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A good friend and I visited this hotel for the first time for a two-night stay and we were very impressed. It had been recommended to us by friends of ours. I stayed in Room 12, at the top of the hotel, with the most perfect view of the river. The room was very well appointed and comfortable with a lot of character. We enjoyed all of the food very much and the staff were delightful. We were also fortunate enough to enjoy the most perfect weather! A perfect location and well situated for other things in the area to explore. We would certainly visit again!

Having visited a few times over the last couple of years sadly this place has lost its charm. The recent food hygiene rating of zero is also very alarming! Fritton lake is desperately trying to be Norfolks answer to Soho farmhouse but it’s struggling (Norfolk doesn’t want a Soho farmhouse!) The clubhouse rooms are tatty, the sauna and changing rooms are dirty and unmanaged. It’s unprofessionally run with only a handful of inexperienced staff. Its social media is a joke - tacky and Inappropriate posts which are swiftly taken down when they receive negative comments. The place is just trying too hard but can’t keep up with demand and failing fast. My experience of large groups of holiday guests hogging the sauna for hours and leaving it filthy really is the nail in the coffin for me and I will not be returning.

I stayed here from Friday 30.09. to Monday 3 October 2022. It was my first time at Oaklands. It appeared to be primarily a hotel for drivers: it is some way out of the centre of Norwich; the narrow driveway leading to it has no provision for pedestrians; and it has a large car park. The hotel had told me of the fairly frequent bus service from the railway station, which did not take long. Arrival and registration was smooth and fast. My room (no. 20 - photos) was easy to reach and generally quiet, apart from faint noises from the corridor and adjacent rooms. When I arrived, I was correctly told that my room was far enough away from the birthday party in progress for me not to be disturbed; this was not so true of the event on Saturday evening: the music’s rhythmic thumping continued and appeared to grow slightly louder until 24:00. The staff were consistently courteous and helpful. My room was well equipped and comfortable, including a comfortable bed and quickly accessed WiFi, a hair dryer and a spacious bathroom. The wall television worked well. The tasteful decorations incorporated two still life paintings. The refreshment tray included delicious biscuits and drinks, including (most unusual) hot chocolate. Room service was efficient and discreet. There were however a few irritations: A) the bedside light and the ceiling light were linked, so that it was apparently impossible to turn off the bedside light without going to one of the two (why?) switches on the wall by the door; B) the room was warm when I arrived, as was the towel rack in the bathroom; the next day, the heat had vanished, and I was unable to turn it on again; outside night-time temperatures went below 10°C; C) there was no lamp on the desk; D) there were far too many cushions and pillows on the bed; E) there was no clock in the room. The package I had booked was for bed and breakfast. The breakfast room was large, including a terrace; the menu (table service, no buffet) was extensive, with a lot of local produce; the portions were generous and tasty. Fruit juice, normally a standard component of breakfast at such hotels, was available on request.

I cannot understand the negative remarks regarding this hotel, I very much enjoyed my 4 night stay in this imposing hotel. Bedroom attractively decorated and, the Hotel Grail for solo travellers, a king size bed with a sparkling clean modern en-suite. All staff were extremely helpful and approachable, and if you needed extra coffee, etc reception would readily refill immediately. Food throughout was well cooked with some interesting items not usually found on mass catering menus. Given that while i was there, there were 3 coach parties and 2/3 conferences the kitchen deserves a medal Only problem was the dining room at breakfast which is an extremely well stocked buffet, so much choice. I have arthritis and walk with a stick and unfortunately there were stairs between the food and allocated seating area which I negotiated awkwardly with one hand on bannister and stick in other hand. No hands for food. Ladies serving coffee kindly came to my rescue, but it would have been so much easier and less embarrassing for me if a table on the same level as the food had been allocated. My thanks to all staff.