Best boutique hotels in Norfolk for a glorious 2023 break

Norfolk may not seem the most obvious place to look for a boutique place to stay, but the fact is the county can lay claim to some of the best small boutique hotels in the country, especially in the chi-chi reaches of its fabled North Coast. As a county patchworked by country estates – most of them with fancy mansions built by local bigwigs – Norfolk scores particularly well on small and elegant country house hotels that have been gussied up with style and flair for the 21st century. It’s also a county of brilliant pubs, and there are any number of revamped inns that have added cosy rooms and a special food offering. Indeed, Norfolk tends to be a region of small independent businesses rather than mega-chains, and there are one or two small pub groups that place a strong emphasis on high-quality accommodation and food of local provenance. To help you choose where to rest your head, we’ve put together a list of the best boutique places to stay in the county. The best boutique hotels in Norfolk 2023 are: Best for couples: The Ironmongers Best hotel for familes: The Grove Best hotel for foodies: Morston hall Best hotel for walkers: Titchwell Manor Best hotel for shopping: The Assembly House Best budget hotel: The Cliftonville Best for couples: The Irongmongers Location: Aylsham Located in a historic Elizabethan house right at the heart of the small Norfolk town of Aylsham, The Ironmongers is a perfect spot for a couple’s tryst: totally private, with no reception, just a code to gain entrance, and eight beautifully designed guest rooms inspired by the town’s historic trades – as well as ironmongery, the building has hosted a wine merchant, tailors shop and all sorts of different businesses over the years. The large Haberdashery room has a four-poster and lots of fancy silks and satins, but all of the rooms are spacious and welcoming, with solid oak floors, smart TVs, good wifi, tea and coffee-making facilities and en-suite bathrooms with good-sized showers, fluffy towels and toiletries. Heat and hot water are provided by air-source heat pumps, and dogs are welcome in two of the rooms. It’s a B&B without the breakfast, but don’t let that worry you: Norfolk folk swear by the local Bread Source bakery chain and there’s a branch right downstairs, serving delectable croissants and other pastries, sweet and savoury. If that doesn’t take your fancy, the Black Boys pub across the road does an excellent full English breakfast. Best hotel for families: The Grove Location: Cromer Situated between the Norfolk resorts of Cromer and Overstrand, this is not a beach hotel in the traditional sense – there are no sea views. But it has a tucked-away feel that is irresistible, and you can walk to the beach in a matter of minutes, escaping through the trees of the hotel’s secluded garden as if en route to your own secret place. A family-run hotel, it has a welcoming and comfortable feel that can only be achieved after years in the business, with 16 well-appointed guest rooms split between the main house and the Orchard Rooms in the grounds, supplemented by a scattering of self-catering cottages, glamping yurts and a giant shepherds hut. The rooms are simple, understated and homely, with up-to-date furnishings and well-appointed en-suite bathrooms. There’s also a consistently good restaurant, open for lunch and dinner, and service is terrific. Meanwhile, the grounds are home to a heated indoor swimming pool and a funky ‘massage hut’ offering various treatments. Best hotel for foodies: Morston Hall Location: Morston Just a few miles from picturesque Blakeney and just footsteps from Morston Quay in North Norfolk, Morston Hall sits surrounded by beautiful gardens – an oasis of calm in what can be a busy spot during the summer months. Once you’re within the hotel’s flint walls, you feel like nothing bad could happen to you, and you can enjoy the comfy rooms and on-point cooking of chef-patron Galton Blackiston. The rooms are very comfy indeed, divided between the main house and an annex in the garden, and have everything you could possibly need, from private terraces and smart TVs, to Nespresso machines and homemade cookies, fresh milk and still and sparkling water. En-suite bathrooms are large, with a walk-in shower, robes and Noble Isle toiletries and a separate bathtub with its own TV. But the rooms aren’t really the point: you’re paying for the glorious peace of the location, the gardens that surround the house in a fertile embrace and a restaurant where the devotedly local menu changes every day, depending on what’s available and in season – whether it’s from the Hall’s fecund kitchen garden or mini-smokehouse, or the various fish and seafood suppliers and local farmers that Galton deals with. The one thing you can predict is that Galton will cook your breakfast himself the following morning, when he likes to chat to guests and find out how they enjoyed their dinner the night before. Best hotel for walkers: Titchwell Manor Location: Titchwell Looking out over the the salt marshes of the North Norfolk coast, Titchwell Manor is one of the best places to stay – and to eat – in an area that’s not exactly short of options. Divided between a main building, cottage annexe and stable block, it houses 26 individually styled boutique rooms ranging from the cheapest ‘Good’ doubles through ‘Better’ up to ‘Best’ and ‘Signature’ rooms, featuring super-king-size beds, private patio areas, freestanding baths and separate showers. A couple even have their own terraces with private hot tubs. If that’s not quite private enough, you can always opt for a shepherd’s hut in the garden, with its own shower room, living area, hot tub and wood-burner. All the rooms have good wifi, smart TVs, robes, tea- and coffee-making facilities and recently updated bathrooms. You can have an in-room massage, and a third of the rooms are dog-friendly – nice to know, given the excellent walks in all directions. Work up an appetite on the Norfolk Coast Path before dining at the hotel’s renowned 3 AA-rosette restaurant – or just pick up some fish and chips from its well-known sister business, Eric’s. Best hotel for shopping: The Assembly House Location: Norwich Run by revered local chef Richard Hughes and his wife Stacia, the Assembly House occupies a beautifully renovated Georgian building bang in the centre of Norwich – a boutique hotel, restaurant and cookery school that is one of the country’s best places for an indulgent and cultural short break. Occupying two wings flanking the garden and entrance, the guest rooms are light and spacious and decorated in a classic-meets-contemporary style. Each one is different but all come with high-quality beds and linen, good wifi, flatscreen TVs and Bluetooth speakers. There’s a car park next door, and you can start the day with one of Richard’s superb breakfasts, served in the elegant ground-floor restaurant, where you can also enjoy a delicious afternoon tea. You couldn’t be in a better location for exploring central Norwich, which is literally on your doorstep. Best budget hotel: The Cliftonville Location: Cromer Situated right on top of the cliffs in resurgent Cromer, The Cliftonville is a landmark building that, until recently, was in need of a bit of TLC. Luckily for us, it has been renovated by the City Pub Company, which has turned The Cliftonville into an affordable and thoroughly up-to-date place to stay, just minutes from the town’s beach. Most of the rooms have sea views and it’s nice to know you can leave the car at home and come here by train from Norwich, leaving you free to focus on the seaside attractions of Cromer. The beach and the pier are right there, and there’s another beautiful beach at Overstrand, a short walk away, where you can enjoy crab sandwiches in the clifftop café. Alternatively, try the Cromer crab or some of Norfolk’s best fish and chips in No.1 or Mary Janes before following the Norfolk Coast Path to Sheringham, where you can sample some of the county’s best ice cream at Ellie’s. And the hotel? It’s an Edwardian gem – think sweeping staircases and stained-glass windows – that has been sensitively restored: it boasts a cosy bar; a contemporary restaurant that makes the most of the sea views and serves decent modern British food; and 30 guest rooms and suites with en-suite bathrooms, good wifi, flatscreen TVs and tea- and coffee-making facilities. Read more of our UK hotel reviews: Best spa hotels in Norfolk Best London hotels Best Essex hotels Read more about England travel: Where to stay in Nottingham The Lake District’s best boutique hotels Best hotels in the Cotswolds Read More Best family-friendly hotels in the UK for style, location and value for money The best dog-friendly hotels in the UK for 2023 The UK’s best seaside hotels 2023 12 places you won’t believe are in England The best wild swimming stays in the UK Best hotels in Somerset 2023: Where to stay for countryside charm