My husband and I stayed at the dukes head last night 14/05/08. On entering the front of the hotel, the first thing weI noticed was a real stench of beer, so strong that thinking we had gone into a pub by mistake I had to do a double take to make sure that we were actually in the hotel. We checked in with no welcome from the reception staff, and then were directed to the lift. This was something to behold, and you really felt that you were taking your life in your hands travelling in it. It was so old and delapidated! When we got to our room on the second floor, I had already decided that I didn't really want to be thare at all, all the paintwork was yellowing, peeling and chipped, and the layout of the landing and corridors was reminicent of an old musty snooker hall, very creepy and dingy. The bedroom was equally as disappointing, antiquated fittings, not shabby chique, just shabby...Tatty everything, the wooden bath panel had warped and rotted, and was bent inwards and crumbling away.The shower, well words really do fail me..The whole shower fitting, taps etc, were so encrusted with limescale, two inches thick? I am not exaggerating..and the taps were so furred up that they wouldn't work properly. We ran the shower for a good five minutes, and the water never even became luke warm. We were just around the corner from the lift, and that made a noise that I can only describe as like the noise the Titanic made when it was sinking..Ironic eh? It is such a shame that the hotel is in this state of disrepair, as it is so conveniently situated for Kings Lynn...... Miss Havisham would've loved it...

Stayed at this hotel for 2 nights with my boyfriend; total price ?110 including cooked breakfast. It was fine. Clean, warm, shower hot, breakfast good. For what we paid it was great. Ok, wallpaper is falling off, decor out of the 1930;s...but fine for the price. Would return.

The front picturesque view is very misleading. We were booked for two nights in March 2008 and happened to arrive one night early. Our GPS took us to the back entrance that night and we were so disillusioned we found another place for that night. The next day, in the daylight, we thought we would give it another try. The only place we could find to park was in the back. I entered the only door I could find and ended up in the kitchen area. There were so many leaks on my trip through it was like being in a shower. I was scolded for coming in that way and was led to reception. I found it in very poor shape. Before I checked in I asked to see our room while my wife waited in the car. The room was damp, musty and very unappealing. The furniture was tattered and threadbare. At that point I cancelled our reservation. This was at 3:06pm day of arrival and they still charged me for one night. I was sure that on their website AND on my confirmation it said cancel by 4pm day of arrival and you would not be charged, but I didn't have that info with me. So the next day I went back with info in hand and was simply and curtly told that the agent and the website were wrong and the charge would stand. Not a good way to do business. I wouldn't let my dog stay there.

What can I say that hasn't already been written? Oh yeah, the whole 4'x6' window frame that was falling back INTO the room!! Crack sash window frame that was 2" away from the wall. Parts held together with L shaped braces. Other visitors had tried and failed in vain to stop the gale-forced breezes coming through the many cracks by stuffing with bog roll!! Tried to close the sash due to 2 degree weather - ended up standing on a chair with my husband having to hold the window back in the hole in the wall while I closed it! Nightmare. Forget the front facade, the entrance, the sitting room and dining room. Go through to the stairwell with the - very old and noisy! - lift, and you go into no man's land. Wallpaper hanging (literally in sheets!) off the wall; damp; stained carpet; curtains hanging off rail; old bedding. All circa 1980 !. Went to Peacocks and bought a cheap sheet and pillowcases - couldn't trust them to be that clean! Think we might have had the only refurb'd bathroom - circa 1995, but it worked. For those who are on a Room Only basis - go to McDs just around the corner: don't even bother with the Breakfast ! I feel really embarrassed that such a wonderful town that attracts so many tourists (foreign and homegrown) see this hotel on the internet (like I did) and think it looks passable. What a terrible shock. Lets say without drinking lots of our own booze in our room, and going to a great gig across the road, we might have chosen to have slept in our car ! JUST DON'T GO HERE PEOPLE !

The only good thing is reception. It is pleasantly served and reasonably decorated. Go beyond here to a pleasant lounge with log fire and everything looks good. From here on it is all down hill. We were with a group and ate in the ballroom. The staff could not cope with serving 39 people so we had hot meat and cold vegetable, cold meat and hot vegetables or everything cold. They made a complete hash of supplying two gluten free meals. There were 4 buckets catching water at the ballroom balcony entrance, our bedroom showed evidence of water penetration and even the interior walls were damp. We reported a blown light bulb three times and by the time we left it had still not been fixed. Is this a sign of a caring hotel or a hotel that has given up on customer service?