The Dukes Head
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About
#5 of 5 hotels in Dorking
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Lovely early 18th century former coaching inn situated in the picturesque South Downs. Open fires, fine food and friendly staff.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Non-smoking hotel
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quaint
Great View
Location
Horsham Road Beare Green, Dorking RH5 4QP England
Getting there
234 Restaurants
within 10 kilometers
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Detailed Reviews
After a long time in renovation the dukes head on the A24 is finally open and we were pleasantly surprised at the standard of steak and kidney pudding and the chicken and ham pie. Both came with chips and fresh vegetables and were well presented. Friendly and attentive staff who appear proud of the improvements. Nice wood burner on a cold night - forget previous reputations and give it a go.
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Date of stay: December 2012
Location
Cleanliness
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just had lunch here after it reopening and being refurbed. A very nice surprise !!!! Inside has been greatly done up, the staff were very friendly and the food was very good too. Its about time its just what the Dukes Head needed and it finally got it. I'll definately be returning !!!!!
I didnt stay in the hotel, it was just for lunch.
I didnt stay in the hotel, it was just for lunch.
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Date of stay: November 2012Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Location
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For years this has been a pub to avoid (though it has a few rooms, it is a pub, not an hotel). From its heyday 30-odd years ago it just went downhill. Now though, it's owner-managed and, hooray, the owners know what they're doing. They've stripped it out & scrubbed it up and they're running the best Sunday carvery I've seen in a very long time. Tender beef just pink in the middle, juicy turkey, pork & lamb (didn't try the last two), roasted carrots and parsnips, cauliflower cheese, delicious creamed swede, red cabbage… oh yes, and Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes. Seriously good. Sunday roasts until 5pm. There's something wrong with the pricing though; £12.95 for the main course (OK) but £2 extra for a second course and £3 extra for a third. Should be the other way round. The owner (out front operating the carvery, not hiding behind a desk) told us they do a steak night every Wednesday, with sirloin or ribeye steak + bottle of wine — £30 for two. I'll let you know how that one goes.
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Date of stay: March 2014Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had booked to stay at The Dukes Head Hotel on Saturday 17th July 2004. On arrival we were asked to pay up front, which I thought was a bit strange, but did not argue. It cost £60 for the night for a double room, which I paid for on my debit card. As we got shown to our room, my initial impression was that it was extremely unsatisfactory. There were two keys on our key ring, one for the front door, and one for our room. The front door we went through had been left open, and this gave me an immediate feeling of discomfort, and a niggling feeling that it was not very safe.
When we got to our room, we were immediately reminded that the hotel was right on a dual carriageway, although the pictures on the internet (the website is www.the-dukes-head-hotel.co.uk) are taken so that the road appears minor to say the least. However, the noise of the cars was ridiculously loud, even though our room was at the rear of the building.
The second thing that we noticed was that outside our room was a yard of some kind, in which two big dogs were barking away. They were running around in the yard area, in which there was also a caravan, making the area look very unsightly. This area was adjacent to the garden area of the hotel, separated by a wooden fence. The noise was unacceptable, and very annoying.
The room itself was full of little black flies. There were even some on the pillows and the bedding. They were also in the sink of the en-suite bathroom, which itself smelt of damp. It was such a bad smell that we had to close the door to stop it smelling in the room. I went to open the window to get rid of the smell, but not only did the dogs go mad and bark even more, but I realised it would have been quite unsafe. Right beside our window was the top of the stairs from the fire exit, and just like the front door, this door was also left open. Even if it had not have been, the proximity was so close that anyone could have climbed into our room from the fire escape steps.
We decided to go outside to discuss what to do, as we were both very unhappy with the room. On going into the garden, the dogs immediately started howling even more, and we could hear them running around. As we looked up to our room, we saw again just how close the fire escape steps were to our window, and on seeing it from the outside my fears were increased further as it would have been so easy for an intruder to enter our room.
Aside from this, the ceiling in our room was extremely low, probably about 6’2” or thereabouts, which made me feel quite squashed in. I know this was not a fault with the room, but it did add to my distress.
After sitting in the garden for about half an hour, we decided to leave. The hotel was beyond unsatisfactory, and neither of us were prepared to stay there. I was very upset, and in tears at the state of the place. I am a student and £60 is a lot of money to me, and I had saved it up to treat my boyfriend to a night away. I was so upset that it had been ruined by the state of the hotel, and we decided to go and ask for a refund, as we did not wish to stay there.
We went down to the bar area, which was where we had signed in, and asked to speak to the man who had shown us to our room, who was the owner of the hotel. He was very rude about our position. He said he would fix all the things that we were not happy with – but we explained that even if he could, we would not be happy to stay there after how our visit had begun, and we did not agree with him that the problems could be rectified to our satisfaction. He did not sound at all pleased, and his tone was rather aggressive. He refused to refund my money, saying that he could have sold the room to two other couples that day alone, and many others had called during the week to book it, and he was not losing his money just because we were not happy with things that could be sorted out. I was in what can only be described as floods of tears. I felt bullied and cheated, and was in disbelief with his attitude. I think he should have sorted out everything we were dissatisfied with before he showed guests to the room – to leave it until they have to come and ask is simply not good enough. We continued to describe the things we were unhappy with, and ask for our money back (as we had not, after all, used the facility we had paid for). He finally agreed to give us a 50% refund (£30), and firmly refused any more. We decided to accept this as I was really in no condition to be standing there arguing. He made me cry by his intimidating and challenging behaviour, at a time when he should have been as apologetic and understanding as possible. He gave us this refund in cash, which I thought was strange seeing as I had paid on my card.
I am not satisfied that he has held on to £30 of my money, especially after the way he made me feel and the distress he could clearly see he was causing me.
I cannot believe that a hotel is allowed to operate with such a bad-mannered and discourteous owner, who clearly does not care much for his guests.
It ruined my whole weekend, and even thinking about it now is upsetting.
When we got to our room, we were immediately reminded that the hotel was right on a dual carriageway, although the pictures on the internet (the website is www.the-dukes-head-hotel.co.uk) are taken so that the road appears minor to say the least. However, the noise of the cars was ridiculously loud, even though our room was at the rear of the building.
The second thing that we noticed was that outside our room was a yard of some kind, in which two big dogs were barking away. They were running around in the yard area, in which there was also a caravan, making the area look very unsightly. This area was adjacent to the garden area of the hotel, separated by a wooden fence. The noise was unacceptable, and very annoying.
The room itself was full of little black flies. There were even some on the pillows and the bedding. They were also in the sink of the en-suite bathroom, which itself smelt of damp. It was such a bad smell that we had to close the door to stop it smelling in the room. I went to open the window to get rid of the smell, but not only did the dogs go mad and bark even more, but I realised it would have been quite unsafe. Right beside our window was the top of the stairs from the fire exit, and just like the front door, this door was also left open. Even if it had not have been, the proximity was so close that anyone could have climbed into our room from the fire escape steps.
We decided to go outside to discuss what to do, as we were both very unhappy with the room. On going into the garden, the dogs immediately started howling even more, and we could hear them running around. As we looked up to our room, we saw again just how close the fire escape steps were to our window, and on seeing it from the outside my fears were increased further as it would have been so easy for an intruder to enter our room.
Aside from this, the ceiling in our room was extremely low, probably about 6’2” or thereabouts, which made me feel quite squashed in. I know this was not a fault with the room, but it did add to my distress.
After sitting in the garden for about half an hour, we decided to leave. The hotel was beyond unsatisfactory, and neither of us were prepared to stay there. I was very upset, and in tears at the state of the place. I am a student and £60 is a lot of money to me, and I had saved it up to treat my boyfriend to a night away. I was so upset that it had been ruined by the state of the hotel, and we decided to go and ask for a refund, as we did not wish to stay there.
We went down to the bar area, which was where we had signed in, and asked to speak to the man who had shown us to our room, who was the owner of the hotel. He was very rude about our position. He said he would fix all the things that we were not happy with – but we explained that even if he could, we would not be happy to stay there after how our visit had begun, and we did not agree with him that the problems could be rectified to our satisfaction. He did not sound at all pleased, and his tone was rather aggressive. He refused to refund my money, saying that he could have sold the room to two other couples that day alone, and many others had called during the week to book it, and he was not losing his money just because we were not happy with things that could be sorted out. I was in what can only be described as floods of tears. I felt bullied and cheated, and was in disbelief with his attitude. I think he should have sorted out everything we were dissatisfied with before he showed guests to the room – to leave it until they have to come and ask is simply not good enough. We continued to describe the things we were unhappy with, and ask for our money back (as we had not, after all, used the facility we had paid for). He finally agreed to give us a 50% refund (£30), and firmly refused any more. We decided to accept this as I was really in no condition to be standing there arguing. He made me cry by his intimidating and challenging behaviour, at a time when he should have been as apologetic and understanding as possible. He gave us this refund in cash, which I thought was strange seeing as I had paid on my card.
I am not satisfied that he has held on to £30 of my money, especially after the way he made me feel and the distress he could clearly see he was causing me.
I cannot believe that a hotel is allowed to operate with such a bad-mannered and discourteous owner, who clearly does not care much for his guests.
It ruined my whole weekend, and even thinking about it now is upsetting.
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Date of stay: September 2004
Value
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are locals to the Dukes Head and have enjoyed many great times in the pub. Since Malcolm the manager has left and the owner is ever more present the atmosphere has changed. When Graham the chef is there he looks after us and bends over backwards to get us anything we want. Malcolm and Graham made the pub and looked after us. However the owner makes you feel awkward and unwelcome. I came in with some girlfriends for lunch, he forgot drinks and got the order wrong and didn't like the fact that we ordered a variety of things instead of the standard main course. He makes us feel awkward when we are there with our children. We had the carvery today and the food was not as good as usual and he serves you the tiniest amount of meat. The staff made this pub and the more the owner is in the pub the less we will come in. The owner needs to take a back seat and something needs to change to makes us feel welcome in our local again.
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Date of stay: March 2015Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Well i arrived at the hotel to book in, No reception so had to check in in a busy noisy bar area. Couldnt hear a word. Owner was very rude and abrupt! Immediatly asked for cash to pay for room. I was taken to room and by the way all rooms are above the bar area so noise was going to be an issue from the off. Got to room and was so shocked, it was freezing cold and no heating in there. The room was dirty dingy and not at all decorated well. No toilet paper either, tv didnt work properly. Well the noise from the bar downstairs was something i would never want to experiance ever again. It went on till 2:30am, shouting, banging, classes chinging, music, you name it we heard it. To top things off a dog which belonged to the owner was left in the yard outside all night and was barking non stop. We had enough by 4am so decided to leave and just drove home. When i telephoned to complain i was moreless told tough!!! Well you learn by mistakes and hope no body else gets to experiance this shoddy outfit calling themselves a comfy hotel.
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Date of stay: November 2006Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This classification as a hotel is not correct. It is a pub with a few rooms above. Ok if you are a builder working in the area but not where you would want to stay for a break.
The food is good but overpriced, it has a bit of an identity crisis going on. It is a pub try to be an a la carte restaurant.
However the food is too overpriced and arty for wholesome pub food. But it is not good enough to be a la carte yet, it is a run down pub with a lick of paint and new owners.
Identity needed be one or the other and do it well. Worth a second visit bit just not a room.
The food is good but overpriced, it has a bit of an identity crisis going on. It is a pub try to be an a la carte restaurant.
However the food is too overpriced and arty for wholesome pub food. But it is not good enough to be a la carte yet, it is a run down pub with a lick of paint and new owners.
Identity needed be one or the other and do it well. Worth a second visit bit just not a room.
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Date of stay: August 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stopped by here late on a Sunday afternoon after a trip to Liitlehampton. With 2 kids its always tricky to find a pub with fantastic outdoor space for them to enjoy together with decent food to enjoy. This place did both easily, but what stood out was how helpful and friendly the staff were. They went out of their way to ensure we had everything needed and wanted feedback to ensure everything was to our liking. I had a Cajun chicken burger that was excellent and the fish n chips were great too.
We live in Richmond, but we are already planning our next free Sunday so we can go back and try out their roast! Sure it will be worth the journey.
We live in Richmond, but we are already planning our next free Sunday so we can go back and try out their roast! Sure it will be worth the journey.
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Date of stay: July 2013Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Decided to try out the Dukes Head for a family meal and am very glad that we gave it a chance - I remember this pub from many years ago and it has undergone great changes
The staff are lovely, the food was really well cooked and presented and it was also priced well, Husband was pleased with the choice of beer available too.
Will return on our next visit South
The staff are lovely, the food was really well cooked and presented and it was also priced well, Husband was pleased with the choice of beer available too.
Will return on our next visit South
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Date of stay: March 2013Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I dined at the Dukes Head today with my wife and the food and service was fantastic. I will definatley be going back there to eat again. A very peaceful scene surrounds this pub/hotel which adds to the relaxed atmosphere. Staff were very friendly and helpful.
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Date of stay: February 2013Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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"Didn't stay but if the lunch is to go by I don't think any rooms would be a disappointment."Read full review
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandSurreyDorking
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Frequently Asked Questions about The Dukes Head
Which popular attractions are close to The Dukes Head?
Nearby attractions include Surrey Hills Falconry (6.4 km), Gatwick Aviation Museum (7.5 km), and Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden (7.1 km).
What are some of the property amenities at The Dukes Head?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and free parking.
What food & drink options are available at The Dukes Head?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to The Dukes Head?
Conveniently located restaurants include The Red Lion And Cellar Room, Mullins Coffee Shop, and Sorrel.
Are there any historical sites close to The Dukes Head?
Many travellers enjoy visiting The Deepdene Trail (5.7 km).