The Grove Cromer

The Grove is the sort of hotel we really like at Cool Places. It's family-run and has been for years; it occupies a lovely historic building, which exudes a lived-in and appealing comfortableness that is hard to find – and even harder to fake; and it is run by enterprising people who are always looking to make the most of their property – and to go the extra mile for their guests. Hence the lush and secluded garden is home to a heated indoor swimming pool, along with a handful of self-catering cottages and yurts for glamping fans, and their restaurant is as much of a draw for non-residents as it is for hotel guests. Plus they are – in the self-catering cottages at least – a dog-friendly establishment, so all the family can come. As for the rooms, the hotel has 16 in all, ranging from a cosy double and a single room to standard doubles and twins and a handful of family rooms. Most of the guest rooms are in the main house, and they come in all shapes and sizes, but they also have five 'Orchard Rooms' that are more contemporary in style, tucked away in a timber-framed building in the garden, a couple of which are perfect for families. The style of all the rooms is simple, understated and homely, with up-to-date furnishings and well-appointed en-suite bathrooms; they all have flatscreen TVs and DVD players and there is free wi-fi throughout.  Finally there's the location, which is wonderful: the hotel occupies lovely secluded grounds set well away from the main road; and the cliffs just outside Cromer and the beach below is just  a short walk away through the woods on the far side of the garden. It's a short stroll into the busy resort of Cromer in one direction, a slightly longer one to the nearby village of Overstrand, where the sand is lovely, there are crabs and lobsters for sale and there's a good clifftop beach café.