Choosing the perfect hotel for your Paignton getaway can make or break your English Riviera experience. From grand seafront establishments to intimate boutique properties, Paignton offers accommodation to suit every taste and budget. Here's our comprehensive comparison of the town's top hotels, including why the Great Western Hotel offers something truly special.
What it offers: The Palace Hotel commands Paignton's seafront with 140 rooms, extensive spa facilities, indoor pools, and full leisure complex. This Victorian grande dame has been welcoming guests for over a century.
Best for: Luxury seekers, spa enthusiasts, and those wanting comprehensive on-site facilities. The hotel excels at providing a resort-like experience without leaving the property.
Price range: £76-120 per night
Standout features: Full spa with beauty treatments, indoor heated pool, gym facilities, multiple dining options, and dog-friendly policies.
The reality: While impressive, the Palace's size means you're one guest among hundreds. Service can feel standardized, and the grand public spaces often feel crowded during peak seasons.
What it offers: Perched on Paignton's cliffs, the Redcliffe Hotel provides elegant accommodation with spectacular sea views and a more formal, traditional hotel experience.
Best for: Couples seeking romantic getaways, travelers who appreciate classic hotel luxury, and those prioritizing stunning views.
Price range: £95-130 per night
Standout features: Dramatic clifftop location, beautifully appointed rooms, excellent restaurant, and professional service standards.
The reality: The formal atmosphere may feel distant for some guests, and the clifftop location, while beautiful, requires more effort to reach town center amenities.
What it offers: Part of the global Accor chain, Mercure brings contemporary design and international hospitality standards to Paignton's beachfront.
Best for: Business travelers, those loyal to hotel chains, and guests who prioritize consistent, predictable service standards.
Price range: £87-110 per night
Standout features: Modern rooms, eco-certification, direct beach access, corporate booking systems, and loyalty program benefits.
The reality: While efficient, the corporate approach can feel impersonal. The focus on standardization sometimes comes at the expense of local character and personalized service.
What it offers: A 3-star hotel with indoor heated pool, family rooms, and direct beachside location, focusing on providing good value accommodation for families.
Best for: Budget-conscious families, guests prioritizing location over luxury, and those wanting basic amenities done well.
Price range: £60-85 per night
Standout features: Indoor heated pool, beachside location, family-friendly atmosphere, and competitive pricing.
The reality: While good value, the experience can feel somewhat institutional. Service is functional rather than memorable, and common areas can feel busy during peak times.
Among Paignton's larger establishments, the Great Western Hotel stands apart as something completely different: a genuine family-run boutique hotel that prioritizes personality over size, character over corporate efficiency.
The Drunken Horse Gin Bar: This isn't just a hotel bar – it's a destination. Our carefully curated selection of premium gins, including many from Devon distilleries, creates an experience you won't find anywhere else in Paignton. While the Palace Hotel has a busy public bar and Mercure offers a standard hotel lounge, The Drunken Horse provides intimate, knowledgeable service that gin enthusiasts travel specifically to experience.
Tranquil Gardens: Step into our gardens and discover why guests often extend their stays. Unlike the Palace Hotel's shared outdoor spaces that accommodate hundreds of guests, or Mercure's efficiency-focused design, our gardens offer genuine tranquility. These living spaces change with the seasons, providing perfect spots for morning coffee, afternoon reading, or evening drinks.
Thoughtfully Designed Family Room: Our cozy family room exemplifies our attention to detail. Rather than simply fitting beds into a space, we've created an environment where families genuinely relax. The layout, furnishings, and atmosphere feel more like staying with favorite relatives than checking into a corporate hotel room.
Personal Service: With fewer rooms than our competitors, every guest receives individual attention. Staff learn your preferences, owners take personal interest in your experience, and special requests are handled with flexibility impossible at larger establishments.
Local Knowledge: Our recommendations come from genuine local expertise, not corporate guidebooks. We tailor suggestions to your specific interests, whether you're seeking hidden beaches, the best local restaurants, or family-friendly activities.
Authentic Character: Each room has its own personality, common areas feel welcoming rather than institutional, and the overall atmosphere reflects genuine hospitality rather than corporate hospitality training.
Choose the Palace Hotel if: You want comprehensive resort-style facilities, don't mind sharing spaces with many other guests, and prioritize on-site amenities over personal service.
Choose Mercure if: You prefer international chain standards, value predictable service, and have loyalty program benefits to utilize.
Choose Redcliffe Hotel if: You're seeking formal luxury, prioritize stunning views, and prefer a more traditional hotel experience.
Choose Queens Hotel if: Budget is your primary concern, you need family-friendly facilities, and you're satisfied with functional rather than memorable service.
Choose the Great Western Hotel if: You want genuine hospitality, appreciate unique amenities like our gin bar, value peaceful garden spaces, and prefer the personal touch of family-run accommodation.
While the Palace Hotel and Queens Hotel offer direct seafront locations, and Mercure provides beachfront access, the Great Western Hotel's position offers the best of both worlds. We're close enough to walk to all of Paignton's attractions – the beach, pier, town center, and train station – yet situated in a quieter area that ensures peaceful nights and genuine relaxation.
Price isn't everything when choosing accommodation. The Great Western Hotel may not have the Palace Hotel's extensive facilities or Mercure's corporate efficiency, but we offer something increasingly rare: authentic, personal hospitality in a world of standardized experiences.
Our guests don't just stay with us – they become part of our story. They return year after year, not because of loyalty programs or corporate benefits, but because they've found a place where they're truly welcomed and valued.
Paignton offers excellent accommodation choices, each with distinct advantages. The Palace Hotel impresses with grand facilities, Mercure delivers reliable corporate standards, Redcliffe provides elegant luxury, and Queens offers good value family accommodation.
But if you're seeking something different – if you want to experience the warmth of genuine hospitality, enjoy unique amenities you won't find elsewhere, and create memories rather than just book a room – then the Great Western Hotel offers an experience that larger establishments simply cannot match.
Come discover why discerning travelers choose character over corporate convenience. Book your stay at the Great Western Hotel and experience Paignton hospitality as it should be: personal, authentic, and genuinely memorable.
