The Links Country Park Hotel

The staff were rude and unhelpful, and made us feel like we were inconveniencing them. The cutlery and restaurant were dirty, too. My partner and I couldn’t afford to stay at the hotel, so for the family weekend we stayed at a nearby campsite and came in to eat. Beforehand, we’d been told the set menu would be about £28 per person. When we paid, it came to £42 each, £85 total, for poor quality food in tiny portions. The rest of our party, who were staying at the hotel, were charged only £28 per person. The hotel was at least £560 for two nights, an outrageous price. It might have been acceptable if everything were incredible, but it wasn’t. If they’re charging that much, the service should be decent and everything should be clean. What a shambles. I don’t recommend it.

Our room was comfortable, spacious, warm and clean, with lovely views across the golf course. We’d booked golf, and the course was in great condition, well cared for and quite challenging. The Hole in One was a nice place to stop for a drink and snack afterwards. Even though it was only noon, we were allowed straight into the Deluxe room we’d been upgraded to, which was a big help. Natalie & Wendy greeted us warmly and were both friendly and helpful. Breakfast was an excellent quality buffet with plenty of choice and friendly staff.

We first stayed a couple of years ago and liked it enough to book again for a long weekend while visiting our daughter. She lives nearby, and the hotel is lovely and reasonably priced, so we’ll be regular visitors. The rooms are great, warm, and have decent showers and toiletries. Wendy at reception is especially friendly and helpful, a real credit to the hotel, and the rest of the staff are lovely too. Bar prices are in line with other places. The gardens are well kept, and the Christmas decorations were beautiful. There’s tea, coffee and milk in the rooms, though not quite enough milk for us, so I asked for more. Breakfast includes a fry-up, cereal and toast. Porridge was only available one morning, which disappointed me, as we love porridge and don’t really eat fry-ups. The evening menu I saw was limited, with steak, fish and belly pork, so more variety would be welcome. There are plenty of places to eat in Cromer. My partner had a daily menu I hadn’t been shown, so there may have been other options, but I didn’t see them.

The duty manager showed us around the gym last week. We weren’t sure about joining because the weights and machines looked old, but he said he used it every day and suggested we give it a try, which sounded like a free pass. When I went back today to ask for a trial, I was told no, I’d have to pay for the day or buy a membership. For the sake of £8, they may have lost a year’s membership from two people and angered a local who’ll tell the story to visitors and anyone thinking of going to the restaurant. Seriously, where’s the common sense?