Accommodation For Visitors in Norwich
As a cathedral city steeped in history Norwich has for decades been a popular holiday destination. Being the nearest major city to the famous Norfolk Broads and an ideal base to explore Norfolk and Suffolk, all mean that Norwich has accommodation opportunities to cater for the many thousands of visitors it receives each year. There is also a good mixture of the types of accommodation available and the prices they charge.
The Marriott Spowston manor Hotel Golf and Country Club is definitely aimed at the upper end of the market. Despite its name it is actually located in parkland on the extreme north eastern edge of the city off the Wroxham Road, on the way out to Hoveton. If you’re staying elsewhere in Norwich the health spa and championship golf course are open to non-residents. A double-room is typically around £85 a night in this 4 star hotel which is an ideal place to relax and unwind. Another 4 star hotel near Norwich is the De Vere Dunstan Hall Hotel. This is located in parkland about 2km to the south of the city on the Ipswich Road. A Victorian country retreat, this hotel offers 166 rooms and also has its own golf course. The typical price for a double room is £80 per night. Caton Old Hall Hotel styles itself as a 5 star hotel is at the north end of the city to the east of the airport. It is a traditionally built Norfolk home dating back to 1632; it only has seven rooms and is styled as a private boutique guest house. Off peak, a double room can be booked for £70 a night, with prices rising to £120 a night.
Ideally located if you’re flying out of Norwich to somewhere else is the Holiday Inn – North Norwich. This 3 star hotel is located right by the airport, in truth about 50m from one of the runways, on Amsterdam Way just off the A140 – Cromer Road. Expect to pay around £60 a night for a double room or £75 if you want a Jacuzzi in the en-suite. Just inside the Norwich city outer ring road on the A140 Boundary Road, is the Ramada Norwich Hotel. This hotel is very convenient for the Royal Norwich Golf Club, which is nearby being barely ½ km away. Whilst you can book a double room for as little as £30 a night, during the peak holiday periods the prices can rise to £110 a night which, for a 3 star hotel in a regional city, is rather expensive! Also nearby on Boundary Road is the Holiday Inn Express, which offers comfortable and air-conditioned 3 star, double room, accommodation for around £60 a night. For a central location and a 3 star hotel with lots of character, head for the Maids Head Hotel on Wensum Street. Located between the river and the cathedral there has been a hotel on this site since the thirteenth century. Whilst there is not the luxury or space that hotels in more modern buildings can offer, this hotel has plenty of character. Prices per night for a double room are around £60, which includes city centre car parking.
Set in a business park on the south western edge of the city, just off the A11, is the 2 star Travelodge – Norwich Cringleford. In line with Travelodge’s up and down the UK a double room is about £55 a night, but by booking well in advance prices can drop below £30 a night. The accommodation is basic but perfectly adequate and comfortable, with breakfast available as an optional extra. An alternative 2 star hotel is the Lansdowne Hotel on Thorpe Road. A double room can cost over £60 during the peak holiday seasons, but again booking off-peak and well in advance can halve that cost.
There’s plenty of bed and breakfast and guest house accommodation in Norwich too. The Beeches Lodge on Unthank Road, near the inner ring-road, has rooms starting at £30 a night. Whilst the Ivydene on Earlham Road has rooms starting at £25 a night.
If you’re a member there is a Youth Hostel Association (YHA) hostel about two miles from the railway station at Turner Road. Here a bed in a dormitory room costs £10 a night. Despite its name the Capital Hotel on Stacey Road, not far from the YHA, offers rooms from as little as £22 a night, including off-road parking.
Holiday apartments and cottages are available for short and long term hire in and around the Norwich area. Prices vary a lot depending on the size and standard of the accommodation. A fairly average cottage or apartment capable of sleeping four for a week could be as little as £200, but that could rise to nearer £500 during the peak holiday periods.
Norwich is an ideal base to choose for touring holiday in this area. Recommended camping and caravan sites include the following which are both English Tourist Board 4 Rose sites. Haveringland Hall Park is to the north of the city and to the west is the Reedham Ferry & The Archers Touring Park.