Located in Holt, North Norfolk and opening only in May 2021, this peaceful 32 room boutique hotel is ideal for a tranquil getaway. It has a laidback style whilst still maintaining a feeling of luxury and modernity. Explore the Norfolk Coast, book a spa treatment or simply just cosy up by the fire and switch off, The Harper ticks lots of boxes!
Location 7/10: located in a quiet, peaceful area, but within a short distance to explore the coast it was a perfect combination of both. Although it didn't have a very distinctive arrival like other places we have been to (surrounded by cottages and new build houses but all in the beautiful stone finish) so kind of looked part of the hotel which was a bit confusing but once you are in you almost forget where you are and feels retreat like. It was a short drive to Wells next the Sea where we did the coastal path to the beach which then connected round to Holkham Beach as well which was very beautiful. Being my first time to Norfolk I felt every thing was quite spread out to visit but maybe it is because I am unfamiliar with the area!
Room 9/10: I booked one of their 'big' rooms which is their standard room offer and was ideal for our 2 night stay with lots of room, a super king size bed and the comfiest robes. The minibar was complimentary including negroni, soft drinks and a delicious locally brewed beer and also snacks such as crisps and popcorn. My only little improvements would have been including biscuits (I love hotel biscuits with my cup of tea in bed in the morning!), the pillows were a bit too firm (I know this is personal preference and I would have loved a bath - but we could have got one if we had booked a 'bigger' room! One thing I would add as well is that it was immaculately clean, along with all areas of the hotel and it smelled amazing at all times! All in all it was a really lovely peaceful room!
Dining 9/10: I loved all the food we experienced during our stay, with a varied menu, there was lots of options depending on what you fancied! The menu changes regularly so there were new dishes added for our second night including deep fried mars bar on the dessert menu which was incredible and I don't usually have a big sweet tooth but couldn't resist! The staff both in the bar were really accommodating but sometimes was hard to find them as they didn't stay front of house. There were also no beers on draft! The breakfast was my favourite meal as the choice and quality was delicious with lots of continental options, fruit, cooked dishes and all table service which I prefer over a buffet! We also spent some time in Burnham Market and had lunch at No.29 which I recommend. We tried to book Socius also in Burnham Market but it was fully booked so will try and go next time!
Value for money 9/10: our 2 night stay varied in price as the Sunday night was £270 a night and the Monday night was £190. So, if you want to get more for your money highly recommend staying midweek instead of the weekend! The price included an delicious breakfast as I mentioned plus all the complementaries in the room and the use of their intimate spa. We also booked massages at the spa which were £60 for 55 minutes which is very reasonable. When you compare this price to say, The Pig which includes none of the above it is fantastic value for money!
Extras: Some rooms allow dogs for a surcharge of £25. There are no children's menus/facilities however are welcome under supervision. We love all the games they had to offer around the hotel. They also had a projector and you could request to use it and watch movies. The spa was also lovely, you have to book 30 minute slots as it is private to use to each guest - not sure if this was due to covid or will be ongoing! On the first day though the steam room and hot tub were not working and the sauna wasn't hot enough however the staff rectified this the next day when we informed them. We loved all the spots around the hotel to sit and relax and read the papers or a book.
THE GETAWAY GUIDE FEELING 8/10: overall I really loved our stay and the purpose of our visit was to enjoy the hotel and have quality time together and it was perfect for this. My reasons for not giving a higher feeling score was that the location of the hotel was quite confusing and not as grand as others and I thought the reception staff could have been more forthcoming with information on the hotel and area! All in all though, we will definitely go back as it was the perfect place to switch off and during everything the hotel has to offer!
