Fodor's Expert Review The Maid's Head Hotel

A charming and eccentric lodging in the middle of Norwich, the Maid's Head claims to be the oldest hotel in England. That may be stretching it a bit (there was no such thing as a "hotel" in the Middle Ages), but it is true that previous guests included Elizabeth I and Catherine of Aragon. Today the comforts are much more modern, including free Wi-Fi, satellite TV, and digital radios. The lobby, bar, and restaurant retain more in the way of historic charm, although bedrooms in the eaves have exposed beams and sloping ceilings (which means watch your head). The Wine Press restaurant serves good, Modern British meals, made with plenty of East Anglian ingredients—Norfolk quail ballotine with dauphinoise, for instance, or beef marinated in treacle.