Hotels Near Berney Arms Windmill in Broadland

I stayed here from Friday 30.09. to Monday 3 October 2022. It was my first time at Oaklands. It appeared to be primarily a hotel for drivers: it is some way out of the centre of Norwich; the narrow driveway leading to it has no provision for pedestrians; and it has a large car park. The hotel had told me of the fairly frequent bus service from the railway station, which did not take long. Arrival and registration was smooth and fast. My room (no. 20 - photos) was easy to reach and generally quiet, apart from faint noises from the corridor and adjacent rooms. When I arrived, I was correctly told that my room was far enough away from the birthday party in progress for me not to be disturbed; this was not so true of the event on Saturday evening: the music’s rhythmic thumping continued and appeared to grow slightly louder until 24:00. The staff were consistently courteous and helpful. My room was well equipped and comfortable, including a comfortable bed and quickly accessed WiFi, a hair dryer and a spacious bathroom. The wall television worked well. The tasteful decorations incorporated two still life paintings. The refreshment tray included delicious biscuits and drinks, including (most unusual) hot chocolate. Room service was efficient and discreet. There were however a few irritations: A) the bedside light and the ceiling light were linked, so that it was apparently impossible to turn off the bedside light without going to one of the two (why?) switches on the wall by the door; B) the room was warm when I arrived, as was the towel rack in the bathroom; the next day, the heat had vanished, and I was unable to turn it on again; outside night-time temperatures went below 10°C; C) there was no lamp on the desk; D) there were far too many cushions and pillows on the bed; E) there was no clock in the room. The package I had booked was for bed and breakfast. The breakfast room was large, including a terrace; the menu (table service, no buffet) was extensive, with a lot of local produce; the portions were generous and tasty. Fruit juice, normally a standard component of breakfast at such hotels, was available on request.

Location: The hotel is in a mixed residential/commercial area of Norwich, its quiet and feels safe. The hotel is a short walk from The Riverside for restaurants, bars, cinema, etc. and close to local pub etc. it is a short walk from the station. There is no onsite parting - the street parking has daytime restriction. Facilities: There is a card secured front door and reception desk which is not 24hr. There is an onsite Indian restaurant. I didn't use it but it looked good. There is also a bar. The hotel offers a number of guest services such as a luggage locker, laundry etc. The public areas of the hotel are clean, well maintained, etc. The room: I had room 2 on the gorund floor. This was clean, spacious, and well equipped. So pleased to have a proper wardrobe! There was a tray of stuff such as fruit juice and biscuits. There is a small room safe also. There is an en suite shower room which was modern, clean and worked great. The bed was firm and comfortable. The linen was fresh. I like the characterful decor Service: Everyone at the hotel was friendly, professional and helpful. I was prepaid booking so I didn't need to do a full check in/out. Everything seemed organised and efficient. My only gripe was that the people in the next room to me were noisy at 5am interupting my sleep and had the TV on very loud. Oh well, an earlier start than expected! Thats just bad luck I guess. I would recommend this hotel and I will stay here again next time I am in Norwich.

The whole hotel smelled like stale dirty water, including our room. The room was really hot and we only had a desk fan to help with that. We got another from reception, and even went out and bought an air freshener, though neither helped very much. At breakfast the juice machine was out of order and the coffee machine needed a hotel person to work on it for 10-15 minutes before we could have our coffee, even though we came down well after they started serving.

Noise from street outside window until 3.30am, shortly followed by traffic noise, so we got very little sleep! Our 'Heritage' room had neither beams nor a fireplace (as described on website) and was small and awkwardly shaped, with much of the room being taken up by a freestanding bathtub so that the wardrobe was crammed against a wall on the opposite side. The room was unwelcoming to say the least. When we mentioned the street noise on checking out, we were told to ask for a quiet room next time.....there will not be a next time. We booked directly with the hotel and were not told anything about street noise. A fridge with a loud hum was placed on top of a small table next to the wardrobe. Breakfast was adequate but poached eggs were hard. Not a wonderful experience.

Very good stay at the Holiday inn Express Norwich. The rooms and public areas are immaculate. Rooms are very well equipped with air con, walk in shower, ironing board, kettle etc. Had stayed several years ago but since then the hotel has been refurbished and given a more contemporary style in the rooms. The staff are professional and polite yet friendly. Would highly recommend if staying in the area and we will certainly stay again.