Links Country Park Hotel, Cromer

Handily positioned adjacent to West Runton station, this is a large hotel and golf course set in pleasant North Norfolk heathland. The hotel has a public bar, although I suspect it caters almost exclusively to residents and golfers, with passing trade likely to be very minimal. There’s nothing here that doesn’t immediately scream ‘hotel bar’ about this place – it’s all very bland, uninspiring and exactly what you’d expect. The bar area consists of a carpeted space between the main front entrance and the restaurant, which means there’s plenty of traffic passing through the room, but not too many people stopping off on their way. There’s a small servery to one side with a smart counter and bar back, plus a few comfy lounge seats under the large bay windows, with additional seating available in the room behind, which leads you on to the reception area. Décor is pretty limited and there’s no real atmosphere, but the bay windows do afford some nice views out over the green opposite. The barman mentioned that the golf club have their own bar on the other side of the car park, which hotel guests are welcome to visit – we didn’t pop over but were told they show live sport and they also have a number of benches out the front for al-fresco drinking. I was surprised to see one cask ale available here – Woodforde’s Wherry – which I tried but found to be past its best, presumably because there simply isn’t enough demand for it. The barman was very friendly and chatty but seemed to be running the bar alongside several other duties which resulted in occasional long waiting times at the bar. There’s no real reason to visit this bar unless you’re staying at the hotel – we found it was a convenient spot for one last drink before retiring for the night but can’t really recommend it beyond that. The village has a very nice ‘proper’ pub and I’d suggest that would be a far better option for anyone passing through.

Official site of Links Country Park Hotel - links-hotel.co.uk

Official site of Links Country Park Hotel - links-hotel.co.uk