A big thanks to everyone who rates my reviews!
The Christmas spirit is now a little strained for ...
A big thanks to everyone who rates my reviews!
The Christmas spirit is now a little strained for me as my baby niece is in hospital after heart surgery and other operations
Member since:07.02.2007
Reviews:165
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My brother and his family had just moved over to Norfolk and invited us over before they had actually sorted their new house out, so we were left with only one thing to do. We had to book into a hotel for the night (Luckily he paid half as it was his fault for not telling us!). We were not disappointed, though, as Norwich is a very pleasant and boasts to be a perfect place for some historical sight-seeing (From my brothers pocket of course!)
The Maids Head Hotel is a 13th century building in the heart of the city, directly opposite the famous Norman Cathedral.
On first view of the hotel, though, it did not give me much of a historical view and on entry it seemed rather shabby compared to the descriptions we had read online.
As we walked into the reception, we were greeted with a pleasant and welcoming young lady who was extremely helpful and we felt very welcome and comfortable.
*****Rooms*****
All the Rooms are furnished in a welcoming manner and have an old fashioned, yet comfortable feel to them. They are ensuite and offer facilities including: television, hairdryer and trouser press. The décor was slightly dated, though I am not sure whether this was to keep in with the old feel of the whole hotel or whether it was simply in need of decoration!
The rooms can only be described like ones you find in cheep travel inns, if not smaller (at least ours was). To be fair, though, the rooms were clean and tidy except for a small
stain by the window, and the cups were washed well, yet there were no teabags or coffee granules for the following morning. We did mention this to a member of staff who informed us that there was a shortage at the time, though she would do her best to replenish our supply. We never saw any teabags or coffee, yet we were given some sugar granules…I assume that the member of staff believed that a hot cup of water and sugar alone was a perfect wake up drink!
The bathroom was absolutely fine, though. It had the basics like a bath and shower and it was clean with running hot water and plenty of towels and soap.
The following morning we were woken abruptly by the morning newspaper, (which we did not ask for) being thrown roughly against our door, frightening the life out of me! If we had wanted a rude wake up call, we would have asked for a morning telephone alarm!
Perhaps the saying that you get what you pay for is true, as we had one of the more inexpensive rooms, yet I still felt that good money was paid and the service should be a much higher standard no matter what expense of room you stay in.
*****The Bar and Resturant*****
The Maids Head bar is one of the oldest bars in Norwich and gives a brilliant atmosphere and a fast and efficient service, although it was not at all busy when we stopped there so I can not comment upon their busy times. We were able to relax in the lovely comfortable lounge without interruption, which was a lovely welcome.
The Courtyard Restaurant is presented well, if not slightly cramped in its busy times. We were shown to our seats and decided to select a meal from the main menu.
The menu was not as vast as what I have seen in other hotel restaurants, though we were extremely hungry and so decided to stay rather than visit a restaurant in town (which we later found out would have been a much better deal and all were in a short walking distance).
Luckily there were no big functions on at the time that we were there, though even so, the service was slightly slow and we had to wait near half an hour before a waitress came to take our order. The service was also not given with a smile and we had to prompt the young girl many times, asking whether vegetables were served with the meal (which we later found out they were not and they were extra in cost!), or whether we were able to have potatoes or chips…the usual that a waitress should ask you, not the other way round.
Finally the meal arrived and it was edible, yet slightly lukewarm. The atmosphere was a plus which was the biggest plus to the dinner, yet I was slightly disappointed with the meal. My husband's meal was slightly warmer and he seemed to enjoy it, so it could perhaps have been a one of bad meal. I have to admit that I ignored my husband when he told me to send it back to be warmed up so I can not say whether the staff would have been helpful with that aspect or not.
The following morning we went down for breakfast, which was not without incident. They seemed to have run out of everything we wanted and when we were finally served our toast and jam, it was bone cold. To top it off, we were given a tiny pot of tea to share between two people. When we asked for another pot, we were quickly told that one pot was enough for two people and we would have to pay a silly price for another small pot. Sad to say, we rushed our 'breakfast' and quickly went to our room to pack.
Breakfast is served from 7am to 9:30am and offers a full English for £12.50, Breakfast Buffet for £9.50 Lunch is served from 12pm to 2pm , at a minimum cost of £6.95 Dinner is served from 6pm to 9.30pm with a minimum cost of £17.50
*****Meeting Rooms*****
Although I did not have any reason to enter into the meeting rooms, I thought I would mention them as they are of great importance to this hotel, although when I peeked into one of the rooms (as you do!) it looked well spaced out and well presented. Luckily there was no one in there at the time of peeking!!
There are 6 meeting/function rooms of different shapes and sizes, ranging up to a capacity of 200 people. They boast to provide excellent services for any type of function, especially weddings as the hotel holds a civil ceremony wedding license.
The rooms are available from Monday to Sunday and range from £22 for 4 hours to £135 for 24 hours, which is a really great price compared to many other places I have looked into. Also I believe that they offer discounts at weekends, but I would suggest checking on this before you book.
*****Leaving the Hotel*****
I have to admit, I was happy to leave the hotel and return to my brothers house the following day. We were given great instructions of how to get out of the city and on our way to our destination, yet I felt that perhaps they just wanted to get rid of us!
We also found out that the hotel was due to undergo extreme renovations soon after our stay which might have reflected upon the food situation, yet I feel that the staff had no reason to be inefficient and unwelcoming as they had been, renovations or not. If a hotel continues service during any kind of work on the hotel, they should be able to provide the service they are being paid for!
Perhaps after the renovations this hotel may change in its service, so research into whether these have been completed before booking.
*****Costs*****
Rooms start from approximately £65 for a single room and ranging up to over £100 for double rooms, which I found very expensive for the service we got.
The food prices (can be seen under the restaurant category above) were average, yet again, for the service we got on our particular visit I found that this was a little high and would have preferred to have gone to another restaurant within walking distance of the hotel.
Follow signs to City Centre. Take inner ring road to north of city. At roundabout for a1151, sign-posted Wroxham/Gt Yarmouth, follow signs for Cathedral and Law Courts. The hotel is approximately 400 metres on right along Palace Street, with car park at rear.
*****Final Word*****
Although no one review can offer a full range of ideas about a certain place, I would not recommend this hotel after our experience. Hopefully, with the renovations, the hotel will become much better and would be interested to see whether the service has improved, yet this would have to be from another reviewer as I do not think I would go back there again for everything mentioned above.
Pictures of The Maids Head Hotel, Norwich
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THE MAIDS HEAD HOTEL IS A POPULAR NORWICH HOTEL IN THEHEART OF THE CITY CENTRE LOCATED ... more
OPPOSITE THE FAMOUS NORMANCATHEDRAL MAKING IT THE PERFECT PLACE TO STAY IF YOUREVISITING THE HISTORIC CITY OF NORWICH. THE HOTEL IS ALSO APERFECT BASE TO EXPLORE T...
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Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
THE MAIDS HEAD HOTEL IS A POPULAR NORWICH HOTEL IN THEHEART OF THE CITY CENTRE LOCATED ... more
OPPOSITE THE FAMOUS NORMANCATHEDRAL MAKING IT THE PERFECT PLACE TO STAY IF YOUREVISITING THE HISTORIC CITY OF NORWICH. THE HOTEL IS ALSO APERFECT BASE TO EXPLORE T...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Maid's Head Hotel is conveniently situated in Norwich town centre opposite the famous ... more
Norman cathedral. One of Norwich's most famous hotels, the Maid's Head includes some fine examples of 13th Century architecture. Located in the heart of the city ...
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Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Claiming to be the oldest in England this 13th century hotel with modern facilities is ... more
conveniently situated in the oldest historic part of the city opposite the Norman CathedralThe area of Tomblands has become well known for having some of the best...
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Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Feb 18th, 2007
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