Nice hotels with excellent food somewhere near Norwich?

[motherinferior]

It's my mother's 70th birthday at the end of June (and dd2's second on the same day, but that's not the important one here). She wants a Small Do, featuring her two daughters and their partners and her four grandchildren; and my sister and I would rather like to see if we can arrange this not at their house (especially as my sister's family will have to stay overnight). Can anyone recommend a nice hotel, near Norwich where my parents live, where we could eat and the others could stay overnight?

It really would help family relations enormously to get away from the parental home !

MI, I love looking for hotels, it's a hobby! this looks nice, The Victoria at Holkham but is it too far?

I used to live in norwich, i don't know anywhere but i thought i would just add that. lol it's a lovely town, norwich.

It was in CN Traveller's hot list although this is 02

By the way, when you're booking, ask for their corporate rate if you've got the nerve, hotels always discount for it and never ask for proof ime.

Oooh, Strattons looks nice too but is Swaffham, no idea how far that is.

And it's an eco friendly one!

Ooooh, www, do you think the Victoria will make my mum come over all post-Colonial ?

Well MI, it says they have lots of stuff imported from India so yep, I should think so! Will look some more now.

the DeVere Dunston Hall, with 'a choice of dining experiences' including a carvery! Prob not suitable but I thought I'd offer it as it is in Norwich. Enchanting, according to them. I suspect you might not be quite as enchanted!

Or Mortston Hall has a terrible website but apparently v child friendly and nice if the reviews on the site are to be believed Only "well behaved children" are welcomed though!

Be wary too, some of these hotels do the same as a lot of hotels in Bath, which is that they'll only accept 2 night bookings at weekends, it's very annoying. Bristol hotels empty at the weekend and discount their rooms, Bath ones fill up with Londoners, up the price and insist on 2 night bookings. So check when you're ringing.

Gissing Hall, near Diss is lovely. Slightly like saying at Fawlty Towers, but beautiful. There at www.gissinghall.co.uk

The Maidshead hotel some of the 'finest suites in Norwich apparently! Oh, The Victoria looks like the one I think, it looks lovely.

Or you could go for The Marriott, all rooms have a trouser press! I wish ks was here to snigger at some of the descriptions, they're shocking!

The Beeches on Earlham Road, where I put my parents, honest I think it's the nicest hotel in the city. Right near the city centre, too.

My parents live right round the corner from Earlham Road, though, Zebra, it would be just popping out for lunch. I think it's the Victoria, innit. Cannot guaranteee well-behaved children, no way.

Norwich always does look nice on my admittedly fleeting visits these days. Drove past my old school the other day and had appalling flashbacks, though...

The FT did a review of The Kings Head at the weekend. You need to subscribe or have a 15 day free trial to read it, but general gist was v.v. good food, refurbished hotel a la Shrager, with a ghost of Hyacinth Bucket. Website is here
For (in there words) a "break from the gastocracy, the Hare Arms Inn at Stow Bardolph is a fine family pub"

The Victoria at Holkham is apparently lovely but it's not close to Norwich - over thirty miles away, I'd say - and Diss is about twenty miles, but there is a good train service from Diss to Norwich. Near Norwich, I don't know The Beeches but the Sprowston Manor Marriott in just North of Norwich on the outskirts and is nice (put up a lot of family there during our wedding), and the Maid's Head has been tarted up quite a lot recently. Also there are hotels near the airport which might be better value.