This wonderful gem of a hotel, reputed to be the oldest in England and right next door to a medieval abbey is a MUST for a romantic break! It was our anniversary and the hotel staff did all they could to make this a very special time for us. Tom Rains' food is amazing! The service is discrete yet attentive and warm. We were upgraded to a premium room in the old part of the building - it was beautiful!
The hotel is quintessentially 'Olde English' with roaring log fires and snug corners. The bar is well-stocked and the barman, a Frenchman called Vince is friendly and very helpful. All staff we encountered were lovely.
I don't normally write reviews, even if I have enjoyed my stay, but I have just arrived home and had to do this. It was not cheap, but worth every penny!
Everyone - try this hotel and you'll be back for more. I know I will!

We stayed here for one night in order to go to a friend's fortieth birthday party. This was a trip down memory lane as we had our wedding reception here almost exactly eight years ago. We happened to mention this to the receptionist when we arrived, and when we returned to our room after sampling a cream tea in one of the hotel's lounges, we found a card from the hotel staff wishing us a happy anniversary! This really summed up our stay here. From the moment we arrived, we found the staff attentive, friendly and helpful.

Our hotel room was fine, the bathroom was a little small, but we did not mind as we had only booked a standard room.

The hotel reception rooms were absolutely gorgeous with a mixture of antique and contemporary furniture. We ordered a delicious cream tea which we ate in front of an open log fire. Breakfast was also a delight with smiley and attentive waiting staff.

All in all I loved our stay at the Old Bell and felt cosseted and comfortable throughout our stay.

I spent a really great weekend here with my girlfriend just before Christmas. It is a cosy little hotel/inn justed like you would want it be, no pretending. A bar, a log fire, a rocking chair, corners to get lost in, settles, blankets and the food. The food was fantastic, local original British food, prepared and presented with love and care.

Just returned from an overnight stay here (mid-Jan 2008). We were in Malmesbury for a friends 30th birthday so admittedly didn't spend much time in the hotel, rather we were out enjoying the hostelries in the town - the Smoking Dog at the other end of the High St is a fine establishment and does good food too!

We were staying in one of the rooms in the Coach House, and it was pleasant enough without being anything special. It did have a very good shower though, and my wife certainly liked the Molton Brown toiletries! Breakfast was good, with buffet selection and good range of cooked to order dishes to choose from. The full English was very welcome after the previous nights partying!

The only bad thing was that there appeared to be some minor renovation work going on. Nothing major, and it didn't disturb us - it was in evidence though with 3 bags of plaster left under a table in one of the corridors!

On balance though, it is a nice hotel in a nice town, right next to the abbey...