Great food - worth its 2 AA stars. Lovely house and grounds in a great location. Room Excellent.
Mr & Mrs M, May 2011
The Old Rectory - Thorpe St. Andrew
Guest Comments
“Simply Perfect”
Everything about our stay was wonderful. The service, comfortable rooms, great breakfast and a lovely dinner. We will be back.
Mr & Mrs B, May 2011
“Mmmmmmmm”
From the warm welcome from Chris as we turned up, we were treated like old friends even though this was our first (but hopefully not last) visit. Evening meal was exceptionally good and the breakfasts set us up for a day exploring the wonders of Norwich. The relaxing sitting room where you can take pre - or post - meal drinks while reading or catching up with your postcard writing was a bonus. Lovely mature garden as well to stroll in. Rooms light, spotlessly clean and well appointed. Bed was a little too soft for our liking but this was the only, minor, criticism.
Mr J, May 2011
“Just lovely!”
This is a really beautiful small hotel. The rooms are very comfortable and the outdoor areas lovely, we spent the afternoon relaxing by the outdoor pool and young and old all had a great time. Our room was quite warm during the night which made it a little difficult for our 10-month old to sleep through the night. But overall, I would highly recommend it as a place to stay in Norwich.
Mrs R, May 2011
“absolutely marvelous”
Stayed here for two days...very peaceful retreat...fantastic food...very homely...just what is needed if you want to get away from it all and just chill
Mrs W, April 2011
“Surprise present - and couldn't have been more pleased”
Chris could not have made us feel more welcome. We took afternoon tea in the Drawing Room, the log fire was lit for us and we spent a very relaxed afternoon. We had evening meal which we could not fault. All the food had been freshly prepared to order and the staff ensured we were looked after throughout. Following a very good breakfast, all freshly cooked on demand, we sadly took our leave. We would highly recommend 'The Old Rectory'
Mr & Mrs W, March 2011
The food was delicious and the staff delightful. The house was beautifully kept, as was the garden. We look forward to staying at the Old Rectory again in the near future.
Mrs W , March 2011
“Great Food - Relaxing Stay!!”
This is a truly beautiful building. Room we stayed in was large and had a lovely bathroom. The highlight of this place are :
(i) The service (attentive without being obstrusive).
(ii) The food - good value - well judged and precise.
(iii) The lounge was a great place to sit and relax before and after dinner
Overall a great stay - thanks!
Mr M, March 2011
“Stunning building set in attractive gardens..inside was as good as it promised!!”
Booked at short notice, Chris was so helpful & accommodating over the phone, this continued on arrival, an extremely attractive spacious room, the bathroom was huge. After a trip into the city centre, it was back on the bus conveniently stopping outside the house, then in for pre dinner drinks in the "drawing room" and 3 course evening meal which was deliciously prepared by their chef. The full english breakfast in the morning was just the job to set us up for the day......We look forward to our next stay.
Mr K, March 2011
A quality hotel in all respects
Very nice hotel. Friendly, very clean and all facilities of a good standard. Good strong tea with breakfast as well, very rare in my experience!
Mr R, February 2011
The service was impeccable and the owner most attentive to residents needs. The food was excellent, we had dinner on two nights and the quality and presentation of the food was of a very high standard.
Mrs H, February 2011
Nice Hotel
Small, well run hotel with some nice room touches (CD player, books to read). Owner was very helpful - despite us arriving late, he offered to make us sandwiches on arrival should we be hungry!
Mr H, February 2011
Weekend break
I booked a surprise weekend break for my husbands birthday. Chris the owner was very helpful and sociable. We were given the garden room with a balcony, it was spacious and the bed was very comfortable. Chris, the owner was a good host and extremely helpful.
Mrs Q, February 2011
I have stayed at the Old Rectory many times. It is a haven of peaceful relaxation and personal care. It is always welcoming, comfortable and luxurious. You are treated as a valued guest rather than as a paying customer. The food is extremely good and the service is excellent. I recommend the Old Rectory very highly to all.
Mr B, February 2011
“Excellent Hospitality. Beautiful hotel and food was superb!!!!”
We booked a valentine package. A 5 course candlelit dinner and overnight stay. The owner and staff went out of their way to make you feel welcome. We had tea and cake on arrival in a lovely drawing room with roaring open fire. The room was so comfortable and the bathroom huge. Full of character. We had pre-dinner drinks and appetisers in the drawing room, followed by our 5 course evening meal. The food was lovely. So perfectly presented and cooked. The table was set with heart napkins, so many lovely touches, such a lovely experience. Our bedroom when we got back had a rose and teddy on the bed. What a perfect hotel. We will be returning again for another special occassion. Highly recommend this hotel. Could not fault it at all. Thank you for making our valentines special.
Mrs H, February 2011
Very very comfortable, spotlessly clean, lovely facilities, good food and very pleasant staff, nothing too much trouble.
Mrs P, January 2011
“Really Well Maintained Independent Small Hotel”
This is a rare find – an independent hotel that is really well maintained in very good decoative order and wonderfully clean. When we stayed it was beautiflly decorated for Christmas, very in keeping with the 1800's grand house. The hotel is very personally run by owners and their very professional small team of staff.
We stayed in Room 1 with a lovely balcony in the main house. It was very cold and snowy but still nice to pop out there and enjoy it for a few mins at a time. Must be lovely in the summer.
Staff had very considerately added extra duvet and extra fan heater in case we were cold in the very cold conditions, but the regular heating was more than warmer enough.
Do stay for dinner, as chef is A1 with dishes being individually prepared so anything you want changed is not usually a problem.
This isn’t in the heart of Norwich but Town is an straight forward walk of under 2 miles and "walk there bus it back" works out well, with the bus stop just outside the hotel. Very good shopping in Norwich.
We were surprised it was only rated as AA 2star (as other reviewers have been ) but wonder if that is because it doesn't have a bar area - evening drinks are served in the lounge, not a problem but not sure how a nightcap after night out else where would work.
Mrs J, December 2011
“Loved Up in Norwich”
I wanted to surprise my other half with a night to celebrate our tenth anniversary in the city where we fell in love. Trawled the internet for a hotel that would give us a bit of luxury and a good base for Christmas shopping. Found the Old Rectory, made contact with the owners who couldn't have been more helpful. Had originally planned to go to a restaurant in Norwich for the evening but read rave reviews of the hotels own chef so opted to eat there. The food was absolutely stunning, best meal i've had in a long time. Service was unhurried and relaxed.
Can't work out why this place only has two stars? We stayed in room 7 in the Old Coach House. Spotlessly clean, very welcoming, a real treat. Professionally run, friendly, warm, couldn't want for a better service.
Mr C, December 2011
Fantastic hotel and delicious restaurant
This hotel really is a hidden gem. I went there because of the excellent reviews and was not disappointed. The house is very charming, my room was spacious and cosy and the dinner and breakfast were absolutely delicious. The owner is very helpful and cares about the guests. I'd love to go back soon!
Mrs P, December 2010
“What a gem”
This small and cosy hotel is a real find. Welcomed by the friendly owners with a complimentary pot of tea by a roaring log fire as snow fell - idyllic. Beautiful bedroom with balcony, large bathroom with a shower that actually works efficiently. Spotlessly clean. Didn't have dinner but other guests said how wonderful it was. Awoke next morning having felt that I'd slept on a cloud - what a wonderful bed - literally the best we'd ever experienced. Usually we want to rush home to sleep in our own bed - oh, if only I could have taken this one with us! Has a definite 'house party' feel about the place with everyone chatting to each other with a bit of an Agatha Christie set thrown in. Can't wait to go back and will eat in next time. A lovely, lovely hotel.
Mrs H, November 2011
“Great Service other guests very pleasant”
We stayed here for 4 nights after reading reviews on TripAdvisor. We only realised we had been three years before as we drove into the drive . Enjoyed it both times and will stay again. We had a great last night (and morning) with the other guests -sorry Chris for keeping you up! . Most of the other guests had been many times before, nuff said! We stayed in room No. 7 in the Coach House.
Mrs H, November 2010
Very clean, staff extremely helpful and friendly, the food was cooked fresh and of a good quality and the wine list was good. rooms were of a high standard
Mr H, October 2010
A great find!
In a lifetime of staying in hotels it is great to find one that fully lives up to expectations - tastefully furnished, excellent food and very friendly owners.
Mr L, October 2010
Can't fault anything. Fantastic service all round, excellent food, thoroughly recommended.
Mr D, October 2010
Beautiful rooms, luxurious bathroom, very comfortable indeed. Glorious Autumn gardens full of mature trees - our room had a balcony and we enjoyed sitting outside in the late evening sunshine. The birds were our early alarm call! The food was outstanding, we will become regular customers.
Mr & Mrs G, September 2010
“Excellent stay, very comfortable”
Very pleasant stay at the Old Rectory, made to feel very welcome. Comfortable bedrooms and a wonderful 'Full English'. Highly recommended.
Mr S, September 2010
This was an excellent run family hotel where we were made to very welcome.
Mrs W, September 2010
“quality and peace”
Superb building, elegantly refurbished and spotlessly clean. Personal, responsive service. Excellent food at a reasonable price. This stay lived up to and exceeded our expectations.
Mr W, September 2010
The room was spacious and clean. The owner was friendly and keen to make suggestions about sights to see in the area. We had dinner at the hotel and it was of a high standard and reasonably priced.
Mrs C, August 2010
“Wonderful stay, no complaints”
We stayed here over the bank holiday weekend. The Old Rectory was perfect, we had room 7 which was quite big, the bathroom was big. The room had all the amenities one would want i.e. tea, coffee making facilities etc. We even used the WIFI with no extra charge! The breakfast was excellent everyday. Be sure to have the yoghurt with fruit and nuts etc. Overall we had a wonderful stay and would highly recommend this place. Nothing was too much trouble for Chris. Thank you.
Ms S, August 2010
The management and staff were friendly and helpful and the facilities were well above the two star classification.
Mr R, August 2010
A very friendly reception and superb food.Very pleasant owners who are very helpful.
Mr F, August 2010
Hotel was beautiful, very comfortable large rooms, felt like real luxury! Staff were very helpful and friendly. Food was fantastic too!
Mrs R, August 2010
