Lincoln is blessed with a characterful collection of hotels that are relatively few in number, but provide an eclectic range of options for any visitor. Whether you’re looking for a quirky period building, a luxury break or just plain good value, a hotelier here is ready to meet your needs. We’ve compiled our favourite hotels in Lincoln, representing the best of the city’s charm and hospitality, including options in the uphill Cathedral Quarter and outside the city centre.
Looking for somewhere more homely? Take a look at our rundown of the best guest houses and B&Bs in Lincoln and best Vrbo holiday lets in Lincoln.
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Best hotels in Lincoln: uphill
Tower Hotel
- Location: in a quieter part of the Cathedral Quarter within close walking distance of the cathedral, castle and shops.
- In a few words: a modern boutique-style hotel with a restaurant and wine bar.
- Ideal for: a classy, comfortable and convenient base for a weekend break in Lincoln.
- Facilities include: free wifi, pet-friendly, restaurant and bar, room service.
The Tower Hotel is a stylish spot to stay for a short break or treat overnighter in Lincoln. The location is great because while it’s close to all of the city’s main attractions and the popular Bailgate area, it is just outside the busiest part of uphill Lincoln, so it’s a bit cut off from the crowds.
There are also plentiful places to eat nearby, but you don’t need to leave the hotel to sample some of Lincoln’s finest cuisine, because one of the city’s top-rated gastro restaurants is on site. The Tower Restaurant has seasonal menus using carefully sourced local produce. The lounge bar and rear garden are comfy and spacious for relaxing after a meal with a cocktail or fine wine, or catching some live sport on the screen.
The hotel has 15 rooms in total, each decorated individually and kitted out with a private bathroom, flat-screen TV and work desk.
White Hart Hotel
- Location: at the heart of the Cathedral Quarter in the bustling city centre between the cathedral and castle.
- In a few words: a traditional modern hotel with spacious rooms and terrace cathedral views.
- Ideal for: a cheeky couple’s getaway to relax and explore the most famous part of Lincoln.
- Facilities include: free parking, free wifi, pet-friendly, restaurant and bar, room service.
If you are looking to stay as close as possible to the main attractions of city centre, there is nowhere better situated than the White Hart, which is right in the middle of the action in uphill Lincoln. Walking outside you are immediately on the doorstep of Castle Square and Minster Yard, under the shadow of the city’s two most famous buildings, the castle and cathedral.
The bedrooms are spacious, and some face onto the cathedral, while the terrace has a prime view of it. The hotel’s award-winning Grille restaurant is ideal for a relaxed lunch or classy dinner, well worth a try whether or not you’re staying at the hotel.
Not only is the White Hart Hotel ideally located, but it’s also easy for transport and access, with a free car park for guests, and bicycle storage if you want to explore on two wheels.
The Bronze Pig
- Location: on the outskirts of the Cathedral Quarter, near the Museum of Lincolnshire Life.
- In a few words: a fine-dining restaurant with four luxury double king bedrooms.
- Ideal for: a romantic weekend for a special occasion.
- Facilities include: road parking, free wifi, fine-dining restaurant.
A ‘restaurant with rooms’, The Bronze Pig is one of Lincoln’s small selection of fine-dining restaurants, and has featured twice in the Michelin Guide. Pompeo is the friendly owner, originating from Sicily, who will welcome you with a smile and some of the very best food in the city, presented with flair. We’re eaten here on special occasions, and it definitely live up to the hype!
The Bronze Pig has just four rooms, each with double king beds and en-suite showers. In the morning you can choose from a full English or Irish breakfast. If you want to really push the boat out for a special night away, indulge in the multi-course chef’s tasting menu (24 hours’ notice required).
The Lincoln Hotel
- Location: on the eastern side of the Cathedral Quarter, close to attractions and easily accessible by road.
- In a few words: a contemporary Best Western hotel in a restored 1960s complex.
- Ideal for: a comfortable and stylish long weekend couple’s getaway.
- Facilities include: free parking, free wifi, restaurant and bar, room service.
The Lincoln Hotel is the largest hotel in Lincoln city centre, perched right next to the cathedral. While it is part of the Best Western chain, every effort has been made to give it a Lincolnshire feel, right down to the locally sourced food in the on-site restaurant ‘The Green Room’. Here you can grab an afternoon tea or a three-course meal in view of the cathedral, rounded off with some Lincolnshire cheese.
The rooms offer some of the best views of the cathedral from any accommodation in the city and are decorated in style, from the twins and doubles up to the superiors and deluxes. If contemporary is your thing when it comes to the choice of hotels, you can’t go wrong here.
There’s also an interesting piece of history right outside the doorstep; the remains of the original Roman East Gate can be seen next to the hotel’s forecourt.
Castle Hotel & Apartments
- Location: just off Bailgate in uphill Lincoln, five minutes’ walk from both the cathedral and the castle.
- In a few words: an award-winning luxury hotel in a great central location.
- Ideal for: a special sightseeing weekend for a couple or family.
- Facilities include: free parking, free wifi, family rooms, restaurant and bar.
The Castle Hotel is a characterful place to stay in Lincoln in clean, comfortable surroundings, with a friendly welcome from the hospitable team of staff. It enjoys a superb location next to Bailgate, with many of its rooms offering views of the castle walls and cathedral towers.
The hotel has 18 rooms plus a further three self-catering apartments, which are perfect for a family break in the city. Reform restaurant serves a range of European dishes and has been accoladed by Lincolnshire Life’s Taste of Excellence Awards. After dinner you can also unwind with a glass of wine in the Castle Bar.
Charlotte House
- Location: on the Lawn complex in uphill Lincoln, opposite the castle walls.
- In a few words: a mix of traditional and contemporary rooms inside a grand 1930s art deco building.
- Ideal for: a weekend break to enjoy the city, or a business trip making use of its great facilities.
- Facilities include: free wifi, outdoor terrace gardens, conferencing and meeting rooms, bar.
Part of the Lawn complex, Charlotte House is hotel that marries decades-old elegance with a distinctly modern feel. The location is superb for exploring uphill, with the castle and cathedral both a short walk away. An added bonus is that Stokes Lawn Café and in-house roastery is situated just opposite the lobby, so you can grab a fresh cup of the most famous coffee in town.
The hotel has 14 rooms, each with its own design and style. Some are true to the building’s roots and have a traditional feel, while others have been renovated in a more contemporary style.
Charlotte House has a classy space for business events and conferences. Public events are held occasionally too; for example, it has been host to an annual Christmas wine tasting hosted by local shop (and one of our favourites!) Steep Hill Wines.
Best hotels in Lincoln: outside the city centre
The Pyewipe Inn
- Location: a couple of miles outside the city by the Fossdyke canal just off the A46.
- In a few words: riverside pub with accommodation on the picturesque and historic Fossdyke.
- Ideal for: staying in a rural setting within reach of the city centre via a half-hour canal walk.
- Facilities include: free parking, free wifi, pub and restaurant.
If you’re a traveller who loves the countryside and a good traditional pub, but you still like to be close to the city to explore, the Pyewipe Inn is a wonderful alternative option to the city centre hotels. This riverside pub looms over the Fossdyke (the UK’s oldest working canal), and has an adjacent lodge with 21 rooms.
The Pyewipe walk from the city centre is one of our favourite things to do in Lincoln on a summery day, rewarded at the end with a proper Sunday lunch and a pint of ale. Staying at the lodge you can do this in reverse, strolling along the canal for some sightseeing in the city, and returning at night to the warm and cosy inn.
Woodcocks
- Location: by the Fossdyke canal off the A46, slightly further out of town than the Pyewipe Inn.
- In a few words: a hotel by the Marton’s Inns chain with an adjoining restaurant on the waterside.
- Ideal for: a family stay on the waterside ten minutes’ drive from town (or canal walk).
- Facilities include: large free car park, free wifi, pub/restaurant, kids’ play park.
Another mile or so along the Fossdyke canal from the Pyewipe Inn is Woodcocks, a pub, restaurant and hotel run by the Marston’s Inn chain. The hotel is right next to the Burton Waters Marina, where you can hire boats for the day to cruise along the canal.
This setting is particularly good for families, as the pub at Woodcocks has lots of space outside, a children’s play area, and serves very good pub grub – including one of the best value Sunday roasts in Lincoln. There’s also live music on Sunday afternoons.
The rooms at the hotel are spacious, clean and comfortable. Woodcocks feels beautifully out of the way, while still being just a ten-minute drive from the city centre. Alternatively, a walk from here to the Brayford Waterfront takes about an hour at a steady pace.
Damon’s Hotel
- Location: on the Doddington Road roundabout on the A46 bypass to the west of Lincoln.
- In a few words: great value motel-style accommodation about five miles outside the city centre.
- Ideal for: a fun family outing to explore Lincoln and nearby nature parks.
- Facilities include: free parking, free wifi, family rooms, restaurants and bar.
Damon’s is somewhat of an institution in Lincoln. Whenever driving into the city from the south-west, you will glimpse its unique roof structure, resembling ribs jutting up into the sky. I remember growing up when the kids at school would always go to Damon’s restaurant on their birthday for a famous rack of ribs.
The restaurant also has an accompanying hotel just across the forecourt. It makes an excellent family base with easy access next to the A46, a short trip into the city, and close vicinity to Hartsholme Country Park and Whisby Nature Park. The main American-style restaurant is a big favourite with kids, and there is also an adjoining Japanese restaurant for a sizzling steak or sushi fix.
Map of Lincoln hotels
Use the map below to see the hotels in Lincoln featured in this article:
Have you stayed in any other hotels in Lincoln? Let us know about your experience in the comments below. If you’re happy to stay a bit further afield, and want somewhere on the elegant scale of the spectrum, check out our guide to country house hotels in Lincolnshire.
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