A weekend at the oldest hotel in the UK

Following on from my previous blog, Alice Does Cooking, our annual family weekend reunion also involves finding a suitable place to stay for 20 or so people. The pressure was on to show the best of the fine city of Norwich this year to those traveling from far and wide so I approached the lovely folk at The Maids Head Hotel to see what they could offer. Located on Tombland between the majestic cathedral and historic Elm Hill, the hotel offers great access to lots of local activities and adventures - perfect for our reunion weekend. A tailored package was soon crafted with the group bookings team and the addition of a couple of extra people for dinner on the Saturday night wasn't any trouble at all.

The Maids Head is actually the oldest hotel in the UK, over 800 years old and still looking fabulous. Queen Elizabeth I was once a guest and the recent refurbishment of the foyer has made the hotel look really smart, but still very welcoming and all in fitting with the architecture. The staff were brilliant in sorting out the 2 nights for our group, with all the rooms we booked having great views of Norwich Cathedral. Our stay included breakfast both days and dinner from the Wine Press A la Carte menu on the Saturday night. It all offered excellent value, and with the Wine Press recently being awarded a second AA rosette, dinner on the Saturday evening was a delight too. We were given a whole section of the restaurant on one gigantic table, perfect for catching up with each other and just a small totter to the atmospheric hotel bar when needed. There was a slight mix up in the evening at the restaurant but this was more than made up for by the restaurant manager, who went above and beyond anything I expected.

The staff were really friendly and accommodating over the weekend and nothing was too much trouble. Everyone in our group was really impressed with the food service in the Wine Press, and how we were looked after over the weekend in the hotel lounge too. Umbrellas were even handed out on loan on the rainy Saturday which was thoroughly welcomed.

If you're looking for somewhere lovely to stay in Norwich, or live in the city and have friends coming to visit, I can recommend a stay here.