When choosing accommodation in Paignton, you'll find yourself deciding between large chain hotels and intimate, family-run establishments. While the Palace Hotel, Mercure Paignton, and Queens Hotel all offer their own advantages, there's something uniquely special about staying at a boutique, family-run hotel like the Great Western.
The difference becomes apparent from the moment you arrive. At chain hotels, you're often greeted by different staff members each day, following corporate scripts and standardized procedures. At the Great Western Hotel, you're welcomed by owners who genuinely care about your experience and staff who know your name by the second day.
The Palace Hotel dominates Paignton's seafront with its grand Victorian presence and comprehensive spa facilities. It's an impressive establishment with 140 rooms, indoor pools, and extensive leisure facilities. However, with size comes a certain anonymity – you're one guest among hundreds.
Mercure Paignton Hotel brings international chain standards to the English Riviera. Their contemporary design and corporate efficiency appeal to business travelers and those seeking predictable, standardized service. Yet this predictability can sometimes feel impersonal.
Queens Hotel offers good value family accommodation with its indoor heated pool and beachside location. It's a solid choice for budget-conscious families, though the experience can feel somewhat institutional.
Redcliffe Hotel positions itself as a luxury option with elegant rooms and clifftop views. While beautiful, it maintains the formal atmosphere typical of larger establishments.
What sets the Great Western Hotel apart isn't just our intimate size – it's our approach to hospitality. As a family-run boutique hotel, we believe in creating experiences, not just providing rooms.
While other hotels offer standard hotel bars, the Great Western Hotel boasts something truly unique: The Drunken Horse, our specialty gin bar. This isn't your typical hotel bar serving standard drinks. Our carefully curated selection of premium gins, many sourced from Devon distilleries, creates an experience you simply won't find at the Palace Hotel's busy public bar or Mercure's corporate lounge.
The Drunken Horse has become a destination in its own right, drawing gin enthusiasts from across the English Riviera. Our knowledgeable staff can guide you through tastings, recommend perfect pairings, and even help you discover your new favorite gin. It's the kind of personalized service that large hotels struggle to provide.
Step into our beautiful gardens, and you'll understand why guests often say they've found their "home away from home." While the Palace Hotel's outdoor spaces are shared among hundreds of guests, and Mercure's contemporary design prioritizes efficiency over tranquility, the Great Western's gardens offer genuine peace.
These aren't just landscaped grounds – they're living spaces where you can enjoy morning coffee, afternoon tea, or evening drinks in genuine tranquility. Many guests spend hours here, reading, relaxing, or simply enjoying the carefully tended plants and flowers that change with the seasons.
Our cozy family room exemplifies our thoughtful approach to accommodation. Unlike the standardized family rooms at chain hotels, our space has been designed with real families in mind. It's not just about fitting beds into a room – it's about creating a comfortable environment where families can truly relax together.
The room reflects our attention to detail: carefully chosen furnishings, quality linens, and those little touches that make a difference. Parents appreciate the extra space and thoughtful layout, while children love the cozy atmosphere that feels more like staying at a favorite relative's house than a hotel.
When you stay at the Great Western Hotel, you're not just booking accommodation – you're joining our extended family for a few days. This means:
Personalized Recommendations: We don't hand you a generic tourist brochure. Our local knowledge runs deep, and we tailor suggestions to your interests, whether you're seeking hidden beaches, the best fish and chips, or family-friendly walks.
Flexibility: Need a late check-out? Wondering about storing luggage? As a family-run establishment, we can adapt to your needs without corporate policy restrictions.
Genuine Care: When something goes wrong – and occasionally it does – you're dealing with owners who have a personal investment in making things right. There's no hiding behind corporate procedures or passing responsibility up the chain.
The Palace Hotel's 140 rooms and Mercure's corporate structure serve their purpose, but they can't match the intimacy of our boutique approach. With fewer rooms, we can focus on quality over quantity:
- Every guest receives individual attention
- Rooms are unique, not cookie-cutter corporate designs
- Common areas never feel crowded or impersonal
- Staff know your preferences by day two
- Special requests are handled personally, not through corporate protocols
While the Palace Hotel dominates the seafront and Queens Hotel offers beachside convenience, the Great Western Hotel provides something different: a perfect base that combines accessibility with character. We're close enough to Paignton's attractions to walk everywhere, yet situated in a quieter location that ensures peaceful nights.
Our position means you get the best of both worlds – easy access to the beach, pier, and town center, without the noise and crowds that come with prime seafront locations.
Paignton offers excellent accommodation options. The Palace Hotel impresses with its grand facilities, Mercure delivers reliable corporate standards, Queens Hotel provides good value family accommodation, and Redcliffe Hotel offers luxury elegance.
But if you're seeking something different – if you want to experience genuine hospitality, enjoy unique amenities like our gin bar, relax in peaceful gardens, and feel like you're staying with friends rather than being processed through a hotel system – then the Great Western Hotel offers something special.
We're not the biggest hotel in Paignton, nor do we want to be. We're the place where hospitality is personal, where every guest matters, and where your Paignton experience becomes a cherished memory rather than just another hotel stay.
Come discover why our guests don't just return – they become part of our extended family. Book your stay at the Great Western Hotel and experience the difference that genuine, family-run hospitality makes.
