The Cleve Hotel & Spa is a 10-room Victorian country-house hotel in Wellington, Somerset—part of a combined stay and dining operation that includes the on-site Brewtwo Cafe & Bistro. This review weighs the hotel’s historic charm and inclusive spa packages against recurring complaints about value, based on public listings and hundreds of guest reviews. We assess what you actually get for your money, from room rates and food prices to package inclusions.

Last checked: 2026-08-31

Name: Cleve Hotel Motel · Location: Cleve, South Australia · Type: Pub with accommodation (hotel and motel) · Phone: 419 652 076 · Trading Hours (Mon-Sat): 10:30am – 12 midnight · Sunday trading: 11am – 8pm

The Cleve at a glance

1 Historic building

• Victorian house designed and built in 1864 by architect Alfred Waterhouse (The Cleve Hotel)

2 Guest rating

• Averages about 4.0 out of 5 across roughly 428 TripAdvisor reviews (TripAdvisor)

3 Family ownership

• Held by the current family since 1979, adding a layer of continuity uncommon among chain properties (The Cleve Hotel)

4 Spa package example

• A reported “Bliss Spa Package” cost about £280 for one night including a treatment each, dinner, breakfast, lunch and leisure access (TripAdvisor)

Key facts at a glance

Category	Detail
Property name	The Cleve Hotel & Spa
Address	Mantle Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8SN, England
Number of rooms	Approximately 10
Year built	1864
Architect	Alfred Waterhouse
Family ownership since	1979
Motorway access	About 5 minutes from M5 junctions 27 and 26
On-site dining	Brewtwo Cafe & Bistro

What Makes a Motel Not a Hotel?

The simplest distinction comes down to building access and layout. Motels typically have external room access, with doors opening directly onto the car park, while hotels use internal corridors and shared lobbies. That distinction matters for travellers because it shapes everything from luggage logistics to noise levels and security expectations.

The Cleve Hotel & Spa follows the hotel model: a Victorian country house with internal guest areas. Its roughly 10 guest rooms sit within a historic building rather than in a roadside annexe—a meaningful difference if you’re deciding between an old-house hotel and a motorway motel.

Definition differences

Hotels in this style often trade on character, with older structures and communal spaces like lounges and restaurants. Motels lean toward simplicity and car accessibility. The Cleve’s identity is firmly on the hotel side, reinforced by its spa and leisure facilities—amenities you rarely see at a motel.

The Cleve as a hybrid example

The property is described on some booking platforms and directories as a three-star hotel with a country-house feel. That positioning makes it a fair example of the hotel model in a rural setting, rather than the low-touch motel approach.

The bottom line: If you want external-access rooms and a quick overnight stop, look for a motel. The Cleve targets a different experience—historic interiors and on-site facilities.

Is It Cheaper to Stay in a Hotel or Motel?

In general, motels are cheaper per night because they offer fewer services. Hotels carry higher operating costs—staff, restaurants, spas, and meeting spaces—and those costs show up in room rates and food prices. But in rural England, the gap narrows, and package deals can flip the comparison.

At The Cleve, room rates vary significantly by season and channel. One localised TripAdvisor page showed offers starting around 146 AED per night at certain times, which undercuts typical UK list prices depending on the date and booking path (source). On other channels, the displayed price range is blank or set to placeholder values, meaning you should always check live rates rather than trust meta-search fields.

Cost comparison in rural Australia

Note: this section appears to belong to a different research context and has been omitted to keep the focus on the subject property.

The Cleve’s pricing patterns

Reviews show two price realities. On the favourable side, one guest recalled a 2013 evening meal for two—starter, main course, aperitif and a bottle of wine—costing about £50, which they called very good value (TripAdvisor). On the other side, a bar-lunch bill of £17.50 for two ham sandwiches and two small bottles of sparkling water drew criticism as expensive (TripAdvisor feature review). A 2020 review specifically described a £260 charge for two nights as poor value given room quality and breakfast.

The trade-off: A motel will likely undercut The Cleve on raw room price, but The Cleve bundles heritage, spa, and dining into one invoice—whether that feels cheap depends on how many of those extras you actually use.

What Are the Disadvantages of Staying in a Motel?

Motels have practical advantages—parking outside your door, fewer corridors to navigate, often lower rates. But they also come with real drawbacks. The most common are thinner walls, less sound insulation from the car park, and no on-site restaurant worth mentioning. You also get fewer staffed hours at reception and no leisure facilities.

Common motel drawbacks

Guests who prefer hotels usually cite the atmosphere and amenities. A motel room is a room; a country-house hotel is a destination. At The Cleve, the building itself is the main argument against a motel: a Waterhouse-designed Victorian house with a lounge, bar, and spa facilities that most roadside motels cannot match.

The Cleve review insights

Guest feedback on The Cleve shows a similar split to what you’d find comparing any motel and hotel. Some reviewers describe the rooms as “dated” and the breakfast as inconsistent—one 2020-era review criticised greasy hash browns while calling the meal acceptable (TripAdvisor). Other guests were far more positive, describing the building as “beautiful” and “full of character” (Hotels-in-Somerset.com). The pattern suggests the accommodation experience varies more with room condition and timing than with the fundamental layout.

The building, the setting, and the grounds are consistently praised across review platforms, even when individual rooms and food draw mixed comments. The Cleve’s character appears to be its most reliable asset.

Based on aggregated TripAdvisor review patterns

Why this matters: If you book The Cleve expecting motel-style simplicity, you may be paying for a spa and a historic lounge you never use. Book it for the experience, not just a bed.

Pros and cons

Best for which travellers

The Cleve’s strengths and weaknesses point toward specific guest profiles rather than a universal recommendation.

Traveller type	Why it fits
Couples seeking a spa break	Package deals with treatments and multiple meals align well with a two-night escape
Budget-conscious travellers booking packages	Inclusive packages can be more economical than paying separately for meals and spa access
History and architecture enthusiasts	A Waterhouse-designed Victorian house with direct links to a prominent local family
Diners wanting on-site flexibility	Brewtwo Cafe & Bistro serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch across broad hours

Pricing and value bands

Prices at The Cleve move through three rough bands, none of which include current live rates:

• Room-only: Promotional rates have been shown from about 146 AED per night on some channels; other listings leave the price range blank, so expect seasonal variation.
• Full-package spa stays: A reported “Bliss Spa Package” ran about £280 for one night with a treatment each, evening meal, breakfast, lunch, and leisure access.
• Dining: A 2013 dinner for two with wine came to about £50. A bar lunch of two ham sandwiches and two small sparkling waters cost £17.50. Brewtwo’s menu lists an 8oz sirloin steak at about £24 and a Brew Burger at £16.

Location and getting there

The Cleve sits on Mantle Street in Wellington, Somerset, with the postcode TA21 8SN. The official website positions it near Taunton, about five minutes from M5 junctions 27 and 26—a detail that makes it straightforward for drivers to reach. Wellington itself is a market town, and the hotel is set within a residential street rather than a commercial stretch.

Alternatives in Wellington and nearby

For travellers who want to compare before booking, the Wellington area offers a few distinct options. Restaurants near The Cleve are mostly categorised on TripAdvisor as mid-range (££–£££), meaning cheaper meal alternatives are limited but present (TripAdvisor). As a reference point, a nearby venue charges about £10 for a small individual quiche with a side salad.

One caution applies: the name “Cleve” is used by at least one other hotel internationally—an unrelated property in Amsterdam appears on booking platforms under the same name (Booking.com). When researching prices or reviews, confirm the listing refers to the Somerset property.

Our pick recommendation

The Cleve works best as a package buy. If you can find a spa-inclusive rate that bundles dinner, breakfast, and lunch, the cumulative cost often beats paying separately at other country-house hotels. For a room-only stay, the value case weakens—past guests have questioned whether the rates match the room condition.

Given the mixed review pattern, our guidance is to book The Cleve for a short stay with full use of its facilities, rather than as a base for long work trips. Choose the Brewtwo cafe for flexible meals, and verify what your dinner package actually includes before ordering.

Frequently asked questions

Is The Cleve suitable for families?

With roughly 10 rooms and a country-house layout, The Cleve suits families looking for a quieter stay. The on-site Brewtwo Cafe & Bistro serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch, giving families flexibility that a restricted hotel restaurant might not offer.

What are the opening hours for Brewtwo Cafe & Bistro?

Brewtwo is open most days from around 08:00 to 17:00, extending to about 22:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, according to its TripAdvisor listing.

Does The Cleve have a spa?

Yes. The property is branded as The Cleve Hotel & Spa, and the official website lists spa and leisure facilities as part of its offering.

What is the address of The Cleve?

Mantle Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8SN, England. It is about five minutes from M5 junctions 27 and 26.

Can I eat at The Cleve without staying overnight?

Yes. Brewtwo Cafe & Bistro operates from The Cleve site as a separately listed restaurant on TripAdvisor, serving both hotel guests and external visitors.

What prices can I expect for a main course at Brewtwo?

The listed menu shows an 8oz sirloin steak at about £24, Somerset lamb at about £18, Sri Lankan beef curry at about £17, a Brew Burger at about £16, bacon and leek chicken at about £17, and pan-fried seabass at about £19.

The bottom line: The listed menu shows an 8oz sirloin steak at about £24, Somerset lamb at about £18, Sri Lankan beef curry at about £17, a Brew Burger at about £16, bacon and leek chicken at about £17, and pan-fried seabass at about £19.