The Royal Victoria & Bull Hotel
Rochester High Street, opposite the castle · Hotel
View on Google MapsA 400-year-old former coaching inn on Rochester High Street with strong Dickens and royal associations, and rooms just yards from the castle.
What's nearby
- Mamma Mia next door
- Guildhall Museum next door
- Royal Crown Rochester next door
- The Rochester Corn Exchange 150m away
- Rochester Castle 200m away
Distances as the crow flies, via Google
Good to know
Payment
- ✓Credit cards
- ✓Debit cards
Details via Google — worth confirming with the hotel before you travel.
Photos
Photos via Google
About The Royal Victoria & Bull Hotel
The Royal Victoria & Bull is a former 17th-century coaching inn standing at the end of Rochester's historic High Street, with Rochester Cathedral and Rochester Castle both a five-minute walk away. Princess Victoria, later Queen, stayed here in November 1836, and Charles Dickens was a regular guest, featuring the hotel in both The Pickwick Papers and Great Expectations.
Guest rooms include doubles, twins, family rooms and a deluxe king suite with a roll-top bath, each with a private bathroom, satellite television, a seating area and hospitality tray. Two bars on the ground floor, including the historic Bull Bar, give guests somewhere to settle in for the evening, and private parking is available for those arriving by car.
The hotel's location at the heart of the Charles Dickens Festival makes it a popular choice during the city's festival weekends, and its High Street position puts every independent shop, cafe and pub in old Rochester within easy walking distance.
What guests say
I was greeted by a lovely friendly lady at reception which is always nice. The hotel itself is what it is. No thrills and a bargain for the money. It's clean,it's warm and it's quite. Although it is dated,it has character and a faint smell of intriguing history about it. There is no WiFi but that's not a real issue as I used my phone as a hotspot to connect to the television, although there is much more to do in Rochester than what TV. My conclusion is,if you want the Ritz, open your wallet and pay for the Ritz. If you want comfortably and city centre for a fair price,than book the victoria and bull
3 months ago · via Google
rooms.dusty lights. Dusty fans, our room unable to open window. Smokers sitting on stairs opposite. Breakfasts were good apart from last one where sausages came out burnt. Replaced with less burnt ones. told that’s how they come out. They had turned gas down. Messages hotel by email and via booking.com and didn’t receive response.
3 weeks ago · via Google
Just about the worst place we’ve ever stayed. One star is one too many. Where do I start- Our room was basically on top of and adjacent to a club that played music so loudly all afternoon-11pm that our room shook from the vibrations. There was no hot water. Even if there was, the water pressure was so lame you couldn’t fill the bath and there was no overhead shower. No working WiFi which was very frustrating. No evening or night porter to receive all the complaining guests in reception. No glasses or water in the room- a pretty basic requirement. The towels, should you want a cold wash, were wafer thin. No anti-slip mat for the bath. We had a clothes rail, no wardrobe. No bedside lighting on the one bedside table. The entire place needs a serious revamp, it’s tired, grubby, dated and hugely underwhelming. We had a superior suite, I shudder to think what the standard rooms were like. How this place passes hotel inspections, I have no idea. Appalling doesn’t cover it.
5 months ago · via Google
Ashley I think this place is really nice. It’s just really outdated outdated decor and due to its layout it’s very difficult to have a lift to certain parts of the building but the actual bed itself was very comfortable and had your basic facilities and room was very spacious big bathroom again it was just decor. I miss much furniture. Staff really really nice parking is hit Miss although I found parking someone blocked me in and it took me a little while to locate the person and get them to move so that I can get out when I was leaving, but other than that, the location is perfect and I really enjoyed my stay
2 months ago · via Google
Relaxed hotel in a 17th-century former coaching inn, offering casual rooms and 2 lively bars.
Summary via Google
At a glance
- Address
- 16 High Street, Rochester, ME1 1PX Get directions
- Property type
- Hotel
- Location
- Rochester High Street, opposite the castle
- Star rating
- 3 star
- Guest score
- 7.4 / 10 (1,300 reviews)
- Prices from
- £79 per night
- Good for children
- No
- Destination
- Rochester