Clare House
Clare House descritpion
The Clare House is a highly recommended Victorian guesthouse, centrally located near ports and historical attractions.
We have been awarded a 3-Diamond rating by the AA and Tourist Board.
Enjoy the hospitality that awaits you at Clare House; it is ideal for a stopover on the way to the European continent or if you are exploring Kent county. The hotel is a 5 minute drive to ports/cruise terminals and a 5 minute walk from the train station. The hotel is located a short 10 minute drive to the Channel Tunnel. English breakfast is served starting at 7am.
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Facilities of Clare House
Pets ：Pets are not allowed.
Internet ：No internet access available.
Parking ：Free!Free private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).
General ：All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)
Reviews for Clare House
Review 1：Unfortunately I couldn't sleep at all because the mattress was very tired and needed replacing. This one relatively small thing spoilt the entire stay, of which the purpose was to get some sleep before driving 15 hrs across Europe when I got up at 3am.
Review 2：The guest house is nice, has character, wifi, TV, good shower, nice LOOKING room, 4 poster bed etc. It was also a very good price.
Review 3：Warm welcome, friendly staff, close to town, comfy bed in a lovely room and a delicious full English breakfast - all set us up beautifully for our journey to Europe.
Review 4：Not a bad experience,but the bathroom was very small,and tight squeeze,son was unable to use,had to go downstairs to use toilet.
Review 5：The initial greetings were very friendly,helpful advice,and clean environment.breakfast was really good.
Review 6：Shower was absolutely useless, no pressure or flow. Bedside lights one not working the other flickered where the wire was loose. One bulb in main light missing. Wifi was not working. Paid £35 for this feel total waste of money. Will not use again.
Review 7：Free parking, comfortable bed all cancelled out by the poor room facilities.
Review 8：the shower did not work, the room was freezing as window did not shut properly, the bed was uncomfortable and the service as rude. not worth my money.
Review 9：there was nothing I liked other than I got a tv in my room.
Review 10：En suite in room (8) a bit tight for space but adequate. Lucky to have own en-suite anyway for price charged. No complaints.
Review 11：Convenient for town centre and Ferry terminal. Nice welcome from Stella the owner and excellent 'Full English breakfast' served nice and hot and on time for when we required it early morning. Nice clean room (8) with en-suite. Good value for money.
Review 12：it was fine for what we needed and excellent value, but its not five star decor
Review 13：Great value for money & friendly welcome. Clean with comfy bed and good shower
Review 14：Mattress needs changing. I didn't sleep well because I could feel all the springs, but it didn't bother my husband!
Review 15：Convenient area, close to centre, walking distance. cheap, you get what you pay for. English breakfast for reasonable price. we could park the car in front of the house.
Review 16：Sadly people had clearly ignored the 'no smoking' rule, which is prominently signed in the room and elsewhere.Not unique to this establishment however.
Review 17：Peasant greeting, very clean room.
Review 18：Don't bother trying to check in before 4pm as you can't get in. I got stuck at the train station cafe for 3 hours whilst waiting to check in. Couldn't even drop off luggage so we didn't get to explore the castle as planned ? Dover is not what I expected. Buildings falling don around you, streets littered & unkept, the locals welcomed you with 'don't stay here this place is a dump'. The local shopping centre has 54 shops closed due to lack of business. It's a shame because I really thought it would be a lovely family orientated seaside venue but unfortunately no one goes there anymore due to the refugee issues & the town is falling apart. I'd never stay longer then to catch the ferry again
Review 19：The venue was pleasant enough but the location is awful
Review 20：When we arrived there was no parking available, luckily there was a space on the road opposite the the B&B
Review 21：The location and price of the accommodation was perfect
Review 22：Stayed overnight in Dover to catch the ferry the next morning. Clare House is very convenient for the ferry terminal. Clean and reasonably priced with limited parking space. The shower, toilet and hand basin are rather cramped and a larger person would possibly have difficulties to squeeze past the shower cubicle to get to the basin. However, good for one night. Due to my early departure at 7a.m. no breakfast was available.
Review 23：We enjoyed everything about our stay!!! Were welcomed by a lovely lady when we arrived, the room was cosy and warm despite very cold weather outside, bed was comfortable and we had a lovely night sleep! It's located 5min walk from the centre so no problem going out for food and 5min drive from the fery port which was ideal for us.
Review 24：cold room, we got in bed fairly early to get warm while watching tv, don't have many tv stations to choose from!
Review 25：close to the boat for france and not far from the town centre, also car park which is good!
Review 26：wifi signal not strong enough for second floor; repeater needed; heavy traffic throughout the night, so room rather noisy;
Review 27：off-street parking (if space permits);
Review 28：The beds looked like they had already been slept in although smelt fresh. The ensuit was cramped as the shower cubicle made access difficult. Had I been any fatter I would not have been able to squeeze pat the cubicle to the washand basin and wc.
Review 29：Location convenient for the Ferry terminal.
Review 30：Not enough space for all guest cars, street parking required and difficult to find a parking space
Review 31：Easy to find and convenient for arrivals from the ferry. Friendly rooms
Review 32：Exceptional value for money, great location and wonderful friendly staff, even when we were a bit late to check-in. I will definitely stay here again when passing through Dover.
Review 33：Very friendly and helpful owner. Allowed us to book in early and use rooms, and also let us the use car park during the day while we went to a wedding.
Review 34：Twin room bathroom slightly cramped for a larger person, but perfectly serviceable and clean.
Review 35：Comfortable rooms, very good breakfast. Friendly welcome and local advice, then left to 'do our own thing'.
Review 36：Strange surrounding, strange-smelling bed and towels, parking near the house not always possible, warm water in the shower comes only in drops ...
Review 37：10 minutes walk to city
Review 38：The parking lot has only four spaces and even though we booked two rooms and marked on booking that we have a car there was no space for us and we had to look for parking space elsewhere. The shower was dirty and the bedding and towels were worn out. No hair dryer. The breakfast was ok, but you don't get any choice - we have been asked the night before if we want full English breakfast, on the breakfast we got served straight away without even asking how we would like our eggs. Too expensive for standard provided.
Review 39：The lady was friendly.
Review 40：Stuffy room. Staff is friendly but the does not react on email or telephone. Check in only from 1600, we were lucky it could go a bit earlier. No wifi.
Review 41：Good decent room.
Review 42：The bedroom was in need of quite a lot of refurbishment. The windows in both the bedroom and bathroom wouldn't shut. The curtains were hanging off the curtain rail, with only 4 rings per curtain! The shower hardly worked at all. The furnishings in the bedroom and bathroom were all scratched and very old. Both rooms need updating to bring them up to standard.
Review 43：The location. Within walking distance of Dover - probably 15 - 20 minutes to Dover front.
Review 44：Our bed in room 6 was a little small and not the most comfortable. ( I suffer from a bad back which does it help) The shower is I need of a little more pressure as it was like standing under a dripping tap rather than a shower.
Review 45：Lovely friendly owner. Very welcoming, As we were getting an early ferry, it is well located with free over night parking. 5 mins to the port. Breakfast was lovely and worth £6.00 which is much cheaper than on the ferry.
Review 46：Very small car park. Bathroom has no shower and isn't en-suite.
Review 47：Low cost, basic overnight accommodation close to the ferry terminal. Generously proportioned room with lots of storage space. Friendly landlady.
Review 48：Had trouble with water pressure in shower. The sign said it takes about a minute for hot water but it took about five minutes but we had terrible pressure. Our other room was fine.
Review 49：Nice place, nice looking. Very clean.
Review 50：Erratic shower temperature and very poor plumbing resulting in low pressure. Unconvincing security lock. Not enough power sockets. Synthetic and old bed linen.
Review 51：Very friendly staff. Convenient location for the ferry port of Dover.
Review 52：There should be a height restriction to be able to use the toilet and sink with safety and comfort! En suite would suit 4'6 and slightly built persons!
Review 53：Location
Review 54：Attic room bathroom tatty and very 'snug'. Very hot when we stayed, no fan in room and very noisy main road meant having the window open was not an option. TV didn't work.
Review 55：Good location, easy to get to town and port. Landlady was very welcoming. Comfy beds. Breakfast was nice.
Review 56：Parking is on a first come first served basis so the driveway can get very full. We talked to the other guests the night we arrived to make sure our car wouldn't get blocked in, so we were ok, but this could be a problem if you have to drive out early. Minor issue - it's a 20 minute walk to the seafront where most of the places to eat are.
Review 57：Convenient place to stay before catching an early morning ferry.
Review 58：Noisy tap in room, would not fix so checked out a day early and had to find another hotel so I could get some sleep. Not enough parking so had to park half on street. No after stay reply to my emails regarding my issues. My "private" toilet was used by other guests.
Review 59：Staff were friendly, but not very helpful when there was a problem.
Review 60：Everything,the the on suite was a tiny space into which you could only just squeeze past the shower to get to the toilet the room was an attic room no hot water tv didn't work properly.
Review 61：Nothing
Review 62：No on suite bathroom as expected, only a washbasin in room. Toilet down the corridor and shower room down another corridor. Room overlooked main road which was a bit noisy.
Review 63：Very polite and helpful on arrival. Good quality, nicely cooked breakfast.
Review 64：Seagulls at 5am
Review 65：Arrived at 9pm wet and cold from cycling too far in the rain. Our welcome and help could not have been any better - the Landlady at Clare is a real gem. Breakfast was ace and the room well appointed and clean.
Review 66：Good bed, good bathroom and shower, and a good breakfast. A really welcome surprise and great quality for the cost. "That room was lovely" says my wife.
Review 67：This small hotel is definately not suitable for people with physical disabilities. All guest rooms are on first - fourth floor with many steep stairs to climb. Access to the building is also difficult. Can be very noisy early in morning. No assistance was offered with baggage on arrival.
Review 68：Location for appts. was good. Hospitality of owner and standard of b/f. was good. Comfort of beds was average. Pkg. is on first come first served basis. Can be difficult with baggage if having to pk. in public highway.
Review 69：I didn't like that the door did not have a lock, so I did not sleepvery well. I like white bed linen not coloured, the window was open allnight because the aerial lead came through the window, so the peskyseagulls kept us awake all night, when daylight broke they disappeared.The lighting in the bathroom was practically non existant.
Review 70：Nothing apart from the lady of the house was very pleasant.
Review 71：We were on the top floor...I should have mentioned sister with dodgy knees and the shower room was a tad snug but quite serviceable.
Review 72：Immediate welcome. Close to centre so easy to get meal and drink before bed and a short hop to the ferry terminal.
Review 73：So called private bathroom was shared, the owner thought putting a private sign on it would fool people, it was on a different floor. The extension leads in our room where last checked by an electrician in 2012 and one of them were buzzing so we didn't use it.
Review 74：Not the most comfortable bed, but for one night that's ok, but the bed sheets, pillows and duvet were old and smelt Old. We couldn't close our bedroom window because of the TV cable running through it and the noise of seagulls at 4.30 in the morning was ear piercing!! Please sort this.
Review 75：Friendly reception on arrival, efficient service. Cheap accommodation and easy access to Dover port.
Review 76：Unable to take a good shower, the water was dripping instead of flowing. Breakfast too greasy, nothing healthy.
Review 77：Only 5 minutes to a bar for an evening meal. Conveniently close to the harbour
Review 78：We arrived pretty late to Clare House, but the owner was there waiting to greet us and help us park. There had been a problem with our booking but she was very apologetic and accommodating. The bed was very comfortable and the breakfast delicious!
Review 79：I could hardly switch the shower on to get it to twmperature because they were hidden behind the bifold doors. I was generally shocked at the state of Dover - actually I was frightened. Dover was a complete hole and next time I will find accommodation in France.
Review 80：Friendly lady running place and parking (thank goodness)
Review 81：Only just got parked after only getting answer from owner when anther guest let me in after knocking on door for 10 minutes. Room was acceptable for one night stay felt my card for payment was more important than me . Would not stay here again
Review 82：Over night stay only
Review 83：Toilet brush stank of old excrement, not cleaned for some time. Bed sheets, cover and esp. the pillows not cleaned well had to cover pillow with a towel. Many broken bits which would have been easy to fix e.g. curtain, bed headboard. Definitely not three star, a neglected double room.
Review 84：The location and price £40 good for a double. later in the night it was quiet after earlier dog barking ceased so we did sleep OK and not having to take a breakfast was good.
Review 85：The bed was too small for me and my husband. We are used to a king. It Lso lacked comfort.
Review 86：Convenient stopover for the ferries. Friendly budget accommodation.
Review 87：The only problem i had was I was cold in the night as the heating was not on, in our room anyway.
Review 88：the staff were friendly and helpful. The room had everything we needed and was good for the price.
Review 89：Excellent welcome, very accommodating, easy parking and near to the port. I left an item behind which was valuable, she had put it to one side and it was returned safely on our return visit. Massive thank you. Lovely lady.
Review 90：The shower had no pressure so took a good half hour to get washed and wash hair. The bed stunk of sweat and horrible musty smell, I slept on a sheet over the pillows and had to get another shower in the morning because of the smell. The bed was hard and my back was in agony. The tv channels didn't work, no signal so kept freezing, I had to read a book instead of being able to relax in bed watching TV. Waste of £40 in my opinion, more like a hostel.
Review 91：Close to Station
Review 92：first time we knocked we had no answer so we went away for a few hours then came back luckily got a answer that time, woke up cold as didn't realise the windows had been left open, had to wait a good 5 minutes and had to ring the attention bell a few times before being seen to at breakfast however staff was lovely and breakfast was great once served
Review 93：size of our room was great, beautiful decor and lovely four poster bed comfy, breakfast was good quality lovely little breakfast room
Review 94：A very friendly place to stay. We have stayed here for the last 20 years when we travel to the continent. The family have always gone out of their way to help. My wife and I have only high praise for Clare House
Review 95：A bit of plaster an paint needed, our room had massive cracks in the walls
Review 96：customer service amazing, Stella was always ready to do anything for the vistor
Review 97：- the room had a strange smell about it - everything was a bit musty including the towels (we felt like having the smell on our skin after showering - ugh!) - very worn-out bed-linen - we were just SO glad when the alarm went off at 5 a.m. - Dover was recommended in the travel guide but turned out to be not very special and we did not feel safe when walking home at 9:30 p.m. (you really only stay the night there when you have an early ferry the next morning...)
Review 98：- parking was possible in front of the house - friendly host lady - uncomplicated check-out at 6 a.m. (by just leaving the key)
Review 99：The shower takes a while to get hot, but it does eventually.
Review 100：Warm friendly greeting. Off road parking. Good location, short walk into town or rail station. Not far to ferries.
Review 101：Staff friendly but the room wasn't the best I've stayed in and could have spent the same amount and stayed in a premiere inn
Review 102：Short walk from the town centre
Review 103：I had some minor issues with the facilities: it was difficult to get online with their wifi (the signal is extremely poor on the top floor) and the radiator didn't work. I didn't notify them of these issues however because I only stayed a brief night, but if you encounter either issue I'm sure the staff will help you out the best they can.
Review 104：The staff was very friendly and accommodating. They worked very hard to keep up the appearance of the place, i.e. daily cleaning and maintenance of the house. The full English breakfast was delicious-just be aware that it's an additional £6 on top of the rate for your room.Finally, the room was spacious and well kept.
Review 105：The owner and cleaner are 2 very lovely ladies so friendly + helpful.The guest house was fully booked but was so peaceful + quite. I come toDover all the time as I was born in Buckland Hospital and raised inDover I still have most my Family in Dover and my mum is laid to rest inDover. From now on I will be Booking with Clare House. I would like 2say a big thank you to the owner & cleaner for making our stay withyou so enjoyable. Me and my daughter look forward to seeing you againvery soon. All The Best( Room 7) Karen & Cerys From Nottingham.x
Review 106：Bed very hard no milk 4 tea or coffee and other people above us very at 3 30 am moieties on suit very dirty would not go in did not see manager from when we a arrived we left at 7 am all round would not stay again very disappointed
Review 107：To be honest there was nothing to dislike about the house although it is situated in a rather poor part of the town. There were many gangs of eastern European men hanging around on street corners and to be honest having walked to town earlier in the evening and feeling a little uncomfortable I took a taxi back to the b&b.
Review 108：The location was excellent, the property was good, comfortable bed, perfect for a quick get-away to the port. It was a 15 minute walk to the town where there was a good choice of pubs and places to eat.
Review 109：No heating, the room was freezing, even after a request to turn on the heating, no hot water at all during our stay and 2 flights of stairs to climb to get to our room with no assistance at all with our luggage and we are both in our seventies!
Review 110：Not much, the bed was fairly comfortable, the room was clean and it was close to the channel ferry port.
Review 111：The bathroom smelt a little odd and the light blew so we had a dark room but not really an issue for us.
Review 112：The location was perfect and we managed to squeeze our car in the drive. Lovely host, warm and comfortable room. Great value for money.
Review 113：Between checking in and out we never saw any of the staff, but we didn't need to! TV was old and had a limited number of channels. Shower wasn't great, but it did the job!
Review 114：Everything we needed. Close to Dover town centre.
Review 115：The curtains were not hung on the rod, old flat pillows, just needs re decorating new fixtures and a little TLC.
Review 116：Liked the location. The room was tired and needs up dating I have thrown better pillows away. The owner very nice and would stay again but take own pillow.
Review 117：Simple rooms, everything a bit run down, old. Small bathroom. Particularly the shower could have been cleaner. In general rather clairaudient rooms. Nevertheless you cannot expect too much for this price, so good value for money. And good location too; 10 min. (car) from the ferry and only a 10 min. walk from the town centre. Parking on the site, though only limited space. Parking in the street is a option. Typical guesthouse OK for one night.
Review 118：The only negative was the shower which only trickled. Could have been because we were on second floor?
Review 119：Nice warm room, good value for money, comfortable bed. Good location for overnight stop before an early ferry.
Review 120：It says it offers parking but the "parking" is just the drive way which only has room for 3-4 cars. There is street parking but that doesn't necessarily mean there'll be a spot free that's close by. The main thing that slightly tainted an otherwise excellent stay was the shower. There is a sign that says you have to run the wate for 60 seconds to get it hot but we had to run ours for almost 10 MINUTES! This is a seriously gross waste of water and I strongly recommend the hotel invest in electric showers so this doesn't happen. It's just too cold in Autumn/Winter to have a cold shower in Britain.
Review 121：This place blew our expectations out of the water! Only £35 for 2 per night (the cheapest on booking.com for Dover), a big, beautifully decorated room with bedside tables, a closet, a lounge chair, a television and a large ensuite bathroom, check-in until 10:30pm and a lovely lady working there. Also, less than 10 minutes drive to the docks if you're catching the ferry to Calais or Dunkerque. Will definitely stay here again on the way back!
Review 122：no hot water for shower no staff there after check in for advice,rang bell but no reply bad location,nowhere to get food,very shady area,could do with an offer of takeaway breakfast,as people leaving in a hurry to catch boat havent got time for full breakfast
Review 123：good parking coffee and tea cleaneness
Review 124：Everyone was very friendly and relaxed. I have a gluten free diet and I took my bread and they toasted it and nothing was too much trouble. Very kind and helpful.
Review 125：Room layout, plugs not near mirrors for hairdryer. Bulb not working in 1 bedside lamp. Lack of shelves in bathroom. Not easy to open closet door because of bed. Could not get ITV on TV tried everything.
Review 126：Owner very welcoming, and gave good advice on eating in the area. Décor Location
Review 127：No parking even though it states it is available. There is a sign at reception saying it is a first in best dressed basis. No wifi Staff not very friendly Bathroom so narrow we had to go in sideways.
Review 128：Not a lot
Review 129：Room was stuffy with ceiling damaged Very tiny bathroom( kept hitting head on sloping ceiling). Has a couple of bite marks next morning.
Review 130：Cheap price reflected type of stay. excellent for a stop over whilst travelling to next destination.
Review 131：The sheets had clearly already been used by someone and not changed. We found several hair in the bed. Disgusting. The area was dodgy as hell.
Review 132：uhmmm... the painting of a flower in the room? Private toilet unexpected
Review 133：We only needed somewhere to sleep as we were getting an early ferry. The sheets didn't feel clean as they were cheap polycotton so we made sure they didn't get reused by stripping the bed down and leavig them in terms shower with the used towels. The furniture in the room was of and dirty. We didn't complain at the time as we had arrived late and left before anyone was about.
Review 134：Went Down to see owner as the tv did not work told about lunch time she said that she would get some in an hour but we was stillwwaiting for this person all afternoon and by 1900 hour's no one still did not come so had no tv all day and went down to she her several times but no answer good job we took laptop as I had some films on it
Review 135：The location was perfect the breakfast was a bit high priced when you can go to a cafe down the road and get one a bit cheaper room was not very clean the inside of the kettle was all scaled up only on socket in room
The Fine Print
Children are only allowed in family rooms.