I can only agree with the other posters: we stayed last week for 4 nights, with our son (21): the location is fabulous and the breakfasts all one could want. We also ate in the restaurant two evenings and regretted not eating there the other two evenings.
We would definitely go back, it was excellent value for money.

We stayed at Elderton Lodge for one night in early December 06.
We were given a friendly welcome and allocated a room at the front of the hotel with a view of the deer park. The room was spacious and had every facility we could have wanted, including bathrobes and chocolates as well as the usual tea and coffee on a tray. Each room also has a DVD player with a huge menu of DVDs to select from if you are so inclined! The bathroom was large and modern with toileteries provided.
When we were advised when we booked to make a reservation for an evening meal and we did so. Unfortunately, dinner was somewhat disrupted by a large Christmas party group which tended to monopolise the service and were rather noisy. We were invited to have an apertif in the lounge/bar area whilst perusing the menu but due to the demands of the party it took about an hour in all for us to be taken through to the dining room!
We enjoyed a 3 course meal with fresh bread which was very nice. The only disappointment was the thai style fish main course which was rather bland (no hint of the chilli referred to on the menu).
Breakfast offered a good selection from a menu.
Overall its a lovely place to stay - a beautiful quiet country retreat under normal circumstances - just try to avoid party nights!

We stayed at this hotel for 1 night. As soon as we arrived, the staff were friendly, helpful and I loved the feel of the place already. The view from the room was wonderful with a view of the deer park. The room was a nice size, not huge but just nice. We didn't find the bed too soft at all, but then we don't like hard beds. The bathroom was immaculate which is always good. It was just the shower that annoyed a bit as it was connected to the bath taps and kept running hot and cold, but I can hardly say it ruined my stay.

We went down to the bar for a drink before dinner which has a lovely atmosphere and open fire. The restaurant looked quite busy and we were served nibbles with our drinks while waiting to be called in for dinner. In the restaurant, they served us a small bites before our starter arrived which was not long after. We had the fish starter which excellent - a good size though! We do not know how much time they usually give between courses because we asked for 15 to 20 minutes between each and that is what they did. We both had the venison with red wine and chocolate sauce for main course which was also excellent. We both had dessert and coffee with petit fours and they were wonderful as well. I did find it difficult to finish my dessert as I was quite full. My husband ate everything including cheese and biscuits!

We had a cooked breakfast in our room the next morning which was still piping hot and cooked perfectly.

All in all we had a wonderful stay. The room was lovely, the food was fabulous and the staff were friendly.

Just right for a country getaway, romantic night away at a reasonable price.

Lovely!

We have recently returned from a weekend winter break here. The style of the hotel is very much country house and it attracts mainly guests averaging (I would guess) 50 years of age. There are also plenty of non-residential diners booked into the restaurant in the evenings.

Despite being a listed building, there seems to be very little left inside of the original features. I can imagine it is hard to retain character while making way for en-suite bedrooms! Our room was at the back of the hotel (I suspect the fact we had a dog with us ruled us out of the running for a superior room with a view of the deer park). It was pleasant enough in a floral way and a good size. The furniture was modern, as was the bathroom (no roll-top baths or antiques here). We both found the bed far too soft though.

The evening meals would probably be considered wonderful by about 90% of the diners they have, but I was a little disappointed. It was just the little things. 'Seasonal' veg equating to a (possibly frozen) mix of mange tout, baby sweetcorn, green beans, etc. (in February). Seasonal in Kenya perhaps? My trio of 'Norfolk' cheeses consisting of Stilton, Brie and a Guinness-flavoured Cheddar. I found the menu formulaic and lacking innovation (apart from a beetroot risotto that really didn't work for me). The wine list was poor and bad value. Both nights, we spent 20-30 GBP on a bottle and ended up with something that should have been charged out at about 12-15 in a good restaurant. Finally, the service was far too rapid. Had we not asked for some time after finishing our main courses before ordering dessert, we would have been in and out within 45 minutes. This to me is unnacceptable when the the table isn't needed for other diners.

There was plenty of choice at breakfast, but again the service was too rapid and it was obvious that the Full English was not cooked to order (except for the eggs). Sadly, no references were made to where the ingredients (bacon, etc.) came from, despite Norfolk being awash with excellent rare breeds butchers, fantastic bacon, eggs and sausages. I even found that the yoghurt on offer was from Lancashire!

I hate to sound so negative about the food as I'm sure most people will not notice the things I did. It was just such a huge disappointment from a restaurant in which 'the emphasis is on the freshest possible local ingredients'. It's just that with a little more effort the standards could be raised enormously.

All in all, I did enjoy my weekend and the management/owners can be congratulated on their friendly and helpful staff.