Dormy House Hotel

The room was clean, comfortable, warm and disability friendly, with a marvellous sea view. The food was sensational, and everyone running the place was kind, welcoming and amazing. My family lives in Sheringham, only a five-minute drive away, so staying nearby made perfect sense. I’d been coming to Sheringham and Cromer with my family since I was a toddler, and my wife and I honestly can’t recommend this lovely hotel highly enough. I hadn’t realised it was dog friendly, so next time I hope we can bring our four-legged daughter. Thanks so much to the lovely people here for looking after us with such kindness, friendship and humour. Martin and Fiona x

Our usually nervous pup settled right in thanks to the manager, and the two of them became good friends. Everyone was welcoming, and nothing was too much trouble. We had a spacious, spotlessly clean room with a balcony looking out to sea. It was beautiful in the morning, and the room was quiet and comfortable. Such a good place to stay before exploring the area. We loved our visit to Dormy House and would happily come back.

The staff response when we complained was, “it is what it is, we won't be changing anything, but will take it on board.” That says a lot about the experience, and we won’t be back for the carvery. At £20 for each small plate, we expected much better. There was no turkey or chicken, which is a basic at every other carvery I’ve had, and when my wife, who doesn’t eat pork or gammon, needed another option, nothing was offered. We asked about sausages and were told there weren’t any. The carrots were nearly raw, and the only vegetables were carrots, broccoli and cauliflower cheese. No peas, beans, plain cauliflower or sweetcorn. The roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings were average at best. As other one-star reviews have said, the gravy wasn’t good either. Dessert was £9, and the apple crumble and custard at the next table came in a large coffee cup with a little pot of custard. There were only four desserts to choose from, and one was sold out. Those are premium prices without premium quality. We’ve had much better at the local Stonehouse carvery for £8.99, where you get what you pay for.

I took a star off because I missed having a proper cooked breakfast in the restaurant. Instead, there was a hamper in the room with muffins, DIY porridge, yoghurts and similar things, and I prefer a cooked breakfast at a hotel. We did have dinner in the bar a couple of evenings. The menu was basic, but the food was cooked very well. Our refurbished room was more than adequate and toasty warm, with a very comfortable bed that suited my bad back. Staff were limited because it was winter, but everyone was friendly and welcoming. General manager Mandy deserves a mention for working tirelessly, from checking guests in to waiting on tables. The hotel’s in a lovely spot, a ten-minute walk from the beach and a five-minute drive from Cromer. We had our dog with us. One problem: when I was out walking the dog early one morning, the door code repeatedly failed, and I couldn’t get back in. Luckily, my other half answered her phone and came to rescue me from upstairs. We stayed three nights at the end of January, while refurbishment was underway.