Brook Red Lion Hotel

43, High Street, Essex, CO1 1DJ -

Up to
80 guests

About Venue

The Brook Red Lion Hotel is a Grade I listed gem in the centre of Colchester, England’s oldest recorded town. With centuries of history built into its timber beams and characterful rooms, it offers a truly unique backdrop for gatherings of all kinds. Its heritage charm blends beautifully with modern comfort, giving every event a sense of occasion.

This historic hotel is incredibly versatile. It is a popular choice for weddings, anniversaries, and private celebrations, as well as meetings, training days, and workshops. The spaces can be adapted to suit both formal and relaxed gatherings, so whether you are planning a wedding reception, a Christmas party, or a strategy session with your team, it works seamlessly.

What makes the hotel special is the balance between character and convenience. Guests benefit from on-site catering options, overnight accommodation, and flexible hire packages, making it very easy to plan an event without stress. The team are experienced in hosting everything from intimate dinners to larger parties, and can provide the planning support you need to bring your ideas to life.

Located right on Colchester High Street, the hotel is easy to reach by public transport and also offers parking options nearby. With accommodation on site, your guests can relax and enjoy the event without having to travel far. It is a venue that brings together history, atmosphere, and modern comforts in one central setting.

Capacity & Layout

Standing

up to 80

Theatre

up to 65

Boardroom

up to 35

Classroom

up to 25

Facilities & Amenities

Tea

Flipchart

Audio & Visual

Other

LCD projector and screen

Space Rules

Cancellation policy

100% refundable 1 day before the event

Location

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Reviews

Ines Hristova
June 2025
Great location, right in the centre of town.i didn't even know about the history of the hotel when I booked it (or the haunted stories). We were in room 2, right over the sign and main entrance. Bed was comfy and soft, all to be expected from a 600 year old hotel. expected it to be loud and noisy as it is on a main street, but right next to our room there was a common room of some sort, there were a group of people playing games, shouting and laughing and they didn't leave until midnight, so if you plan on sleeping, book a bedroom at the back of the hotel.
Chris Stokes
June 2025
No door closers on any of the room doors so all you will hear all night is doors from guests slamming. PAPER thin walls. You will hear all of next doors activities with excellent clarity and volume. Staff were polite and helpful. Place was pretty clean. Usual hotel shower, flow rate is about 1 Ltr/hr. Have fun trying to get completely wet before one side of you dries. Toilet was at about a 12 degree angle. Is a novelty to use I guess. It's an extremely old building, mid 1400s interesting history so everything is at a wild angle like the wonky haunted house at the fair. Didn't see any ghosts or mysterious bumps in the night (except from the previously noted bumpings 😉) but met some ghost hunters. Would I stay again? Yes. but with some decent noise cancelling headphones and a bucket with some holes so i could take a decent shower.
John
June 2025
Do not book this hotel, if you can call it that. Although, this is located in the ideal place. The room and service are not fit for purpose. The room they gave us was more like a squat and the conditions inside the room were a health risk to myself, wife and daughter. Definitely not what was advertised. The beds were just awful, old and filthy. The room itself was shocking. But the temperature of the room was unbearable and dangerous. Couldn’t even breathe properly I immediately went back to the reception to ask for a swap. Explained my concerns. To which they replied it can’t be done. To put it finely, they couldn’t be bothered. We booked the premier in straight away and left. If I could give it zero stars I would have.

Hannah Malseed
August 2025
was okay apart from the massive poo stain in the toilet. we let them know immediately that it had not been cleaned at all and they said they would have a look. we came back a few hours later, mentioned it again and it was still there but they had just flushed the toilet. we complained again and they said “guests do this and blame us for it” :3 and we spent the whole night and morning with a smelly pooey toilet right next to us because i ain’t scrubbing someone else’s fecal matter off our hotel toilet. thanks guys