The White Lion

I was very impressed with The White Lion, a traditional hotel that serves excellent food throughout the day. If the weather is bad there is a lovely lounge area to chill out in, read or play board games. Its location is ideal for a quick stroll into the centre of Aldeburgh. My room was extremely well presented and the bathroom featured a very effective rain shower head.

First time staying here and not at all disappointed, almost home from home...lovely that everyone was so friendly, even the guest dogs (she smiles) nothing too much trouble when needing help. Parking wasn't an issue although not being school holidays the town was perhaps more quiet and might have helped getting a space each day...and so nice to see the sea as we walked out the front door...a second visit is certainly a possiblity...

Lovely character hotel facing the beach. Dog friendly, great food especially Sea Spice Indian Restaurant and breakfast is very good too.

We have just returned from 3 nights in the hotel's accessible room and we were very happy with our relaxing stay. The room, and hotel generally, was spacious and the staff were thoughtful and attentive. We will be back!

Lovely hotel, but some parts of the room did seem like it needed some attention or modernising. in general It was a nice clean room and location was spot on.

This trip was a group of three friends. We had a lovely time in this super clean relaxed atmosphere hotel. The location is perfect right on the seafront and close to the start of the main street where all the shops, cafes and restaurants can be found. Although we didn’t eat dinner in the restaurant, as we were at another venue for a birthday meal, the breakfast was lovely and a huge choice. We wanted to have individual bedrooms and were able to book three doubles with no supplements, which was fantastic and in our opinion very good value. This was a perfect short break with friends.

We have stayed here on several occasions over many years and this last overnight stay was as good as it always has been. We love it for the location right on the beach. The staff are friendly and helpful and nothing is too much trouble. Not palatial but clean, warm and homely. The choice of dining is OK but not an extensive menu. BUT something for everyone and well prepared and presented.

Weve been coming to the hotel for some years and find it excellent for comfort, location, food and helpfulness of staff.

Just spent 2 nights at the White Lion this week. We had a lovely dog-friendly room overlooking the sea. The staff were friendly and efficient. The choice of breakfast options was impressive and we ate in the Bistro and Sea Spice, food was delicious. Will definitely return 😄

All great at the hotel. Staff and food were good. Hotel was very comfortable.

Very good. We stayed for one night with two small dogs who were given their own beds and “welcome” gifts. The room was very clean and much larger than we had expected. The hotel only has parking for a very few cars but we were able to park opposite the hotel’s front facing the sea. This had no time limit and was free. We had breakfast and it was very nice. They had a special section reserved for people with dogs so that those without dogs did not have to be near them. A very good idea. Staff friendly and the hotel smartly decorated and set out in a welcoming way. My husband and l were very pleased with our experience at the White Lion Hotel, Aldeburgh.

Stayed here on a Saturday night. The hotel was welcoming with a very friendly staff. The manager was particularly helpful and is clearly a hands-on lady. The breakfast was outstanding; obviously the chef knows how to source the best ingredients and then equally as important, knew how to cook them. Great position with sea view.

Fabulous hotel in amazing setting. Out of the front door onto the beach almost. Room was huge and tasteful and beds were exquisitely comfy. Breakfast was perfect with a huge choice and we'll presented. I had full English with extra black pudd ...cooked perfectly and served quickly. Staff were exceptional both in efficiency and friendliness

Dog friendly. A beautiful hotel. The staff could not have been more friendly and hospitable. The food was excellent (sea bass was to die for and very reasonably priced!). Tess my dog was given her own bed, treats and a bowl. I will be back

A historic hotel on the sea front , very close to the shingle beach very close to the huts selling fresh fish direct from the boats. The main floor has been modernised and is bright and comfortable. Upstairs, the age of the building becomes more apparent with numerous different levels before reaching our room. This was modest in size, but still had a double bed table a couple of chairs. The bathroom had a shower rather than a bath, no problem. The only issue with the room was the sash windows these were old, one where the ropes had failed, meaning the only way to open the window and keeping open was to wedge it open. Breakfast is served in the brasserie, full menu, served with no buffet (a positive in itself). Good food fantastic staff a real asset to the hotel Would happy stay again.

Just returned from a 2 night break at the White lion and cannot fault the place. Really good Indian, Sea Spice on the Friday night and the best Pork dish I have ever tasted. Rooms have everything you need, our room was directly opposite the fresh fish sheds, perfect location

Had a wonderful two nights stay at this hotel. Parking is on the sea front so can be a little hard to find a space, but if you arrive around check in time the beach slowly starts to empty. Staff were lovely and so polite. The room was beautiful and clean. Breakfast was lovely. Would definitely stay again.

Just spent two nights at the White Lion celebrating our dear friends 70th birthday,we were a group of 10.Imust say the service we received was second to none,the service, food and rooms were all excellent. The staff couldn't do enough for us.I would thoroughly recommend. Thank you and well done. Ps very dog friendly.

Great hotel in charming seaside town. Lovely friendly and helpful staff. The Sea Spice is a fabulous Indian restaurant, with interesting and innovative dishes. A selection of side dishes works very well for vegetarians. There is a lift and a bedroom with a wet room, ideal for guests with mobility issues.

The hotel is perfectly located with views out to sea. Free parking opposite with no time restriction was a real bonus. All the staff we met were very friendly, polite and helpful. Breakfast was lovely, nice to have some different options. The room was spacious and comfortable and the en suite bathroom was huge. We will definitely being staying here again.

A very lovely stay. My partner and I stayed here for our 10 year anniversary, and it was certainly a memorable one! The room was impeccably clean, the staff were superbly friendly and everything was excellent! We didn't pay for a sea view room, but the view from our window was overlooking some pretty quaint seaside houses, and the sound of swifts in the evening sun was enough to send me off to sleep! Bathroom facilities were amazing; spotless and the shower was pretty decently powerful too. Dinner was the real star of the show here. I had some seafood that was caught literally down the road, and it tasted phenomenal. Hats well and truly off to the chef. Breakfast was no different, the sausages were out of this world, and the poached eggs? Forget about it. Cooked to perfection! Overall, a tremendous place to stay. We would certainly go back! I have paid far more for far less at other hotels. This was top notch. Well done all!

Although we had a little blip the first night, I would still give this hotel a five star rating based on it service and staff. Excellent is all I can say. It's an old building, with plenty of stairs, so that took care of our daily exercise routine, but the hospitality was spot on, no waiting around, no grumpy faces and first class food help make this a lovely weekend - thank you so much!

Stayed for 3 nights in September, surprisingly good weather helped!! Room was large, bed enormous and comfortable. Bathroom adequate, tea, coffee, water and biscuits all provided. Strict covid measures in place but soon got used to them. Free hotel car park, couldn't always get a space but free parking at front of hotel, so no problem. Every staff member we came across was friendly and helpful. Bar was a great place to start the evening, nice cocktails. Breakfast was included in the package. All table service now, really good quality food, good range too. We really enjoyed our stay here.

A decent stay, particularly given the excellent price we got via Expedia. Would definitely stay here again.

This is my favourite hotel in Aldeburgh. The rooms are very comfortable, clean and well maintained. Service is good, It is very easy to park. Breakfast is good too.

Great location. Room was fine, hot evening so fan was very welcome. Bathroom adequate, no drinking of tap water but bottled water provided, and a note saying to ask for more if required, which we did. Bed was huge and very comfy. Happy hour in Brasserie. Ate in Sea Spice, was tasty, very busy, staff rushed but maintained their politeness. Breakfast was excellent, no buffet, all table service, which I prefer. Overall hotel a bit dated in places, Brasserie very modern, would be happy to stay again. Seem to have a good team of staff.

Fantastic staff, they couldn't have been more helpful or friendly. The brasserie food was delicious and the breakfasts were amazing. The breakfast menu had so much choice and the amount of food was incredible. The breakfast room was gorgeous, the sun streamed in and it directly overlooked the sea. The position of the hotel was excellent even free parking (first come first served but nearly always a few spaces free.) The room and bathroom were not huge but they were fine and extremely clean. The only negative was the bathroom fixtures were poorly finished eg sealants/tiling/boxing off but not a big problem at all. Would definitely stay again. The Indian restaurant is absolutely fantastic.

It was a pleasant hotel which needed a few small improvements to make it 5 star

Lovely hotel with friendly staff and fabulous food. Great stay.

Just had a great two night stay at the White Lion. From the outside your heart sinks when you see the weather beaten facade that is over due for a makeover. Also the inner corridors desperately need painting to get rid of the ‘hostel’ like appearance. So why the 4 stars then. Simply because everything else is excellent. The staff are all fantastic, friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. The public areas are comfortable and well furnished. The breakfast is possibly one of the best breakfasts I have eaten in a UK hotel. And the position front and centre of the beach and the charming fish shacks on the front.

Great view , hotel in need of a little freshen up but very clean and very friendly helpful staff, food was very well cooked and presented

Great hotel for a business visit. Lovely location, although parking is in high demand. The room was lovely, if a little cramped for what they attempted to fit in it. However, the room had everything I could hope for, it was comfortable, clean and even provided a few essentials. The view was lovely. We enjoyed dinner in the adjoining Indian restaurant which was excellent. The breakfast was to order, but great portions. Overall, I'd more than happily stay here again.

Great location. Our room looked out onto the beach which was fantastic. The town was a couple of minutes walk. The room was clean and comfortable. Little niggles were that the electric sockets were not by the bed, and the 2 bedside lights had v different strength bulbs and one was so dim that it was useless for reading etc. but the room was overall v pleasant. We had one evening meal in the Sea Spice restaurant which was v good indeed. One meal we had in the brasserie which was ok but service was slow and there was no ‘catch of the day ’ despite us watching the fishermen bring in, prepare and sell their catch that morning from our bedroom window. Lots of parking available right outside the hotel. Nice shops nearby including a v good independent bookshop. The Red House, former home of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, is a short drive away and definitely worth a visit for interesting exhibition and fabulous art. Also Snape Maltings. Lots of good walks nearby, and rspb Minsmere is also close and worth a visit. Overall, a relaxing and pleasant place for a long weekend.

Really enjoyed it. Our booking was switched here at the last minute from another hotel in the group (maintenance issue) and were really pleased. We know most of the hotels in the area but hadn't stayed here before. We had a lovely sea-facing room on the top floor. Plenty of space (esp cupboard space) and a good bathroom with a shower that was simple to operate. Surprisingly (these days) the water in the bathroom was not potable but there were complementary water bottles in the room. Breakfast was excellent. Best bacon I've tasted in a while. Full marks for the 'Full English'! And really attentive staff. I think we'll be back :)

Lovely stay, (been before). Staff were all great, very helpful & the location is superb. Only criticism would be our room was a bit old looking & tired. Very clean throughout

The staff and food was very good. The only slight complaint would be that we asked for a dog friendly room, which we got, and our dog was well provided for, but they didn't say it would be a disabled room. My husband being well over 6ft, shower was too low. The room could have done with coat hooks as no where to hang coats, and a tiny wardrobe space in what was a very good sized room. The thing I feel cross about was that the hotel took the balance a week before we were going, but I did not receive any email to say they were doing this or this had been done. Generally you pay the balance on leaving. I may have missed this in t&c, but I think an email saying the money have been taken should be sent

This is an excellent holder. The staff are both friendly, willìng and helpful. I was Very impressed wit the breakfast waitresses. While on the subject breakfast was first class with top quality products served. We didn't like our room which was dark and cramped with a view of assorted out houses. A better room was found but in general the rooms seem small. They are obviously limited due to the age and design of the original buildings but this is not a cheap hotel. The decor is dated and I feel they have tried to squeeze in to much furniture. However it was spotlessly clean and the bed very comfortable. The position of the hotel is the best in the town and must be recommended for that alone.

Lovely establish Hotel in the middle of Aldeburgh,opposite the beach & ,ideal for all amenities.Excellent food on offer,we loved the Spice Restaurant.

Nice hotel on the sea front, good location for visiting shops and restaurants. Room was nice, hotel was a little warn, staff friendly and breakfast was good.

We stayed for 3 nights. The staff are wonderful and the food was very good. Unfortunately, the standard of room, bathroom and exterior of the hotel did not match the quality of the public areas, food or staff. Black mould, which can be toxic, was evident around the bath and shower area. The room lacked ventilation, the window could only be opened a few inches. There was no fridge available the room. The window frames, both exterior and interior, are rotting. It's a shame that the overall good standard is let down by the standard of the rooms.

The hotel is tired and generally in need of a refreshing, though the staff were all very good.

A very old building, centrally located, with modernised basic rooms. Comfy beds. Dog friendly, but a bit too much so. Great if you have a dog, but not so good if you'd rather not be surrounded by them (especially whilst eating). Staff were very polite, helpful and friendly. Not very accessible, there is a lift to first floor, but many rooms then have stairs down and up to get to them due to the higgledy piggledy layout of building. Car parking is also very tight, so arrive early for a space. Lounge areas around the reception were comfy and decorated beautifully for Christmas. We dined at 7.30pm, but 2 meals from the menu were already sold out, which was our biggest disappointment of all. Overall it was a nice place to stay, with a great location, but don't think I would go back to this hotel as a first choice.

Aldeburgh is a beautiful spot in Suffolk so definitely worth a visit...but the same can't be said for The White Lion Hotel. Three stars is a fair and balanced review of the whole experience as there were some nice things and there were some not so nice things. Generally, I judge a hotel on how it caters to those who are on a budget and what level their basic facilities are at - at this hotel, it's not great. Room 23 is exceptionally small for what is considered a 'standard, inland' room in the hotel. Having stayed in hotels in London and across Europe, tiny rooms very much exist (shoebox, bijou, snug are just some of the names given for such) which they acknowledge are tiny thus price accordingly, The White Lion Hotel does not do the same. To give some perspective, a person of 6'1 stature would have difficulty sleeping, washing and showering in this room, yet you will be asked to pay the same as rooms which are considerably bigger. Overall: the staff were sporadic in their levels of interest in guests but mostly nice; the lobby was of a good standard but the facade was tired; the facilities were basic as was the decor in the rooms. An extra star is given for the breakfast- this can't be faulted, but I'm not sure if it was just the rapture of checking out or just shock & awe at the contrast from the room which delighted us the most. Whichever, the poached eggs were perfect, the bacon crispy and the toast warm (though, the coffee served could do with a review by the managers). Aldeburgh will be a place I return to again but this hotel is not...especially as there is a fab little B&B pub offering better prices for even better rooms just down the road!

Good first, bad later. Good: the staff is friendly, the location is excellent, the food is fine and the included breakfast is very generous. The 200 year old building has lots of character. Bad: the rooms are dangerous. Ours had a step up from the bedroom into the bathroom that was unmarked and without warning. In the dark I stumbled over it going into the bathroom. My wife outright fell off the step leaving the bathroom and we were very worried had broken her ankle. Fortunately it turned out to be a bad sprain rather than broken. There is a heated towel rack right next to the toilet with no temperature regulator on it so the temperature is always burning hot to the touch. We didn't get injured this time, but someone has and/or will. There is tea-making kit in the room, but the water supply is labelled as unfit for human consumption so there is no way to safely make tea. There was a small bottle of water gratis with the room, which was enough for half a cup only. The hotel has many levels and unavoidable stairs - people with any kind of mobility problem should stay elsewhere. As many others have commented, the overall decor is tired and would benefit from updating. They could start by leveling the floors in the guest rooms to eliminate hazardous steps in the room. The ceilings are quite high so there is ample scope to bring the rooms into a safe condition. I really wanted to recommend the White Lion, but I can't. The restuarant serves Indian cuisine which is adequately nice so go for the food but book your room elsewhere.

Rooms are okay. Clean and tidy. Could benefit from a spruce up. Breakfast was over cooked and the sausages were hard as it would appear that they had been left under a heating system and were pre cooked. Cocktails in the bar were very good in the evening. Overall ok. Room for improvement but ok.

We had a lunch, which was fine. The cauliflower soup could have done with being a little warmer but it tasted lovely. Our fish and chips were very nice. The staff were friendly and efficient. The restaurant is very modern and 'trendy', not in keeping at all with the original part of the hotel. The toilets were a bit of a distance away, down some stairs too - not great if you have difficulty walking.

It's like staying in an expensive care home with too many dogs including one which made deficated on the carpet in the dining room during service. We were sitting opposite this and waited a long time for our breakfast while we watched the staff clean up. Seriously unpleasant and no acknowledgement that this is not nice for guests. The food is ok although having waited a long time for breakfast we then got a half portion compared to the previous day. It wasn't worth commenting. Some staff are nice and try to be efficient despite a slow kitchen. Others are not pleasant and clearly favour guests they know (OAPs and builders). As others have commented items were missing from the menu though it is small. You are given a time for dinner and asked when you will come for breakfast. It would be hard to achieve the 10.30 check out if you didn't want to get up early as service is so slow. The rooms are shabby and there are no plugs by the beds. At least invest in multi plugs for power and USB to make it a bit easier. TV was small. We had condensation running down the windows and these are badly scratched so you can't really see the view you pay extra for. The bathroom was tatty with a wobbly toilet seat and slow taps. They use water softeners so you have to request drinkable water if you run out of the one bottle they supply. The hallways around the bedrooms are rundown with lots of steps. I know it is an old building but for the high price you expect a tidier more usable building and professional staff. I would not recommend for anything other than the location. We did not enjoy and would not return.

I stayed here during one of the coldest spells of the year, in fact it snowed whilst I was in Aldebugh. I did however cut my stay short for the following reasons. Firstly the hotel is all single glazed and the room I was in was very cold even with the heating on full blast. There were gaps in the windows and it was very draughty, someone had shoved rolled up newspaper in some of the draughty bits so it obviously wasn't just me. Secondly there was only one plug in the room about 6 feet from the bed. No bedside plugs or shaver point in the bathroom. The bed was comfy by small, I'm 6ft and had to sleep diagonally otherwise my feet stuck out over the end of the bed. I found the pillows way too soft and uncomfortable. No other pillows were in the room. Breakfast was good enough, the staff were in the most part very professional although one or two were a snappy and a bit too regimented about what time I wanted breakfast, no you can only check in at 3pm prompt etc. I was due to stay 4 night but left after 2. Having paid an advanced rate I didn't get a refund (as expected). Disappointed.

Great location but the hotel rooms and upstairs decor feels very tired and run down. The staff are good and service friendly. It is now very expensive for what it is.

Booked a breakfast on 13th June 2024. Wow! What a difference in service and overall quality. The food was served cold. There were 3 things missing of the plates. The waiter was disinterested in our comment and gave a simple 'sorry'. We paid the bill but we're disgruntled with the overall standard. Will not go again as previously this restaurant was of a high quality. Sorry, but this time your staff let you down both in the kitchen and on the floor.

My work colleagues purchased a £50 gift card for White Lion Hotel at Aldeburgh for my 66th Birthday which had an expiry date of 5/2/25.Due to my wife’s continuing underline health problems we were unable to redeem the voucher within the specified time.I phoned the hotel on 22/2/25 to explain the situation as described above and also we live over 32 miles away from the hotel.The hotel wasn’t interested at all in our enquiry to extend the voucher until Tuesday 25/2/25, as I was in the area due to a business meeting close by the hotel. I sent a written complaint to the hotel on 22/2/25 again detailing my request. Within hours they replied with the same answer.I feel very disappointed at the hotels attitude towards this matter. I felt it necessary to complete this review to warm other customers of the inflexibility of this company.After all they have had the payment of £50 and whilst this isn’t a lot of money it is the principle.

Went for a meal in the brasserie it was shocking, tasteless soup and an inedible burger, waiter say things happen!! took £6 off bill and presented it to us, we said we would pay half but really it should have been knocked off the bill completely, will not be going back. Very understaffed and long waits at bar for service.