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3-star hotel

The Palace Hotel

The Palace Hotel in Paignton offers a 4.4-star stay with indoor pool, free Wi-Fi, restaurant, and spa. Close to Paignton Zoo and Torre Abbey. Booking info inside.

Esplanade Rd, Paignton TQ4 6BJ, United Kingdom View on map
8.8/10
Very Good Based on 973 recent guest reviews
Free Wi-Fi Breakfast Free parking Accessible Indoor pool
What recent guests emphasize

Balanced charm with friendly service and seaside location

Guests appreciate the hotel's historic character, welcoming staff, and convenient proximity to the seafront and town centre. While the accommodation and amenities offer good value, some note dated features and cooler indoor temperatures.

Guests often praise

  • Friendly, attentive, and helpful staff who enhance the stay experience
  • Clean, comfortable rooms, many with uplifting sea views
  • Good quality food with varied breakfast and evening meal options
  • Convenient location just steps from the beach, pier, and town centre
  • Well-maintained grounds, indoor pool, fitness centre, and spa facilities

Worth knowing

  • The hotel’s Victorian building shows some signs of age, affecting lighting and indoor temperature
  • Bar area and rooms can feel cold, especially in cooler seasons
  • Tea with evening meals incurs an additional charge, which some guests found unusual
  • The hotel does not feature air conditioning or airport shuttle services
  • Entertainment quality may vary between evenings

Best for

  • Visitors seeking a traditional Victorian hotel with historic character and seaside charm
  • Guests prioritizing a friendly atmosphere and attentive service
  • Families and couples looking for proximity to local attractions and the beach
  • Those valuing on-site leisure amenities like an indoor pool, spa, and fitness centre
  • Travelers who appreciate good value, clean accommodations, and classic style over modern designs
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About this property

Welcome to The Palace Hotel

Set along Paignton's seafront esplanade, The Palace Hotel occupies a Victorian building originally built as a private residence around 1870. Its grand, historic architecture is complemented by mature gardens and offers guests easy access to the beach and an 8-minute walk to the town centre. Visitors appreciate the hotel's location opposite the pier and close proximity to a wide range of local attractions.

This four-star hotel features a health club including an indoor pool, fitness centre, spa facilities, and a steam room, catering to guests seeking relaxation and wellness amenities on-site. The property also includes dining options with a restaurant and bar, along with services such as free Wi-Fi, room service, and free parking. While the hotel is kid-friendly and accessible, air conditioning is not available throughout, and pets are not permitted.

Guest feedback highlights the friendly and helpful staff and generally clean, comfortable rooms, often with sea views. The classic, historic character of the building is appreciated, though some note that the facilities and heating can feel dated, and certain areas like the bar may feel chilly. Food quality receives praise though some guests mention limited variety and small additional charges.

The Palace Hotel is suitable for visitors looking for a traditional seaside hotel with character and convenient access to family-friendly attractions nearby such as Paignton Zoo and Kents Cavern. It offers a practical choice for those prioritizing location and amenities like the indoor pool over contemporary modern design.

Summary compiled by GoHotelly editors from verified guest reviews, partner descriptions and editorial notes.
Facilities & essentials

What's on-site and what you should know before you arrive

The short version: what's available day-to-day, and the key practical details most travelers search for.

Most popular facilities

Free Wi-Fi
Breakfast
Free parking
Accessible
Indoor pool
Laundry service
Beach access
Room service
Kid-friendly
Restaurant
Spa
Fitness center
Bar
Smoke-free

Not available at this property

Air-conditioned
Pet-friendly
Airport shuttle
Verified guest reviews

What recent guests are actually saying

Reviews from travelers who stayed here in the last 12 months, grouped to help you spot the pattern quickly.

CC
Christine Cooke Mar 21, 2026
8.0

Lovely hotel and big seaview room though lighting could be improved both in room and bathroom. Food good but not as much choice as a few years ago. Entertainment first night with lady singer excellent but not so good second night. Friendly staff. Nice welcome with mince pie and cup of tea on arrival.

RT
richard thomas Mar 15, 2026
8.0

Really enjoyed my week here.didnt get to use the gym or pool .food was lovely just wish there was a little more of it .lovely staff and lovely hotel in a great location just across the road from the seafront and near town centre.criticisms just two.one was if you wanted tea with evening meal in evening it was an extra 2-50! I've never heard of this in any hotel I have stayed in ! Also the itinerary of my coach was on reception all week until the last evening when it was taken down so only knew what time to have cases down and what time breakfast was.unsure what time we were leaving for sure as driver said check itinerary it was up on hotel reception.the meal last night was nice but the nut roast ,not sure if the gravy was vegetarian.waiter said it was ,but it tasted very salty and unsure if it was ordinary gravy.other than that food all week was perfect .many thanks for a great stay .had a lovely room with smart TV too

MJ
Monique Johnstone Mar 07, 2026
10

The palace is a family favourite. Very clean and very good value for money. All Staff are very friendly, We always request a sea view and find the sun rising view very uplifting. Breakfast and evening meal excellent lots of choice

JH
John Hellis Mar 06, 2026
10

This excellent hotel is situated just a short walk from the beach and Paignton Pier. The building is best described as “faded glory” but this actually enhances the experience of staying there. The staff are very friendly and efficient, nothing seems too much for them. I am a great believer in the WWW and in ‘apps’ to book holidays but it’s really nice to be able to just phone reception and talk to somebody who knows what the hotel can do when you make your booking.

HR
Hellen Redmond Mar 01, 2026
10

This is a great hotel, the staff are very helpful. The room we had was very large with a sea view. There was tea making facilities also a bottle of water and fresh fruit. The walking shower was a bonus as being elderly a bath is out of the question. The food was second to none, a good choice from a menu. The evening meal was excellent the staff were very talkative and very helpful. I would highly recommend this hotel.

JC
Jodie Cantle Feb 22, 2026
8.0

Sad to leave a but review because i come here often, and although the palace and the staff are lovely, they're had lately been a long wait at the bar for someone to serve and its always freezing cold in there, also in the rooms. Lots of people have said the same to the staff but all they said was its an old building. Not enjoyable when you need to wear your coat indoors

AT
Amanda Turnbull Jan 17, 2026
10

I am here now with my husband. If you want a modern hotel with modern amenities this is not for you. This is place is old and has history and character. What this place does have is good food at a reasonable price, clean rooms (a bit dated but clean), comfy beds, great location, its own good gym, pool, sauna and steam room and fabulous staff at a good price. Claire on reception was great as was Abata in the dining room. We had dinner B&b. Was a bargain!

PKZ
Philip Karlis Zikmanis Dec 31, 2025
8.0

Hotel is in a lovely position on the front opposite the pier. Short walking distance to the shops and amusments.Nice grounds and outside sitting area. Comfortable well stocked bar plenty of seating areas. Nice spacious dinning area with good staff through out the hotel and is kept to a high standard of cleanlyness.

Location & neighborhood

Where you'll find The Palace Hotel

Paignton, United Kingdom

Built as a private residence around 1870 and set in gardens on Paignton's esplanade, this grand seafront hotel is an 8-minute walk from Paignton town centre.

  • Paignton 10 min Walk
  • Paignton bus station 11 min Walk
  • Christ Church 11 min Walk
  • Exeter Airport 39 min Car · 1 hr 39 Transit
Things to do nearby

Worth the walk or a quick ride

Curated spots travelers usually pair with a stay in Paignton. Distances are rough real-world times, not straight-line.

Kents Cavern Prehistoric Caves 4,862 reviews

Kents Cavern Prehistoric Caves

91 Ilsham Rd, Torquay TQ1 2JF, United Kingdom

4.7 · Tourist Attraction
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park 13,778 reviews

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park

Totnes Rd, Paignton TQ4 7EU, United Kingdom

4.5 · Zoo
Torre Abbey 1,104 reviews

Torre Abbey

The King's Dr, Torquay TQ2 5JE, United Kingdom

4.5 · Historical Place Museum
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