition blended with uniqueness. Many appreciate the comfortable beds and the overall cleanliness that extends to both the rooms and the sizeable bathrooms. The bedding is noted to be of high quality in certain rooms, enhancing comfort further. While the rooms tend to maintain a vintage aesthetic that some guests find appealing, others note the need for modernization and refurbishment. Despite this, the rooms often feel cosy and warm, making for a pleasant stay.
The quality of the bathrooms can be mixed, with some being described as basic or dated, yet generally spacious with ample hot water. Views from the rooms vary, with some offering lovely outlooks over a courtyard or the local church, while others face busier, potentially noisier areas such as the main road. Ambient noise could be an issue for light sleepers, especially in rooms located above the bar or next to the street.
Attention is paid to detail with charming, quirky furniture, and thoughtful touches like in-room biscuits that enhance the experience. However, inconsistencies exist with certain rooms showing noticeable wear, such as chipped tiles or tired decor, underscoring the calls for renovation. Despite these areas for improvement, the overall atmosphere, friendly service, and the hotel’s historic charm manage to leave a positive impression on many guests.
Beds
At The Lion Hotel, guests frequently appreciate the comfort of the beds, highlighting a consistently restful experience. The presence of four-poster beds adds a touch of traditional elegance and seems to be a standout feature in several rooms. Visitors often find the rooms both clean and spacious, contributing to an overall pleasant stay. While some reviews mention a few bed-related issues, such as a smaller size than accustomed to or issues with cleanliness, the general consensus remains positive. The hotel's location also receives praise, providing both convenience and charm.
Cleanliness
The Lion Hotel has garnered mixed reviews regarding its cleanliness, with many guests highlighting both positive and negative aspects. On the bright side, numerous reviews commend the hotel's rooms for being clean and comfortable, with particular praise for the spaciousness of the junior suite and the spotless bathrooms. Guests appreciate the hotel’s attention to hygiene in some areas, as well as the friendly and helpful staff. However, some visitors noted that despite certain areas being very clean, the hotel overall appears tired and in need of modernization. Instances of dust, moldy smells, and stained carpets have been mentioned, alongside occasional maintenance issues such as leaking baths and external noise. The building itself retains a certain charm but also shows signs of aging, which some guests feel is balanced by the reasonable pricing.
Staff
The Lion Hotel is celebrated for its genuinely warm and inviting atmosphere, thanks to its exceptional staff. Guests frequently commend the team for their friendly nature, noting that they are both personable and attentive. The owners and managers also receive high praise for their sociable and efficient manner, contributing to an overall pleasant experience. Many reviewers highlight encounters with a particularly fantastic Sri Lankan lady and other staff members who go above and beyond to ensure a memorable stay. Despite occasional mentions of reduced staff presence, the consistent theme across reviews is the remarkable friendliness and helpfulness of those on the front lines. The warm welcome by the landlady and the attentive attitude of the staff create a welcoming environment that resonates with guests, making them eager to recommend The Lion Hotel to others.
Wi-Fi
The internet service at The Lion Hotel receives consistent feedback regarding its performance. Many guests have noted a lack of Wi-Fi connectivity in their rooms, making it a challenge to access the internet throughout their stay. This has also impacted the availability of TV channels, which rely on internet reception. Despite these challenges, the hotel's location might also influence mobile data services, as mentioned by some visitors. Overall, there seems to be room for improvement in ensuring a reliable and accessible Wi-Fi experience for guests.
No, The Lion Hotel doesn't have any pool.
No, a spa isn't available at The Lion Hotel.
Yes, The Lion Hotel welcomes dogs.
No, parking facilities aren't available at The Lion Hotel.