The Maids Head Hotel

Hotels
•
Classic British Hotels
8.5 (5484 reviews)
Tombland , Norwich , GB
+44 1603 209955

listing image 1
Show all photos
Paid
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
24-hour front desk
Restaurant
Room service
Heating
Family rooms
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Excellent central location
Friendly, helpful staff
Historic/characterful property
Clean and comfortable rooms (many reports)
Good breakfast (for some guests)
On-site bar/pub and cosy public areas
Convenient for attractions/cathedral
Cons:
Limited accessibility / many steps
Small or tired rooms with poor lighting
Cold rooms / heating issues
Parking limited and expensive
Occasional shortages at breakfast / items not replaced
Missing in-room provisions (tea bags, milk) and some socket/TV issues
Noise in some rooms (external humming)

Categories

Cleanliness
8.5
Multiple guests describe rooms as clean and comfortable; overall housekeeping appears reliable with no major cleanliness complaints.
Service
9.3
Staff are repeatedly described as friendly, welcoming and helpful; a minority report an unhelpful reception interaction, but service is otherwise a strong point.
Location
10
Consistently praised as an excellent, central location (close to the cathedral and city attractions); location is a primary reason guests choose this hotel.
Room Quality
7.2
Mixed feedback: some rooms are comfortable and characterful, but several guests report small, tired rooms, poor lighting, noisy exterior hum, and heating/cold issues.
Amenities
8.5
Historic features such as a secret bar and cosy public areas are appreciated, but accessibility (many steps), parking limitations and some in-room provision issues (tea/coffee, sockets) reduce the score.
Value for Money
7
Several guests feel the hotel is overpriced (breakfast often excluded or seen as expensive) and note additional parking costs; perceived value is below the hotel’s otherwise strong location/service.
Food and Beverage
8.5
Breakfast is praised by some as fabulous and plentiful, but other guests experienced items running out or found breakfast overpriced—overall generally good but inconsistent.
Overall Experience
9
Most guests report a very positive stay driven by location, character and friendly staff, though issues with room comfort, accessibility and parking temper the experience for some.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-11-05 14:06

Property Description

Historic Charm in the Heart of Norwich

AA Rosette Restaurant and Casual Dining Menu
Indulge in exquisite dining experiences at the AA Rosette Restaurant or opt for a more laid-back meal with the Casual Dining menu, catering to all tastes.

Luxurious Rooms with Modern Amenities
Experience comfort and convenience in our rooms featuring modern bathrooms, satellite TV, and tea/coffee facilities. The blend of contemporary comforts and historic charm will make your stay unforgettable.

Convenient Location and Onsite Amenities
Explore the vibrant Tombland area from our centrally located hotel. Enjoy a drink at the oak-panelled Maids Head Bar or pamper yourself at the onsite beauty salon, Best Beauty. Book now for a perfect blend of history and luxury.

Important information:

Children/Extra Beds:
Please enter requests for extra child beds and/or cots, noting the age of the child, in the comments box when booking.

Group Bookings:
Reservations for 6 or more rooms made under the same name and for the same arrival date will be classed as a group booking and may require a deposit or full pre-payment before the date of arrival.

Please note that only dogs are allowed. A supplement of GBP 10 per pet, per night will be applied.

When booking [5] rooms or more, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

Due to the age and structure of the building, some steps are present to access all areas.Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: BLQ

Location

Guest Reviews

8.5
Based on 5484 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.5
Service: 9.3
Location: 10
Room Quality: 7.2
Amenities: 8.5
Value for Money: 7
Food and Beverage: 8.5
Overall Experience: 9
S
Susan • couple • gb
7
Lovely stay apart from lack of accessibility.
Pros:

Its location, character, comfortable bed, loved the secret bar.

Cons:

Not all the reception staff were as helpful as they could have been, but the main criticism was the lack of accessibility. There were steps everywhere - highly polished, steep and non-carpeted - there were even three steps up to the lift. The six steps down to the restaurant were lethal. I know it is an old building but at the prices charged it should be fully accessible for everyone - maybe sacrifice a couple of rooms to install a lift down to the restaurant and bar.

2026-10-31 • via Nuitee
C
Claire • couple • gb
10
Perfect
Pros:

Lovely period property in the heart of Norwich.

Cons:

It was our wedding anniversary and they made it special!

2026-10-31 • via Nuitee
C
Cameron • couple • gb
6
Location was good , hotel bit old and needing an upgrade
Pros:

It is well located in Norwich city

Cons:

It was ok

2026-10-31 • via Nuitee
R
richard • couple • gb
5
Location excellent - fortunately we did not need to spend much time in the actual hotel.
Pros:

Welcome from staff
Use of car park

Cons:

Small room with no view of anything pleasant.
Loud humming all the time outside made opening window impossible - noise still very audible with window shut
Lighting all wrong! No light in cupboard where kettle was so couldn’t see what we were doing
Ceiling light very poor on initial entry into room, combination of light switches difficult to get main lights over bed working. Bedside lamps inadequate for reading so one person could not read while the other did not as the bright lights over both sides were required.

2026-10-31 • via Nuitee
R
Roger • solo_traveller • gb
9
2026-10-31 • via Nuitee
I
Iwan • couple • gb
10
2026-10-30 • via Nuitee
L
Lesley • couple • gb
10
Friendly traditional hotel.
Pros:

Very friendly a traditional old hotel. Location was very good and quiet at night. Would definitely recommend it.

2026-10-30 • via Nuitee
S
Simon • couple • gb
10
2026-10-29 • via Nuitee
D
David • couple • gb
9
A real treat
Pros:

Location, history

Cons:

Stairs!

2026-10-29 • via Nuitee
S
Stephen John • couple • gb
7
Unnecessarily expensive…considering it didn’t include breakfast.
Pros:

Central the town and it was clean

Cons:

There was lack of teabags and milk in the room. It was a double room with only one English tea bag on offer.

2026-10-29 • via Nuitee
P
Philpott • solo_traveller • gb
8
A great central location to walk to attractions
Pros:

Location, facilities, room, parking cost

Cons:

Dimmer switch to lights for night

2026-10-29 • via Nuitee
R
ruth • couple • gb
10
Perfect stay in a beautiful place
Pros:

Beautiful property the staff are the most friendliest and helpful. The rooms are comfortable and clean. Easy to walk in to the centre, breakfast is fabulous hot and loads to choose from. The little pub/bar is great too

Cons:

Car parking is an issue and expensive to park

2026-10-28 • via Nuitee
A
Amanda • couple • gb
10
2026-10-28 • via Nuitee
T
Tracey • couple • gb
9
Very nice place and would like to come back!
Pros:

Great location
East parking

2026-10-27 • via Nuitee
S
sonja • family_with_children • gb
5
Average, with annoying elements. The hotel relies heavily on location and less on quality.
Pros:

Great location

Cons:

Tv did not work
Sockets did not work
We had breakfast at 9 am and things had run out and were not replaced

2026-10-27 • via Nuitee
R
Russell • solo_traveller • gb
9
I would always go back to the Maid's Head when in Norwich.
Pros:

Wonderful, characterful building. Excellent location, right outside the cathedral and a few minutes' walk from the city centre. Friendly, welcoming staff. Room was clean and comfortable. Good buffet breakfast.

Cons:

N/A

2026-10-26 • via Nuitee
M
Mike • extended_group • gb
6
To be honest I thought the hotel is overrated as there are lots of things you don’t realise if you haven’t read the smal
Pros:

Central location

Cons:

Rooms were a bit cold as heating is one stand a lone radiator

2026-10-26 • via Nuitee
C
christine • solo_traveller • us
10
2026-10-26 • via Nuitee
T
Tomas • couple • gb
8
2026-10-26 • via Nuitee
J
James • solo_traveller • gb
8
Overall a great location with easy parking and accessibility to the city
Pros:

All of the experience staying at the hotel was great.

Cons:

my only comment was breakfast was overpriced in my opinion, i would not pay for breakfast again and find a local alternative

2026-10-26 • via Nuitee