Norton Manor Hotel

1 reader found this review helpful

Save your money and definitely don't bother paying for the upgrade to a manor room. We paid the princely sum of £175 for bed & breakfast midweek.
Initially we were allocated a large room in the so-called "refurbished wing". The sound that greeted us was of running water in the en-suite bathroom - the bidet had a large out of order sign on the wall and the constant accompaniment of running water like a fountain.
We asked for another room as we didn't want to be kept awake by this noise, and at first were told by a surly receptionist that we could have a double in the main conference block accommodation. When questioned about the fact that we had been sold an "upgraded" room in the manor house, she said my colleague will get back to you. Eventually we were shown 2 other rooms that were vacant in the "upgraded and refurbished" manor house wing. They were tiny and with no wardrobes, just a space to hang our evening clothes up. The wallpaper was peeling off the ceiling (!) and the bathroom was old and dated with chipped tiles and decidedly scruffy. As time was passing by and we had an evening at the opera planned (with an hour to get dressed) we took the path of least resistance and accepted the least offensive of the 2 rooms. We were not offered a discount for the far smaller, scruffier room and frankly I would not advise staying there to anyone. Our colleagues managed to get the last room at the Hotel du Vin in Winchester and when we went back there for a late night coffee it was far nicer and half the price...
Breakfast was ok but again the staff attitude of trying to squash all the clients into one corner of the restaurant was more in their interest than ours!