Sprowston Manor Hotel & Country Club, Somerleyton

Sprowston Fails Spectacularly ! My husband and I booked a weekend at Sprowston Manor for Valentine’s Day and our first wedding anniversary, expecting a special and memorable stay. We booked weeks in advance and even called ahead to confirm that if we didn’t opt for the set Valentine’s dinner, we would still be able to order food in the bar. We were categorically assured this would be no problem. Upon arriving on Friday (Valentine’s night), dressed up and ready for a lovely evening, we were told the kitchen had stopped serving food. The reason? They had taken an extra 50 bookings and were now too busy. The solution we were offered? "Just order a takeaway on Deliveroo and eat it in your room." Excuse me?! If we wanted a takeaway in bed, we would have stayed at home! Determined to salvage the evening, I insisted we weren’t eating in our room, and we ended up having a cold Wagamama’s in the foyer—hardly the romantic evening we envisioned. Fast forward to Saturday night—again, we were assured we could eat in the bar. The restaurant was closed, but food would be available. Once again, we got dressed up, only to be told there was NO food being served. This time, no excuse was given, but we later discovered that the kitchen was too busy catering for a Young Farmers' party in a marquee! So, Deliveroo, round two. Had we known we wouldn’t be able to eat in the hotel, we NEVER would have booked it. The hotel is not within walking distance of any restaurants, and being forced to rely on takeaways completely ruined our special weekend. It is pure greed to take more bookings than you can handle, while neglecting the guests actually staying at your establishment. To top it all off, when we checked out, we raised our concerns with the Operations Manager, who, while polite, didn’t seem to grasp the sheer incompetence of the situation. He offered us £20 in compensation. I took it, given how much we’d spent on takeaways, but in hindsight, I wish I’d said, "Don’t insult me!" This hotel is beyond substandard, and Britannia Hotels should be ashamed. If you are thinking of staying here for a special occasion, do yourself a favor—go somewhere else