Best Western Red Lion Hotel

From the street front, the Red Lion is an unassuming hotel but just walk through the arched doorway and you’re in the centre of a lovely courtyard surrounded by the 800-year-old wattle and daub building. The hotel was built in 1220, the same year that construction on the cathedral began, and it claims to be Europe’s oldest purpose-built hotel.

The 60 guest rooms all have large comfortable beds, a flat-screen television, a work desk, ironing facilities, tea and coffee making facilities and an en suite bathroom. The smallest rooms measure 12.5m² (135 sq ft) and the largest room is the spacious 40.3m² (434 sq ft) seamstress room in the attic.

The hotel’s four suites are larger than the average room, but not as big as the seamstress room, and have separate living and sleeping areas. Suites range in size from 25.3m² (273 sq ft) to 29.2m² (315 sq ft).

The decor inside the hotel rooms emphasises the historic nature of the hotel but it stops short of making you feel like you’ve stepped into a period drama.

Although the hotel has a lift, not all rooms have lift access and it is not ideal if you have mobility issues.

The hotel’s public areas are full of character and include a traditional pub (the 1220 Bar), the Vine restaurant, the Victoria Lounge and a lovely courtyard dining area.

The Vine restaurant offers a menu of classic British cuisine, however, this restaurant is often closed for functions and group bookings. Fortunately, you can also dine in the Victoria Lounge, which is a delightful space to spend an hour or two. Afternoon tea is also served in the Victoria Lounge as well as in the courtyard during the warmer months.

Free Wi-Fi wireless internet access is available throughout the hotel.

The Red Lion Hotel has a great location in the heart of Salisbury with plenty of shops and places to eat and drink on your doorstep. It is just around the corner from the Market Place and the tourist information centre and it is only a five-minute walk to the Cathedral Close and all the sights within the Close (such as the Salisbury Museum and the cathedral) are less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The railway station is a 12-minute walk away.

There is very limited parking (only six spaces) for £15 per day but there are other places to park nearby.