The Harper

We had an outstanding experience staying at The Harper for 3 days and will definitely be returning. The staff were all so helpful and friendly. We were so welcome and at ease there. Special mention to Henry who looked after us one evening in Stanley's - a real asset to the team. He gave us tips about where to visit and was an excellent host! Also we have to mention Tom, the recently appointed head chef. His food is exquisite. We ended up returning to the hotel restaurant for a second night following an incredible meal that he and his team of chefs prepared. He even made us a brand new dish he was developing which wasn't on the menu yet (and it was incredible). If you live nearby, you should definitely get over there to try the newly developing menu!! We had great chats with Piers who looks after things overnight and he went above and beyond to make sure we had a lovely stay. The rooms are well appointed with loads of extras (cocktails in the fridge etc). We loved the private spa booking system. It's not difficult to do and you get told when you book your room that you should book the spa slots. We went a couple of times and it was fab to have the whole place to yourself. Don't hesitate to book here.

From the reviews, pictures and steep price tag, I was expecting ‘the best’ from our stay at The Harper. Sadly it did not live up to expectations. Booking a spa hotel - and paying the added premium for The Spa - I was very disappointed to learn that you only get pool/sauna/spa facilities use for 30 mins during your stay. The Spa was also fully booked so we could not book any treatments during our stay, another reason we booked the hotel and we were underwhelmed. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant, the taster menu, which was extremely poor. The courses were bland and (a couple) inedible. We were both hungry at the end of the dinner! Breakfast was totally underwhelming and lean; I had the eggs Benedict which was half a muffin and 1 egg. Not a full portion in my opinion. The hotel itself is very nice and situated in a beautiful part of Norfolk. The staff were all very lovely and helpful!

I quite enjoyed my stay here, BUT A) Only allowing 2 guests in the pool at a time, I was unable to use the pool on 1 of my 3 day stay - not good enough B) Housekeeping - 3 small pieces of silver paper remained on my bedroom floor for the entire 3 day stay - not good enough C) £11 for a dessert - seriously ? I live in London and both The Ivy and the Wolsely ( far superior and on Piccadilly W.1. ) only charge £8.75 for super desserts - sorry - rip off D) Spent my Sunday breakfast surrounded by dirty plates on either side of my table - excuse ? - short staffed - sorry, not my problem and not good enough E) Monday breakfast “ sold out “ of yoghurt and croissants - then go and get more ! Not good enough On the whole an OK stay, with above complaints, Would I stay here again ? Not really good enough