‘I’ve been to better greasy spoons’: Customers’ fury at service of luxury hotel

Jessika Roberts and her friends spent £1,470 at the Lenwade House Hotel for a New Years Eve event and overnight stay which they described as disappointing, Picture: Jessika Roberts (Image: Jessika Roberts)

Jessika Roberts, 25, from Dereham, arranged for her and 13 friends to celebrate New Year's Eve at the Lenwade House Hotel, which was billed as "the party to end all parties" on an event poster.

But she said the overnight stay, which cost the group £1,470, was ruined by poor service and dirty rooms with doors that could be opened with any key.

"That was a massive concern for us," she said. "We arranged to stay in double bed rooms but it was just two single beds pushed together."

See also: Shut hotel's history of financial problems

Jessika Roberts (front) and her friends spent £1,470 at the Lenwade House Hotel for a New Year's Eve event and overnight stay which they described as disappointing. Picture: Jessika Roberts (Image: Jessika Roberts)

Her friend Anna Jolly, 20, from Taverham, said the group demanded a refund at check out and was promised they would be contacted by the hotel.

But after more than a week of attempting to get in touch with the company, they were told on Friday that it had shut down and would not be issuing refunds.

A spokesman for the hotel said he could not comment on individual guest experiences.

He said: "This has been a very difficult decision to make but necessary under the circumstances of a very challenging economic climate."

Anna Jolly, from Taverham, demanded her money back from Lenwade House Hotel for her overnight stay on New Years Eve but was told refunds would no longer be issued after the hotel closed. Picture: Anna Jolly (Image: Anna Jolly)

Miss Jolly said: "There's not really anything we can do, I'm so annoyed that we spent all this money and we didn't even get an apology."

"It's marked up as a luxury hotel with award-winning dining, but I've been to greasy spoons that have been better than that."

Miss Roberts said that the hotel had gone "downhill", adding: "I bigged up the place after going to a wedding there three years ago.

"I put in a lot of effort to organise this so for me it was embarrassing."

Guests said there were a number of problems at the New Years Eve gala at the Lenwade House Hotel, including a leaky marquee and numerous power cuts. Picture: Anna Jolly (Image: Anna Jolly)

The hotel has been plagued by negative reviews online in the past year, with some guests criticising the business for its standards of service.

One Tripadvisor reviewer in November last year, criticised a fireworks event they attended.

Another review left by a customer in August 2019 on hotel.com claimed their breakfast and shower were cold.

Jessika Roberts said she had booked a double bed room at the Lenwade House Hotel, which turned out to be two single beds pushed together. Picture: Jessika Roberts (Image: Jessika Roberts)